RF amplifier, RF mixer and RF receiver

• US 6,026,286 A
• Filed: 08/01/1996
• Issued: 02/15/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Carleton University, Nortel Networks Limited (Nortel Networks Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Carleton University, Nortel Networks Corporation
• Inventors: Long, John R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Eisenzopf, Reinhard J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kincaid, Lester G.
• Application Number:
  US08/691,161
• Time in Patent Office: 1,293 Days
• Field of Search: 455/313, 455/318, 455/319, 455/323, 455/324, 455/325, 455/326, 455/327, 455/333, 455/341, 455/63, 330/293, 330/294, 330/306, 330/277, 363/147, 257/275, 257/277, 257/531, 257/557, 336/200, 375/219
• US Class Current: 455/327
• CPC Class Codes: H03D 2200/0023 Balun circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H03D 2200/0025 Gain control circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H03D 2200/0043 Bias and operating point
• CPC Class Codes: H03D 2200/0047 Offset of DC voltage or frequency
• CPC Class Codes: H03D 2200/0084 Lowering the supply voltage and saving power
• CPC Class Codes: H03D 7/1408 with diodes
• CPC Class Codes: H03D 7/1433 using bipolar transistors H03D7/145 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03D 7/1441 using field-effect transistors H03D7/145 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03D 7/1458 Double balanced arrangements, i.e. where both input signals are differential
• CPC Class Codes: H03D 7/1491 Arrangements to linearise a transconductance stage of a mixer arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/28 the receiver comprising at least one semiconductor device having three or more electrodes

Abstract

A low voltage silicon bipolar RF (radio frequency) receiver front end includes a low noise preamplifier and double-balanced mixer. The receiver incorporates monolithic microstrip transformers for significant improvements in performance compared with silicon broadband designs. Reactive feedback and coupling elements are used in place of resistors to lower the front end noise figure through the reduction of resistor thermal noise, and this also allows both circuits to operate at supply voltages below 2 volts. Circuits fabricated using 0.8 μm Bipolar CMOS technology provide a peak npn transistor transit frequency f_T of 11 GHz. At a supply voltage of 1.9 volts, the measured input third order intercept point is +2.3 dBm with a 10.9 dB single-sideband noise figure. Power dissipated is less than 5 mW. The low noise amplifier input intercept is -3 dBm with a 2.8 dB noise figure and 0.5 dB gain. Power dissipation of the preamplifier is less than 4 mW from a 1.9 V supply.

Claims

1. An RF (radio frequency) amplifier fabricated on a silicon monolithic integrated circuit, the amplifier comprising:

a transformer having first and second windings which are microstrip inductor elements provided by a layer of metallization on top of a dielectric layer formed on a low resistivity silicon substrate, the first and second windings being mutually and inductively coupled with each other, the microstrip inductor elements being isolated from the silicon substrate by the dielectric layer;

a transistor formed in the low resistivity silicon substrate, the transistor having a base, a collector and an emitter, first and second voltages being supplied via the first and second windings of the transformer to the emitter and collector of the transistor, respectively;

input means for coupling an RF input signal to the base of the transistor; and

output means for providing an amplified output signal from the collector of the transistor.

2. The RF amplifier of claim 1, wherein the input means comprises a first inductive element for coupling the RF input signal to the base of the transistor.

3. The RF amplifier of claim 2, wherein the input means further comprises an capacitive element which is connected across the first inductive element and the first winding of the transformer.

4. The RF amplifier of claim 1, wherein with the mutually inductive coupling of the first and second windings of the transformer, negative feedback is applied from the collector to the emitter of the transistor, the amplifier gain depending upon the turns ratio of the first and second windings.

5. The RF amplifier of claim 1, wherein the output means comprises a second inductive element for coupling the amplified output signal to an output circuit.

6. The RF amplifier of claim 5, wherein the output circuit includes an output impedance matching element.

7. The RF amplifier of claim 1, further comprising a capacitive element which is coupled in parallel with the second winding of the transformer to form a resonant circuit.

8. The RF amplifier of claim 7, further comprising a resistive element which is coupled in parallel with the capacitive element and the second winding of the transformer.

9. The RF amplifier of claim 1, wherein the first and second voltages are the ground terminal voltage and a positive voltage, respectively.

10. The RF amplifier of claim 1, wherein the dielectric layer is a silicon dioxide layer.

11. An RF mixer fabricated on a silicon monolithic integrated circuit, the mixer comprising:

a first differential transistor pair including first and second transistors formed in a low resistivity silicon substrate, each transistor having a base, a collector and an emitter, the emitters of the first and second transistors being coupled to each other;

a second differential transistor pair including third and fourth transistors formed in the low resistivity silicon substrate, each transistor having a base, a collector and an emitter, the emitters of the third and fourth transistors being coupled to each other, the collectors of the third and fourth transistors being coupled to the collectors of the first and second transistors, respectively, the bases of the third and fourth transistors being coupled to the bases of the second and first transistors, respectively;

means for coupling a local oscillation signal between the bases of the first and second transistors and between the bases of the fourth and third transistors;

a first transformer of a balun type having primary and secondary windings which are microstrip inductor elements provided by a layer of metallization on top of a dielectric layer formed on the low resistivity silicon substrate, the microstrip inductor elements being isolated from the silicon substrate by the dielectric layer, the secondary winding being divided to two winding sections, the two winding sections of the secondary winding being connected in series between the coupled emitters of the first and second differential transistor pairs;

current means coupled to the junction of the two divided winding sections of the secondary winding of the first transformer; and

means for coupling a single-ended RF input signal across the primary winding of the first transformer, thereby a balanced signal being provided across the secondary winding of the first transformer in response to the RF input signal.

12. The RF mixer of claim 11, wherein the current means includes a fifth transistor having a base, a collector and an emitter, the collector being connected to the junction of the two divided winding sections of the secondary winding of the first transformer, the collector current being controlled by a voltage fed to the base of the fifth transistor.

13. The RF mixer of claim 11, further comprising capacitive elements forming a resonant circuit with the primary and secondary windings of the first transformer.

14. The RF mixer of claim 11, further comprising inductive load means including a second transformer which has primary and secondary windings, the primary winding being divided to two winding sections, each section being coupled to the collectors of the first and fourth transistors, respectively.

15. The RF mixer of claim 14, wherein the primary and secondary windings of the second transformer are microstrip inductor elements provided by the layer of metallization on top of the dielectric layer formed on the low resistivity silicon substrate, the micro inductor elements being isolated from the silicon substrate by the dielectric layer.

16. The RF mixer of claim 11, further comprising an impedance matching element which is connected between the bases of the first and second transistors of the first differential transistor pair and between the bases of the fourth and third transistors of the second differential transistor pair, the differential local oscillation signal being fed across the impedance matching element.

17. The RF mixer of claim 11, wherein the dielectric layer is a silicon dioxide layer.

18. An RF receiver fabricated on a silicon monolithic integrated circuit, the receiver comprising:

a first transformer having first and second windings which are microstrip inductor elements provided by a layer of metallization on top of a dielectric layer formed on a low resistivity silicon substrate, the micro inductor elements being isolated from the silicon substrate by the dielectric layer mutually and inductively coupled with each other;

a first transistor formed in the low resistivity silicon substrate, the first transistor having a base, a collector and an emitter, first and second voltages being supplied via the first and second windings of the first transformer to the emitter and collector of the first transistor, respectively;

a first differential transistor pair including second and third transistors formed in the low resistivity silicon substrate, each transistor having a base, a collector and an emitter, the emitters of the second and third transistors being coupled to each other;

a second differential transistor pair including fourth and fifth transistors formed in the low resistivity silicon substrate, each transistor having a base, a collector and an emitter, the emitters of the fourth and fifth transistors being coupled to each other, the collectors of the fourth and fifth transistors being coupled to the collectors of the second and third transistors, respectively, the bases of the fourth and fifth transistors being coupled to the bases of the third and second transistors, respectively;

a second transformer of a balun type having primary and secondary windings which are microstrip inductor elements provided by the layer of metallization on top of the dielectric layer formed on the low resistivity silicon substrate, the micro inductor elements being isolated from the silicon substrate by the dielectric layer, the secondary winding being divided to two winding sections, the two winding sections of the secondary winding being connected in series between the coupled emitters of the first and second differential transistor pairs;

current means connected to the junction of the two divided winding sections of the secondary winding of the second transformer;

means for coupling a differential local oscillation signal between the bases of the second and third transistors and between the bases of the fifth and fourth transistors;

means for coupling an RF input signal to the base of the first transistor; and

means for coupling an amplified signal from the collector of the first transistor across the primary winding of the second transformer, thereby a balanced signal being provided across the secondary winding of the second transformer,

in which a mixed signal of the RF input signal and the local oscillation signal is provided from the collectors of the second and the fifth transistors.

19. The RF receiver of claim 18, wherein the dielectric layer is a silicon dioxide layer.

20. The RF receiver of claim 18, further comprising load means including a third transformer having primary and secondary windings, the primary winding being divided to two winding sections, each winding section being coupled to the collectors of the second and fifth transistors, respectively.

21. The RF receiver of claim 20, wherein the primary and secondary windings of the third transformer are microstrip inductor elements provided by the layer of metallization on top of the dielectric layer formed on the low resistivity silicon substrate, the micro inductor elements being isolated from the silicon substrate by the dielectric layer.