Multi-band device having multiple miniaturized single-band power amplifiers

• US 9,979,349 B2
• Filed: 09/29/2015
• Issued: 05/22/2018
• 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): Nguyen, Patricia T
• Application Number:
  US14/869,956
• Publication Number:
  US 20160241196A1
• Time in Patent Office: 966 Days
• Field of Search: 330126, 330295, 330124 R
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 1/0205 in transistor amplifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 1/0227 using supply converters
• 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 1/565 using inductive elements
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/102 A non-specified detector of a signal envelope being used in an amplifying circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/105 A non-specified detector of the power of a signal being used in an amplifying circuit
• 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 2200/171 A filter circuit coupled to the output of an amplifier
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/451 the amplifier being a radio frequency amplifier
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2203/21109 An input signal being distributed by switching to a plurality of paralleled power amplifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2203/21157 A filter circuit being added at the output of a power amplifier stage
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2203/7209 the gated amplifier being switched from a first band to a second band
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/191 Tuned amplifiers H03F3/193, H03F3/195 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/211 using a combination of several amplifiers H03F3/60 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/24 of transmitter output stages
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/245 with semiconductor devices only
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/72 Gated amplifiers, i.e. amplifiers which are rendered operative or inoperative by means of a control signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2001/0408 with power amplifiers

Abstract

Multi-band device having multiple miniaturized single-band power amplifiers. In some embodiments, a power amplifier die can include a semiconductor substrate, and a plurality of power amplifiers (PAs) implemented on the semiconductor substrate. Each PA can be configured to drive approximately a characteristic load impedance of a downstream component along an individual frequency band signal path, such that each PA is sized smaller than a wide band PA configured to drive more than one of the frequency bands associated with the plurality of PAs. The downstream component can include an output filter.

Claims

1. A power amplifier die comprising:

a semiconductor substrate; and

a plurality of narrow band power amplifiers implemented on the semiconductor substrate, each narrow band power amplifier configured to operate with a high voltage in an average power tracking mode and be capable of being coupled to an output filter associated with a respective individual frequency band, each narrow band power amplifier sized smaller than a wide band power amplifier configured to operate with more than one of the frequency bands associated with the plurality of narrow band power amplifiers.

2. The power amplifier die of claim 1 wherein each narrow band power amplifier is configured to drive approximately a characteristic load impedance of the corresponding output filter.

3. The power amplifier die of claim 2 wherein each narrow band power amplifier has an impedance that is greater than approximately 40 Ohms.

4. The power amplifier die of claim 3 wherein the impedance of each narrow band power amplifier has a value of approximately 50 Ohms.

5. The power amplifier die of claim 3 wherein the impedance of each narrow band power amplifier results in a reduced current drain in the narrow band power amplifier.

6. The power amplifier die of claim 5 wherein the reduced current drain in each narrow band power amplifier allows the narrow band power amplifier to be dimensioned smaller than another power amplifier having a lower impedance.

7. The power amplifier die of claim 2 wherein each narrow band power amplifier includes a heterojunction bipolar transistor implemented as a gallium arsenide device.

8. The power amplifier die of claim 1 wherein the average power tracking mode configuration of the narrow band power amplifiers results in a lower loss than another power amplifier die having similar band handling capability but in which power amplifiers are operated in low voltage.

9. The power amplifier die of claim 8 wherein the other die is configured to operate in an envelope tracking mode.

10. The power amplifier die of claim 9 wherein the average power tracking mode configuration of the narrow band power amplifiers provides an overall efficiency that is greater than an overall efficiency of associated with the power amplifiers associated with the envelope tracking mode.

11. 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, and including a plurality of narrow band power amplifiers implemented on a semiconductor substrate, each narrow band power amplifier configured to operate with a high voltage in an average power tracking mode and be capable of being coupled to an output filter associated with a respective individual frequency band, each narrow band power amplifier sized smaller than a wide band power amplifier configured to operate with more than one of the frequency bands associated with the plurality of narrow band power amplifiers.

12. The radio-frequency module of claim 11 wherein the output filter is coupled to the corresponding narrow band power amplifier by a separate output path such that the power amplification system is substantially free of a band selection switch between the plurality of narrow band power amplifiers and their corresponding output filters.

13. The radio-frequency module of claim 11 wherein each output filter is coupled to the corresponding narrow band power amplifier by a path that is substantially free of an impedance transformation circuit.

14. The radio-frequency module of claim 11 wherein the radio-frequency module is a front-end module.

15. A wireless device comprising:

a transceiver configured to generate a signal;

a front-end module in communication with the transceiver and having a power amplification system that includes a plurality of narrow band power amplifiers, each narrow band power amplifier configured to operate with a high voltage in an average power tracking mode and be capable of being coupled to an output filter associated with a respective individual frequency band, each narrow band power amplifier sized smaller than a wide band power amplifier configured to operate with more than one of the frequency bands associated with the plurality of narrow band power amplifiers; and

an antenna in communication with the front-end module, and configured to transmit an amplified signal generated by the front-end module.