Low-power InP-HEMT switch ICs integrating miniaturized 2×2 switches for 10-Gb/s systems

This paper presents a wideband cold-FET switch with virtually zero power dissipation. The use of InP HEMTs with a low R_on·C_off product enables us to configure a DC-to-over-10-GHz single-pole double-throw (SPDT) switch without using a shunt FET. The series-FET configuration offers a logic-level-independent interface and makes possible positive control voltage operation in spite of using depletion-mode FETs. A miniaturized 2×2 switch using two SPDT switches yields an insertion loss of less than 1.16 dB and isolation of more than 21.2 dB below 10 GHz, which allows us to increase the scale of the switch in a single chip easily. The add-drop operation combining two 2×2 switches in a single chip and a 4×4 switch IC integrating four 2×2 switches are presented. The packaged ICs achieve error-free operation up to 12.5 Gb/s with either positive or negative logic-level input. Extremely fast switching of ∼140 ps is also successfully demonstrated.