Radio frequency integrated circuit electro-static discharge circuit
AssigneeBroadcom Corporation
InventorAhmadreza Rofougaran
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC) electrostatic discharge (ESD) circuit includes an integrated circuit pad and a radio frequency (RF) ESD circuit. The integrated circuit pad provides coupling to an antenna. The RF ESD circuit is coupled to the integrated circuit pad, wherein the RF ESD circuit provides ESD protection at the integrated circuit pad, provides coupling of inbound RF signals from the antenna to low noise amplifier, and provides coupling of outbound RF signals from a power amplifier to the antenna.
Claims8
A radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC) electro-static discharge (ESD) circuit comprises:
- an integrated circuit pad for coupling to an antenna;
- an impedance matching circuit coupled to the integrated circuit pad, wherein the impedance matching circuit at least partially establishes an input impedance of the integrated circuit pad to substantially match an impedance of the antenna;
- and
- a clamping circuit coupled to the integrated circuit pad, wherein the clamping circuit in combination with the impedance matching circuit provides ESD protection at the integrated circuit pad.
An electro-static discharge (ESD) circuit to provide ESD protection to a radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC), the ESD circuit comprises:
- an ESD module coupled to an integrated circuit pad of the RFIC, the integrated circuit pad for coupling to an antenna, wherein the ESD module includes:
- an ESD circuit coupled to the integrated circuit pad, wherein the ESD circuit includes:
- a balun coupled to transpose a single-ended radio frequency (RF) signal and a differential RF signal, wherein the balun includes a first winding and a second winding, wherein the first winding provides the single-ended RF signal and is coupled to the integrated circuit pad, and wherein the second winding provides the differential RF signal;
- an impedance matching circuit coupled to first winding, wherein impedance of the impedance matching circuit in conjunction with an impedance of the balun at frequencies in a range of the RF substantially match an impedance of the antenna;
- and
- a clamping circuit coupled to the balun and the impedance matching circuit, wherein the clamping circuit in combination with at least the impedance matching circuit provides ESD protection for at least one of a receiver section and a transmitter section of the RFIC.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.