Radio frequency transmitter, power combiners and terminations therefor

• US 9,077,310 B2
• Filed: 12/25/2013
• Issued: 07/07/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MediaTek, Inc.
• Original Assignee: MediaTek, Inc.
• Inventors: Tsai, Ming-Da
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Dinh
• Application Number:
  US14/140,524
• Publication Number:
  US 20140354371A1
• Time in Patent Office: 559 Days
• Field of Search: 330301-302, 330/295, 330/123.R, 330275-276, 333/131, 257/786, 257/784, 257/659
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 19/04 Transformers or mutual inductances suitable for handling frequencies considerably beyond the audio range resonant circuits H03H
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 7/48 Networks for connecting several sources or loads, working on the same frequency or frequency band, to a common load or source phase shifters providing two or more output signals H03H7/21
• 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 power combiner includes a primary winding and a secondary winding, wherein at least the primary winding comprises a center-tap; and a termination module operably coupled to the center-tapped primary winding and arranged to provide harmonic terminations on a plurality of frequencies. In addition, there is provided a radio frequency transmitter having a power combiner, where the power combiner includes a primary winding and a secondary winding, wherein at least the primary winding includes a center-tap; and a termination module operably coupled to the center-tapped primary winding and arranged to provide harmonic terminations on a plurality of frequencies.

Claims

1. A power combiner comprising:

a primary winding and a secondary winding, wherein at least the primary winding comprises a center-tap; and

a termination module operably coupled to the center-tapped primary winding and arranged to provide harmonic terminations on a plurality of frequencies;

wherein at least one of the primary winding and the secondary winding is operably coupled to an amplifier stage via a power combiner circuit having a plurality of input terminals and a plurality of output terminals, such that each input of the input terminals is coupled to a corresponding same output terminal;

the plurality of input terminals comprise different pairs of a plurality of first paired input terminals and a first pair of cross coupled bond wires of the power combiner circuit operably couples a pair of the plurality of input terminals with a different input terminal via terminals of different pairs of the plurality of first paired input terminals; and

a second pair of cross coupled bond wires of the power combiner circuit overlays the first pair of cross coupled bond wires.

2. The power combiner of claim 1, wherein the termination module comprises at least one notch filter per harmonic termination.

3. The power combiner of claim 2, wherein a plurality of notch filters each comprise at least one capacitive device and at least one inductive device.

4. The power combiner of claim 1, wherein the termination module comprises at least a first termination device operable to terminate a signal at a first harmonic frequency and a third termination device operable to terminate at a third harmonic frequency.

5. The power combiner of claim 4, wherein a first harmonic frequency termination and a third harmonic frequency termination are arranged to reduce a common mode voltage in the power combiner.

6. The power combiner of claim 1, wherein the termination module comprises at least a second termination device operable to terminate a signal at a second harmonic frequency.

7. The power combiner of claim 6, wherein a second harmonic frequency termination is arranged to reduce harmonic leakage coupled back to at least one primary winding in the power combiner.

8. The power combiner of claim 1, wherein the primary winding comprises a first primary winding adjacent a second primary winding, and each primary winding is operably coupled to the termination module.

9. The power combiner of claim 1, wherein the second pair of cross coupled bond wires of the power combiner circuit overlays the first pair of cross coupled bond wires and operably couples a pair of amplifier stage output terminals with a different second input terminal via terminals of different pairs of the plurality of first paired input terminals thereby forming a multiple current loop in coupling the plurality of power amplifier stages.

10. The power combiner of claim 9, wherein the first pair of cross-coupled bond wires is arranged to impart a cancellation phase signal on signals carried by the second pair of cross coupled bond wires.

11. The power combiner of claim 10, wherein a first bond wire of the first pair of cross-coupled bond wires imparts an opposing magnetic field compared to a first bond wire of the second pair of cross coupled bond wires.

12. The power combiner of claim 1, wherein the primary winding comprises a first planar figure-8 shaped primary winding;

and the secondary winding comprises a first planar figure-8 shaped secondary winding.

13. The power combiner of claim 12, wherein the first planar figure-8 shaped primary winding is substantially overlaid with the first figure-8 shaped secondary winding.

14. The power combiner of claim 13, wherein a plurality of the first planar figure-8 shaped primary winding and secondary windings are formed from two substantially oval-shaped tracks that are operably cross coupled substantially at a mid-point of a longest length of an oval shape.

15. The power combiner of claim 13, further comprising

a second planar figure-8 shaped primary winding that with the first planar figure-8 shaped primary winding thereby forms a figure-88 shaped primary winding;

and

a second planar figure-8 shaped secondary winding that with the first planar figure-8 shaped secondary winding thereby forms a figure-88 shaped secondary winding;

wherein the figure-88 shaped primary winding is substantially overlaid with the figure-88 shaped secondary winding.

16. The power combiner of claim 15, wherein an overlaid location of the figure-88 shaped primary winding and the figure-88 shaped secondary winding is operable to facilitate reduction of inductive coupling.

17. A radio frequency transmitter comprising a power combiner, the power combiner comprising:

a primary winding and a secondary winding, wherein at least the primary winding comprises a center-tap; and

a termination module operably coupled to the center-tapped primary winding and arranged to provide harmonic terminations on a plurality of frequencies;

wherein at least one of the primary winding and the secondary winding is operably coupled to an amplifier stage via a power combiner circuit having a plurality of input terminals and a plurality of output terminals, such that each input of the input terminals is coupled to a corresponding same output terminal;

the plurality of input terminals comprise different pairs of a plurality of first paired input terminals and a first pair of cross coupled bond wires of the power combiner circuit operably couples a pair of the plurality of input terminals with a different input terminal via terminals of different pairs of the plurality of first paired input terminals; and

a second pair of cross coupled bond wires of the power combiner circuit overlays the first pair of cross coupled bond wires.