High-frequency power amplifier

• US 6,661,290 B2
• Filed: 01/18/2002
• Issued: 12/09/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Sugiura, Masayuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Mottola, Steven J.
• Application Number:
  US10/050,590
• Publication Number:
  US 20020097097A1
• Time in Patent Office: 690 Days
• Field of Search: 330/289, 330/295, 330/296
• US Class Current: 330/289
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 1/302 in bipolar transistor amplifiers H03F1/303, H03F1/305, H03F1/307 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2203/21178 Power transistors are made by coupling a plurality of single transistors in parallel
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/19 with semiconductor devices only
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/211 using a combination of several amplifiers H03F3/60 takes precedence

Abstract

The present invention includes: a plurality of high-frequency amplifier sections, each being composed of bipolar transistors; capacitors, each corresponding to one of the high-frequency amplifier sections, one end of each capacitor being connected to the bases of the bipolar transistors in the corresponding high-frequency amplifier section, and the other end thereof being connected to a high-frequency signal source; and bias circuits, each corresponding to one of the high-frequency amplifier sections, supplying a bias voltage to the bases of the bipolar transistors of the corresponding high-frequency amplifier section. Each bias circuit has a bias voltage lowering section, which is located close to the bipolar transistors of the corresponding high-frequency amplifier section to reduce the bias voltage in response to a rise in temperature of the bipolar transistors.

Claims

1. A high-frequency power amplifier comprising:

a plurality of high-frequency amplifier sections, each being composed of bipolar transistors;

a plurality of capacitors each corresponding to one of said high-frequency power amplifier sections, one end of each capacitor being connected to bases of the bipolar transistors of the corresponding high-frequency power amplifier section, and the other end thereof being connected to a high-frequency signal source; and

a plurality of bias circuits each corresponding to one of said high-frequency power amplifier sections, applying a bias voltage to the bases of the bipolar transistors of the corresponding high-frequency power amplifier section,

wherein each bias circuit is located close to the corresponding one of said high-frequency power amplifier sections, and includes a bias voltage lowering section lowering the bias voltage in response to an increase in temperature of the bipolar transistors,

wherein each of said bias circuits includes a ballast resistor and a voltage generating circuit generating a voltage and supplying the generated voltage to the bases of the bipolar transistors as said bias voltage,

wherein said voltage generating circuit includes a first diode, of which a cathode is grounded, a second diode, of which a cathode is connected to the first diode and an anode is connected to a control power supply via a control resistor, and a bipolar transistor, of which a collector is connected to a bias power supply, a base is connected to the anode of said second diode, and an emitter is connected to said ballast resistor, and

wherein said first diode is located close to the bipolar transistors of the corresponding high-frequency amplifier section.

2. A high-frequency power comprising:

a plurality of high-frequency amplifier sections, each being composed of bipolar transistors;

a plurality of capacitors each corresponding to one of said high-frequency power amplifier sections, one end of each capacitor being connected to bases of the bipolar transistors of the corresponding high-frequency power amplifier section, and the other end thereof being connected to a high-frequency signal source; and

a plurality of bias circuits each corresponding to one of said high-frequency power amplifier sections, applying a bias voltage to the bases of the bipolar transistors of the corresponding high-frequency power amplifier section,

wherein each bias circuit is located close to the corresponding one of said high-frequency power amplifier sections, and includes a bias voltage lowering section lowering the bias voltage in response to an increase in temperature of the bipolar transistors, and

wherein said bias voltage lowering section includes a diode connected to the bases of the bipolar transistors via resistor to block a high-frequency signal.

3. The high-frequency power amplifier according to claim 2, wherein a cathode of the diode of said bias voltage lowering section is thermally coupled to a metal wiring connected to emitters of the bipolar transistors in the corresponding high-frequency amplifier section.

4. The high-frequency power amplifier according to claim 3, wherein each of said bias circuits includes a ballast resistor and a voltage generating circuit generating a voltage and supplying the generated voltage to the bases of the bipolar transistors as said bias voltage.

5. The high-frequency power amplifier according to claim 4, wherein said voltage generating circuit includes a first diode, of which a cathode is grounded, a second diode, of which a cathode is connected to the first diode and an anode is connected to a control power supply via a control resistor, and a bipolar transistor, of which a collector is connected to a bias power supply, a base is connected to the anode of said second diode, and an emitter is connected to said ballast resistor, and wherein said first diode is located close to the bipolar transistors of the corresponding high-frequency amplifier section.

6. A high-frequency power amplifier comprising:

a plurality of high-frequency amplifier sections, each being composed of bipolar transistors;

a plurality of capacitors each corresponding to one of said high-frequency power amplifier sections, one end of each capacitor being connected to bases of the bipolar transistors of the corresponding high-frequency power amplifier section, and the other end thereof being connected to a high-frequency signal source;

a plurality of bias circuits each corresponding to one of said high-frequency power amplifier sections, applying a bias voltage to the bases of the bipolar transistors of the corresponding high-frequency power amplifier section; and

a voltage generating circuit having a first diode, of which a cathode is grounded, a second diode, of which a cathode is connected to the first diode and an anode is connected to a control power supply via a control resistor, and a bipolar transistor, of which a collector is connected to a bias power supply, a base is connected to the anode of the second diode, and an emitter is grounded via a resistor, the emitter of the bipolar transistor supplying said bias voltage to said bias circuits via ballast resistors,

wherein each bias circuit is located close to the corresponding one of said high-frequency power amplifier sections, and includes a bias voltage lowering section lowering the bias voltage in response to an increase in temperature of the bipolar transistors.

7. A high-frequency power amplifier comprising:

a plurality of high-frequency amplifier sections, each being composed of bipolar transistors;

a plurality of capacitors each corresponding to one of said high-frequency power amplifier sections, one end of each capacitor being connected to bases of the bipolar transistors of the corresponding high-frequency amplifier section, and the other end thereof being connected to a high-frequency signal source; and

a plurality of bias circuits each corresponding to one of said high-frequency power amplifier sections, applying a bias voltage to the bases of the bipolar transistors of the corresponding high-frequency power amplifier section,

wherein each of said bias circuits has a first impedance when a base current supplied to the bases of the bipolar transistors in the corresponding high-frequency power amplifier section does not exceed a predetermined value, and has a second impedance larger than said first impedance when said base current exceeds said predetermined value so that said bias voltage becomes zero volts.

8. The high-frequency power amplifier according to claim 7, wherein each of said bias circuits includes a first diode, of which a cathode is grounded, a second diode, of which a cathode is connected to the first diode and an anode is connected to a control power supply via a control resistor, a bipolar transistor, of which a collector is connected to a bias power supply via a resistor, a base is connected to the anode of said second diode, and an emitter is connected to the bases of the bipolar transistors of the corresponding high-frequency amplifier section, and a second capacitor connected between the collector and the emitter of said second bipolar transistor.

9. The high-frequency power amplifier according to claim 8, wherein said ballast resistor is an output impedance of said second bipolar transistor.

10. The high-frequency power amplifier according to claim 8, wherein each of said bias circuits include a third diode, of which an anode is connected to the bases of the bipolar transistors in the corresponding high-frequency amplifier section via a high-frequency inhibiting resistor, and a cathode is grounded.