RFIC with high power PA

• US 7,991,375 B2
• Filed: 04/03/2007
• Issued: 08/02/2011
• 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: Afsahi, Ali
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, NHAN T
• Application Number:
  US11/732,272
• Publication Number:
  US 20080136516A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,582 Days
• Field of Search: 455/91, 455/102, 455/103, 455/107, 455/113, 4551271- 3, 455/313, 455/318, 455/319, 455/320, 455/323, 455/334, 455/341, 375/219, 375/297, 330/124.R, 330/307
• US Class Current: 455/320
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 1/565 using inductive elements
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/09 A balun, i.e. balanced to or from unbalanced converter, being present at the output of an amplifier
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/387 A circuit being added at the output of an amplifier to adapt the output impedance of the amplifier
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/451 the amplifier being a radio frequency amplifier
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/541 Transformer coupled at the output of an amplifier
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2203/21139 An impedance adaptation circuit being added at the output of a power amplifier stage
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2203/21142 Output signals of a plurality of power amplifiers are parallel combined to a common output
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2203/45138 Two or more differential amplifiers in IC-block form are combined, e.g. measuring amplifiers
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/245 with semiconductor devices only
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/45188 Non-folded cascode stages
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/45475 using IC blocks as the active amplifying circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/0458 Arrangements for matching and coupling between power amplifier and antenna or between amplifying stages matching circuits in general H03H

Abstract

A radio frequency (RF) front-end includes a plurality of power amplifier modules and a plurality of impedance matching circuits. Each of the plurality of impedance matching circuits includes an input connection and an output connection, wherein outputs of the plurality of power amplifier modules are coupled to corresponding input connections of the plurality of impedance matching circuits to provide a desired loading of the plurality of power amplifier modules and wherein the output connections of the plurality of impedance matching circuits are coupled together to add power of the plurality of power amplifiers.

Claims

1. A radio frequency (RF) front-end comprises:

a plurality of power amplifier modules; and

a plurality of impedance matching circuits, wherein each of the plurality of impedance matching circuits includes an input connection and an output connection, wherein outputs of the plurality of power amplifier modules are coupled to corresponding input connections of the plurality of impedance matching circuits to provide a desired loading of the plurality of power amplifier modules and wherein the output connections of the plurality of impedance matching circuits are coupled together to add power of the plurality of power amplifiers.

2. The RF front-end of claim 1 further comprises:

a common impedance matching component coupling the plurality of impedance matching circuits to an antenna structure.

3. The RF front-end of claim 2, wherein the common impedance matching component comprises:

an inductor, wherein each of the plurality of impedance matching circuits includes at least one capacitor.

4. The RF front-end of claim 2, wherein the common impedance matching component comprises:

a capacitor, wherein each of the plurality of impedance matching circuits includes at least one inductor.

5. The RF front-end of claim 2 further comprises:

a transformer balun having a first winding and a second winding, wherein the first winding is coupled to an antenna and the second winding is coupled to the common impedance matching component.

6. The RF front-end of claim 1, wherein a power amplifier module of the plurality of power amplifier modules comprises:

a bias controlled transistor circuit coupled to adjust an operating parameter of the power amplifier module.

7. A radio frequency (RF) front-end comprises:

a plurality of power amplifier modules;

a plurality of impedance matching circuits, wherein each of the plurality of impedance matching circuits includes an input connection and an output connection, wherein outputs of the plurality of power amplifier modules are coupled to corresponding input connections of the plurality of impedance matching circuits to provide a desired loading of the plurality of power amplifier modules and wherein the output connections of the plurality of impedance matching circuits are coupled together to add power of the plurality of power amplifiers; and

a common impedance matching component coupling the plurality of impedance matching circuits to an antenna structure; and

wherein;

the common impedance matching component includes an inductor; and

each of the plurality of impedance matching circuits includes at least one capacitor.

8. The RF front-end of claim 7 further comprises:

a transformer balun having a first winding and a second winding; and

wherein;

the first winding is coupled to an antenna and the second winding is coupled to the common impedance matching component.

9. The RF front-end of claim 7, wherein a power amplifier module of the plurality of power amplifier modules comprises:

a bias controlled transistor circuit coupled to adjust an operating parameter of the power amplifier module.

10. A radio frequency (RF) front-end comprises:

a plurality of power amplifier modules;

a plurality of impedance matching circuits, wherein each of the plurality of impedance matching circuits includes an input connection and an output connection, wherein outputs of the plurality of power amplifier modules are coupled to corresponding input connections of the plurality of impedance matching circuits to provide a desired loading of the plurality of power amplifier modules and wherein the output connections of the plurality of impedance matching circuits are coupled together to add power of the plurality of power amplifiers; and

a common impedance matching component coupling the plurality of impedance matching circuits to an antenna structure; and

wherein;

the common impedance matching component includes a capacitor; and

each of the plurality of impedance matching circuits includes at least one inductor.

11. The RF front-end of claim 10 further comprises:

a transformer balun having a first winding and a second winding; and

wherein;

the first winding is coupled to an antenna and the second winding is coupled to the common impedance matching component.

12. The RF front-end of claim 10, wherein a power amplifier module of the plurality of power amplifier modules comprises:

a bias controlled transistor circuit coupled to adjust an operating parameter of the power amplifier module.