Patents Assigned to FERFICS LIMITED
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Patent number: 10135438Abstract: The invention relates to a Radio Frequency System and method. A Radio Frequency (RF) system comprising a RF switch comprising a plurality of transistor switching elements implemented on Silicon on Insulator (SOI) for switching at least one or more RF signals and said SOI comprises a bulk substrate region and a buried oxide region. At least one filter is adapted to isolate the RF signal from the substrate and/or other high frequency signals or control signals present in the RF system. There is also provided a coupling capacitor adapted to cooperate with the filter to improve linearity of the transistor switch elements.Type: GrantFiled: December 16, 2016Date of Patent: November 20, 2018Assignee: FERFICS LIMITEDInventors: Eugene Heaney, John O'Sullivan, Stephen Kenney
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Patent number: 9935092Abstract: A RF transistor stack is described. The RF transistor stack comprises a first transistor having a T-gate layout configuration. The first transistor has a body region; a plurality of drain regions; and a plurality of source regions. A second transistor is provided which has a T-gate layout configuration. The second transistor has a body region; a plurality of drain regions; and a plurality of source regions. An interconnect operably couples the source regions of the first transistor with the source regions of the second transistor such that the distortion due to asymmetry in the division of RF voltage between the drain to source and the source to body terminals of first transistor is cancelled by reversing the asymmetry in the division of the RF voltage in the second transistor.Type: GrantFiled: June 19, 2015Date of Patent: April 3, 2018Assignee: Ferfics LimitedInventors: John Anthony O'Sullivan, John Keane
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Patent number: 9866209Abstract: A radio frequency (RF) switch which comprises an RF domain section having a plurality of RF switching elements. A DC domain section is provided having circuitry configured for controlling the RF switching elements in response to one or more control signals. A resistive load is provided between the RF domain section and the DC domain section. A bypass circuit is configured for selectively bypassing at least a portion of the resistive load.Type: GrantFiled: January 6, 2015Date of Patent: January 9, 2018Assignee: Ferfics LimitedInventors: John Keane, Ian O'Regan
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Patent number: 9728330Abstract: A radio frequency (RF) circuit is described that comprises a plurality of switching arms selectively activatable and associated with corresponding RF input ports. A switch source impedance is associated with each of the RF input ports. The switch source impedance is frequency dependent with its value matched to a characteristic impedance value within a first frequency range. The value of the switch source impedance is not matched to the characteristic impedance value within a second frequency range. When an RF signal within the first frequency range is transmitted through the RF circuit, between one of the RF input ports and an a common port, an RF distortion voltage within a distortion frequency range results at the common port; and the amplitude of a resultant RF distortion voltage is lower than an RF distortion voltage if the switched source impedance is matched to the characteristic impedance within the second frequency range.Type: GrantFiled: June 17, 2015Date of Patent: August 8, 2017Assignee: Ferfics LimitedInventor: John Keane
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Patent number: 9595959Abstract: A Radio Frequency (RF) switch element is described. The RF switch element comprises a primary transistor element for facilitating switching an RF signal between circuit nodes. A pair of secondary transistor elements are also provided. The pair of secondary transistor elements are co-operable with the primary transistor element and provide respective signal paths which have a lower impedance level than an intrinsic element associated with the primary transistor element.Type: GrantFiled: September 6, 2013Date of Patent: March 14, 2017Assignee: Ferfics LimitedInventor: John Keane
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Patent number: 9524985Abstract: The invention relates to a Radio Frequency System and method. A Radio Frequency (RF) system comprising a RF switch comprising a plurality of transistor switching elements implemented on Silicon on Insulator (SOI) for switching at least one or more RF signals and said SOI comprises a bulk substrate region and a buried oxide region. At least one filter is adapted to isolate the RF signal from the substrate and/or other high frequency signals or control signals present in the RF system. There is also provided a coupling capacitor adapted to cooperate with the filter to improve linearity of the transistor switch elements.Type: GrantFiled: October 18, 2010Date of Patent: December 20, 2016Assignee: Ferfics LimitedInventors: Eugene Heaney, John O'Sullivan, Stephen Keeney
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Patent number: 9520251Abstract: An RF switch with inter-domain ESD protection. The RF switch comprises an RF domain section having a plurality of RF switching elements; and a DC domain section having circuitry configured for driving the RF switching elements. At least one primary ESD protection element is operably coupled between the RF domain section and DC domain section.Type: GrantFiled: April 26, 2013Date of Patent: December 13, 2016Assignee: Ferfics LimitedInventors: John Keane, John O'Sullivan, Ian O'Regan
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Publication number: 20160301369Abstract: An RF switching circuit is described. The RF switching circuit comprises an RF switch having multiple RF inputs and two or more switch outputs; a low noise amplifier (LNA) having two or more amplification branches, each amplification branch being associated with a corresponding switch output; and a bypass switching mechanism configured for selectively bypassing the amplification branches.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 8, 2016Publication date: October 13, 2016Applicant: FERFICS LIMITEDInventors: EUGENE HEANEY, JOHN O'SULLIVAN
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Publication number: 20160005729Abstract: A RF transistor stack is described. The RF transistor stack comprises a first transistor having a T-gate layout configuration. The first transistor has a body region; a plurality of drain regions; and a plurality of source regions. A second transistor is provided which has a T-gate layout configuration. The second transistor has a body region; a plurality of drain regions; and a plurality of source regions. An interconnect operably couples the source regions of the first transistor with the source regions of the second transistor such that the distortion due to asymmetry in the division of RF voltage between the drain to source and the source to body terminals of first transistor is cancelled by reversing the asymmetry in the division of the RF voltage in the second transistor.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 19, 2015Publication date: January 7, 2016Applicant: FERFICS LIMITEDInventors: JOHN ANTHONY O'SULLIVAN, JOHN KEANE
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Publication number: 20160006409Abstract: A radio frequency (RF) circuit is described that comprises a plurality of switching arms selectively activatable and associated with corresponding RF input ports. A switch source impedance is associated with each of the RF input ports. The switch source impedance is frequency dependent with its value matched to a characteristic impedance value within a first frequency range. The value of the switch source impedance is not matched to the characteristic impedance value within a second frequency range. When an RF signal within the first frequency range is transmitted through the RF circuit, between one of the RF input ports and an a common port, an RF distortion voltage within a distortion frequency range results at the common port; and the amplitude of a resultant RF distortion voltage is lower than an RF distortion voltage if the switched source impedance is matched to the characteristic impedance within the second frequency range.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 17, 2015Publication date: January 7, 2016Applicant: FERFICS LIMITEDInventor: JOHN KEANE
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Publication number: 20150116023Abstract: A radio frequency (RF) switch which comprises an RF domain section having a plurality of RF switching elements. A DC domain section is provided having circuitry configured for controlling the RF switching elements in response to one or more control signals. A resistive load is provided between the RF domain section and the DC domain section. A bypass circuit is configured for selectively bypassing at least a portion of the resistive load.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 6, 2015Publication date: April 30, 2015Applicant: FERFICS LIMITEDInventors: JOHN KEANE, IAN O'REGAN
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Publication number: 20150070075Abstract: A Radio Frequency (RF) switch element is described. The RF switch element comprises a primary transistor element for facilitating switching an RF signal between circuit nodes. A pair of secondary transistor elements are also provided. The pair of secondary transistor elements are co-operable with the primary transistor element and provide respective signal paths which have a lower impedance level than an intrinsic element associated with the primary transistor element.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 6, 2013Publication date: March 12, 2015Applicant: FERFICS, LIMITEDInventor: John Keane
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Patent number: 8963618Abstract: A radio frequency (RF) switch which comprises an RF domain section having a plurality of RF switching elements. A DC domain section is provided having circuitry configured for controlling the RF switching elements in response to one or more control signals. A resistive load is provided between the RF domain section and the DC domain section. A bypass circuit is configured for selectively bypassing at least a portion of the resistive load.Type: GrantFiled: May 14, 2013Date of Patent: February 24, 2015Assignee: Ferfics LimitedInventors: John Keane, Ian O'Regan
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Publication number: 20140340137Abstract: A radio frequency (RF) switch which comprises an RF domain section having a plurality of RF switching elements. A DC domain section is provided having circuitry configured for controlling the RF switching elements in response to one or more control signals. A resistive load is provided between the RF domain section and the DC domain section. A bypass circuit is configured for selectively bypassing at least a portion of the resistive load.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 14, 2013Publication date: November 20, 2014Applicant: FERFICS LIMITEDInventors: JOHN KEANE, IAN O'REGAN
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Publication number: 20140321008Abstract: An RF switch with inter-domain ESD protection. The RF switch comprises an RF domain section having a plurality of RF switching elements; and a DC domain section having circuitry configured for driving the RF switching elements. At least one primary ESD protection element is operably coupled between the RF domain section and DC domain section.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 26, 2013Publication date: October 30, 2014Applicant: FERFICS LIMITEDInventors: JOHN KEANE, John O'Sullivan, Ian O'Regan
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Patent number: 8570025Abstract: A power delivery circuit has power delivery components and a load (ZT) terminal, detectors for measuring voltages at two or more measuring nodes (V1, V3) of the power delivery circuit, and an estimation circuit for using the measurements to estimate current, voltage, or power delivered to a load by the power delivery circuit. The detectors may measure voltages at nodes of transistor switches of the power delivery circuit, particularly at the gates. The power delivery circuit may have switches in series, and the detectors measure voltages at nodes of only a subset of the switches. The detectors in one example measure switch voltages and the estimation circuit estimates power delivered to the load according to a switch voltage and impedance between two nodes of the switch. The switch impedance may be provided during calibration using a reference load. The estimation circuit may be a simple analogue circuit such as an amplifier (AMP1) and a multiplexer (MX1).Type: GrantFiled: November 20, 2008Date of Patent: October 29, 2013Assignee: Ferfics LimitedInventor: Eugene Heaney
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Publication number: 20130009725Abstract: The invention relates to a Radio Frequency System and method. A Radio Frequency (RF) system comprising a RF switch comprising a plurality of transistor switching elements implemented on Silicon on Insulator (SOI) for switching at least one or more RF signals and said SOI comprises a bulk substrate region and a buried oxide region. At least one filter is adapted to isolate the RF signal from the substrate and/or other high frequency signals or control signals present in the RF system. There is also provided a coupling capacitor adapted to cooperate with the filter to improve linearity of the transistor switch elements.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 18, 2010Publication date: January 10, 2013Applicant: FERFICS LIMITEDInventors: Eugene Heaney, John O'Sullivan, Stephen Kenney