Radio-frequency power amplifiers driven by boost converter

• US 9,893,684 B2
• Filed: 09/29/2015
• Issued: 02/13/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Skyworks Solutions Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Skyworks Solutions Incorporated
• Inventors: Lehtola, Philip John
• Primary Examiner(s): Hanidu, Ganiyu A
• Application Number:
  US14/869,957
• Publication Number:
  US 20160241208A1
• Time in Patent Office: 868 Days
• Field of Search: 4551501, 4551272, 455 82, 455 78, 4555521, 4555531
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 1/0227 using supply converters
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 1/0266 by using a signal derived from the input signal
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 1/0288 using a main and one or several auxiliary peaking amplifiers whereby the load is connected to the main amplifier using an impedance inverter, e.g. Doherty amplifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 1/22 by use of cascode coupling, i.e. earthed cathode or emitter stage followed by earthed grid or base stage respectively
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 1/565 using inductive elements
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/111 the amplifier being a dual or triple band amplifier, e.g. 900 and 1800 MHz, e.g. switched or not switched, simultaneously or not
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/451 the amplifier being a radio frequency amplifier
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/19 with semiconductor devices only
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/24 of transmitter output stages
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/245 with semiconductor devices only
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/68 Combinations of amplifiers, e.g. multi-channel amplifiers for stereophonics power amplifiers using a combination of several semiconductor amplifiers H03F3/211; combinations of amplifiers using coupling networks with distributed constants H03F3/602
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/40 Circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2001/0408 with power amplifiers

Abstract

Radio-frequency (RF) power amplifiers driven by boost converter. In some embodiments, a power amplification system can include a supply system configured to provide a high-voltage (HV) supply signal based on a battery voltage, and a power amplifier (PA) configured to receive the HV supply signal and amplify an RF signal. The power amplification system can further include an output path configured to route the amplified RF signal to a filter. Such an output path can be substantially free of either or both of an impedance transformation circuit and a band selection switch.

Claims

1. A power amplification system comprising:

a supply system configured to provide a high-voltage supply signal based on a battery voltage in an average power tracking mode;

a power amplifier configured to operate in the average power tracking mode to thereby receive the high-voltage supply signal and amplify a signal; and

an output path configured to route the amplified signal to a filter having an impedance, the high-voltage supply signal and the power amplifier configured such that an impedance of the power amplifier substantially matches the impedance of the filter, the output path substantially free of an output matching network between the power amplifier and the filter.

2. The power amplification system of claim 1 wherein the supply system includes a boost DC/DC converter configured to generate the high-voltage supply signal based on the battery voltage.

3. The power amplification system of claim 1 wherein the impedance of the power amplifier has a value that is greater than approximately 40 Ohms.

4. The power amplification system of claim 1 wherein the power amplifier includes a heterojunction bipolar transistor implemented as a gallium arsenide device.

5. The power amplification system of claim 1 wherein the filter is a transmit filter configured to operate in a corresponding transmit frequency band.

6. The power amplification system of claim 1 further comprising one or more additional power amplifiers, each configured to operate in the average power tracking mode to thereby receive the high-voltage supply signal and amplify a respective signal.

7. The power amplification system of claim 6 further comprising one or more output paths, each configured to receive and route the amplified signal of the corresponding additional power amplifier to a corresponding filter, each additional output path substantially free of an output matching network.

8. The power amplification system of claim 7 wherein each filter has associated with it a corresponding power amplifier.

9. The power amplification system of claim 8 wherein the power amplification system is substantially free of a band selection switch between the power amplifiers and the filters.

10. The power amplification system of claim 9 wherein the power amplification system has a lower loss than another power amplifier system having similar band handling capability but in which the power amplifiers are operated in low voltage.

11. The power amplification system of claim 10 wherein the other power amplifier system includes an envelope tracking system.

12. A radio-frequency module comprising:

a packaging substrate configured to receive a plurality of components; and

a power amplification system implemented on the packaging substrate, the power amplification system including a supply system configured to provide a high-voltage supply signal based on a battery voltage in an average power tracking mode, the power amplification system further including a plurality of power amplifiers, each power amplifier configured to operate in the average power tracking mode to thereby receive the high-voltage supply signal and amplify a signal, the power amplification system further including an output path configured to route the amplified signal from the corresponding power amplifier to a corresponding filter having an impedance, the high-voltage supply signal and the power amplifier configured such that an impedance of the power amplifier substantially matches the impedance of the filter wherein each output path is substantially free of an impedance transformation circuit between the corresponding power amplifier and output filter, the output path substantially free of an output matching network between the power amplifier and the filter.

13. The radio-frequency module of claim 12 wherein each of the plurality of power amplifiers is further configured to drive approximately a characteristic load impedance of the corresponding filter.

14. The radio-frequency module of claim 13 wherein the power amplification system is substantially free of a band selection switch between the plurality of power amplifiers and their corresponding filters.

15. The radio-frequency module of claim 12 wherein the radio-frequency module is a front-end module.

16. A wireless device comprising:

a transceiver configured to generate a signal;

a front-end module in communication with the transceiver, and including a power amplification system having a supply system configured to provide a high-voltage supply signal based on a battery voltage in an average power tracking mode, the power amplification system further including a plurality of power amplifiers, each power amplifier configured to operate in the average power tracking mode to thereby receive the high-voltage supply signal and amplify the signal, the power amplification system further including an output path configured to route the amplified signal from the corresponding power amplifier to a corresponding filter having an impedance, the high-voltage supply signal and the power amplifier configured such that an impedance of the power amplifier substantially matches the impedance of the filter, the output path substantially free of an output matching network between the power amplifier and the filter; and

an antenna in communication with the front-end module, and configured to facilitate transmission of the amplified signal.