Partially Depleted Silicon-on-Insulator (PDSOI) MOSFETs for RF Switching Applications

The industry standard for RF-SOI systems is presently Partially Depleted silicon-on-insulator MOSFETs. Substrate losses, crosstalk, and non-linearities are the biggest obstacles to creating high-performance RF ICs in Si-based technology. Several critical parameters like RON, COFF, breakdown voltage, and RF voltage distribution (balance) across a stack of several MOSFETs are the key figures-of-merit (FOM) for RF switch applications. In this work, predictive TCAD modeling and simulations are performed to analyze the role of the back-end of line process and the electromagnetic properties of the substrate that influence the performance of RF switches. The role of key parameters across a stack of several FETs is analyzed in detail. The consequences of various SOI MOSFET effects and their impact on RF switch applications are discussed. The methodology and simulation framework discussed may be useful for the design of RF switches in other similar RF CMOS technologies.