RFIC with on-chip multiple band power amplifiers

• US 7,890,079 B2
• Filed: 06/05/2007
• Issued: 02/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Behzad, Arya Reza, Liao, Hsin-Hsing, Jiang, Hao, Shanjani, Payman Hosseinzadeh
• Primary Examiner(s): Phu; Sanh D
• Application Number:
  US11/810,220
• Publication Number:
  US 20080136514A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,351 Days
• Field of Search: 455/333, 455/114.3, 455/127.3, 455/291, 257/197, 361/58
• US Class Current: 455/333
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/451 the amplifier being a radio frequency amplifier
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/195 in integrated circuits

Abstract

A radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC) includes a silicon substrate, CMOS processing circuitry, and a bipolar power amplifier module. The CMOS processing circuitry is on the silicon substrate. The bipolar power amplifier module is on the silicon substrate and is operable in a 5 GHz frequency band.

Claims

1. A radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC) comprises:

a silicon substrate;

CMOS processing circuitry on the silicon substrate;

a bipolar power amplifier module on the silicon substrate, wherein the bipolar power amplifier module is operable in a 5 GHz frequency band and wherein the bipolar power amplifier module includes a low emitter to ground impedance; and

a second bipolar power amplifier module on the silicon substrate, wherein the second bipolar power amplifier module is operable in a 2.4 GHz frequency band.

2. The RFIC of claim 1 further comprises:

a third bipolar power amplifier module on the silicon substrate, wherein the third bipolar power amplifier module is operable in the 5 GHz frequency band.

3. The RFIC of claim 1, wherein the bipolar power amplifier module comprises:

the low emitter to ground impedance facilitating gain of the bipolar power amplifier module.

4. The RFIC of claim 3, wherein the bipolar power amplifier module comprises:

a wafer via coupling to provide the low emitter to ground impedance.

5. The RFIC of claim 3, wherein the bipolar power amplifier module comprises:

a differential architecture having a low inductance to a virtual ground to provide the low emitter to ground impedance.

6. The RFIC of claim 3, wherein the bipolar power amplifier module comprises:

a thin wafer and multiple bond wires coupling an emitter of the bipolar power amplifier module to a ground to provide the low emitter to ground impedance.

7. The RFIC of claim 1, wherein the bipolar power amplifier module comprises:

a CMOS driver stage; and

a bipolar power amplifier coupled to the CMOS driver stage.

8. A radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC) comprises:

a silicon substrate;

a CMOS baseband processing module on the silicon substrate, wherein the CMOS baseband processing module is coupled to convert outbound data into an outbound symbol stream;

CMOS transmitter circuitry on the silicon substrate, wherein the CMOS transmitter circuitry is coupled to convert the outbound symbol stream into an outbound RF signal; and

a bipolar power amplifier module on the silicon substrate, wherein the bipolar power amplifier module is operable in a 5 GHz frequency band to amplify the outbound RF signal wherein the bipolar power amplifier module includes a low emitter to ground impedance.

9. The RFIC of claim 8 further comprises:

a second bipolar power amplifier module on the silicon substrate, wherein the second bipolar power amplifier module is operable in the 5 GHz frequency band to amplify a second outbound RF signal, wherein the outbound RF signal and the second outbound RF signal are at least part of a multiple input multiple output (MIMO) communication, a diversity communication, a beamforming communication, or a polarization communication.

10. The RFIC of claim 8 further comprises:

a second bipolar, power amplifier module on the silicon substrate, wherein the second bipolar power amplifier module is operable in a 2.4 GHz frequency band to amplify a second outbound RF signal, wherein the outbound RF signal and the second outbound RF signal are at least part of a multiple mode communication.

11. The RFIC of claim 8 further comprises:

a second bipolar power amplifier module on the silicon substrate, wherein the second bipolar power amplifier module is operable in the 5 GHz frequency band to amplify a second outbound RF signal, wherein the outbound RF signal and the second outbound RF signal are at least part of a multiple input multiple output (MIMO) communication, a diversity communication, a beamforming communication, or a polarization communication;

a third bipolar power amplifier module on the silicon substrate, wherein the third bipolar power amplifier module is operable in a 2.4 GHz frequency band to amplify a third outbound RF signal; and

a fourth bipolar power amplifier module on the silicon substrate, wherein the fourth bipolar power amplifier module is operable in the 2.4 GHz frequency band to amplify a fourth outbound RF signal, wherein the third outbound RF signal and the fourth outbound RF signal are at least part of a second MIMO communication, a second diversity communication, a second beamforming communication, or a second polarization communication.

12. The RFIC of claim 8, wherein the bipolar power amplifier module comprises:

the low emitter to ground impedance facilitating gain of the bipolar power amplifier module.

13. The RFIC of claim 12, wherein the bipolar power amplifier module comprises:

a wafer via coupling to provide the low emitter to ground impedance.

14. The RFIC of claim 12, wherein the bipolar power amplifier module comprises:

a differential architecture having a low inductance to a virtual ground to provide the low emitter to ground impedance.

15. The RFIC of claim 12, wherein the bipolar power amplifier module comprises:

a thin wafer and multiple bond wires coupling an emitter of the bipolar power amplifier module to a ground to provide the low emitter to ground impedance.

16. The RFIC of claim 8, wherein the bipolar power amplifier module comprises:

a CMOS driver stage; and

a bipolar power amplifier coupled to the CMOS driver stage.

17. A radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC) comprises:

a silicon substrate;

CMOS processing circuitry on the silicon substrate;

a first power amplifier module on the silicon substrate, wherein the first power amplifier module is operable in a first GHz frequency band; and

a second power amplifier module on the silicon substrate, wherein the second power amplifier module is operable in a second GHz frequency band and wherein at least one of the first and second power amplifier modules includes a bipolar power amplifier having a low emitter to ground impedance.

18. The RFIC of claim 17 further comprises:

the first GHz frequency band including a 5 GHz frequency band; and

the second GHz frequency band including a 2.4 GHz frequency band.

19. The RFIC of claim 17, wherein the bipolar power amplifier module comprises at least one of:

a wafer via coupling to provide the low emitter to ground impedance;

a differential architecture having a low inductance to a virtual ground to provide the low emitter to ground impedance; and

a thin wafer and multiple bond wires coupling an emitter of the bipolar power amplifier module to a ground to provide the low emitter to ground impedance.

20. The RFIC of claim 17, wherein the bipolar power amplifier comprises:

a CMOS driver stage; and

a bipolar power amplifier coupled to the CMOS driver stage.