On-chip harmonic termination for RF power amplifier applications

• US 20070057731A1
• Filed: 09/15/2005
• Published: 03/15/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Freescale Semiconductor, Inc. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Original Assignee: Freescale Semiconductor, Inc. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Inventors: Le, Phuong
• Application Number:
  US11/229,112
• Publication Number:
  US 20070057731A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 330/302
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2223/6644 Packaging aspects of high-frequency amplifiers amplifiers per se H03F
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 1/56 Modifications of input or output impedances, not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/189 High-frequency amplifiers, e.g. radio frequency amplifiers

Abstract

A radio frequency (“RF”) amplifier as disclosed herein includes an on-chip power transistor formed on a substrate and an on-chip harmonic termination formed on the same substrate. The on-chip harmonic termination is configured to provide a short-circuit termination for even harmonics of the RF output signal and to provide an open-circuit termination for odd harmonics of the RF output signal. The on-chip harmonic termination employs tunable inductance elements and tunable capacitor elements to achieve the desired resonant characteristics. In one example embodiment, the on-chip harmonic termination utilizes conductive wire bonds as the tunable inductance elements, and arrays or banks of on-chip capacitors as the tunable capacitance elements.

Claims

1. A radio frequency (“

RF”

) electronic device comprising;

a semiconductor substrate;

a transistor circuit formed on said semiconductor substrate, said transistor circuit having a transistor output node for an RF output signal; and

a harmonic termination formed on said semiconductor substrate, said harmonic termination having a termination input node coupled to said transistor output node, and said harmonic termination being configured to provide a short-circuit termination for even harmonics of said RF output signal and to provide an open-circuit termination for odd harmonics of said RF output signal.

2. An RF electronic device according to claim 1, said harmonic termination comprising an input inductance element coupled to said transistor output node.

3. An RF electronic device according to claim 2, said input inductance element comprising a conductive wire bond.

4. An RF electronic device according to claim 2, said input inductance element comprising an integrated passive device (“

IPD”

) inductor formed on said semiconductor substrate.

5. An RF electronic device according to claim 1, said harmonic termination comprising an output inductance element for coupling to an off-chip component.

6. An RF electronic device according to claim 5, said output inductance element comprising a conductive wire bond.

7. An RF electronic device according to claim 5, said output inductance element comprising an integrated passive device (“

IPD”

) inductor formed on said semiconductor substrate.

8. An RF electronic device according to claim 1, said harmonic termination comprising:

a connection node;

a shunt circuit coupled between said connection node and a reference potential; and

a tank circuit coupled to said connection node.

9. An RF electronic device according to claim 8, said shunt circuit comprising a first inductance element in series with a first capacitance element, and said tank circuit comprising a second inductance element in parallel with a second capacitance element.

10. An RF electronic device according to claim 9, further comprising:

a first bus bar corresponding to said connection node; and

a second bus bar corresponding to a tank output node for said tank circuit;

wherein

said first inductance element comprises a first set of one or more conductive wire bonds coupled between said first bus bar and said first capacitance element; and

said second inductance element comprises a second set of one or more conductive wire bonds coupled between said first bus bar and said second bus bar.

11. An RF electronic device according to claim 9, said first inductance element comprising a first integrated passive device (“

IPD”

) inductor formed on said semiconductor substrate, and said second inductance element comprising a second IPD inductor formed on said semiconductor substrate.

12. An RF electronic device according to claim 9, said first capacitance element comprising a first integrated passive device (“

IPD”

) capacitor formed on said semiconductor substrate, and said second capacitance element comprising a second IPD capacitor formed on said semiconductor substrate.

13. An RF electronic device according to claim 9, said first capacitance element comprising a first set of one or more parallel capacitors, and said second capacitance element comprising a second set of one or more parallel capacitors.

14. A radio frequency (“

RF”

) electronic device comprising;

a semiconductor substrate;

a transistor circuit formed on said semiconductor substrate, said transistor circuit having a transistor output for an RF output signal; and

a tunable harmonic termination formed on said semiconductor substrate, said tunable harmonic termination having a termination input for receiving said RF output signal and a termination output for a terminated RF output signal, and said tunable harmonic termination being configured to provide a short-circuit termination for even harmonics of said RF output signal and to provide an open-circuit termination for odd harmonics of said RF output signal.

15. An RF electronic device according to claim 14, further comprising an off-chip contact coupled to said termination output, said off-chip contact being configured to receive said terminated RF output signal.

16. An RF electronic device according to claim 15, further comprising an off-chip matching circuit coupled to said off-chip contact.

17. An RF electronic device according to claim 15, said tunable harmonic termination comprising an output inductance element for coupling to said off-chip contact.

18. An RF electronic device according to claim 14, further comprising an inductive bus bar formed on said semiconductor substrate, said inductive bus bar corresponding to both said termination input and said transistor output.

19. A radio frequency (“

RF”

) electronic device comprising;

a semiconductor substrate;

a transistor circuit formed on said semiconductor substrate, said transistor circuit being configured to provide an RF output signal; and

a tunable harmonic termination formed on said semiconductor substrate and coupled to said transistor circuit, said harmonic termination being configured to receive said RF output signal, to provide a short-circuit termination for even harmonics of said RF output signal, and to provide an open-circuit termination for odd harmonics of said RF output signal, said tunable harmonic termination comprising;

a connection node;

a shunt circuit coupled between said connection node and a reference potential, said shunt circuit comprising a first selectable inductance element in series with a first tunable capacitance element; and

a tank circuit coupled to said connection node, said tank circuit comprising a second selectable inductance element in parallel with a second tunable capacitance element.

20. An RF electronic device according to claim 19, wherein:

said first selectable inductance element comprises a first set of one or more conductive wire bonds coupled between said connection node and said first tunable capacitance element; and

said second selectable inductance element comprises a second set of one or more conductive wire bonds coupled across said second tunable capacitor element.

21. An RF electronic device according to claim 19, wherein:

said first tunable capacitance element comprises a first set of one or more parallel capacitors coupled between said reference potential and said first selectable inductance element; and

said second tunable capacitance element comprises a second set of one or more parallel capacitors coupled across said second selectable inductance element.