Impedance matching circuit with tunable notch filters for power amplifier

• US 8,803,615 B2
• Filed: 01/23/2012
• Issued: 08/12/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Cabanillas, Jose, Presti, Calogero D., Nejati, Babak, Klemens, Guy
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Khanh V
• Application Number:
  US13/356,508
• Publication Number:
  US 20130187712A1
• Time in Patent Office: 932 Days
• Field of Search: 330/192, 330/302, 330/305, 330/306
• US Class Current: 330/305
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 1/565 using inductive elements
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/19 with semiconductor devices only
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/245 with semiconductor devices only
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 2007/013 Notch or bandstop filters
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 7/38 Impedance-matching networks

Abstract

An impedance matching circuit with at least one tunable notch filter for a power amplifier is disclosed. The power amplifier amplifies an input radio frequency (RF) signal and provides an amplified RF signal. The impedance matching circuit performs output impedance matching for the power amplifier and includes at least one tunable notch filter. Each tunable notch filter has a notch that can be varied in frequency to provide better attenuation of an undesired signal. The at least one tunable notch filter attenuates at least one undesired signal in the amplified RF signal. The at least one tunable notch filter may include (i) a first tunable notch filter to attenuate a first undesired signal at a second harmonic of the amplified RF signal and/or (ii) a second tunable notch filter to attenuate a second undesired signal at a third harmonic of the amplified RF signal.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a power amplifier configured to amplify an input radio frequency (RF) signal and provide an amplified RF signal; and

an impedance matching circuit coupled to the power amplifier and configured to match an output impedance of the power amplifier, the impedance matching circuit comprising at least one tunable notch filter dynamically adjusted during operation in response to a change in operating band of the input RF signal to attenuate at least one undesired signal in the amplified RF signal.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, the impedance matching circuit comprising:

an inductor coupled in series in a signal path between an input and an output of the impedance matching circuit; and

an adjustable capacitor coupled in parallel with the inductor, the inductor and the adjustable capacitor forming one of the at least one tunable notch filter.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, the impedance matching circuit comprising:

an inductor coupled to a node of the impedance matching circuit; and

an adjustable capacitor coupled in series with the inductor, the inductor and the adjustable capacitor being coupled between the node and circuit ground and forming one of the at least one tunable notch filter.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, the impedance matching circuit comprising:

a first tunable notch filter formed by a first inductor and a first adjustable capacitor coupled in parallel; and

a second tunable notch filter formed by a second inductor and a second adjustable capacitor coupled in series.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, the at least one tunable notch filter comprising a tunable notch filter tuned to a second harmonic frequency of the amplified RF signal and configured to attenuate an undesired signal at the second harmonic frequency.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, the at least one tunable notch filter comprising a tunable notch filter tuned to a third harmonic frequency of the amplified RF signal and configured to attenuate an undesired signal at the third harmonic frequency.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, the at least one tunable notch filter comprising:

a first tunable notch filter configured to attenuate a first undesired signal at a second harmonic of the amplified RF signal; and

a second tunable notch filter configured to attenuate a second undesired signal at a third harmonic of the amplified RF signal.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the power amplifier is configured to operate over a plurality of frequency bands, and wherein the at least one tunable notch filter is tunable over a frequency range corresponding to the plurality of frequency bands.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, the at least one tunable notch filter comprising at least one adjustable capacitor, each adjustable capacitor comprising at least one switchable capacitor that is selected or unselected based on a control signal for the adjustable capacitor.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, the at least one tunable notch filter comprising an adjustable capacitor.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, the adjustable capacitor comprising:

a first switchable capacitor having a first capacitor size;

a first set of transistors coupled to the first switchable capacitor and having a first transistor size;

a second switchable capacitor having a second capacitor size; and

a second set of transistors coupled to the second switchable capacitor and having a second transistor size.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the second capacitor size is twice the first capacitor size, and wherein the second transistor size is twice the first transistor size.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the first and second transistor sizes are determined based on the first and second capacitor sizes to obtain a target quality factor (Q) or better for the first and second capacitors.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a look-up table configured to store a plurality of settings for each of the at least one tunable notch filter, to receive an indication of a current operating frequency, and to provide one of the plurality of settings corresponding to the current operating frequency for each of the at least one tunable notch filter.

15. A method comprising:

amplifying an input radio frequency (RF) signal with a power amplifier to obtain an amplified RF signal;

impedance matching the power amplifier with an impedance matching circuit comprising at least one tunable notch filter dynamically adjusted during operation in response to a change in operating band of the input RF signal to attenuate at least one undesired signal in the amplified RF signal; and

attenuating the at least one undesired signal in the amplified RF signal with the at least one tunable notch filter.

16. The method of claim 15, the attenuating at least one undesired signal comprising attenuating a first undesired signal at a second harmonic of the amplified RF signal with a first tunable notch filter in the at least one tunable notch filter.

17. The method of claim 16, the attenuating at least one undesired signal further comprising attenuating a second undesired signal at a third harmonic of the amplified RF signal with a second tunable notch filter in the at least one tunable notch filter.

18. An apparatus comprising:

means for amplifying an input radio frequency (RF) signal to obtain an amplified RF signal;

means for impedance matching the means for amplifying, the means for amplifying comprising at least one tunable notch dynamically adjusted during operation in response to a change in operating band of the input RF signal to attenuate at least one undesired signal in the amplified RF signal; and

means for attenuating the at least one undesired signal in the amplified RF signal with the at least one tunable notch.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, the means for attenuating at least one undesired signal comprising means for attenuating a first undesired signal at a second harmonic of the amplified RF signal with a first tunable notch in the at least one tunable notch.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, the means for attenuating at least one undesired signal further comprising means for attenuating a second undesired signal at a third harmonic of the amplified RF signal with a second tunable notch in the at least one tunable notch.