An Antenna Tuning Switch with Novel Resistor Chain Bias Network to Enhance Power Handling Capability

This paper presents an analysis and design of a novel bias network for high power antenna tuner switch to enhance power handling capability which improve the limitation of breakdown voltage from the unequally voltage drop among the stacked field effect transistors (FETs). A simplified equivalent model for OFF -state of a switch is established and a bias network with resistor chain structure is then proposed to achieve uniform voltage distribution across the stacked FETs. Based on the proposed method, a single-pole single-throw (SPST) antenna tuning switch is designed and fabricated in 0.13 µm radio frequency silicon-on-insulator CMOS technology. Simulation and measurement results show that the switch features a uniform voltage distribution and a significant improvement on breakdown voltage (BV) by 20 V.