Power amplifier circuitry and method

• US 8,149,064 B2
• Filed: 03/30/2004
• Issued: 04/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Black Sand Technologies, Inc. (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Inventors: Paul, Susanne A., Dupuis, Timothy J.
• Primary Examiner(s): SHINGLETON, MICHAEL B
• Application Number:
  US10/813,589
• Publication Number:
  US 20050052237A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,926 Days
• Field of Search: 330/252, 330/253, 330/277, 330/262, 330/310, 330/311, 330/305, 330/307, 257/315, 365/187
• US Class Current: 330/310
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2223/6644 Packaging aspects of high-frequency amplifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/0401 Bonding areas specifically adapted for bump connectors, e.g. under bump metallisation [UBM]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/16 of an individual bump connector
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/16227 the bump connector connecting to a bond pad of the item
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/16235 the bump connector connecting to a via metallisation of the item
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/645 Inductive arrangements H01L23/647, H01L23/66 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/66 High-frequency adaptations
• 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 2924/13091 Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistor [MOSFET]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/15192 Resurf arrangement of the internal vias
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/15311 being a ball array, e.g. BGA
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/3011 Impedance
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 1/02 Modifications of amplifiers to raise the efficiency, e.g. gliding Class A stages, use of an auxiliary oscillation
• 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 2200/391 the output circuit of an amplifying stage comprising an LC-network
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/451 the amplifier being a radio frequency amplifier
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/195 in integrated circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/211 using a combination of several amplifiers H03F3/60 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/2171 with field-effect devices H03F3/2173 - H03F3/2178 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/2173 of the bridge type
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/2176 : Class E amplifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/24 : of transmitter output stages
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/30 : Single-ended push-pull [SEPP] amplifiers single-ended sense amplifiers G11C7/067; Phase-splitters therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/45179 : using MOSFET transistors as the active amplifying circuit H03F3/45278 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/72 : Gated amplifiers, i.e. amplifiers which are rendered operative or inoperative by means of a control signal
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/04163 : in field-effect transistor switches
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/6872 : using complementary field-effect transistors
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 257/904 : with passive components,, e.g. polysilicon resistors

Abstract

A method and apparatus is provided for use in power amplifiers for reducing the peak voltage that transistors are subjected to. A power amplifier is provided with first and second switching devices and an inductor connected between the switching devices. The switching devices are driven such that the switching devices are turned on and off during the same time intervals.

Claims

1. A method of providing a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) RF power amplifier for a wireless transmission system comprising:

forming RF power amplifier input stage circuitry using devices with a first gate oxide thickness;

forming RF power amplifier output stage circuitry, the output stage circuitry having p-channel devices (PMOS), n-channel devices (NMOS), and an inductive network;

forming the PMOS devices using devices with the first gate oxide thickness;

forming the NMOS devices using devices with a second gate oxide thickness, wherein the first gate oxide thickness is less than the second gate oxide thickness; and

selecting values of inductors in the inductive network and input capacitances of at least some of the devices in the output stage circuitry to distribute voltage swings across the NMOS and PMOS devices in such way that the NMOS devices are subjected to greater voltage swings than the PMOS devices.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first gate oxide thickness is approximately 70 Angstroms.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the second gate oxide thickness is approximately 140 Angstroms.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising using one or more inverters in the input stage circuitry.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the PMOS devices and NMOS devices are switching devices.

6. A complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) RF power amplifier for a wireless transmission system comprising:

RF power amplifier input stage circuitry including switching devices having a first gate oxide thickness;

RF power amplifier output stage circuitry having a plurality of switching devices and an inductive network;

wherein the plurality of switching devices of the output stage circuitry includes p-channel devices (PMOS) having the first gate oxide thickness and n-channel devices (NMOS) having a second gate oxide thickness, and wherein the first gate oxide thickness is less than the second gate oxide thickness; and

wherein the values of inductors in the inductive network and input capacitances of at least some of the switching devices in the output stage circuitry are selected to distribute voltage swings across the NMOS and PMOS devices in such way that the NMOS devices are subjected to greater voltage swings than the PMOS devices.

7. The RF power amplifier of claim 6, wherein the first gate oxide thickness is approximately 70 Angstroms.

8. The RF power amplifier of claim 6, wherein the second gate oxide thickness is approximately 140 Angstroms.

9. The RF power amplifier of claim 6, wherein the input stage circuitry further comprises one or more inverters.

10. A method of providing an RF power amplifier for a wireless transmission system comprising:

forming an RF power amplifier input stage using switching devices having a first gate oxide thickness;

forming an RF power amplifier output stage using p-channel devices (PMOS), n-channel devices (NMOS), and a plurality of inductors;

forming the PMOS devices using devices with the first gate oxide thickness; and

forming the NMOS devices using devices with a second gate oxide thickness, wherein the first gate oxide thickness is less than the second gate oxide thickness.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the output stage includes a plurality of inductors, the method further comprising distributing voltage swings across the NMOS and PMOS devices by selecting values of the inductors and input capacitances of at least some of the devices in the output stage,. wherein the voltage swings are distributed in such way that the NMOS devices are subjected to greater voltage swings than the PMOS devices.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the gate oxide thickness is approximately 140 Angstroms.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising using one or more inverters in the input stage.

12. The method of 10, wherein the first gate oxide thickness is approximately 70 Angstroms.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the PMOS devices and NMOS devices are switching devices.