Characterization and optimization of partially depleted SOI MOSFETs for high power RF switch applications

Abstract

Power handling capability is the most stringent specification for an RF switch. The dominant reason to limit the power handling capability is undesirable channel formation (leakage current) on off-state FEETs in the event of large signal input. To characterize leakage current and find the correlation between DC I-V measurement and RFP1 dB measurement, a new DC characterization method (Float FET I-V characterization method) reflecting RF switch operation is proposed. Based on the proposed Float FET I-V method, an experimental study on optimum dc bias point, MOSFET device design, and stacked-FETs device design is performed in order to achieve maximum power handling capability of the RF switch. In addition, compared to RF measurement tests that take a long time, the proposed characterization method rapidly evaluates the various off-state MOS-FET leakage current mechanisms affecting the power handling capability of the RF switch. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.