Thermally distributed integrated power amplifier module

• US 7,477,108 B2
• Filed: 07/14/2006
• Issued: 01/13/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Micro Mobio Corporation
• Original Assignee: Micro Mobio Incorporated
• Inventors: Kuwano, Masaya, Ichitsubo, Ikuroh, Matsumoto, Koshiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Khanh V
• Application Number:
  US11/486,465
• Publication Number:
  US 20080012645A1
• Time in Patent Office: 914 Days
• Field of Search: 330/66, 330/286, 330/295, 330/307
• US Class Current: 330/307
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48091 Arched
• 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: H03F 3/189 High-frequency amplifiers, e.g. radio frequency amplifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/602 Combinations of several amplifiers

Abstract

An integrated power amplifier (PA) module formed on a substrate includes a first cluster of transistor cells positioned in a first portion of the substrate; a second cluster of transistor cells positioned in a second portion of the substrate and spaced apart from the first portion; and a combiner coupled to the first and second clusters to combine the output of the first and second clusters.

Claims

1. An integrated power amplifier (PA) module formed on a substrate, comprising:

a first cluster of transistor cells and a first electrical circuit positioned in a first portion of the substrate;

a second cluster of transistor cells and a second electrical circuit positioned in a second portion of the substrate and spaced apart from the first portion; and

a combiner coupled to the first and second clusters to combine the output of the first and second clusters, wherein each cluster comprises one or more of;

impedance matching circuit, biasing control and compensation circuit, power amplifier driver, and power sensing circuit.

2. The module of claim 1, comprising

a third cluster of transistor cells positioned in a third portion of the substrate spaced apart from the first and second clusters;

a fourth cluster of transistor cells positioned in a fourth portion of the substrate spaced apart from the first, second and third clusters;

a second combiner coupled to the third and fourth clusters; and

a third combiner coupled to the first and second combiners to combine the output of the first, second, third and fourth clusters.

3. The module of claim 1, wherein the combiner comprises an impedance transformer including a transmission line and a capacitor coupled to the transmission line and ground.

4. The module of claim 1, comprising a molding compound formed to enclose the first and second clusters of transistor cells, and the substrate.

5. The module of claim 1, wherein one of Vcc pins senses a current consumption of the PA module.

6. The module of claim 1, wherein the substrate comprises one of:

a metal lead-frame, a semi insulating compound semiconductor substrate, a micro-strip on printed circuit board, a copper-clad epoxy fiberglass, a Low Temperature Co-fired Ceramic (LTCC) substrate, a gallium arsenide substrate, a silicon substrate.

7. The module of claim 1, comprising a substrate having first, second and third sides with pads positioned thereon and a fourth side without a pad, the substrate having an input pad on a first side coupled to an input RF signal and positioned between two ground pads, the substrate further having an output pad on a third side coupled to an amplified output RF signal and positioned between two other ground pads.

8. The module of claim 7, wherein the substrate comprises dimensions of approximately 10 mm×

10 mm and a thickness of about 1.5 mm.

9. The module of claim 7, wherein each ground pad comprises a rectangular pad with dimensions of about 0.9 mm×

2.7 mm.

10. The module of claim 7, wherein the input and output pads comprise square pads with dimensions of about 0.9 mm×

0.9 mm and separated from adjacent ground pads with center-to-center separations of about 2.2 mm.

11. The module of claim 7, comprising a ground plane with dimensions of about 7.1 mm×

7.1 mm positioned spaced apart from the ground pads and the input and the output pads by about 0.45 mm.

12. The module of claim 11, wherein the ground plane is about 0.95 mm from the fourth side.

13. The module of claim 7, wherein the second side comprises five square pads each about 0.9 mm×

0.9 mm in dimensions and each separated from each other by about 1.75 mm when measured from center to center.

14. The module of claim 7, wherein the center of a pad corresponding to pin 4 is about 2.35 mm from the first side.

15. The module of claim 7, wherein the substrate comprises dimensions of approximately 10 mm×

10 mm and a thickness of about 1.5 mm, each ground pad comprises a rectangular pad with dimensions of about 0.9 mm×

2.7 mm, the input and output pads comprise square pads with dimensions of about 0.9 mm×

0.9 mm and separated from adjacent ground pads with center-to-center separations of about 2.2 mm, further comprising a ground plane with dimensions of about 7.1 mm×

7.1 mm positioned spaced apart from the ground pads and the input and the output pads by about 0.45 mm and wherein the ground plane is about 0.95 mm from the fourth side, and wherein the second side comprises five square pads each about 0.9 mm×

0.9 mm in dimensions and each separated from each other by about 1.75 mm when measured from center to center the center of a pad corresponding to pin 4 is about 2.35 mm from the first side.

16. The module of claim 7, wherein the substrate comprises dimensions of approximately 4 mm×

4 mm and a thickness of about 1 mm.

17. The module of claim 7, wherein each ground pad comprises a rectangular pad with dimensions of about 0.40 mm×

0.23 mm.

18. The module of claim 7, wherein the input and output pads comprise square pads with dimensions of about 0.4 mm×

0.4 mm and separated from adjacent ground pads with center-to-center separations of about 0.65 mm.

19. The module of claim 7, comprising a ground plane with dimensions of about 2.7 mm×

2.7 mm and wherein the ground plane is about 0.25 mm from the fourth side.

20. A method for providing radio frequency power amplification, comprising:

positioning a first power amplifier in a first portion of the substrate;

positioning a second power amplifier positioned in a second portion of the substrate spaced apart from the first portion; and

combining the outputs of the first and second power amplifiers, wherein each rower amplifier comprises one or more of;

impedance matching circuit, biasing control and compensation circuit, power amplifier driver, and rower sensing circuit.