Power amplifier modules with power amplifier and transmission line and related systems, devices, and methods

• US 9,887,668 B2
• Filed: 09/08/2016
• Issued: 02/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Skyworks Solutions Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Skyworks Solutions Incorporated
• Inventors: Zampardi, Jr., Peter J., Sun, Hsiang-Chih, Petty-Weeks, Sandra Louise, Zhang, Guohao, Modi, Hardik Bhupendra
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Khanh V
• Application Number:
  US15/259,995
• Publication Number:
  US 20160379944A1
• Time in Patent Office: 516 Days
• Field of Search: 330 66, 330277, 330302, 330307
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/485 Adaptation of interconnections, e.g. engineering charges, repair techniques
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/4853 Connection or disconnection of other leads to or from a metallisation, e.g. pins, wires, bumps
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/4864 Cleaning, e.g. removing of solder
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/565 Moulds
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/76898 formed through a semiconductor substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/78 with subsequent division of the substrate into plural individual devices cutting to change the surface-physical characteristics or shape of semiconductor bodies H01L21/304
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/8249 Bipolar and MOS technology
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/8252 the substrate being a semiconductor, using III-V technology H01L21/8258 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 22/14 for electrical parameters, e.g. resistance, deep-levels, CV, diffusions by electrical means
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2223/6611 Wire connections
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2223/6616 Vertical connections, e.g. vias
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2223/6644 Packaging aspects of high-frequency amplifiers amplifiers per se H03F
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2223/665 Bias feed arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2223/6655 Matching arrangements, e.g. arrangement of inductive and capacitive components
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/05155 Nickel [Ni] as principal constituent
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/05164 Palladium [Pd] as principal constituent
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/05554 being square
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/05644 Gold [Au] as principal constituent
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/45015 being circular
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/45139 Silver (Ag) as principal constituent
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/45144 : Gold (Au) as principal constituent
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/45147 : Copper (Cu) as principal constituent
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48177 : connecting the wire to a bond pad of the item
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48227 : connecting the wire to a bond pad of the item
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48465 : the other connecting portion not on the bonding area being a wedge bond, i.e. ball-to-wedge, regular stitch
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48611 : Tin (Sn) as principal constituent
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48644 : Gold (Au) as principal constituent
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48647 : Copper (Cu) as principal constituent
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48655 : Nickel (Ni) as principal constituent
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48664 : Palladium (Pd) as principal constituent
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48811 : Tin (Sn) as principal constituent
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48816 : Lead (Pb) as principal constituent
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48844 : Gold (Au) as principal constituent
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48847 : Copper (Cu) as principal constituent
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48855 : Nickel (Ni) as principal constituent
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48864 : Palladium (Pd) as principal constituent
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/4903 : Connectors having different sizes, e.g. different diameters
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/49111 : the connectors connecting two common bonding areas, e.g. Litz or braid wires
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/49176 : Wire connectors having the same loop shape and height
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/85205 : Ultrasonic bonding
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/85207 : Thermosonic bonding
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/85411 : Tin (Sn) as principal constituent
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/85416 : Lead (Pb) as principal constituent
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/85444 : Gold (Au) as principal constituent
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/85455 : Nickel (Ni) as principal constituent
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/85464 : Palladium (Pd) as principal constituent
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/3114 : the device being a chip scale package, e.g. CSP
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/481 : Internal lead connections, e.g. via connections, feedthrough structures
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/49811 : Additional leads joined to the metallisation on the insulating substrate, e.g. pins, bumps, wires, flat leads H01L23/49827 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/49827 : Via connections through the substrates, e.g. pins going through the substrate, coaxial cables H01L23/49822, H01L23/49833, H01L23/4985, H01L23/49861 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/49838 : Geometry or layout
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/49844 : for devices being provided for in H01L29/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/49861 : Lead-frames fixed on or encapsulated in insulating substrates H01L23/4985, H01L23/49805 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/49866 : characterised by the materials materials of the substrates H01L23/14, of the lead-frames H01L23/49579
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/49894 : Materials of the insulating layers or coatings
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/50 : for integrated circuit devices, e.g. power bus, number of leadsH01L23/482 - H01L23/498 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/522 : including external interconnections consisting of a multilayer structure of conductive and insulating layers inseparably formed on the semiconductor body
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/53252 : Additional layers associated with noble-metal layers, e.g. adhesion, barrier, cladding layers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/552 : Protection against radiation, e.g. light or electromagnetic waves
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/66 : High-frequency adaptations
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 24/45 : of an individual wire connector
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 24/48 : of an individual wire connector
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 24/49 : of a plurality of wire connectors
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 24/85 : using a wire connector wire bonding in general B23K20/004
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 24/97 : the devices being connected to a common substrate, e.g. interposer, said common substrate being separable into individual assemblies after connecting
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/0605 : integrated circuits made of compound material, e.g. AIIIBV
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/0623 : in combination with bipolar transistors
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/092 : complementary MIS field-effect transistors
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/0684 : characterised by the shape, relative sizes or dispositions of the semiconductor regions or junctions between the regions
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/0821 : Collector regions of bipolar transistors
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/0826 : Pedestal collectors
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/1004 : Base region of bipolar transistors
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/20 : including, apart from doping materials or other impurities, only AIIIBV compounds
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/205 : in different semiconductor regions , e.g. heterojunctions
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/36 : characterised by the concentration or distribution of impurities in the bulk material within semiconductor regions H01L29/06
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/66242 : Heterojunction transistors [HBT] with an active layer made of a group 13/15 material H01L29/66318
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/66863 : Lateral single gate transistors
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/737 : Hetero-junction transistors
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/7371 : Vertical transistors
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/812 : with a Schottky gate H01L29/7725, H01L29/775, H01L29/778, H01L29/806 take precedence; with Schottky contact on top of heterojunction gate H01L29/802
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/8605 : Resistors with PN junctions
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 : Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00011 : Not relevant to the scope of the group, the symbol of which is combined with the symbol of this group
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00014 : the subject-matter covered by the group, the symbol of which is combined with the symbol of this group, being disclosed without further technical details
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/10253 : Silicon [Si]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/10329 : Gallium arsenide [GaAs]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/12033 : Gunn diode
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/12042 : LASER
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/1305 : Bipolar Junction Transistor [BJT]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/13051 : Heterojunction bipolar transistor [HBT]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/1306 : Field-effect transistor [FET]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/13091 : Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistor [MOSFET]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/1421 : RF devices
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/14215 : Low-noise amplifier [LNA]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/15747 : Copper [Cu] as principal constituent
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/181 : Encapsulation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/19105 : in a side-by-side arrangement on a common die mounting substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/19107 : off-chip wires
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/3011 : Impedance
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/30111 : matching
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/3025 : Electromagnetic shielding
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 1/0205 : in transistor amplifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 1/565 : using inductive elements
• 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 2200/451 : the amplifier being a radio frequency amplifier
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/48 : the output of the amplifier being coupled out by a capacitor
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/555 : A voltage generating circuit being realised for biasing different circuit elements
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/187 : in integrated circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/19 : with semiconductor devices only
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/195 : in integrated circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/21 : with semiconductor devices only H03F3/245 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/213 : in integrated circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/245 : with semiconductor devices only
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/347 : in integrated circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/45 : Differential amplifiers differential sense amplifiers G11C7/062
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/60 : Amplifiers in which coupling networks have distributed constants, e.g. with waveguide resonators H03F3/54 takes precedence

Abstract

One aspect of this disclosure is a power amplifier module that includes a power amplifier configured to amplify a radio frequency (RF) signal and an RF transmission line electrically coupled to an output of the power amplifier. The power amplifier includes a heterojunction bipolar transistor and a p-type field effect transistor, in which a semiconductor portion of the p-type field effect transistor corresponds to a channel includes the same type of semiconductor material as a collector layer of the heterojunction bipolar transistor. The RF transmission line includes a nickel layer with a thickness that is less than 0.5 um, a conductive layer under the nickel layer, a palladium layer over the nickel layer, and a gold layer over the palladium layer. Other embodiments of the module are provided along with related methods and components thereof.

Claims

1. A power amplifier module comprising:

a power amplifier configured to amplify a radio frequency signal, the power amplifier including a heterojunction bipolar transistor and a p-type field effect transistor, the heterojunction bipolar transistor including a collector layer of a semiconductor material, and the p-type field effect transistor including a semiconductor portion of the semiconductor material, the semiconductor portion corresponding to a channel of the p-type field effect transistor; and

a radio frequency transmission line electrically coupled to an output of the power amplifier, the radio frequency transmission line including a nickel layer with a thickness that is less than 0.5 microns, a conductive layer under the nickel layer, a palladium layer over the nickel layer, and a gold layer over the palladium layer.

2. The power amplifier module of claim 1 wherein the semiconductor material includes p-type gallium arsenide.

3. The power amplifier module of claim 1 wherein the heterojunction bipolar transistor and the p-type field effect transistor are disposed on a single gallium arsenide substrate.

4. The power amplifier module of claim 1 wherein the heterojunction bipolar transistor includes a second collector layer of a second semiconductor material, the p-type field effect transistor includes a second semiconductor portion of the second semiconductor material, and the semiconductor material and the second semiconductor material have different conductivity types.

5. The power amplifier module of claim 1 wherein the heterojunction bipolar transistor includes a base and an etch stop disposed between the collector layer and the base.

6. The power amplifier module of claim 5 wherein the etch stop includes indium gallium arsenide or indium gallium phosphide.

7. The power amplifier module of claim 1 further comprising an n-type field effect transistor, the heterojunction bipolar transistor including an emitter stack that includes a layer of an n-type semiconductor material, and the n-type field effect transistor including another semiconductor portion of the n-type semiconductor material, the another semiconductor portion corresponding to a channel of the n-type field effect transistor.

8. The power amplifier module of claim 1 wherein the thickness of the nickel layer is in a range from 0.04 microns to 0.35 microns.

9. The power amplifier module of claim 1 wherein the power amplifier is implemented on a die and the gold layer is electrically connected to the output of the power amplifier by way of a wire bond extending from the die to the gold layer.

10. The power amplifier module of claim 1 wherein the radio frequency signal has a frequency of at least about 1.9 GHz and the thickness of the nickel layer is less than a skin depth of the nickel layer at about 1.9 GHz.

11. The power amplifier module of claim 1 wherein the thickness of the nickel layer is less than a skin depth of the nickel layer at about 5 GHz and the thickness of the nickel layer is at least 0.04 microns.

12. The power amplifier module of claim 1 wherein the gold layer has a thickness in a range from about 0.05 microns to about 0.15 microns.

13. A power amplifier module comprising:

a power amplifier configured to amplify a radio frequency signal, the power amplifier including a heterojunction bipolar transistor on a substrate and a p-type field effect transistor on the substrate, the heterojunction bipolar transistor including a first collector layer of a p-type semiconductor material and a second collector layer of n-type semiconductor material, and the p-type field effect transistor including a semiconductor portion of the p-type semiconductor material, the semiconductor portion corresponding to a channel of the p-type field effect transistor; and

a radio frequency transmission line electrically coupled to an output of the power amplifier, the radio frequency transmission line including a nickel layer with a thickness that is less than a skin depth of the nickel layer at 0.45 GHz, a conductive layer under the nickel layer, a palladium layer over the nickel layer, and a gold layer over the palladium layer.

14. The power amplifier module of claim 13 wherein the p-type field effect transistor includes a second semiconductor portion of the n-type semiconductor material.

15. The power amplifier module of claim 13 wherein the heterojunction bipolar transistor includes a base and an etch stop disposed between the first collector layer and the base.

16. The power amplifier module of claim 13 wherein the thickness of the nickel layer is in a range between about 0.04 microns and 0.35 microns.

17. The power amplifier module of claim 16 wherein the gold layer is electrically connected to the output of the power amplifier by way of a wire bond.

18. A power amplifier module comprising:

a power amplifier configured to amplify a radio frequency signal, the power amplifier including a heterojunction bipolar transistor on a substrate and a p-type field effect transistor on the substrate, the heterojunction bipolar transistor including a collector layer of a semiconductor material, and the p-type field effect transistor including a semiconductor portion of the semiconductor material, the semiconductor portion corresponding to a channel of the p-type field effect transistor; and

a radio frequency transmission line electrically coupled to an output of the power amplifier by way of a wire bond, the radio frequency transmission line including a nickel layer with a thickness that is in a range between about 0.04 microns and 0.35 microns, a conductive layer under the nickel layer, a palladium layer over the nickel layer, and a gold layer over the palladium layer and in contact with the wire bond.

19. The power amplifier module of claim 18 wherein the radio frequency signal has a frequency of at least 1.9 GHz and the thickness of the nickel layer is less than a skin depth of the nickel layer at 1.9 GHz.

20. The power amplifier module of claim 18 wherein the heterojunction bipolar transistor includes a second collector layer of a second semiconductor material, and the p-type field effect transistor includes a second semiconductor portion of the second semiconductor material.