AMPLIFIER WITH TRIPLE-COUPLED INDUCTORS

• US 20160164476A1
• Filed: 12/04/2014
• Published: 06/09/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Wang, Chuan, Pan, Dongling
• Granted Patent: US 9,853,614 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 1/223 with MOSFET's
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 1/565 using inductive elements
• 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 2200/294 the amplifier being a low noise amplifier [LNA]
• 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 2200/541 Transformer coupled at the output of an amplifier
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/19 with semiconductor devices only
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/193 with field-effect devices H03F3/195 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/3022 CMOS common source output SEPP amplifiers H03F3/3008 takes precedence

Abstract

An apparatus includes an amplifier and a first inductor coupled to an input of the amplifier. The apparatus also includes a second inductor that is inductively coupled to the first inductor and that couples the amplifier to a first supply node. The apparatus further includes a third inductor that is inductively coupled to the first inductor and to the second inductor and that couples the amplifier to a second supply node.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

an amplifier;

a first inductor coupled to an input of the amplifier;

a second inductor that is inductively coupled to the first inductor and that couples the amplifier to a first supply node; and

a third inductor that is inductively coupled to the first inductor and to the second inductor and that couples the amplifier to a second supply node.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first inductor is connected to the input of the amplifier, wherein the second inductor is a second degenerative inductor that connects the amplifier to the first supply node, and wherein the third inductor is a third degenerative inductor that connects the amplifier to the second supply node.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein both the second inductor and the third inductor are inductively coupled to the first inductor by an inductor coefficient.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the value of the inductor coefficient is modified to tune an impedance of the amplifier.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first inductor is a shunt inductor.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the first supply node corresponds to a voltage supply, wherein the second supply node corresponds to ground, wherein a first terminal of the shunt inductor is coupled to ground, and wherein a second terminal of the shunt inductor is coupled to the input of the amplifier.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first inductor is a series coupled inductor.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein a negative terminal of the series coupled inductor is coupled to the input of the amplifier and wherein a first terminal of the series coupled inductor is coupled to receive an input signal.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a second amplifier.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the amplifier comprises a first low noise amplifier (LNA) and the second amplifier comprises a second LNA, and wherein the first LNA is configured to amplify signals in a first frequency band and the second LNA is configured to amplify signals in a second frequency band.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the first frequency band comprises a long term evolution (LTE) frequency band and the second frequency band comprises an ultra high frequency band (UHB).

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the second amplifier is coupled to a triple-coupled inductor comprising a fourth inductor, a fifth inductor, and a sixth inductor.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the first LNA is coupled to an input via a first switch and the second LNA is coupled to the input via a second switch.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the first LNA is coupled via a first transformer to a first mixer and the second LNA is coupled via a second transformer to a second mixer.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first inductor, the second inductor, and the third inductor are arranged in nested loops.

16. A method of signal amplification, the method comprising:

receiving a first signal at an input of an amplifier, the input coupled to a first inductor; and

amplifying the first signal at the amplifier to provide an amplified output signal, the amplifier coupled to a first supply node by a second inductor that is inductively coupled to the first inductor and the amplifier coupled to a second supply node by a third inductor that is inductively coupled to the first inductor.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising amplifying a second signal at a second amplifier, wherein the first signal comprises a long term evolution (LTE) frequency band signal and the second signal comprises an ultra high frequency band (UHB) signal.

18. An apparatus comprising:

means for amplifying a signal at an input of the means for amplifying;

first means for coupling the means for amplifying to a first supply node;

second means for coupling the means for amplifying to a second supply node; and

means for providing an inductance at the input of the means for amplifying, the means for providing the inductance inductively coupled to the first means for coupling and to the second means for coupling.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the first supply node corresponds to a voltage supply and wherein the second supply node corresponds to ground.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, further comprising a second means for amplifying, wherein the means for amplifying includes a first low noise amplifier (LNA) and the second means for amplifying includes a second LNA, and wherein the first LNA amplifies signals in a first frequency band and the second LNA amplifies signals in a second frequency band.