System and method for biasing an RF circuit

• US 10,291,194 B2
• Filed: 10/09/2017
• Issued: 05/14/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
• Original Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
• Inventors: Ilkov, Nikolay, Baenisch, Andreas, Pfann, Peter, Wohlmuth, Hans-Dieter
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Hieu P
• Application Number:
  US15/728,264
• Publication Number:
  US 20190109574A1
• Time in Patent Office: 582 Days
• Field of Search: 330277, 330285, 330296, 330311
• CPC Class Codes: H03B 5/1212 the amplifier comprising a pair of transistors, wherein an output terminal of each being connected to an input terminal of the other, e.g. a cross coupled pair
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 1/0205 in transistor amplifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 1/0261 with control of the polarisation voltage or current, e.g. gliding Class A
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 1/223 with MOSFET's
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 1/565 using inductive elements
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/171 A filter circuit coupled to the output of an amplifier
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/18 the bias of the gate of a FET being controlled by a control signal
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/21 Bias resistors are added at the input of an amplifier
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/216 A coil being added in the input circuit, e.g. base, gate, of an amplifier stage
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/222 A circuit being added at the input of an amplifier to adapt the input impedance of the amplifier
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/27 A biasing circuit node being switched in an amplifier circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/294 the amplifier being a low noise amplifier [LNA]
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/301 the loading circuit of an amplifying stage comprising a coil
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/387 A circuit being added at the output of an amplifier to adapt the output impedance of the amplifier
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/451 the amplifier being a radio frequency amplifier
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/453 Controlling being realised by adding a replica circuit or by using one among multiple identical circuits as a replica circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/456 A scaled replica of a transistor being present in an amplifier
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/471 the voltage being sensed
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/489 A coil being added in the source circuit of a common source stage, e.g. as degeneration means
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/492 A coil being added in the source circuit of a transistor amplifier stage as degenerating element
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/498 : A resistor being added in the source circuit of a transistor amplifier stage as degenerating element
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/534 : Transformer coupled at the input of an amplifier
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/541 : Transformer coupled at the output of an amplifier
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/555 : A voltage generating circuit being realised for biasing different circuit elements
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/61 : the cascode amplifier has more than one common gate stage
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/193 : with field-effect devices H03F3/195 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/195 : in integrated circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/45475 : using IC blocks as the active amplifying circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 3/3036 : in high-frequency amplifiers or in frequency-changers H03G3/3052, H03G3/32, H03G3/34 take precedence

Abstract

In accordance with an embodiment, a circuit includes: a replica input transistor, a first replica cascode transistor, an active current source, and an active cascode biasing circuit. The active current source is configured to set a current flowing through the first replica cascode transistor and the replica input transistor to a predetermined value by adjusting a voltage of a control node of the replica input transistor; and an active cascode biasing circuit including a first output coupled to the control node of the first replica cascode transistor, and the active cascode biasing circuit configured to set a drain voltage of the replica input transistor to a predetermined voltage by adjusting a voltage of the control node of the first replica cascode transistor.

Claims

1. A circuit comprising:

a replica input transistor comprising a first control node configured to be coupled to a second control node of an input transistor of an RF circuit;

a first replica cascode transistor coupled in series with the replica input transistor, the first replica cascode transistor comprising a third control node configured to be coupled to a fourth control node of a first cascode transistor of the RF circuit;

an active current source circuit having a first output coupled to the first control node of the replica input transistor, the active current source circuit configured to set a current flowing through the first replica cascode transistor and the replica input transistor to a predetermined value by adjusting a voltage of the first control node of the replica input transistor; and

an active cascode biasing circuit comprising a first output coupled to the third control node of the first replica cascode transistor, the active cascode biasing circuit configured to set a drain voltage of the replica input transistor to a predetermined voltage by adjusting a voltage of the third control node of the first replica cascode transistor, wherein the active cascode biasing circuit comprises a second amplifier having a first input coupled to a drain of the replica input transistor, a second input coupled to a bias reference voltage node, and an output coupled to the third control node of the first replica cascode transistor.

2. The circuit of claim 1, further including the RF circuit comprising the input transistor and the first cascode transistor.

3. The circuit of claim 2, wherein the RF circuit is a low noise amplifier circuit.

4. The circuit of claim 1, further comprising a second replica cascode transistor coupled in series with the first replica cascode transistor, the second replica cascode transistor comprising a fifth control node configured to be coupled to a sixth control node of a second cascode transistor of the RF circuit, wherein the active cascode biasing circuit further comprises a second output coupled to the fifth control node of the second replica cascode transistor.

5. The circuit of claim 4, wherein the active cascode biasing circuit comprises a level shifting circuit coupled between the first output and the second output of the active cascode biasing circuit.

6. The circuit of claim 1, wherein the active current source circuit comprises:

a reference current source;

a first resistor coupled between a reference voltage node and the reference current source at a first node;

a second resistor coupled between a drain of the first cascode transistor and the reference voltage node; and

a first amplifier having a first input coupled to the first node, a second input coupled to the drain of the first cascode transistor and an output coupled to the first control node of the replica input transistor.

7. The circuit of claim 1, further comprising a digital-to-analog converter having an output coupled to the bias reference voltage node.

8. A method of biasing an RF circuit comprising an input transistor coupled in series with a first cascode transistor using a biasing circuit comprising a replica input transistor coupled in series with a first replica cascode transistor, the method comprising:

setting a current flowing through the first replica cascode transistor and the replica input transistor to a predetermined value by adjusting a voltage of a first control node of the replica input transistor;

setting a drain voltage of the replica input transistor to a predetermined voltage by adjusting a voltage of a second control node of the first replica cascode transistor;

applying a voltage at the second control node of the first replica cascode transistor to a third control node of the first cascode transistor of the RF circuit; and

applying a voltage at the first control node of the replica input transistor to a third control node of the input transistor of the RF circuit, wherein setting the drain voltage of the replica input transistor to the predetermined voltage comprises

measuring a voltage difference between a voltage at a bias reference voltage node and the drain voltage of the replica input transistor,

amplifying the measured voltage difference using an amplifier, and

applying the amplified measured voltage difference to the second control node of the first replica cascode transistor.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein setting the current flowing through the first replica cascode transistor and the replica input transistor comprises:

measuring a voltage difference between a first voltage across a first resistor coupled between a reference current source and a reference voltage node, and a second voltage across a second resistor coupled between a drain of the first replica cascode transistor and the reference voltage node;

amplifying the measured voltage difference using an amplifier; and

applying the amplified measured voltage difference to the first control node of the replica input transistor.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

lowpass filtering a power supply voltage; and

applying the lowpass filtered power supply voltage to the reference voltage node.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising generating a voltage at the bias reference voltage node using a digital-to-analog converter.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein:

the RF circuit further comprises a second cascode transistor coupled in series with the first cascode transistor, and the biasing circuit further comprises a second replica cascode transistor coupled in series with the replica input transistor; and

the method further comprises level shifting the voltage of the second control node of the first replica cascode transistor, and applying the level shifted voltage to a fourth control node of the second replica cascode transistor and to a fifth control node of the second cascode transistor.

13. A circuit comprising:

an RF circuit comprising

a first cascode transistor,

an input transistor coupled in series with the first cascode transistor,

an inductive degeneration circuit coupled between a first load path of the input transistor and a ground node, and

an inductive pullup circuit coupled between a second load path of the first cascode transistor and a power supply node; and

a bias circuit comprising

a first replica cascode transistor having a first control node coupled to a second control node of the first cascode transistor,

a replica input transistor coupled in series with the first replica cascode transistor, wherein a third control node of the replica input transistor is coupled to a fourth control node of the input transistor of the RF circuit,

a replica degeneration circuit coupled between a third load path of the replica input transistor and the ground node,

a first resistor having a first terminal coupled to the power supply node and a second terminal coupled to a reference current node,

a second resistor having a first terminal coupled to the power supply node and a second terminal coupled to the first replica cascode transistor,

a first amplifier having a first input coupled to the reference current node, a second input coupled to the second terminal of the second resistor, and an output coupled to a fifth control node of the first replica input transistor, and

a second amplifier having a first input coupled to a bias reference voltage node, a second input coupled to a load path terminal of the replica input transistor that is coupled to the first replica cascode transistor and an output coupled to the first control node of the first replica cascode transistor.

14. The circuit of claim 13, wherein:

the RF circuit further comprises a second cascode transistor coupled between the first cascode transistor and the inductive pullup circuit;

the bias circuit further comprises a second replica cascode transistor coupled between the first replica cascode transistor and the second resistor, wherein a sixth control node of the second replica cascode transistor is coupled to a seventh control node of the second cascode transistor; and

a level shifting circuit coupled between the output of the second amplifier and the sixth control node of the second replica cascode transistor.

15. The circuit of claim 13, further comprising a lowpass filter coupled between the inductive pullup circuit and the first and second resistors.

16. The circuit of claim 13, wherein:

the inductive degeneration circuit of the RF circuit comprises a selectable inductor; and

the replica degeneration circuit of the bias circuit comprises a selectable resistor, wherein a resistance of the selectable resistor and a resistance of the selectable inductor have a same temperature coefficient.

17. The circuit of claim 13, wherein the RF circuit is low noise amplifier.

18. The circuit of claim 17, wherein the RF circuit further comprises a first selectable impedance network coupled between the second control node of the first cascode transistor and the ground node, the first selectable impedance network comprising a capacitor, a first switching transistor and a matching inductor coupled in series, wherein the RF circuit has a first gain when the first switching transistor is on and a second gain when the first switching transistor is off, and the first gain is greater than the second gain.

19. The circuit of claim 18, wherein the matching inductor comprises an inductance that provides an RF match between a drain of the input transistor and a source of the first cascode transistor.

20. The circuit of claim 17, wherein the RF circuit further comprises:

a first transformer having a first winding coupled between an RF input port and the fourth control node of the input transistor, and a second winding coupled between the ground node and a first load path terminal of a second switching transistor; and

a second transformer having a first winding coupled between the ground node and a second load path terminal of the second switching transistor and a second winding coupled between the ground node and a source of the input transistor, wherein the inductive degeneration circuit comprises the second winding of the second transformer, the RF circuit has a first gain when the second switching transistor is on and a second gain when the second switching transistor is off, and the first gain is less than the second gain.

21. The circuit of claim 13, wherein the RF circuit is voltage controlled oscillator.

22. A circuit comprising:

a replica input transistor comprising a first control node configured to be coupled to a second control node of an input transistor of an RF circuit;

a first replica cascode transistor coupled in series with the replica input transistor, the first replica cascode transistor comprising a third control node configured to be coupled to a fourth control node of a first cascode transistor of the RF circuit;

an active current source circuit having a first output coupled to the first control node of the replica input transistor, the active current source circuit configured to set a current flowing through the first replica cascode transistor and the replica input transistor to a predetermined value by adjusting a voltage of the first control node of the replica input transistor;

an active cascode biasing circuit comprising a first output coupled to the third control node of the first replica cascode transistor, the active cascode biasing circuit configured to set a drain voltage of the replica input transistor to a predetermined voltage by adjusting a voltage of the third control node of the first replica cascode transistor; and

a second replica cascode transistor coupled in series with the first replica cascode transistor, the second replica cascode transistor comprising a fifth control node configured to be coupled to a sixth control node of a second cascode transistor of the RF circuit, wherein the active cascode biasing circuit further comprises a second output coupled to the fifth control node of the second replica cascode transistor, wherein the active cascode biasing circuit comprises a level shifting circuit coupled between the first output and the second output of the active cascode biasing circuit.

23. A circuit comprising:

a replica input transistor comprising a first control node configured to be coupled to a second control node of an input transistor of an RF circuit;

a first replica cascode transistor coupled in series with the replica input transistor, the first replica cascode transistor comprising a third control node configured to be coupled to a fourth control node of a first cascode transistor of the RF circuit;

an active current source circuit having a first output coupled to the first control node of the replica input transistor, the active current source circuit configured to set a current flowing through the first replica cascode transistor and the replica input transistor to a predetermined value by adjusting a voltage of the first control node of the replica input transistor, wherein the active current source circuit comprises

a reference current source,

a first resistor coupled between a reference voltage node and the reference current source at a first node,

a second resistor coupled between a drain of the first cascode transistor and the reference voltage node, and

a first amplifier having a first input coupled to the first node, a second input coupled to the drain of the first cascode transistor and an output coupled to the first control node of the replica input transistor; and

an active cascode biasing circuit comprising a first output coupled to the third control node of the first replica cascode transistor, the active cascode biasing circuit configured to set a drain voltage of the replica input transistor to a predetermined voltage by adjusting a voltage of the third control node of the first replica cascode transistor.