An antenna switch MMIC for GSM/UMTS handsets using E/D-mode JPHEMT technology

An antenna switch MMIC for quad band GSM/UMTS handsets using enhancement mode and depletion mode junction gate pHEMT (E/D-mode JPHEMT) technology has been developed. An SP7T configuration was adopted to minimize the insertion loss. The high gate turn-on voltage (Vf) in the JPHEMT enables a logic circuit to be integrated with an antenna switch without degradation in the RF performance. A novel ESD protection device using E-mode JPHEMT (P-EFET) has been deployed. The maximum survival voltage under a human body model (HBM) test is as high as 2000 V. A low insertion loss of 0.39 dB at 1.95 GHz and a high isolation value of 27.5 dB at 2.14 GHz in the UMTS TRx path are achieved. The 2^nd and the 3^rd harmonics in GSM 850/900 Tx mode are at sufficiently low levels of -57.5 dBm and -35.5 dBm, respectively.