Power oscillator apparatus with transformer-based power combining

• US 9,520,828 B2
• Filed: 11/16/2015
• Issued: 12/13/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: STMicroelectronics International N.V. (STMicroelectronics NV)
• Original Assignee: STMicroelectronics SRL (STMicroelectronics NV)
• Inventors: Ragonese, Egidio, Fiore, Vincenzo, Spina, Nunzio, Palmisano, Giuseppe
• Primary Examiner(s): Gannon, Levi
• Application Number:
  US14/942,200
• Publication Number:
  US 20160072435A1
• Time in Patent Office: 393 Days
• Field of Search: 331/46, 331/50, 331/52, 331/55, 331/117.FE, 331/117.R, 331/167, 331/172
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H03B 1/02 Structural details of power oscillators, e.g. for heating construction of transmitters H04B; features of generators for heating by electromagnetic fields H05B6/00
• CPC Class Codes: H03B 2200/0074 Locking of an oscillator by injecting an input signal directly into the oscillator
• CPC Class Codes: H03B 2200/0076 Power combination of several oscillators oscillating at the same frequency
• CPC Class Codes: H03B 2200/0078 generating or using signals in quadrature
• CPC Class Codes: H03B 27/00 Generation of oscillations providing a plurality of outputs of the same frequency but differing in phase, other than merely two anti-phase outputs
• CPC Class Codes: H03B 5/02 Details
• CPC Class Codes: H03B 5/1212 the amplifier comprising a pair of transistors, wherein an output terminal of each being connected to an input terminal of the other, e.g. a cross coupled pair
• CPC Class Codes: H03B 5/1215 the current source or degeneration circuit being in common to both transistors of the pair, e.g. a cross-coupled long-tailed pair
• CPC Class Codes: H03B 5/1228 the amplifier comprising one or more field effect transistors
• CPC Class Codes: H03B 5/1296 the feedback circuit comprising a transformer

Abstract

An oscillator circuit includes first and second oscillators arranged in a series configuration between a supply voltage node and a reference voltage node. The first and second oscillators are configured to receive a synchronizing signal for controlling synchronization in frequency and phase. An electromagnetic network provided to couple the first and the second oscillators includes a transformer with a primary circuit and a secondary circuit. The primary circuit includes a first portion coupled to the first oscillator and second portion coupled to the second oscillator. The first and second portions are connected by a circuit element for reuse of current between the first and second oscillators. The oscillator circuit is fabricated as an integrated circuit device wherein the electromagnetic network is formed in metallization layers of the device. The secondary circuit generates an output power combining power provided from the first and second portions of the primary circuit.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a first oscillator circuit having a first output and a second output;

a second oscillator circuit having a third output and a fourth output; and

a transformer circuit comprising;

a first primary winding coupled between the first output and a common node;

a second primary winding coupled between the second output and the common node;

a third primary winding coupled between the third output and the common node;

a fourth primary winding coupled between the fourth output and the common node; and

a first secondary winding and second secondary winding coupled in series between fifth and sixth output nodes, wherein the first secondary winding is magnetically coupled to the first and third primary windings, and wherein the second secondary winding is magnetically coupled to the second and fourth primary windings.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein an output power at the fifth and sixth output nodes is a combination of a first power associated with the first and second primary windings and a second power associated with the third and fourth primary windings.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a first capacitor coupled between the first output and the second output; and

a second capacitor coupled between the third output and the fourth output.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a first capacitor coupled between the first output and the third output; and

a second capacitor coupled between the second output and the fourth output.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a capacitor coupled between the fifth and sixth outputs.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first oscillator circuit comprises a pair of transistors coupled to the first and second outputs and having control terminal coupled together to receive a bias signal.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the bias signal is a synchronizing signal for synchronizing frequency and phase of oscillator operation.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising:

a current source configured to generate a synchronizing current pulse; and

a current mirror configured to mirror the synchronizing current pulse to the control terminals of the pair of transistors.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the synchronizing signal has a synchronization frequency equal to two times an oscillation frequency of the first and second oscillator circuits.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a common-mode bias terminal provided in one of said first and second oscillator circuits for receiving a pulsed synchronizing signal.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said transformer circuit is formed by a plurality of windings arranged in a stacked configuration, wherein the first and second secondary windings are formed in a first metal layer and wherein the first, second, third and fourth primary windings are formed in a second metal layer.

12. The apparatus of claim 11,

wherein the first and third primary windings are coplanar and interleaved in the second metal layer and the first secondary winding is positioned in alignment with the first and third primary windings;

and

wherein the second and fourth primary windings are coplanar and interleaved in the second metal layer and the second secondary winding is positioned in alignment with the second and fourth primary windings.

13. An apparatus, comprising:

a first oscillator circuit having a first output and a second output;

a second oscillator circuit having a third output and a fourth output;

a transformer having a primary winding including a first portion coupled between the first and second outputs of the first oscillator circuit and a second portion coupled between the third and fourth outputs of the second oscillator circuit, and further including a secondary winding having a third portion coupled in series with a fourth portion;

wherein the third portion of the secondary winding is magnetically coupled to the first portion of the primary winding so as to form a first magnetic circuit and wherein the fourth portion of the secondary winding is magnetically coupled to the second portion of the primary winding so as to form a second magnetic circuit;

wherein the first and second oscillator circuits and the transformer are integrated in an integrated circuit device including a plurality of metallization levels;

wherein said primary and secondary windings are formed in said plurality of metallization layers;

wherein the first portion of said primary winding comprises a first winding and a second winding coupled in series at a common node; and

wherein the second portion of said primary winding comprises a third winding and a fourth winding coupled in series at said common node.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein an output power from the secondary winding is a combination of a first power associated with the first and second portions of the primary winding.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said first through fourth windings of the primary winding are formed in a first layer of said metallization layers and said secondary winding is formed in a second layer of said metallization layers.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said first and third windings are interleaved and wherein said second and fourth windings are interleaved.

17. The apparatus of claim 16,

wherein the third portion of said secondary winding comprises a fifth winding;

wherein the fourth portion of said secondary winding comprises a sixth winding;

said fifth and sixth windings coupled in series.

18. The apparatus of claim 17,

wherein said fifth winding is formed in said second layer over the interleaved first and third windings formed in said first layer;

and

wherein said sixth winding is formed in said second layer over the interleaved second and fourth windings formed in said first layer.

19. The apparatus of claim 13,

wherein said first oscillator circuit includes a first capacitor coupled between the first output and second output;

and

wherein said second oscillator includes a second capacitor coupled between the third output and fourth output.

20. The apparatus of claim 13,

wherein said first oscillator includes a first capacitor coupled between the first output and the fourth output;

and

wherein said second oscillator includes a second capacitor coupled between the second output and the third output.

21. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising a synchronization circuit configured to generate a synchronizing signal for application to a common mode node of at least one of the first and the second oscillator circuits for synchronization of frequency and phase.

22. An apparatus, comprising:

a first oscillator circuit having a first output and a second output;

a second oscillator circuit having a third output and a fourth output;

a transformer having a primary winding including a first portion coupled between the first and second outputs of the first oscillator circuit and a second portion coupled between the third and fourth outputs of the second oscillator circuit, and further including a secondary winding having a third portion coupled in series with a fourth portion;

wherein the first portion of said primary winding comprises a first winding and a second winding coupled in series at a common node;

wherein the second portion of said primary winding comprises a third winding and a fourth winding coupled in series at said common node;

wherein the third portion is magnetically coupled to the first and second portions of the primary winding and wherein the fourth portion is magnetically coupled to the first and second portions of the primary winding;

wherein the first and second oscillator circuits and the transformer are integrated in an integrated circuit device including a plurality of metallization levels; and

wherein said primary and secondary windings are formed in said plurality of metallization layers.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein said first through fourth windings of the primary winding are formed in a first layer of said metallization layers and said secondary winding is formed in a second layer of said metallization layers.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein said first and third windings are interleaved and wherein said second and fourth windings are interleaved.

25. The apparatus of claim 24,

wherein the third portion of said secondary winding comprises a fifth winding;

wherein the fourth portion of said secondary winding comprises a sixth winding;

wherein said fifth and sixth windings are coupled in series.

26. An apparatus, comprising:

a first oscillator circuit having a first output and a second output;

a second oscillator circuit having a third output and a fourth output;

a transformer having a primary winding including a first portion coupled between the first and second outputs of the first oscillator circuit and a second portion coupled between the third and fourth outputs of the second oscillator circuit, and further including a secondary winding having a third portion coupled in series with a fourth portion;

wherein the third portion is magnetically coupled to the first and second portions of the primary winding and wherein the fourth portion is magnetically coupled to the first and second portions of the primary winding;

wherein the first and second oscillator circuits and the transformer are integrated in an integrated circuit device including a plurality of metallization levels;

wherein said primary and secondary windings are formed in said plurality of metallization layers; and

a synchronization circuit configured to generate a synchronizing signal for application to a common mode node of at least one of the first and the second oscillator circuits for synchronization of frequency and phase.