# US 10,374,552 B1 · Mixer driver circuit with improved slew rate > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,374,552 B1 - Document ID: US10374552B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 15/952,868 - Filed: 2018-04-13 - Granted: 2019-08-06 - Earliest claimed: 2018-04-13 - Assignees: BAE Systems Information and Electronic Systems Integration Inc. - Applicants: BAE Systems Information and Electronic Systems Integration Inc. - Inventors: Douglas S. Jansen - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10374552B1 ## CPC - H03D 7/145: {using a combination of bipolar transistors and field-effect transistors} - H03D 7/1466: {Passive mixer arrangements} - H03D 7/165: {at least two frequency changers being located in different paths, e.g. in two paths with carriers in quadrature (combined with amplitude demodulation H03D1/2245, combined with angle demodulation H03D3/007; N-path filters H03H19/002)} - H04B 1/16: Circuits - H10D 84/0109: {the at least one component covered by H10D12/00 or H10D30/00 being a MOS device} - H10D 84/038: {using silicon technology, e.g. SiGe} - H10D 84/401: {Combinations of FETs or IGBTs with BJTs} - H03D 7/1458: {Double balanced arrangements, i.e. where both input signals are differential} - H10D 10/80: Heterojunction BJTs - H03D: DEMODULATION OR TRANSFERENCE OF MODULATION FROM ONE CARRIER TO ANOTHER (masers, lasers H01S; circuits capable of acting both as modulator and demodulator H03C; details applicable to both modulators and frequency-changers H03C; demodulating pulses H03K9/00; transforming types of pulse modulation H03K11/00; coding, decoding or code conversion, in general H03M; repeater stations H04B7/14; demodulators adapted for AC systems of digital information transmission H04L27/00; synchronous demodulators adapted for colour television H04N9/66) - H04B: TRANSMISSION - H10D: INORGANIC ELECTRIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES ## Abstract A mixer device is disclosed, which is fabricated as a bipolar-complementary metal oxide semiconductor (BiCMOS) integrated circuit device, to provide improved linearity and dynamic range, at higher operating frequencies. A mixer device configured according to an embodiment includes a driver circuit comprising bipolar junction transistors (BJTs) to convert a local oscillator signal to a high slew-rate gate drive signal. The driver circuit is configured as a quasi-complementary driver employing NPN BJTs. The mixer device further includes a mixer circuit comprising CMOS field-effect transistors (FETs) configured to mix an input signal with the gate drive signal to generate an output signal through the application of the gate drive signal to the gate port of the CMOS FETs. The mixer device further includes a voltage biasing circuit to provide a biased body voltage to the FETs to allow overdriving to a negative voltage relative to the body voltage. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A mixer device comprising: a driver circuit including one or more bipolar junction transistors to convert a local oscillator signal to a gate drive signal; and a mixer circuit including one or more complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) field-effect transistors (FETs) to mix an input signal with the gate drive signal to generate an output signal, the gate drive signal applied to a gate port of the one or more CMOS FETs. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The mixer device of claim 1, wherein the driver circuit is configured as a quasi-complementary driver wherein the bipolar junction transistors are NPN bipolar junction transistors. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The mixer device of claim 1, wherein the driver circuit and the mixer circuit are configured as differential circuits. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The mixer device of claim 1, wherein the bipolar junction transistors are silicon-germanium heterojunction bipolar transistors (SiGe HBTs). ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The mixer device of claim 1, further comprising a voltage biasing circuit to provide a biasing body voltage to the one or more CMOS FETs, the biasing voltage to bias the one or more CMOS FETs relative to a ground voltage. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The mixer device of claim 5, wherein the driver circuit is further to generate the gate drive signal to drive the one or more CMOS FETs below the body voltage. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The mixer device of claim 1, wherein the driver circuit is further to generate the gate drive signal to drive the one or more CMOS FETs into a triode region of operation. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The mixer device of claim 1, wherein the driver circuit and the mixer circuit are integrated on a Bipolar-CMOS (BiCMOS) integrated circuit (IC) device. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The mixer device of claim 8, wherein the one or more CMOS FETs are disposed in an isolation well configured to enable a body voltage of the one or more CMOS FETs to float relative to a ground voltage of the IC device. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The mixer device of claim 9, wherein the isolation well is configured as a dielectric ring insulator. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The mixer device of claim 9, wherein the isolation well is configured as a triple well parasitic reverse biased diode. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The mixer device of claim 1, further comprising a filter circuit to filter out selected harmonics from the output signal, the harmonics generated by the mixing. ### Claim 13 A receiver system comprising: an antenna to receive a radio frequency (RF) signal; a mixer device including a driver circuit including one or more bipolar junction transistors to convert a local oscillator signal to a gate drive signal, and a mixer circuit including one or more complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) field-effect transistors (FETs) to mix the received RF signal with the gate drive signal to generate an intermediate frequency signal, the gate drive signal applied to a gate port of the one or more CMOS FETs; and a filter circuit to filter out selected harmonics from the intermediate frequency signal, the harmonics generated by the mixing. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The receiver system of claim 13, wherein the driver circuit and the mixer circuit are integrated on a Bipolar-CMOS (BiCMOS) integrated circuit (IC) device. ### Claim 15 A method for fabricating a mixer device, the method comprising: configuring a driver circuit to include one or more bipolar junction transistors to convert a local oscillator signal to a gate drive signal; and configuring a mixer circuit, coupled to the driver circuit, to include one or more complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) field-effect transistors (FETs) to mix an input signal with the gate drive signal to generate an output signal, the gate drive signal applied to a gate port of the one or more CMOS FETs. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, further comprising configuring the driver circuit as a quasi-complementary driver wherein the bipolar junction transistors are NPN bipolar junction transistors. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, further comprising fabricating the bipolar junction transistors as silicon-germanium heterojunction bipolar transistors (SiGe HBTs). ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, further comprising coupling a voltage biasing circuit to the one or more CMOS FETs to provide a biasing body voltage to the CMOS FETs, relative to a ground voltage. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18, further comprising configuring the driver circuit to generate the gate drive signal to drive the one or more CMOS FETs below the body voltage, and to generate the gate drive signal to drive the one or more CMOS FETs into a triode region of operation. ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, further comprising integrating the driver circuit and the mixer circuit on a Bipolar-CMOS (BiCMOS) integrated circuit (IC) device, and disposing the one or more CMOS FETs in an isolation well configured to enable a body voltage of the one or more CMOS FETs to float relative to a ground voltage of the IC device.