JP2007251508A - High frequency switch module - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a compact high frequency switch module with saved power consumption and a less harmonic generating amount. <P>SOLUTION: The high frequency switch module includes a switch circuit using a field effect transistor for switching a transmission path of a transmission/reception signal of a first communication system and a plurality of filter circuits, wherein the switch circuit is a SPnT high frequency switch provided with at least three ports, and includes a first filter circuit connected to its first port and a second filter circuit connected to its second port, the second filter circuit is a low pass filter or a band pass filter, the first filter circuit is a notch filter or a low pass filter, each of the first and second filter circuits comprises inductors and capacitors, at least part of the inductors and the capacitors is formed by an electrode pattern in a multilayer substrate to mount a high frequency switch in each of the filter circuits, and the inductor electrode pattern of the first filter circuit and the inductor electrode pattern of the second filter circuit are not overlapped in a layered direction. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a high-frequency switch module that is used in a high-frequency circuit compatible with a plurality of communication systems and includes a switch circuit that switches transmission / reception signal transmission paths of the communication system and a plurality of filter circuits.

There are various access methods for mobile phones in the world, and a plurality of access methods are mixed in each region. For example, one of the access methods that are currently mainstream is the TDMA (Time Division Multiple Access) method. As main communication systems adopting this TDMA system, PDC (Personal Digital Cellular) in Japan, GSM900 (Global System for Mobile Communications) mainly in Europe and DCS1800 (Digital Cellular System 1800 mainly in the United States), and the United States. There are methods (systems) such as GSM850 and DCS1900 (PCS (Personal Communications Service)).
In addition, there is a CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) method as an access method that has recently become widespread in the United States, South Korea, and Japan. A typical standard is IS-95 (Interim Standard-95) centered on the United States, and W-CDMA (Wideband CDMA), which is a third generation communication system capable of realizing high-speed data transmission, has been put into practical use. In Europe, a communication system called UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System) is a European standard for IMT-2000-compliant communication systems, and there is a system that selects from both W-CDMA and TD-CDMA systems. In this way, various communication methods are used in various countries around the world.

Conventional mobile phones have been designed for one communication system, for example GSM. However, due to the recent increase in the number of users and user convenience, multiband mobile phones that can use a plurality of communication methods and access methods have been put into practical use, and there is also a demand for mobile phones that are more than a Quattro band. In such a high-frequency circuit of a multi-band mobile phone, if a high-frequency component is simply provided for each communication method, the high-frequency circuit becomes large, so that common use of high-frequency components of different communication methods is promoted for miniaturization. ing.
As an example, Patent Document 1 discloses a high-frequency switch module that switches between a transmission circuit and a reception circuit of a plurality of different communication systems. The high-frequency switch module includes first and second filter circuits having different passbands, a switch circuit connected to the first filter circuit to switch the transmission circuit and the reception circuit of the communication system A, And a switch circuit that switches between the transmission circuit of the communication systems B and C, the reception circuit of the communication system B, and the reception circuit of the communication system C, and the first and second filter circuits include: By functioning as a branching circuit, it is compatible with a plurality of communication systems.

This high-frequency switch module is used for a mobile phone (multi-band mobile phone) that can use a plurality of communication systems.
The switch circuit is a diode switch having a diode and a transmission line as main elements, and a voltage is applied to the diode from a control circuit to control the on state / off state, whereby a plurality of communication systems A, B, and C are controlled. Any one is selected, and the transmission circuit and the reception circuit of the antenna and the communication systems A, B, and C are switched.

In such a diode switch, a PIN diode is exclusively used. In order to achieve a low insertion loss, it is necessary to pass a sufficient current through the PIN diode, but the power consumption increases accordingly. In a cell phone driven by a battery, since low power consumption is desired, Patent Document 2 discloses a high-frequency switch using a field-effect transistor (FET) that saves power compared to a PIN diode. Modules have been proposed.
WO00 / 55983 (Fig. 2) JP 2002-185356 (FIG. 1)

However, a switch using an FET has a problem of distortion. Patent Document 2 does not mention the configuration of the switch at all, and this will be described using a known switch circuit as an example. FIG. 12 is a circuit diagram showing an example of an SPDT (single throw bipolar) type switch.
A high-frequency signal input / output terminal 101 is connected to a signal input / output terminal 102 via a field effect transistor (FET) 111, and the signal input / output terminal 102 is grounded via an FET 113. The signal input / output terminal 101 is connected to the signal input / output terminal 103 via the FET 112, and the signal input / output terminal 103 is grounded via the FET 114. The control signal terminal CNT1 is connected to the FETs 112 and 113 through a resistance R of several kΩ, and the control signal terminal CNT2 is connected to the gates of the FETs 111 and 114 through a resistance R of several kΩ.
The FETs 111 to 114 are depletion type FETs, and −0.5V to + 0.5V are applied to the control signal terminals CNT1-1 and CNT2-2, and −2.7V to −− to the control signal terminals CNT2-1 and CNT1-2. When 3 V is applied, both FET 111 and FET 114 are turned on, and both FET 112 and FET 113 are turned off. When a high frequency signal is input from the signal input / output terminal 102, it is output to the signal input / output terminal 101 via the FET 111.
When -2.7V to -3V is applied to the control signal terminals CNT1-1 and CNT2-2 and -0.5V to + 0.5V is applied to the control signal terminals CNT2-1 and CNT1-2, both the FET 111 and the FET 114 are turned off. Then, both FET 112 and FET 113 are turned ON. When a high frequency signal is input from the signal input / output terminal 101, it is output to the signal input / output terminal 103 via the FET 112.

  However, when a large high-frequency signal is input from the signal input / output terminal 102, the gate electrode, the source electrode, and the drain electrode of the FET 112 in the off state depend on the input amplitude through parasitic components such as the coupling capacitance of the FET. As a result, the threshold voltage of the FET 112 is exceeded, and as a result, the FET 112 in the off state is turned on in an AC manner, whereby the signal waveform is distorted, and the second, Third harmonic is generated.

For example, in the case of GSM900, a maximum of +36 dBm of power may be input to the switch in GSM transmission. Even when such a large amount of power is input, the double and triple harmonic generation amounts (harmonics) radiated from the antenna due to legal and regulatory requirements need to be −72 dBc or less.
However, it is currently difficult to obtain a switch with less harmonics by securing a linear output when a large signal is input. This problem is not recognized in the high frequency switch module of the cited document 2, and no solution is taught. Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a small high-frequency switch module that saves power and generates less harmonics.

A high frequency switch module according to a first aspect of the present invention includes a switch circuit using a field effect transistor that switches transmission / reception signal transmission paths of the first communication system, and a plurality of filter circuits, and the switch circuit includes at least three ports. SPnT (n is a natural number of 2 or more) high-frequency switch, having a first filter circuit connected to the first port (common port) and a second filter circuit connected to the second port .
The second filter circuit is a low-pass filter or a band-pass filter that passes the transmission signal of the first communication system, and the first filter circuit attenuates harmonics of the transmission signal of the first communication system. A notch filter or a low-pass filter, wherein the first and second filter circuits are composed of an inductor and a capacitor, and in each of the circuits, at least a part of the inductor and the capacitor is formed in an electrode pattern in a multilayer substrate; A high frequency switch is mounted on the multilayer substrate, and the electrode pattern of the first filter circuit and the electrode pattern of the second filter circuit do not overlap in the stacking direction.

The high-frequency switch module according to the second invention is used in a high-frequency circuit corresponding to at least the first communication system in the frequency band f1 and the second communication system in the frequency band f2, and is a transmission path for transmission and reception signals of the communication system. A switch circuit using a field effect transistor for switching between and a plurality of filter circuits, and the switch circuit is a high-frequency switch of SPnT (n is a natural number of 2 or more) having at least three ports, the first port of which A first filter circuit connected to the (common port); a second filter circuit connected to the second port; and a first branching circuit connected to the third port.
The second filter circuit is a low-pass filter or a band-pass filter that passes transmission signals of the first communication system and the second communication system, and the first branching circuit is a receiver of the first communication system. A low-pass filter or a band-pass filter that passes a signal, and a high-pass filter or a band-pass filter that passes a reception signal of the second communication system, and the first filter circuit has a frequency band f2 of the second communication system. A notch filter or a low-pass filter that attenuates harmonics of the transmission signal of the first communication system. The first and second filter circuits and the first branching circuit are configured by an inductor and a capacitor, and in each circuit, at least a part of the inductor and the capacitor is formed in an electrode pattern in a multilayer substrate, A high frequency switch is mounted on the multilayer substrate, and the electrode pattern of the first filter circuit is such that the electrode pattern of the second filter circuit and the electrode pattern of the first demultiplexing circuit do not overlap in the stacking direction. To do.

  The high-frequency switch module according to the first and second aspects of the present invention is used in a high-frequency circuit compatible with a first communication system and a second communication system as well as a third communication system having a higher frequency band f3. It is also preferable that the high-frequency switch of SPnT (n is a natural number of 3 or more) having at least four ports and at least a fourth port that outputs a reception signal of the third communication system.

  The fourth port is connected to a bandpass filter such as a SAW (surface acoustic wave) filter or a duplexer in which a plurality of SAW filters are connected in parallel. Preferably, a matching circuit composed of an inductor and a capacitor is connected to the four ports, and at least a part of the inductor and the capacitor is formed as an electrode pattern in the multilayer substrate. In this case, the electrode patterns of the first and second filter circuits and the electrode pattern of the first branching circuit are configured not to overlap in the stacking direction.

  The switch circuit preferably includes a plurality of field effect transistors and a decoder that decodes an external switch switching signal into a control signal for controlling on / off of the field effect transistor.

The multilayer substrate has a rectangular plate shape, a first main surface on which a mounting electrode for mounting the high-frequency switch is formed, a second main surface on which a plurality of mounting terminals are formed, and a first main surface And a plurality of control terminals to which a switch switching signal is input among the mounting terminals are formed on one side surface, and a via hole formed on the one side surface in the multilayer substrate. It is preferable to connect to a plurality of decoder mounting electrodes formed on one side of the first main surface via the first and second main surfaces.
Preferably, the reception signal terminal is formed on the other side surface adjacent to the side surface on which the decoder mounting electrode is formed.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a small-sized high-frequency switch module that saves power as compared with a conventional PIN diode and generates less harmonics.

FIG. 1 is a high-frequency circuit block diagram of a wireless communication device configured using a high-frequency switch module according to an embodiment of the present invention. Hereinafter, a plurality of communication systems will be described as examples. The frequency band of each communication system is as shown in Table 1, and transmission / reception is based on the radio communication terminal. In addition, the frequency bands of the second harmonic and the third harmonic of each communication system are also shown.
Since the communication system is well known, a detailed description thereof will be omitted. The communication system in which the present invention is used is not limited to the illustrated communication system.

  The high-frequency switch module shown in FIG. 1 includes an SPDT switch circuit SW using a field effect transistor and a plurality of filter circuits 10 and 30, and switches between a transmission system and a reception system of GSM900. The GSM900 transmission system includes a second filter circuit (low-pass filter) 10 connected to the second port b of the switch circuit SW. Between the antenna ANT and the switch circuit SW, the first of the switch circuit SW is provided. The first filter circuit (low-pass filter) 30 connected to the port a is provided.

The switch circuit SW is a GaAs switch using, for example, a GaAs MESFET (GaAs Metal Semiconductor Field Effect Transistor), and is a one-terminal-to-multi-terminal high-frequency switch. The GaAs switch has a circuit configuration similar to that disclosed in FIG. 14, and includes four field effect transistors 111 to 114, resistors R provided on the gate electrodes, and a ground connected to the source electrode. It has a capacitor C and a coupling capacitor C arranged in the signal path.
In each resistor R, the ends connected to the gate electrodes of the field effect transistors 111 to 114 and the opposite ends are connected to the control terminals CNT1-1, 1-2, 2-1, 2-2, respectively. . The GaAs switch includes a decoder 70 for decoding a switching signal from the outside. The decoder 70 is provided with three control terminals V1, V2, and Vdd, and a switching signal is input to these control terminals. . Although the configuration of the decoder 70 is omitted for simplification of description, the decoder 70 controls the control terminals CNT1-1, 1-2, 2-, based on the voltage level (High / Low) in the switching signal input to the control terminal. The decoded switching voltage is applied to 1 and 2-2, and the field effect transistors 111 to 114 are turned on to switch the connection destination of the port a.
The transmission / reception switching logic is illustrated in FIG. 14 and will not be described. Port 101 in FIG. 14 corresponds to port a of the switch in FIG. 1, port 102 corresponds to port b, and port 103 corresponds to port c. Correspond. That is, when the transmission signal from the transmission circuit is radiated from the antenna ANT, the port 101 is connected to the port 102, and when the reception signal incident from the antenna ANT is sent to the reception circuit including the low noise amplifier, the port 101 is connected. The GaAs switch SW operates to connect the port a and one of the ports b and c based on a switching signal input from the outside.

In the present invention, first, the circuit configuration in which the first and second filter circuits 10 and 30 are arranged before and after the GaAs switch SW so as to suppress the double and triple harmonic generation amounts radiated from the antenna ANT. I have to.
In other words, the transmission signal modulated by the mixer MIX is amplified through the amplifier PA and input to the port 100b of the GaAs switch module. This transmission signal includes m-order (m is a natural number of 2 or more) harmonic components. It is out. This transmission signal is first passed through the second filter circuit (low-pass filter) 10 to attenuate signals outside the frequency band.
The transmission signal that has passed through the second filter circuit 10 is input to the port b of the GaAs switch SW. When a large high-frequency signal is input to the port b, the FET 112 in the off state is turned on in an AC manner, thereby distorting the waveform of the signal and generating second and third harmonics other than the fundamental wave However, since it can be attenuated by the first filter circuit (low-pass filter or notch filter) 30 connected to the port a of the GaAs switch SW, the generation of the second and third harmonics radiated from the antenna is generated. Can be suppressed.

The high-frequency switch module of the present invention is configured by integrally forming a filter circuit and a switch circuit on a multilayer substrate. This multilayer substrate is made of a ceramic dielectric that can be sintered at a low temperature of 1000 ° C. or lower, for example, and a conductive paste such as Ag or Cu is printed on the surface of a plurality of ceramic green sheets having a thickness of 10 to 200 μm. It can be manufactured by forming electrode patterns, laminating them, and sintering them integrally.
The first filter circuit 30 and the second filter circuit 10 are three-dimensionally configured in a multilayer substrate by a plurality of electrode patterns. As a second means for suppressing the generation of the second and third harmonics, the electrode patterns constituting the circuit inductor are arranged so as not to overlap in the stacking direction so as to prevent unnecessary electromagnetic interference. When electromagnetic interference occurs, the functions of the first and second filter circuits are reduced, and the suppression effect of the second and third harmonics is not sufficiently exerted, and is doubled and radiated from the antenna. In addition to not being able to reduce the double harmonics below the specified generation amount, electrical characteristics such as insertion loss characteristics may deteriorate. It is preferable that the electrode patterns constituting the inductors of the first and second filter circuits arranged closest to each other have an interval of at least 50 μm. More preferably, it is preferable to separate by a ground electrode.
With such a circuit configuration and laminated structure, it is possible to provide a small high-frequency switch module that is small in size but consumes less power than a conventional PIN diode and generates less harmonics.

  A circuit block diagram of a high-frequency switch module according to another embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIGS. In either case, the first filter circuit 30 and the second filter circuit 10 are three-dimensionally configured by a plurality of electrode patterns. However, the electrode patterns constituting the inductor cause unnecessary electromagnetic interference with each other. Arrange them so that they do not overlap in the stacking direction.

The high-frequency switch module of FIG. 2 is used for a high-frequency circuit corresponding to the first communication system (for example, GSM850) and the second communication system (for example, GSM900), and is a transmission circuit common to the antenna ANT, GSM850, and GSM900. The connection of the f1f2TX, the GSM850 reception circuit f1RX, and the GSM900 reception circuit f2RX is switched.
The transmission system of GSM850 and GSM900 includes a second filter circuit (low-pass filter) 10 connected to the second port b of the GaAs switch SW, and the switch SW is connected between the antenna ANT and the GaAs switch SW. A first filter circuit (low-pass filter) 30 connected to the first port a is provided. Since the frequency bands of GSM850 and GSM900 are close to each other, it is possible to share a transmission system circuit, for example, an amplifier. Therefore, the second filter circuit (low-pass filter) 10 transmits the GSM850 and GSM900 transmission signals. Configured to pass.

The GaAs switch SW is an SP3T switch having four ports. When a transmission signal from the GSM850 / GSM900 transmission circuit f1f2TX is radiated from the antenna ANT, the port a and the port b are connected and incident from the antenna ANT. When the received GSM850 received signal is sent to the receiving circuit f1RX including the low noise amplifier LNA, control is performed so as to connect the port a and the port b, and the GSM900 received signal incident from the antenna ANT includes the low noise amplifier LNA. When sending to the reception circuit f2RX, the operation is performed so as to connect the port a and any of the ports b and c based on the switching signal input from the outside so as to connect the port a and the port c.
Even with such a circuit configuration, it is possible to provide a small-sized high-frequency switch module that is small in size but consumes less power than a conventional one using a PIN diode and generates less harmonics.

The high-frequency switch module shown in FIG. 3 corresponds to two communication systems, and is used for a high-frequency circuit compatible with a third communication system (for example, DCS1800) and a fourth communication system (for example, DCS1900). The connection between the antenna ANT and the common transmission circuit f1f2TX of the DCS1800 and DCS1900, the reception circuit f3RX of the DCS1800, and the reception circuit f4RX of the DCS1900 is switched.
The transmission systems of DCS 1800 and DCS 1900 include a second filter circuit (low-pass filter) 10 connected to the second port b of the GaAs switch SW, and the first of the switches is interposed between the antenna and the GaAs switch. A first filter circuit (low-pass filter) 30 connected to the port a is provided. Since the frequency bands of the DCS 1800 and 1900 are close to each other and a transmission system circuit and a transmission system circuit, for example, an amplifier can be used in common, the second filter circuit (low-pass filter) 10 includes the DCS 1800 and the DCS 1900. Is configured to pass even more transmission signals.

  The GaAs switch SW is an SPDT switch having three ports. When a transmission signal from the transmission circuit f3f4TX of the DCS1800 / DCS1900 is radiated from the antenna ANT, the port a and the port b are connected and incident from the antenna ANT. When the received DCS1800 / DCS1900 received signal is sent to the receiving circuits f3RX and f4RX including the low noise amplifier LNA, the port a and the port b based on the switching signal input from the outside so as to connect the port a and the port c. , C so as to be connected.

A demultiplexing circuit 40 is connected to the port c of the GaAs switch. The demultiplexing circuit 40 is a duplexer that includes a bandpass filter 40a that passes the reception signal of the first communication system (DCS1800) and a bandpass filter 40b that passes the reception signal of the second communication system (DCS1900). Each bandpass filter 40 is a surface acoustic wave (SAW) filter. Depending on the impedance characteristics of each SAW filter, a phase shifter (phase circuit) is connected to the input side so as to improve the demultiplexing performance, and a high impedance can be obtained in the frequency band of the other communication system. Is preferred. The phase shifter is a transmission line (inductor) or a filter composed of an inductor and a capacitor, and at least a part of the inductor and the capacitor is formed as an electrode pattern in the multilayer substrate. These electrode patterns are configured so that they do not overlap with the inductor electrode pattern of the first filter circuit and the inductor electrode pattern of the second filter circuit in the stacking direction.
Even with such a circuit configuration, it is possible to provide a small high-frequency switch module that is small in size but saves power as compared with a conventional PIN diode and generates less harmonics.

The high-frequency switch module shown in FIG. 4 is used for a high-frequency circuit corresponding to a first communication system (for example, GSM850), a second communication system (for example, GSM900), and a fifth system (for example, UMTS). And GSM850 and GSM900 common transmission circuit f1f2TX, GSM850 reception circuit f1RX, GSM900 reception circuit f2RX, and UMTS transmission / reception circuit f5TRX are switched.
3 is different from the high-frequency switch module shown in FIG. 3 in that the GaAs switch SW is an SP3T switch having four ports. The control is performed to connect the port a and the port d of the GaAs switch SW, and the UMTS transmission / reception signal is transmitted. The data is sent to the antenna ANT or sent to the transmission / reception circuit f5TRX. Of course, it is possible to change the fifth system to UMTS and use GPS, and in this case, a GPS receiving circuit is connected to the fourth port 100e.
Further, as shown in the high-frequency switch module of FIG. 5, it is also preferable to connect a matching circuit 50 to the port d to achieve matching with a branching circuit such as a SAW duplexer arranged in the subsequent stage. This matching circuit is composed of an inductor and a capacitor, and may be formed as an electrode pattern in a multilayer substrate in the same manner as other circuits. In this case, the inductor electrode patterns of the first filter circuit and the second filter circuit are configured not to overlap in the stacking direction.
Even with such a circuit configuration, it is possible to provide a small high-frequency switch module that is small in size but saves power as compared with a conventional PIN diode and generates less harmonics.

FIG. 6 is a circuit block diagram of a high-frequency switch module according to another embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 7 is an equivalent circuit diagram thereof.
This high-frequency switch module is used for five communication systems, and includes a first communication system (for example, GSM850) in the frequency band f1, a second communication system (for example, GSM850) in the frequency band f2, and a third in the frequency band f3. Used for high-frequency circuits corresponding to a communication system (for example, DCS1800), a fourth communication system (for example, DCS1900) in the frequency band f4, and a fifth communication system (for example, UMTS) in the frequency band f5. A switch circuit using a field effect transistor for switching paths and a plurality of filter circuits are provided.

  The switch circuit is an SP5T high-frequency switch SW having six ports, and a first filter circuit 30 connected to the first port (common port) a and a second port b connected to the second port b. The second filter circuit 10, the third filter circuit 15 connected to the third port c, the first branching circuit 40 connected to the fourth port d, and the fifth port e. And the second filter circuit 10 is a low-pass filter or a band-pass filter that transmits transmission signals of the first communication system and the second communication system, and 3 filter circuit 15 is a low-pass filter or a band-pass filter that passes transmission signals of the third communication system and the fourth communication system, and the first branching circuit 40 is A low-pass filter 40a that passes a received signal of the first communication system, and a high-pass filter 40b that passes a received signal of the third communication system, and the second demultiplexing circuit 45 receives the received signal of the second communication system. A low-pass filter 45a to be passed and a high-pass filter 45b to pass a reception signal of the fourth communication system, and the first filter circuit 30 is outside the frequency band of the third to fifth communication systems, The notch filter attenuates a third harmonic component of a transmission signal of the first communication system.

The first to third filter circuits and the first and second branching circuits are composed of inductors and capacitors. FIG. 9 is an external perspective view of the high-frequency switch module, and FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view of the multilayer substrate 200 used in the high-frequency switch module, showing the configuration of each layer.
A ground electrode GND covering almost the entire surface is formed on the surface of the lowermost green sheet 17, and a terminal electrode for mounting on the circuit board is formed on the back surface. The terminal electrode receives the antenna port ANT common to each communication system, the first transmission port TX1 to which the transmission signals of the first and second communication systems are input, and the transmission signals of the third and fourth communication systems. Second transmission port TX2, reception port RX1 output from the first communication system, reception port RX2 output from the third communication system, reception port RX3 output from the second communication system, and fourth communication A receiving port RX4 output by the system, an input / output port TRX for receiving and transmitting a transmission / reception signal of the fifth communication system, a ground port GND, and control ports (control terminals) V1, V2, V3, Vdd for controlling the switching circuit Each electrode pattern on the upper green sheet through via holes (indicated by black circles in the figure) formed in the green sheet. It is connected.
The control ports V1, V2, V3, Vdd for controlling the switching circuit are gathered on one side of the multilayer substrate, and a plurality of control ports V1, V2, V3, Vdd formed on one side of the first main surface through via holes. Connected to the decoder mounting electrode. With such a configuration, interference with the electrode patterns constituting the filter circuit and the branching circuit is prevented.

In this embodiment, the terminal electrode is an LGA (Land Grid Array), but a BGA (Ball Grid Array) or the like can also be adopted.
In this embodiment, the control terminals V1, V2, V3, Vdd, the reception system terminals RX1 to RX4, the transmission system terminals TX1 and TX2, the antenna terminal ANT, and the transmission / reception system terminal UMTS are gathered and arranged on the side surface side if different from each other. is doing. According to such an arrangement, when the high frequency switch module is mounted on the circuit board, the connection with other high frequency circuits can be shortened.

Green sheets 1 to 16 are sequentially stacked on the green sheet 17. On these green sheets, the inductors constituting the first filter circuit 30, the second and third filter circuits 10, 15 and the first and second branching circuits 40, 45 are formed by transmission lines (line electrodes). In addition, the capacitor is formed by a capacitor electrode and is appropriately connected through a via hole. In the figure, the symbols attached to the electrode patterns correspond to the symbols attached to the circuit elements of the equivalent circuit shown in FIG. 7, and indicate that the circuit elements are formed by appropriately connecting the electrode patterns. Yes.
In this embodiment, all inductors and capacitors are formed with electrode patterns in a multilayer substrate, but it is naturally possible to mount some of them as chip inductors and chip capacitors on a multilayer substrate.

  Each filter circuit and branching circuit are three-dimensionally configured in the laminated substrate, but the electrode patterns constituting the circuit are separated by the ground electrode GND so as to prevent mutual electromagnetic interference, Arranged so as not to overlap in the stacking direction. In particular, the line electrode patterns constituting the inductor are arranged such that patterns formed on the same layer are separated by at least 50 μm or more in order to prevent electromagnetic interference.

As dielectric ceramics constituting the laminated substrate, for example, Al, Si, and Sr as main components, Ti, Bi, Cu, Mn, Na, K, etc. as subcomponents, Al, Si, and Sr as main components. , Ca, Pb, Na, K and the like, ceramics containing Al, Mg, Si and Gd, ceramics containing Al, Si, Zr and Mg. The dielectric constant of the dielectric is preferably about 5-15. In addition to dielectric ceramics, it is also possible to form a multilayer substrate using a resin or a resin / ceramic composite material. Further, an electrode pattern may be formed by a high-temperature sinterable metal conductor such as tungsten or molybdenum in a multilayer substrate mainly composed of Al ₂ O ₃ by HTCC (high temperature co-fired ceramic) technology.

FIG. 8 is an equivalent circuit of a high-frequency switch mounted on the multilayer substrate 200. This switch is a GaAs switch using a GaAs MESFET (GaAs Metal Semiconductor Field Effect Transistor), and is a one-terminal-to-five-terminal high-frequency switch. This GaAs switch includes ten field effect transistors 111 to 120, a resistor R provided on each of these gate electrodes, a ground capacitor C connected to the source electrode, and a coupling capacitor C arranged on the signal path. It is configured.
In each resistor R, the ends opposite to the ends connected to the gate electrodes of the field effect transistors 111 to 120 are connected to the control terminals CNT1-1 to CNT5-2, respectively. The GaAs switch includes a decoder 70 that decodes a switching signal from the outside. The decoder 70 has four control terminals V1, V2, V3, and Vdd, and a switching signal is input to these control terminals. Is done. For simplification of description, the configuration of the decoder 70 is omitted. Since the transmission / reception switching logic is illustrated in FIG. 8, its description is omitted.

  In the GaAs switch used in the present embodiment, the harmonics characteristic between the first port a and the second port b is worse than that between the first port a and other ports as a single characteristic, In particular, the harmonic characteristics at the third harmonic of the first communication system were inferior. Therefore, the first filter circuit is a notch filter that attenuates the third harmonic wave of the first communication system. Further, as a comparative example, a high frequency switch module configured using a multilayer substrate not provided with a separate first filter was prepared.

The signal output from the signal generator is converted into high frequency power of +34 dBm (CW; Continuous Wave), 824 MHz to 915 MHz (GSM850 and GSM900 transmission signal frequency band) through the power amplifier, and this is output from the second port 100b of the high frequency switch module. Then, the output from the first port 100a was input to the spectrum analyzer to evaluate the harmonic characteristics. At this time, the GaAs switch is controlled to connect the first port 100a and the second port 100b, and the other ports 100c to 100h are terminated with 50Ω.
Although the third harmonic characteristic of the high-frequency switch module of the comparative example can only be −65 dBc, the third harmonic characteristic of the high-frequency switch module of the present invention is −73 dBc or less, and excellent harmonic characteristics are obtained. From this result, it can be seen that the present invention is effective in suppressing harmonics radiated from the antenna.

  An ESD protection circuit may be connected between the antenna ANT and the first port a of the GaAs switch. The ESD protection circuit can be configured by a T-type or π-type high-pass filter circuit including an inductor and a capacitor shown in FIG. 11, but is not limited thereto. The inductor and capacitor can be formed as an electrode pattern in a multilayer substrate. In that case, the inductor and the capacitor should not overlap with the electrode pattern constituting the inductor of another circuit, or a ground electrode may be provided. It is preferable to prevent interference.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a small-sized high-frequency switch module that saves power as compared with a conventional PIN diode and generates less harmonics.

1 is a high-frequency circuit block diagram of a wireless communication device including a high-frequency switch module according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a high frequency circuit block diagram of the radio | wireless communication apparatus containing the high frequency switch module which concerns on the other Example of this invention. It is a high frequency circuit block diagram of the high frequency switch module concerning other examples of the present invention. It is a high frequency circuit block diagram of the high frequency switch module concerning other examples of the present invention. It is a high frequency circuit block diagram of the high frequency switch module concerning other examples of the present invention. It is a high frequency circuit block diagram of the high frequency switch module concerning other examples of the present invention. It is an equivalent circuit schematic of the high frequency switch module concerning other examples of the present invention. It is an equivalent circuit diagram which shows an example of the high frequency switch used for the high frequency switch module of this invention. It is a perspective view of the high frequency switch module concerning other examples of the present invention. It is a disassembled perspective view of the multilayer substrate used for the high frequency switch module which concerns on the other Example of this invention. It is an equivalent circuit diagram which shows an example of the ESD countermeasure circuit used for the high frequency switch module of this invention. It is an equivalent circuit diagram which shows an example of the high frequency switch used for the high frequency switch module of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 2nd filter circuit 15 3rd filter circuit 30 3rd filter circuit 40 1st branching circuit 45 2nd branching circuit 70 Decoder SW High frequency switch ANT Antenna PA Amplifier LNA Low noise amplifier BPF Band pass filter MIX mixer

Claims (7)

A switch circuit using a field effect transistor that switches transmission / reception signal transmission paths of the first communication system, and a plurality of filter circuits;
The switch circuit is an SPnT (n is a natural number greater than or equal to 2) high-frequency switch having at least three ports, a first filter circuit connected to the first port (common port), and a second port A second filter circuit connected to
The second filter circuit is a low-pass filter or a band-pass filter that passes the transmission signal of the first communication system, and the first filter circuit attenuates harmonics of the transmission signal of the first communication system. A notch filter or a low-pass filter,
The first and second filter circuits are composed of an inductor and a capacitor. In each circuit, at least a part of the inductor and the capacitor is formed in an electrode pattern in the multilayer substrate, and the high-frequency switch is mounted on the multilayer substrate. The high frequency switch module, wherein the inductor electrode pattern of the first filter circuit and the inductor electrode pattern of the second filter circuit do not overlap in the stacking direction. A switch circuit using a field effect transistor that is used in at least a high-frequency circuit corresponding to the first communication system in the frequency band f1 and the second communication system in the frequency band f2, and switches a transmission path of transmission / reception signals of the communication system; A plurality of filter circuits,
The switch circuit is an SPnT (n is a natural number greater than or equal to 2) high-frequency switch having at least three ports, a first filter circuit connected to the first port (common port), and a second port A second filter circuit connected to the first port and a first branching circuit connected to the third port;
The second filter circuit is a low-pass filter or a band-pass filter that passes transmission signals of the first communication system and the second communication system, and the first branching circuit is a receiver of the first communication system. A low-pass filter or a band-pass filter that passes a signal, and a high-pass filter or a band-pass filter that passes a reception signal of the second communication system, wherein the first filter circuit has a frequency band f2 of the second communication system. A notch filter or a low-pass filter that is out of band and attenuates harmonics of the transmission signal of the first communication system,
The first and second filter circuits and the first branching circuit are constituted by an inductor and a capacitor, and in each circuit, at least a part of the inductor and the capacitor is formed in an electrode pattern in a multilayer substrate, and the high frequency switch Is mounted on the multilayer substrate, and the inductor electrode pattern of the first filter circuit and the inductor electrode pattern of the second filter circuit and the inductor electrode pattern of the first branching circuit do not overlap in the stacking direction. A high-frequency switch module characterized by that. Along with the first communication system and the second communication system, it is used for a high-frequency circuit compatible with a third communication system having a frequency band f3 higher than those,
The switch circuit is an SPnT (n is a natural number greater than or equal to 3) high-frequency switch having at least four ports, and includes at least a fourth port from which a reception signal of the third communication system is output. Item 3. The high frequency switch module according to Item 1 or 2.   A matching circuit composed of an inductor and a capacitor is connected to the fourth port, and at least a part of the inductor and the capacitor is formed as an electrode pattern in the multilayer substrate, and the electrode patterns of the first and second filter circuits and 4. The high frequency switch module according to claim 3, wherein the high frequency switch module is arranged so as not to overlap the electrode pattern of the first branching circuit in the stacking direction.   5. The switch circuit according to claim 1, wherein the switch circuit includes a plurality of field effect transistors and a decoder that decodes an external switch switching signal into a control signal for controlling on / off of the field effect transistor. The high frequency switch module according to crab.   The multilayer substrate has a rectangular plate shape, a first main surface on which a mounting electrode for mounting the high-frequency switch is formed, a second main surface on which a plurality of mounting terminals are formed, and a first main surface And a plurality of control terminals to which a switch switching signal is input among the mounting terminals are formed on one side of the second main surface, and the side surfaces in the multilayer substrate are connected to the second main surface. 6. The high frequency switch module according to claim 5, wherein the high frequency switch module is connected to a plurality of decoder mounting electrodes formed on one side of the first main surface through via holes formed on one side. . 7. The high frequency switch module according to claim 6, wherein a reception signal terminal is formed on another side surface adjacent to the side surface on which the decoder mounting electrode is formed.

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