Apparatus and methods for biasing of power amplifiers

• US 9,917,563 B2
• Filed: 12/13/2016
• Issued: 03/13/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Skyworks Solutions Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Skyworks Solutions Incorporated
• Inventors: Li, Ping, DiCarlo, Paul T.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, HIEU P
• Application Number:
  US15/377,842
• Publication Number:
  US 20170093355A1
• Time in Patent Office: 455 Days
• Field of Search: 330285, 330296, 330288, 330289
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 1/0205 in transistor amplifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/129 there being a feedback over the complete amplifier
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/18 the bias of the gate of a FET being controlled by a control signal
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/336 A I/Q, i.e. phase quadrature, modulator or demodulator being used in an amplifying circuit
• 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 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 3/211 using a combination of several amplifiers H03F3/60 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/213 in integrated circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/24 of transmitter output stages
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 3/007 Control dependent on the supply voltage
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 3/3042 in modulators, frequency-changers, transmitters or power amplifiers transmission power control in bidirectional transmission systems H04W52/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3827 Portable transceivers

Abstract

Apparatus and methods for biasing of power amplifiers are disclosed. In one embodiment, a mobile device includes a transceiver that generates a radio frequency signal and a power amplifier enable signal, a power amplifier that provides amplification to the radio frequency signal and that is biased by a bias signal, and a bias circuit that receives the power amplifier enable signal and generates the bias signal. The bias circuit includes a gain correction circuit that generates a correction current in response to activation of the power amplifier enable signal, and a primary biasing circuit that generates the bias signal based on the correction current and the power amplifier enable signal.

Claims

1. A mobile device comprising:

a transceiver configured to generate a radio frequency signal and a power amplifier enable signal;

a power amplifier configured to provide amplification to the radio frequency signal, the power amplifier configured to receive a bias signal that biases the power amplifier; and

a bias circuit configured to receive the power amplifier enable signal and to generate the bias signal, the bias circuit including a gain correction circuit configured to generate a control current in response to activation of the power amplifier enable signal and to mirror the control current to generate a correction current, and a primary biasing circuit configured to generate the bias signal based on the correction current and the power amplifier enable signal.

2. The mobile device of claim 1 wherein the primary bias circuit includes a first transistor, the correction current configured to change a current flowing through the first transistor.

3. The mobile device of claim 2 wherein the primary bias circuit further includes a resistor, the first transistor configured to receive the power amplifier enable signal via the resistor.

4. The mobile device of claim 2 wherein the primary bias circuit further includes a second transistor electrically coupled to the first transistor and configured to provide the bias signal to the power amplifier.

5. The mobile device of claim 1 wherein the power amplifier includes an output configured to provide a wireless local area network signal, the power amplifier enable signal operable to pulse the output of the power amplifier.

6. The mobile device of claim 1 wherein the gain correction circuit includes a current mirror configured to generate the correction current by mirroring the control current, the current mirror configured to receive the power amplifier enable signal.

7. The mobile device of claim 1 wherein the gain correction circuit includes a time-dependent signal generator that receives the power amplifier enable signal at an input and generates the control current at an output, the time-dependent signal generator including a capacitor and a first resistor electrically connected in a first electrical path from the input to the output.

8. The mobile device of claim 7 wherein the time-dependent signal generator further includes a second resistor electrically connected in a second electrical path from the input to the output.

9. A method of power amplifier biasing, the method comprising:

generating a radio frequency signal and a power amplifier enable signal using a transceiver;

providing amplification to the radio frequency signal using a power amplifier;

generating a control current in response to activation of the power amplifier enable signal using a gain correction circuit;

mirroring the control current to generate a correction current using the gain correction circuit;

generating a bias signal based on the correction current and the power amplifier enable signal using a primary biasing circuit; and

biasing the power amplifier using the bias signal.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein generating the bias signal includes changing a current flowing through a first bipolar transistor of the primary biasing circuit based on the correction current, and providing the power amplifier enable signal to a collector and a base of the first bipolar transistor via a first resistor of the primary biasing circuit.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein generating the bias signal further includes providing the power amplifier enable signal to an emitter of the first bipolar transistor via a second resistor of the primary biasing circuit.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein generating the bias signal further includes generate a bias current using an emitter of a second bipolar transistor of the primary biasing circuit, the second bipolar transistor including a base coupled to the base of the first bipolar transistor.

13. The method of claim 9 wherein mirroring the control current includes receiving the control current at an input of a current mirror and providing the correction current at an output of the current mirror, the method further including controlling the current mirror using the power amplifier enable signal.

14. A packaged module comprising:

a package substrate; and

an integrated circuit attached to the package substrate and including a power amplifier configured to provide amplification to a radio frequency signal and a bias circuit configured to receive a power amplifier enable signal and to generate a bias signal that biases the power amplifier, the bias circuit including a gain correction circuit configured to generate a control current in response to activation of the power amplifier enable signal and to mirror the control current to generate a correction current, and a primary biasing circuit configured to generate the bias signal based on the correction current and the power amplifier enable signal.

15. The packaged module of claim 14 wherein the primary bias circuit includes a first transistor, the correction current configured to change a current flowing through the first transistor.

16. The packaged module of claim 15 wherein the primary bias circuit further includes a resistor, the first transistor configured to receive the power amplifier enable signal via the resistor.

17. The packaged module of claim 14 wherein the gain correction circuit includes a current mirror configured to generate the correction current by mirroring the control current, the current mirror configured to receive the power amplifier enable signal.

18. The packaged module of claim 14 wherein the gain correction circuit includes a time-dependent signal generator that receives the power amplifier enable signal at an input and generates the control current at an output, the time-dependent signal generator including a capacitor and a first resistor electrically connected in a first electrical path from the input to the output.

19. The packaged module of claim 18 wherein the time-dependent signal generator further includes a second resistor electrically connected in a second electrical path from the input to the output.

20. The packaged module of claim 15 wherein the primary bias circuit further includes a second transistor electrically coupled to the first transistor and configured to provide the bias signal to the power amplifier.