Embedded RF PA temperature compensating bias transistor

• US 8,559,898 B2
• Filed: 11/02/2011
• Issued: 10/15/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qorvo US, Inc. (Qorvo, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: RF Micro Devices Incorporated (Qorvo, Inc.)
• Inventors: Jones, David E., Levesque, Chris, Southcombe, William David, Yoder, Scott, Stockert, Terry J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Simon
• Application Number:
  US13/287,735
• Publication Number:
  US 20120280752A1
• Time in Patent Office: 713 Days
• Field of Search: 4551142-1143, 4551271-1275, 330/272, 330/289, 330295-297, 330/300, 330199-200
• US Class Current: 455/127.1
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 1/0227 using supply converters
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 1/0261 with control of the polarisation voltage or current, e.g. gliding Class A
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 1/0277 Selecting one or more amplifiers from a plurality of amplifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/171 A filter circuit coupled to the output of an amplifier
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/222 A circuit being added at the input of an amplifier to adapt the input impedance of the amplifier
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/27 A biasing circuit node being switched in an amplifier circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/318 A matching circuit being used as coupling element between two amplifying stages
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/336 A I/Q, i.e. phase quadrature, modulator or demodulator being used in an amplifying circuit
• 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 2200/411 the output amplifying stage of an amplifier comprising two power stages
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/414 A switch being coupled in the output circuit of an amplifier to switch the output on/off
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/417 A switch coupled in the output circuit of an amplifier being controlled by a circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/451 the amplifier being a radio frequency amplifier
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/504 the supply voltage or current being continuously controlled by a controlling signal, e.g. the controlling signal of a transistor implemented as variable resistor in a supply path for, an IC-block showed amplifier
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/534 Transformer coupled at the input of an amplifier
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/537 A transformer being used as coupling element between two amplifying stages
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/541 Transformer coupled at the output of an amplifier
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2203/21106 An input signal being distributed in parallel over the inputs of a plurality of power amplifiers
• 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 2203/21157 A filter circuit being added at the output of a power amplifier stage
• 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 3/245 : with semiconductor devices only
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/602 : Combinations of several amplifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/72 : Gated amplifiers, i.e. amplifiers which are rendered operative or inoperative by means of a control signal

Abstract

A radio frequency (RF) power amplifier (PA) amplifying transistor of an RF PA stage and an RF PA temperature compensating bias transistor of the RF PA stage are disclosed. The RF PA amplifying transistor includes a first array of amplifying transistor elements and a second array of amplifying transistor elements. The RF PA temperature compensating bias transistor provides temperature compensation of bias of the RF PA amplifying transistor. Further, the RF PA temperature compensating bias transistor is located between the first array and the second array. As such, the RF PA temperature compensating bias transistor is thermally coupled to the first array and the second array. The RF PA stage receives and amplifies an RF stage input signal to provide an RF stage output signal using the RF PA amplifying transistor.

Claims

1. Circuitry comprising:

a radio frequency (RF) power amplifier (PA) amplifying transistor of an RF PA stage, such that the RF PA amplifying transistor comprises a first array of amplifying transistor elements and a second array of amplifying transistor elements; and

an RF PA temperature compensating bias transistor of the RF PA stage wherein;

the RF PA temperature compensating bias transistor is adapted to provide temperature compensation of bias of the RF PA amplifying transistor;

the RF PA temperature compensating bias transistor is physically disposed between the first array of amplifying transistor elements and the second array of amplifying transistor elements in the RF PA amplifying transistor;

the RF PA temperature compensating bias transistor is thermally coupled to the first array of amplifying transistor elements and the second array of amplifying transistor elements; and

the RF PA stage is adapted to receive and amplify an RF stage input signal to provide an RF stage output signal using the RF PA amplifying transistor.

2. The circuitry of claim 1 wherein the RF PA temperature compensating bias transistor is a heterojunction bipolar transistor (HBT).

3. The circuitry of claim 2 wherein the RF PA temperature compensating bias transistor is a linear HBT.

4. The circuitry of claim 3 wherein the linear HBT comprises an emitter, a base, and a collector arranged in a linear manner, such that the base is between the emitter and the collector.

5. The circuitry of claim 2 wherein the RF PA amplifying transistor is an HBT.

6. The circuitry of claim 1 wherein the RF PA temperature compensating bias transistor is a single element transistor.

7. The circuitry of claim 1 wherein the RF PA temperature compensating bias transistor is hard wired as a diode.

8. The circuitry of claim 1 wherein a collector of the RF PA amplifying transistor provides the RF stage output signal.

9. The circuitry of claim 1 wherein an emitter of the RF PA amplifying transistor is coupled to a ground.

10. The circuitry of claim 9 wherein an emitter of the RF PA temperature compensating bias transistor is coupled to the ground.

11. The circuitry of claim 1 further comprising a first RF PA stage bias transistor, such that an emitter of the first RF PA stage bias transistor is coupled to a collector of the RF PA temperature compensating bias transistor.

12. The circuitry of claim 11 wherein the RF PA temperature compensating bias transistor and the first RF PA stage bias transistor are configured as diodes.

13. The circuitry of claim 11 further comprising a second RF PA stage bias transistor, such that a base of the second RF PA stage bias transistor is coupled to a collector of the first RF PA stage bias transistor.

14. The circuitry of claim 13 wherein an emitter of the second RF PA stage bias transistor is coupled to a base of the RF PA amplifying transistor.

15. The circuitry of claim 1 wherein the first array of amplifying transistor elements comprises a first plurality of amplifying transistor elements coupled in parallel.

16. The circuitry of claim 15 wherein the second array of amplifying transistor elements comprises a second plurality of amplifying transistor elements coupled in parallel.

17. The circuitry of claim 1 further comprising:

a first RF PA comprising;

a first non-quadrature PA path having a first single-ended output; and

a first quadrature PA path comprising the RF PA stage and coupled between the first non-quadrature PA path and an antenna port, such that the first quadrature PA path has a first single-ended input, which is coupled to the first single-ended output; and

a second RF PA comprising a second quadrature PA path coupled to the antenna port,

wherein the antenna port is configured to be coupled to an antenna.

18. The circuitry of claim 1 further comprising:

a first multi-mode multi-band quadrature RF PA comprising the RF PA stage and coupled to multi-mode multi-band alpha switching circuitry via a single alpha PA output; and

the multi-mode multi-band alpha switching circuitry having;

a first alpha non-linear mode output associated with a first non-linear mode RF communications band; and

a plurality of alpha linear mode outputs, such that each of the plurality of alpha linear mode outputs is associated with a corresponding one of a first plurality of linear mode RF communications bands.

19. The circuitry of claim 1 further comprising:

a first RF PA comprising a first final stage, which is the RF PA stage, having a first final bias input, such that bias of the first final stage is via the first final bias input;

PA control circuitry;

a PA-digital communications interface (DCI) coupled between a digital communications bus and the PA control circuitry; and

a final stage current digital-to-analog converter (IDAC) coupled between the PA control circuitry and the first final bias input.

20. The circuitry of claim 1 further comprising:

a first RF PA having a first final stage, which is the RF PA stage, and adapted to;

receive and amplify a first RF input signal to provide a first RF output signal; and

receive a first final bias signal to bias the first final stage;

PA bias circuitry adapted to receive a bias power supply signal and provide the first final bias signal based on the bias power supply signal; and

a direct current (DC)-DC converter adapted to receive a DC power supply signal from a DC power supply and provide the bias power supply signal based on the DC power supply signal, such that a voltage of the bias power supply signal is greater than a voltage of the DC power supply signal.

21. The circuitry of claim 1 further comprising:

a direct current (DC)-DC converter comprising;

a PA envelope power supply comprising a charge pump buck converter coupled to RF PA circuitry; and

a PA bias power supply comprising a charge pump coupled to the RF PA circuitry; and

the RF PA circuitry, which comprises the RF PA stage.

22. The circuitry of claim 1 further comprising:

multi-mode multi-band RF power amplification circuitry, which comprises the RF PA stage, having at least a first RF input and a plurality of RF outputs, such that;

configuration of the multi-mode multi-band RF power amplification circuitry associates one of the at least the first RF input with one of the plurality of RF outputs; and

the configuration is associated with at least a first look-up table (LUT);

PA control circuitry coupled between the multi-mode multi-band RF power amplification circuitry and a PA-digital communications interface (DCI), such that the PA control circuitry has at least the first LUT, which is associated with at least a first defined parameter set; and

the PA-DCI, which is coupled to a digital communications bus.

23. A method comprising:

providing a radio frequency (RF) power amplifier (PA) amplifying transistor of an RF PA stage, such that the RF PA amplifying transistor comprises a first array of amplifying transistor elements and a second array of amplifying transistor elements;

providing an RF PA temperature compensating bias transistor of the RF PA stage wherein;

the RF PA temperature compensating bias transistor is disposed between the first array of amplifying transistor elements and the second array of amplifying transistor elements; and

the RF PA temperature compensating bias transistor is thermally coupled to the first array of amplifying transistor elements and the second array of amplifying transistor elements ;

temperature compensating bias of the RF PA amplifying transistor using the RF PA temperature compensating bias transistor; and

receiving and amplifying an RF stage input signal to provide an RF stage output signal using the RF PA amplifying transistor.