Semiconductor device including a plurality of interconnected functional integrated circuit blocks operating at high and ultrahigh frequencies, each having a DC distribution line

• US 5,551,075 A
• Filed: 05/25/1993
• Issued: 08/27/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: NXP B.V. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Original Assignee: US Philips Corporation (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Gamand, Patrice, Caux, Christian
• Primary Examiner(s): Eisenzopf, Reinhard J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Vo, Nguyen
• Application Number:
  US08/066,048
• Time in Patent Office: 1,190 Days
• Field of Search: 455/333, 455/313, 455/317, 455/318, 455/323, 455/334, 455/341, 330/277, 330/297, 330/306, 330/307, 327/355, 327/357, 327/564, 361/736, 361/738, 361/748, 361/764, 361/783
• US Class Current: 455/333
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/18 Input circuits, e.g. for coupling to an antenna or a transmission line coupling networks between antennas or lines and receivers independent of the nature of the receiver H03H

Abstract

A semiconductor device including a plurality of interconnected functional blocks of integrated circuits, which include at least an amplifier block, the blocks operating at high and ultrahigh frequencies and having different frequencies with each block comprising at least a DC distribution line. Each block is polarized by the DC voltage of its distribution line and the blocks also include power-matched circuits operating in the ultrahigh frequency range. All of the high frequency and ultrahigh frequency functional blocks are integrated on one and the same substrate for realising the DC supply of all functional blocks at one and the same DC voltage value by one and the same DC voltage distribution line which is common to all the blocks. This is achieved, at least in part by the provision of frequency stabilization circuits for each individual functional amplifier block and also for the common DC distribution line, as well as autopolarization circuits for polarizing each block from the single DC voltage.

Claims

1. A semiconductor device comprising:

a plurality of interconnected high frequency and ultrahigh frequency functional blocks positioned in close proximity and which together form an integrated circuit including at least an ultra high frequency amplifier block, said blocks including transistor stages operating at different frequencies, a DC voltage distribution line common to said blocks, means for biasing each block by means of a DC supply voltage of said DC voltage distribution line, said blocks also comprising power-matched circuits operating in the ultrahigh frequency range, wherein all of the high frequency and ultrahigh frequency functional blocks are integrated on one and the same substrate and, in order to provide the DC supply voltage of all functional blocks by means of said DC voltage distribution line which is common to all of the blocks, said device includes a frequency stabilization circuit for said amplifier block and another frequency stabilization circuit for the common DC voltage distribution line, and self-biasing circuits for biasing each block by means of said DC supply voltage.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the frequency stabilization circuit for the common DC distribution line comprises at least a filter for said line, and in that in a functional block formed by transistor stages the frequency stabilization circuit includes filter in at least one of its transistor stages.

3. A semiconductor device comprising a plurality of interconnected functional blocks which form an integrated circuit including at least an amplifier block and with said blocks operating at high and ultrahigh frequencies and at different frequencies, a DC supply voltage distribution line common to all of the blocks, means for biasing each block by means of the DC supply voltage of said distribution line, said blocks also comprising power-matched circuits operating in the ultrahigh frequency range, wherein all of the high frequency and ultrahigh frequency functional blocks are integrated on one and the same substrate, a frequency stabilization circuit for said amplifier block and a further frequency stabilization circuit for the common DC supply voltage distribution line, self-biasing circuits for biasing each block by means of said DC supply voltage, wherein the frequency stabilization circuit for the common DC distribution line comprises at least a filter for said line, and in that in each functional block formed by transistor stages the frequency stabilization circuit comprises a filter in at least one of its transistor stages, wherein in an amplifier block including transistor stages operating at ultrahigh frequencies the self-biasing circuit comprises a respective resistor between the respective drains of the transistors of each stage and a common line for determining the drain voltage, a respective resistor between the source and ground for determining the source voltage, and a respective connection between the gate and ground for determining the zero gate voltage, and wherein each respective source is decoupled by means of a respective capacitance connected between the respective source and ground.

4. A device as claimed in claim 3, including an amplifier block comprising a transistor stage operating at high frequencies having a self-biasing circuit that comprises a transistor with an active load including a field effect transistor coupled between the drain of said transistor and the common line and with said transistor biased at the zero gate-source voltage (V_GS =0), and wherein said amplifier block also comprises at least a filter for adjusting its frequency.

5. A device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the functional blocks comprise:

a radio frequency amplifier operating in the ultra high frequency range,

a bandpass or high-pass filter coupled to the radio frequency amplifier and to an active mixer,

a local oscillator coupled to said active mixer,

a low-pass filter coupled to said active mixer,

and an intermediate frequency amplifier coupled to the low-pass filter and operating in the high frequency range.

6. A device as claimed in claim 5, wherein in the radio frequency amplifier the frequency stabilization circuit comprises a high-pass filter connected to the drain of the transistors of each amplifier stage.

7. A device as claimed in claim 6, wherein the bandpass filter block comprises a first series resonant circuit having an inductance and a capacitance, and a second parallel resonant circuit having an inductance and a capacitance, the two circuits being connected between the output of a last transistor stage of the radio frequency amplifier and ground, the first and the second circuit resonating at slightly different frequencies.

8. A device as claimed in claim 5 wherein, the intermediate frequency amplifier has an output connected to a first buffer stage having a first transistor and a second transistor arranged as a current source with its gate biased at the zero gate-source voltage (V_GS =0), and wherein the frequency stabilization circuit of said intermediate frequency amplifier includes a low-pass filter with a resistor coupled between the drain of the first transistor and the common supply line, and a capacitance coupled between the drain of said first transistor and ground.

9. A device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the intermediate frequency amplifier includes a supplementary buffer stage is coupled between the output of the amplifier and said first buffer stage and including a third transistor connected in common drain configuration to the common line and a fourth transistor arranged as a current source with its gate biased at the zero gate-source voltage.

10. A device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the active mixer block includes an autopolarization circuit which comprises a first resistor which is not decoupled for determining the drain voltage of a transistor stage and a second resistor for determining the source voltage, wherein the second resistor is decoupled by means of a branch comprising a third resistor and a first capacitance in series, and in the local oscillator block the self-biasing circuit comprises a fourth resistor which is not decoupled for determining the drain voltage of a further transistor stage and a fifth resistor for determining the source voltage, wherein the fifth resistor is decoupled by means of a circuit, between said fifth resistor and ground, said circuit resonating at the local oscillator frequency and comprising a second capacitance and a first inductance in parallel, and wherein the low-pass filter block comprises a circuit including a second inductance and a third capacitance connected in series between the output of the mixer and ground.

11. A device as claimed in claim 6 wherein the power matched circuit of the ultrahigh frequency amplifier block includes inductances connected between the transistor drain of each transistor stage and ground, and inductances coupled between each transistor stage.

12. A device as claimed in claim 6 wherein, the intermediate frequency amplifier has an output connected to a first buffer stage having a first transistor, and a second transistor arranged as a current source with its gate biased at the zero gate-source voltage, and wherein the frequency stabilization circuit of said intermediate frequency amplifier includes a low-pass filter with a resistor coupled between the drain of the first transistor and the common supply line, and a capacitance coupled between the drain of said first transistor and ground.

13. A semiconductor device comprising:

a plurality of interconnected functional blocks forming an integrated circuit with certain blocks operating at different frequencies and formed of series transistor stages,

an ultrahigh frequency amplifier block having power matched circuit means for operation at ultrahigh frequencies,

and functional blocks operating at high frequencies with each individual functional block comprising;

a DC voltage distribution line and a ground line for supplying said series transistor stages with a positive biasing voltage,

wherein all of the high frequency and ultra high frequency functional blocks are integrated on one and the same substrate and are supplied by one and the same biasing voltage by means of one and the same DC voltage distribution line and one and the same ground line and which are common to all of the functional blocks,

wherein, for achieving a common integrated circuit and a common DC supply, the device comprises;

a frequency stabilization circuit including an isolating capacitor and a serial dampening resistor coupled between said common DC voltage distribution line and said common ground line,

biasing circuits, operating as self-biasing circuits, in all of the functional blocks, for biasing transistor drain, source and gate of each transistor stage by means of said common DC voltage distribution line and common ground line,

a frequency stabilization circuit applied to one transistor stage in a said high frequency block and including a drain resistor connected between the drain of the stage transistor and said common DC distribution line, and a drain decoupling capacitor connected to said common ground line, and

a further frequency stabilization circuit applied to all transistor stages in said ultrahigh frequency amplifier block and comprising an isolating capacitor and a serial dampening resistor decoupling the drain biasing circuit of the transistor stage to the common ground line.

14. A device as claimed in claim 13, wherein said ultrahigh frequency amplifier block comprises;

self-biasing circuits which include, in each transistor stage;

a drain biasing resistor connected to the transistor drain and to said common DC distribution line and decoupled by said further frequency stabilization circuit,

a source biasing resistor connected to the transistor source and to said common ground line and decoupled by a parallel capacitor, and

a gate biasing self-impedance formed by a connection line between the transistor gate and said common ground line for deriving a zero gate biasing voltage.

15. A device as claimed in claim 14, wherein said high frequency functional blocks include a high frequency amplifier block having series inverter transistor stages, the self-biasing circuits in the high frequency amplifier include, in each inverter transistor stage, a load FET transistor coupled between the drain of the inverter transistor and said common DC voltage distribution line, and a supplementary voltage distribution line, whose supply voltage is derived from the supply voltage of said common DC voltage distribution line via a resistor bridge, for biasing the load FET transistor gate to a zero gate voltage through a resistor connected to the gate of said load FET transistor and to said supplementary voltage distribution line, and

wherein said high frequency amplifier further comprises, in each inverter transistor stage, a filter circuit having a capacitor coupled between gate and source of the load FET transistor, and a resistor coupled between the gate of the inverter transistor and said common ground line, for adjusting said high frequency.

16. A device as claimed in claim 15, wherein the blocks comprise:

a radio frequency (RF) amplifier block operating in the ultrahigh frequency range,

a bandpass or high-pass filter block,

an active mixer block for converting the frequency,

a local oscillator block coupled to said active mixer block,

a low-pass filter (LPF) block,

an intermediate frequency (IF) amplifier block operating in the high frequency range,

a buffer stage coupled to the IF amplifier block, and

means coupling said RF amplifier block, said filter block, said active mixer block, said LPF block, and said IF amplifier block in cascade.

17. A device as claimed in claim 16, wherein the radio frequency amplifier block has a frequency stabilization circuit applied to each transistor drain of each series transistor stage.

18. A device as claimed in claim 17, wherein the bandpass filter (BPF) block comprises a series resonant circuit having a first inductance and a first capacitance, and a parallel resonant circuit having a second inductance and a second capacitance, said resonant circuits being connected between the output of the last radio frequency amplifier transistor stage and said common ground line, the series and the parallel resonant circuits resonating at slightly different frequencies.

19. A device as claimed in claim 18, wherein the matched circuit means of the ultrahigh frequency amplifier block includes inductances connected between the transistor drain of each transistor stage and said common ground line and inductances coupled between each transistor stage.

20. A device as claimed in claim 16, wherein the intermediate frequency amplifier block has an output connected to a first buffer stage having a first transistor, and a second transistor arranged as a current source with its gate biased at the zero gate-source voltage, and wherein the frequency stabilization circuit of said intermediate frequency block is a low-pass filter with a resistor coupled between the drain of the first transistor and the common DC distribution line, and a capacitance coupled between the drain of said first transistor and the common ground line.

21. A device as claimed in claim 20, wherein the intermediate frequency amplifier block includes a supplementary buffer stage coupled between the output of the last transistor stage of the amplifier and said first buffer stage and formed by a third transistor connected in common drain configuration to the common DC distribution line and a fourth transistor coupled as a current source with its gate biased at the zero gates-source voltage.

22. A device as claimed in claim 21, wherein the active mixer block includes a self-biasing circuit which comprises a first resistor which is not decoupled for determining the drain voltage of a transistor stage and a second resistor for determining the source voltage, wherein the second resistor is decoupled by means of a branch comprising a third resistor and a first capacitance connected in series, and wherein in the local oscillator block the self-biasing circuit comprises a fourth resistor which is not decoupled for determining the drain voltage of a further transistor stage and a fifth resistor for determining the source voltage, wherein the fifth resistor is decoupled by means of a circuit, between said fifth resistor and said common ground line, said circuit resonating at the local oscillator frequency and comprising a second capacitance and a first inductance in parallel, and wherein the low-pass filter block comprises a circuit including a second inductance and a third capacitance connected in series between the output of the mixer and ground.

23. A device as claimed in claim 16, wherein the active mixer block has a self biasing circuit which comprises a first resistor which is not decoupled for determining the drain voltage of a transistor stage and a second resistor for determining the source voltage, wherein the second resistor is decoupled by means of a branch comprising a third resistor and a first capacitance in series, and wherein the local oscillator block has a self-biasing circuit comprising a fourth resistor which is not decoupled for determining the drain voltage of a further transistor stage and a fifth resistor for determining the source voltage, wherein the fifth resistor is decoupled by means of a circuit, between said fifth resistor and said common ground line, said circuit resonating at the local oscillator frequency and comprising a second capacitance and a first inductance in parallel, and wherein the low-pass filter block comprises a circuit including a second inductance and a third capacitance connected in series between the output of the mixer block and said common ground line.

24. A device as claimed in claim 17, wherein, in the intermediate frequency amplifier block, the output of the amplifier circuit is connected to a first buffer stage having a first transistor, and a second transistor arranged as a current source with its gate biased at the zero gate-source voltage, and wherein the frequency stabilization circuit of said IF amplifier block is a low-pass filter with a resistor coupled between the drain of the first transistor and the common supply line, and a capacitance coupled between the drain of said first transistor and said common ground line.

25. A device as claimed in claim 18, wherein, in the intermediate frequency amplifier block, the output of the amplifier circuit is connected to a first buffer stage having a first transistor, and a second transistor arranged as a current source with its gate biased at the zero gate-source voltage, and wherein the frequency stabilization circuit of said IF amplifier block is a low-pass filter with a resistor coupled between the drain of the first transistor and the common supply line, and a capacitance coupled between the drain of said first transistor and ground.