Self-Biasing Radio Frequency Circuitry

• US 20120182072A1
• Filed: 01/11/2012
• Published: 07/19/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Marvell Asia Pte Limited (Marvell Technology Group Limited)
• Original Assignee: Marvell World Trade Limited (Marvell Technology Group Limited)
• Inventors: Park, Jinho, Lu, Yuan, Lin, Li
• Granted Patent: US 8,624,673 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 330/255
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 1/0272 by using a signal derived from the output signal
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 1/083 in transistor amplifiers H03F1/10 - H03F1/22 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/294 the amplifier being a low noise amplifier [LNA]
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2203/30021 A capacitor being coupled in a feedback circuit of a SEPP amplifier
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2203/30027 the SEPP bias voltage being controlled by a control signal from a feedback circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2203/30031 A resistor being coupled as feedback circuit in the SEPP amplifier
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2203/30033 A series coupled resistor and capacitor are coupled in a feedback circuit of a SEPP amplifier
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2203/30036 A feedback circuit to stabilise the SEPP being used
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2203/30084 the pull circuit of the SEPP amplifier being a cascode circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2203/30117 the push circuit of the SEPP amplifier being a cascode circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/195 in integrated circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/3016 with symmetrical driving of the end stage
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/3028 with symmetrical driving of the end stage

Abstract

The present disclosure describes self-biasing radio frequency circuitry. In some aspects a radio frequency (RF) signal is amplified via a circuit having a first transistor configured to source current to an output of the circuit and a second transistor configured to sink current from the output of the circuit, and another signal is provided, without active circuitry, from the output of the circuit to a gate of the first transistor effective to bias a voltage at the output of the circuit. By so doing, the output of the circuit can be biased without active circuitry which can reduce design complexity of and substrate area consumed by the circuit.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

amplifying a radio frequency (RF) signal via a circuit having a first transistor configured to source current from a power source to an output of the circuit based on the RF signal and a second transistor configured to sink current from the output of the circuit to a current sink based on the RF signal; and

providing, without active circuitry, another signal from the output of the circuit to a gate of the first transistor effective to bias a voltage at the output of the circuit.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the active circuitry includes a diode, triode, transistor, or amplifier.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the other signal from the output of the circuit to the gate of the first transistor is implemented via a resistor connected between the output of the circuit and the gate of the first transistor.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising compensating the other signal from the output of the circuit to the gate of the first transistor with a capacitor connected in parallel with the resistor.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising preventing the capacitor from conducting RF energy with another resistor connected in series with the capacitor.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the transistors are metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs), the first transistor being a p-type MOSFET (pMOSFET), and the second transistor being an n-type MOSFET (nMOSFET).

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the circuit includes a third transistor that is a pMOSFET configured in series with the first transistor and to source current to the output of the circuit, and a fourth transistor that is an nMOSFET configured in series with the second transistor and to sink current from the output of the circuit effective to increase a gain or an efficiency of the circuit.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the circuit is configured as a RF low-noise amplifier or an RF power amplifier.

9. A method comprising:

applying a radio frequency (RF) signal to respective gates of a first and a second metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) that are operatively connected in series between a power source and a current sink by their respective drains;

sourcing, based on the RF signal, current via the first MOSFET to an output formed at the drains of the first and the second MOSFETs effective to amplify the RF signal;

sinking, based on the RF signal, current via the second MOSFET from the output formed at the drains of the first and the second MOSFETs effective to amplify the RF signal; and

biasing a voltage at the output without active circuitry operably connected between a gate of the first MOSFET and the output formed at the drains of the first and the second MOSFETs.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the first MOSFET is a p-type MOSFET (pMOSFET) and the second MOSFET is an n-type MOSFET (nMOSFET).

11. The method of claim 10, wherein an additional pMOSFET is connected between the first MOSFET and the output, and an additional nMOSFET is connected between the second MOSFET and the output effective to increase a gain or an efficiency associated with the sourcing of the current or the sinking of the current.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein biasing the voltage is implemented via a resistor and further comprising stabilizing the output via a capacitor and another resistor connected in series between the gate of the first MOSFET and the output formed at the drains of the first and the second MOSFETs

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising receiving the RF signal from a filter, multiplexor, or switch operably coupled with an antenna.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising transmitting, to an RF mixer, an amplified RF signal formed by the current sourced and the current sank.

15. A circuit comprising:

two p-type metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (pMOSFETs) operably connected in series and configured to source current from a current source to an output of the circuit;

two n-type metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (nMOSFETs) operably connected in series and configured to sink current from the output of the circuit to a current sink; and

non-active biasing circuitry operably connected between the output of the circuit and a gate of one of the pMOSFETs effective to bias a voltage of the output of the circuit.

16. The circuit of claim 15, further comprising non-active compensation circuitry connected between output of the circuit and the gate of the pMOSFETs, the non-active compensation circuitry configured to stabilize the output of the circuit.

17. The circuit of claim 15, wherein the non-active circuitry includes one or more resistors or a capacitor.

18. The circuit of claim 15, wherein the circuit is embodied as a common-mode or differential push-pull amplifier.

19. The circuit of claim 15, wherein the circuit is embodied as a radio frequency (RF) low-noise amplifier or an RF power amplifier.

20. The circuit of claim 15 wherein the circuit is embodied in a System-on-Chip.