Radio-frequency power amplifier

• US 7,768,354 B2
• Filed: 03/06/2009
• Issued: 08/03/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Godo Kaisha IP Bridge 1 (IP Bridge, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Tateoka, Kazuki, Matsuda, Shingo, Makihara, Hirokazu, Inamori, Masahiko
• Primary Examiner(s): CHOE, HENRY
• Application Number:
  US12/399,452
• Publication Number:
  US 20090251220A1
• Time in Patent Office: 515 Days
• Field of Search: 330/299, 330/289, 330/285, 330/296
• US Class Current: 330/299
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 1/0261 with control of the polarisation voltage or current, e.g. gliding Class A
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 1/302 in bipolar transistor amplifiers H03F1/303, H03F1/305, H03F1/307 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/18 the bias of the gate of a FET being controlled by a control signal
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/27 A biasing circuit node being switched in an amplifier circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/447 the amplifier being protected to temperature influence
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/19 with semiconductor devices only
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/245 with semiconductor devices only

Abstract

A bias circuit operable to supply a bias current to a first transistor includes: a second transistor having a collector terminal connected to a first power supply; a first resistance element having one end connected to an emitter terminal of the second transistor and having the other end connected to a base terminal of the first transistor; a second resistance element having one end connected to the emitter terminal of the second transistor and having the other end connected to ground potential; at least one third resistance element provided between a base terminal of the second transistor and a second power supply; and a plurality of temperature compensation circuits connected to the base terminal of the second transistor which are operable to control a base potential of the second transistor so that the potential falls as a temperature rises.

Claims

1. A radio-frequency power amplifier comprising:

a first transistor operable to amplify a power of a radio-frequency signal; and

a bias circuit operable to supply a bias current to the first transistor;

the bias circuit including;

a second transistor that has a collector terminal connected to a first power supply;

a first resistance element that has one end connected to an emitter terminal of the second transistor and has the other end connected to a base terminal of the first transistor;

a second resistance element that has one end connected to the emitter terminal of the second transistor and has the other end connected to ground potential;

at least one third resistance element provided between a base terminal of the second transistor and a second power supply; and

a plurality of temperature compensation circuits connected to the base terminal of the second transistor and operable to control a base potential of the second transistor so that the potential falls as a temperature rises, at least one of the plurality of temperature compensation circuits being unlike all the rest of the plurality of temperature compensation circuits in configuration.

2. The radio-frequency power amplifier according to claim 1,

wherein the bias circuit includes a first temperature compensation circuit and a second temperature compensation circuit,

wherein the first temperature compensation circuit includes:

a third transistor that has a collector terminal and a base terminal that are short-circuited, the collector terminal being connected to the base terminal of the second transistor; and

a fourth transistor that has a collector terminal and a base terminal that are short-circuited, the collector terminal being connected to an emitter terminal of the third transistor, and has an emitter terminal connected to ground potential, and

wherein the second temperature compensation circuit includes;

a first voltage divider circuit having a plurality of series resistance elements connected in series;

a fifth transistor that has a collector terminal connected to the base terminal of the second transistor and an emitter terminal connected to ground potential; and

a fourth resistance element that has one end connected to a connecting point of any of the series resistance elements of the first voltage divider circuit and has the other end connected to a base terminal of the fifth transistor.

3. The radio-frequency power amplifier according to claim 2,

wherein the bias circuit further includes at least one sixth resistance element provided between the base terminal of the second transistor and a connecting point of the third resistance element and the collector terminal of the fifth transistor.

4. The radio-frequency power amplifier according to claim 2,

wherein the bias circuit further includes a third temperature compensation circuit,

wherein the third temperature compensation circuit includes:

a second voltage divider circuit having a plurality of series resistance elements connected in series;

a sixth transistor that has a collector terminal connected to the base terminal of the second transistor and has an emitter terminal connected to ground potential; and

a fifth resistance element that has one end connected to a connecting point of any of the series resistance elements of the second voltage divider circuit and has the other end connected to a base terminal of the sixth transistor, and

wherein resistance values of the series resistance elements of the first voltage divider circuit, the series resistance elements of the second voltage divider circuit, the fourth resistance element, and the fifth resistance element are each set so that an idle current of the first transistor decreases as a temperature rises at temperatures above a predetermined temperature.

5. The radio-frequency power amplifier according to any one of claims 2 through 4,

wherein all of the series resistance elements are arranged in the same direction on a substrate.

6. The radio-frequency power amplifier according to claim 1, further comprising:

a mode switching circuit, connected to the base terminal of the second transistor, operable to switch a bias current to be supplied to the second transistor to a predetermined value of the bias current.

7. The radio-frequency power amplifier according to claim 6,

wherein the mode switching circuit includes:

a power supply circuit operable to control an output of a predetermined voltage to start or stop;

a seventh transistor that has an emitter terminal connected to ground potential;

a seventh resistance element that has one end connected to an output of the power supply circuit and has the other end connected to a base terminal of the seventh transistor; and

an eighth resistance element that has one end connected to a collector terminal of the seventh transistor and has the other end connected to the base terminal of the second transistor.