POWER AMPLIFIER MODULE

• US 20200136559A1
• Filed: 10/24/2019
• Published: 04/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Murata Manufacturing Co Limited
• Original Assignee: Murata Manufacturing Co Limited
• Inventors: SHIMAMOTO, Kenichi
• Granted Patent: US 10,911,000 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 1/0211 with control of the supply voltage or current
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 1/0261 with control of the polarisation voltage or current, e.g. gliding Class A
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 1/30 Modifications of amplifiers to reduce influence of variations of temperature or supply voltage or other physical parameters in differential amplifiers H03F3/45479
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 1/56 Modifications of input or output impedances, not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/21 Bias resistors are added at the input of an amplifier
• 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 2200/318 A matching circuit being used as coupling element between two amplifying stages
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/411 the output amplifying stage of an amplifier comprising two power stages
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/451 the amplifier being a radio frequency amplifier
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2203/21103 An impedance adaptation circuit being added at the input of a power amplifier stage
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/191 Tuned amplifiers H03F3/193, H03F3/195 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/211 using a combination of several amplifiers H03F3/60 takes precedence

Abstract

A power amplifier module includes first and second amplifiers, a first bias circuit, and an adjusting circuit. The first amplifier amplifies a first signal. The second amplifier amplifies a second signal based on an output signal from the first amplifier. The first bias circuit supplies a bias current to the first amplifier via a current path on the basis of a bias drive signal. The adjusting circuit includes an adjusting transistor having first, second, and third terminals. A first voltage based on a power supply voltage is supplied to the first terminal. A second voltage based on the bias drive signal is supplied to the second terminal. The third terminal is connected to the current path. The adjusting circuit adjusts the bias current on the basis of the power supply voltage supplied to the first amplifier.

Claims

1. A power amplifier module comprising:

a first amplifier supplied with a power supply voltage and configured to amplify a first signal;

a second amplifier configured to amplify a second signal based on an output signal from the first amplifier;

a first bias circuit configured to supply a bias current to the first amplifier based on a bias drive signal, the bias current being supplied via a current path; and

an adjusting circuit comprising;

an adjusting transistor having first, second, and third terminals, wherein a first voltage based on the power supply voltage is supplied to the first terminal, a second voltage based on the bias drive signal is supplied to the second terminal, and the third terminal is connected to the current path,

wherein the adjusting circuit is configured to adjust the bias current based on the power supply voltage supplied to the first amplifier.

2. The power amplifier module according to claim 1, wherein:

the adjusting circuit further comprises first, second, and third resistor elements,

the first voltage is supplied from a power supply terminal to the first terminal of the adjusting transistor via the first resistor element,

the second voltage is supplied to the second terminal of the adjusting transistor via the second resistor element, and

the third terminal of the adjusting transistor is connected to the current path via the third resistor element.

3. The power amplifier module according to claim 1, wherein:

the power amplifier module is configured to operate in a first operation mode or a second operation mode, a power level of an output signal of the power amplifier module being greater in the second operation mode than in the first operation mode,

the first amplifier comprises;

at least one first unit transistor that is ON when the power amplifier module operates in the first operation mode or the second operation mode; and

at least one second unit transistor that is OFF when the power amplifier module operates in the first operation mode and that is ON when the power amplifier module operates in the second operation mode, and

the first bias circuit is configured to supply the bias current to the at least one first unit transistor of the first amplifier.

4. The power amplifier module according to claim 2, wherein:

the power amplifier module is configured to operate in a first operation mode or a second operation mode, a power level of an output signal of the power amplifier module being greater in the second operation mode than in the first operation mode,

the first amplifier comprises;

at least one first unit transistor that is ON when the power amplifier module operates in the first operation mode or the second operation mode; and

at least one second unit transistor that is OFF when the power amplifier module operates in the first operation mode and that is ON when the power amplifier module operates in the second operation mode, and

the first bias circuit is configured to supply the bias current to the at least one first unit transistor of the first amplifier.

5. The power amplifier module according to claim 3, wherein:

the second amplifier comprises;

at least one third unit transistor that is ON when the power amplifier module operates in the first operation mode or the second operation mode; and

at least one fourth unit transistor that is OFF when the power amplifier module operates in the first operation mode and that is ON when the power amplifier module operates in the second operation mode,

the power amplifier module further comprises;

a second bias circuit configured to supply a second bias current to the at least one first unit transistor and the at least one second unit transistor;

a third bias circuit configured to supply a third bias current to the at least one third unit transistor;

a fourth bias circuit configured to supply a fourth bias current to the at least one third unit transistor; and

a fifth bias circuit configured to supply a fifth bias current to the at least one fourth unit transistor,

when the power amplifier module operates in the first operation mode, the first and third bias circuits are driven to supply the bias current and third bias current, respectively, and

when the power amplifier module operates in the second operation mode, the second, fourth, and fifth bias circuits are driven to supply the second, fourth, and fifth bias currents, respectively.

6. The power amplifier module according to claim 4, wherein:

the second amplifier comprises;

at least one third unit transistor that is ON when the power amplifier module operates in the first operation mode or the second operation mode; and

at least one fourth unit transistor that is OFF when the power amplifier module operates in the first operation mode and that is ON when the power amplifier module operates in the second operation mode,

the power amplifier module further comprises;

a second bias circuit configured to supply a second bias current to the at least one first unit transistor and the at least one second unit transistor;

a third bias circuit configured to supply a third bias current to the at least one third unit transistor;

a fourth bias circuit configured to supply a fourth bias current to the at least one third unit transistor; and

a fifth bias circuit configured to supply a fifth bias current to the at least one fourth unit transistor,

when the power amplifier module operates in the first operation mode, the first and third bias circuits are driven to supply the bias current and the third bias current, respectively, and

when the power amplifier module operates in the second operation mode, the second, fourth, and fifth bias circuits are driven to supply the second, fourth, and fifth bias currents, respectively.