Shunt switch at common port to reduce hot switching
AssigneeRF Micro Devices, Inc.
InventorsRuediger Bauder, Nadim Khlat, Julio Costa, Jonathan Hammond
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Pilot switch circuitry grounds a hot node (an injection node) of a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) switch to reduce or eliminate arcing between a cantilever contact and a terminal contact when the MEMS switch is opened or closed. The pilot switch circuitry grounds the hot node prior to, during, and after the cantilever contact and terminal contact of the MEMS come into contact with one another (when the MEMS switch is closed). Additionally, the pilot switch circuitry grounds the hot node prior to, during, and after the cantilever contact and terminal contact of the MEMS disengage from one another (when the MEMS switch is opened).
Claims22
Pilot switch circuitry for selectively shunting a hot node to a ground, the pilot switch circuitry comprising:
- a solid state pilot switch linking the hot node to the ground;
- and
- a first control input node configured to control the solid state pilot switch,
- wherein a first side of a first MEMS (microelectromechanical system) switch is connected to the hot node and a second side of the first MEMS switch is not grounded via a first additional pilot switch.
A two-die configuration comprising:
- a pilot switch circuitry on a first die comprising:
- a solid state pilot switch having a first end connected to a ground, a second end connected to a first contact pad and a second contact pad of the first die;
- and
- a control portion connected to a first control input node;
- control circuitry on the first die configured to control the solid state pilot switch through the first control input node;
- a MEMS (microelectromechanical system) switch and a third contact pad on a second die, wherein the third contact pad is a hot node of the MEMS switch;
- and
- a fourth contact pad,
- wherein the pilot switch circuitry selectively shunts the hot node of the MEMS switch to the ground, the first contact pad is configured for wire bonding to the hot node of the MEMS switch, the second contact pad is configured for wire bonding to an antenna, the third contact pad is wire bonded to the first contact pad, and the fourth contact pad is wire bonded to the second contact pad.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.