Semiconductor device having balanced circuit for use in high frequency band

• US 7,061,329 B2
• Filed: 03/05/2004
• Issued: 06/13/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Murata Manufacturing Co Limited
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Inventors: Inoue, Akira, Ohta, Akira, Goto, Seiki
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, KHANH V
• Application Number:
  US10/792,856
• Publication Number:
  US 20040178854A1
• Time in Patent Office: 830 Days
• Field of Search: 330/124.R, 330/286, 330/295, 330/301, 330/302
• US Class Current: 330/302
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2223/6644 Packaging aspects of high-frequency amplifiers amplifiers per se H03F
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/05599 Material
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/451 with a principal constituent of the material being a metal or a metalloid, e.g. boron (B), silicon (Si), germanium (Ge), arsenic (As), antimony (Sb), tellurium (Te) and polonium (Po), and alloys thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48091 Arched
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/49111 the connectors connecting two common bonding areas, e.g. Litz or braid wires
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/49175 Parallel arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/66 High-frequency adaptations
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 24/45 of an individual wire connector
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 24/48 of an individual wire connector
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 24/49 of a plurality of wire connectors
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00014 the subject-matter covered by the group, the symbol of which is combined with the symbol of this group, being disclosed without further technical details
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01005 Boron [B]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01006 Carbon [C]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01014 Silicon [Si]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/0105 Tin [Sn]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01068 Erbium [Er]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01072 Hafnium [Hf]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01075 Rhenium [Re]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/014 Solder alloys
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/10253 : Silicon [Si]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/1305 : Bipolar Junction Transistor [BJT]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/1306 : Field-effect transistor [FET]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/14 : Integrated circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/181 : Encapsulation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/19011 : including integrated passive components
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/19041 : being a capacitor
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/19042 : being an inductor
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/19043 : being a resistor
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/30105 : Capacitance
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/30107 : Inductance
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/3011 : Impedance
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/30111 : matching
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 1/565 : using inductive elements
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/602 : Combinations of several amplifiers

Abstract

A semiconductor chip for amplification is connected between input-side and output-side matching circuits, and each of matching circuits includes balanced circuits which receive signals different in phase by 180 degrees, divided from an input signal. The balanced circuits are connected at a virtual grounding point, which is used as a grounding point sensitive to RF characteristics in an IPD. Thus, a semiconductor device can be free from influence of variations of grounding wires and can be reduced in size, weight, and cost.

Claims

1. A semiconductor device comprising:

an input-side matching circuit having paired first and second input-side circuits;

an output-side matching circuit having paired first and second output-side circuits;

first and second transistors for amplification, wherein the first transistor is connected between the first input-side circuit of the input-side matching circuit and the first output-side circuit of the output-side matching circuit and the second transistor is connected between the second input-side circuit of the input-side matching circuit and the second output-side circuit of the output-side matching circuit;

a first balanced circuit connected to the input-side matching circuit and respectively supplying to the first and second input-side circuits of the input-side matching circuit two signals different in phase by 180 degrees; and

a second balanced circuit connected to the output-side matching circuit, and respectively receiving from the first and second output-side circuits of the output-side matching circuit two signals different in phase by 180 degrees, wherein at least one of the first and second balanced circuits includes a first inductor, a second inductor, and a capacitor connected between the first inductors and the second inductor, the capacitor being connected to a virtual grounding node.

2. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the input-side and output-side matching circuits, the first and second balanced circuits, and the first and second transistors are mounted in a single package.

4. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, further comprising:

an input-side balun connected to the first balanced circuit for conversion of an input signal into the two signals different in phase by 180 degrees that are supplied to the first balanced circuit; and

an output-side balun connected to the output-side matching circuit for conversion of the two signals different in phase by 180 degrees which have been amplified by the first and second transistors and output from the output-side matching circuit into an output signal.

7. The semiconductor device according to claim 4, wherein the input-side and output-side matching circuits, the first and second balanced circuits, the input-side and output-side baluns, and the first and second transistors are disposed in a single package.

3. A semiconductor device comprising:

an input-side matching circuit having paired first and second input-side circuits;

an output-side matching circuit having paired first and second output-side circuits;

first and second transistors for amplification, wherein the first transistor is connected between the first input-side circuit of the input-side matching circuit and the first output-side circuit of the output-side matching circuit and the second transistor is connected between the second input-side circuit of the input-side matching circuit and the second output-side circuit of the output-side matching circuit;

a first balanced circuit connected to the input-side matching circuit and respectively supplying to the first and second input-side circuits of the input-side matching circuit two signals different in phase by 180 degrees; and

a second balanced circuit connected to the output-side matching circuit, and respectively receiving from the first and second output-side circuits of the output-side matching circuit two signals different in phase by 180 degrees, wherein at least one of the first and second balanced circuits includes a first capacitor, a second capacitor, and a ground inductor connected between the first and second capacitors.

5. The semiconductor device according to claim 3, further comprising:

an input-side balun connected to the first balanced circuit for conversion of an input signal on a balanced line into the two signals different in phase by 180 degrees that are supplied to the first balanced circuit; and

an output-side balun connected to the output-side matching circuit for conversion of the two signals different in phase by 180 degrees which have been amplified by the first and second transistors and output from the output-side matching circuit into an output signal.

6. The semiconductor device according to claim 3, wherein the input-side and output-side matching circuits, the first and second balanced circuits, and the first and second transistors are disposed in a single package.

8. The semiconductor device according to claim 5, wherein the input-side and output-side matching circuits, the first and second balanced circuits, the input-side and output-side baluns, and the first and second transistors are disposed in a single package.

9. The semiconductor device according to claim 3, wherein the ground inductor comprises a pair of inductors connected serially at a node and the node is connected to a grounded electrode via a resistor.

10. The semiconductor device according to claim 3, wherein the ground inductor comprises a pair of inductors connected serially at a node and the node is connected to a power supply source via a resistor.

11. A semiconductor device comprising:

an input-side signal-dividing circuit;

an output-side signal-combining circuit;

a plurality of first balanced circuits connected in parallel to each other, the plurality of first balanced circuits being connected to the input-side signal-dividing circuit, each of the first balanced circuits outputting a pair of output signals different in phase by 180 degrees;

a plurality of second balanced circuits connected in parallel to each other, the plurality of second balanced circuits being connected to the output-side signal-combining circuit, each of the second balanced circuits receiving a pair of signals different in phase by 180 degrees; and

a plurality of transistors for amplification, each of the transistors being located between and connected to the first and second balanced circuits, wherein

at least one of the plurality of first balanced circuits and of the plurality of second balanced circuits is arranged so that a pair of signal lines carrying signals identical in phase are connected to each other via a resistor, and

a first of the pair of signal lines is connected to a first of the plurality of balanced circuits and a second of the pair of signal lines is connected to a second of the plurality of balanced circuits, adjacent to the first of the plurality of balanced circuits.

12. The semiconductor device according to claim 11, wherein at least one of the first and second balanced circuits includes a first inductor, a second inductor, and a capacitor connected between the first inductors and the second inductor, the capacitor being connected to a virtual grounding node.

13. The semiconductor device according to claim 12, wherein the virtual grounding node is connected to a power supply source via a resistor.