Body tie optimization for stacked transistor amplifier
First Claim
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1. A circuital arrangement comprising:
- a transistor stack configured to operate as a radio frequency (RF) amplifier, the transistor stack comprising a plurality of stacked transistors comprising an input transistor for receiving an input RF signal to the amplifier, and an output transistor for outputting an output RF signal that is an amplified version of the input RF signal;
the transistor stack configured to operate between a supply voltage coupled to the output transistor and a reference voltage coupled to the input transistor;
one or more gate capacitors each connected between a gate of a transistor of the plurality of stacked transistors, except the input transistor, and a reference ground, wherein the each gate capacitor is configured to allow a gate voltage at the gate to vary along with a radio frequency (RF) voltage at a drain of the transistor,wherein at least one transistor of the plurality of stacked transistors is a four-terminal transistor, and remaining transistors of the plurality of transistors are three-terminal transistors.
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Abstract
A transistor stack can include a combination of floating and body tied devices. Improved performance of the RF amplifier can be obtained by using a single body tied device as the input transistor of the stack, or as the output transistor of the stack, while other transistors of the stack are floating transistors. Transient response of the RF amplifier can be improved by using all body tied devices in the stack.
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Citations
25 Claims
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1. A circuital arrangement comprising:
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a transistor stack configured to operate as a radio frequency (RF) amplifier, the transistor stack comprising a plurality of stacked transistors comprising an input transistor for receiving an input RF signal to the amplifier, and an output transistor for outputting an output RF signal that is an amplified version of the input RF signal;
the transistor stack configured to operate between a supply voltage coupled to the output transistor and a reference voltage coupled to the input transistor;one or more gate capacitors each connected between a gate of a transistor of the plurality of stacked transistors, except the input transistor, and a reference ground, wherein the each gate capacitor is configured to allow a gate voltage at the gate to vary along with a radio frequency (RF) voltage at a drain of the transistor, wherein at least one transistor of the plurality of stacked transistors is a four-terminal transistor, and remaining transistors of the plurality of transistors are three-terminal transistors. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method for manufacturing a radio frequency (RF) amplifier, the method comprising:
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providing a substrate comprising one of;
a) silicon-on-insulator substrate, and b) a silicon-on-sapphire substrate; andmanufacturing, on the substrate, a transistor stack configured to operate as a radio frequency (RF) amplifier, the transistor stack comprising; a plurality of series connected transistors comprising at least one four-terminal transistor and remaining three-terminal transistors; and one or more gate capacitors each connected between a gate of a transistor of the plurality of series connected transistors, except an input transistor, and a reference ground, wherein the each gate capacitor is configured to allow a gate voltage at the gate to vary along with a radio frequency (RF) voltage at a drain of the transistor. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A method for improving a performance of a radio frequency (RF) amplifier, the method comprising:
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providing a plurality of floating devices; configuring the plurality of floating devices as a cascoded stack comprising an input floating device and cascode floating devices; coupling gate capacitors between gates of the cascode floating devices and a reference ground, the gate capacitors configured to allow gate voltages at said gates to vary along with radio frequency (RF) voltages at drains of the cascode floating devices; based on the configuring and the coupling, obtaining an RF amplifier having a characteristic performance; replacing, in the cascoded stack, at least one floating device of the plurality of floating devices with a body tied device; based on the replacing, obtaining an RF amplifier having an improved characteristic performance; and fabricating the RF amplifier with improved characteristic performance on one of;
a) silicon-on-insulator (SOI) technology, and b) silicon-on-sapphire technology (SOS). - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A method for reducing a stack height of an RF amplifier, the method comprising:
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providing a level of a voltage across a stack; providing a withstand voltage capability of a three-terminal device; based on the level of the voltage and the withstand voltage capability, determining a height of the stack based on a required number of series connected three-terminal devices in the stack; replacing two or more of the series connected three-terminal devices with a reduced number of one or more four-terminal devices; based on the replacing, reducing the height of the stack; and fabricating the RF amplifier with reduced stack height on one of;
a) silicon-on-insulator (SOI) technology, and b) silicon-on-sapphire technology (SOS).
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Specification