Patent ID: 8334718

Claim:
An attenuator, comprising: one or more silicon-on-insulator type (SOI) substrates, each of the one or more SOI substrates having a device layer, a handle layer, and an insulating layer between the device layer and the handle layer; a first attenuation circuit having a first variable attenuation level that is adjustable within a first continuous attenuation range, the first attenuation circuit, comprising: a first series connected attenuation circuit segment having a first plurality of stacked transistors formed in the device layer of one of the one or more SOI substrates, the first plurality of stacked transistors being coupled to provide the first series connected attenuation circuit segment with a first variable impedance level having a first continuous impedance range; a first shunt connected attenuation circuit segment having a second plurality of stacked transistors formed in the device layer of one of the one or more SOI substrates, the second plurality of stacked transistors being coupled to provide the first shunt connected attenuation circuit segment with a second variable impedance level having a second continuous impedance range; wherein the first variable attenuation level is based on the first variable impedance level and the second variable impedance level and wherein the insulating layer of the one of the one or more SOI substrates having the device layer that forms the first plurality of stacked transistors is configured so that an impedance level of a parasitic capacitance of the first plurality of stacked transistors is below the first continuous impedance range and the insulating layer of the one of the one or more of the plurality of SOI substrates having the device layer that forms the second plurality of stacked transistors is configured so that an impedance level of a parasitic capacitance of the second plurality of stacked transistors is below the second continuous impedance range; a control circuit adapted to receive an attenuation control signal, the control circuit being operably associated with the first plurality of stacked transistors to control the first variable impedance level based on a signal level of the attenuation control signal and the control circuit being operably associated with the second plurality of stacked transistors to control the second variable impedance level based on the signal level of the attenuation control signal.