Power amplification module, front-end circuit, and communication device

• US 10,505,505 B2
• Filed: 03/30/2018
• Issued: 12/10/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Murata Manufacturing Co Limited
• Original Assignee: Murata Manufacturing Co Limited
• Inventors: Obiya, Hidenori, Hitomi, Shinya, Nakajima, Reiji
• Primary Examiner(s): Mottola, Steven J
• Application Number:
  US15/941,043
• Publication Number:
  US 20180226928A1
• Time in Patent Office: 620 Days
• Field of Search: 330124 R, 330126, 330295, 330302, 330306, 330307
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 1/56 Modifications of input or output impedances, not otherwise provided for
• 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 2203/7209 the gated amplifier being switched from a first band to a second band
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/195 in integrated circuits
• 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: H03G 3/3042 in modulators, frequency-changers, transmitters or power amplifiers transmission power control in bidirectional transmission systems H04W52/04
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 5/28 having semiconductor devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/00 Details of transmission systems, not covered by a single one of groups H04B3/00 - H04B13/00; Details of transmission systems not characterised by the medium used for transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/0057 using diplexing or multiplexing filters for selecting the desired band
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/04 Circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/0458 Arrangements for matching and coupling between power amplifier and antenna or between amplifying stages matching circuits in general H03H
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/18 Input circuits, e.g. for coupling to an antenna or a transmission line coupling networks between antennas or lines and receivers independent of the nature of the receiver H03H
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/40 Circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/48 in circuits for connecting transmitter and receiver to a common transmission path, e.g. by energy of transmitter H04B1/46 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2001/0408 with power amplifiers

Abstract

A PA module includes a previous stage amplification element to amplify a high-frequency signal, a posterior stage amplification element to amplify the high-frequency signal amplified by the previous stage amplification element, and a variable filter circuit arranged between the previous stage amplification element and the posterior stage amplification element and to vary a pass band and an attenuation band in accordance with a frequency band of the high-frequency signal, in which the variable filter circuit includes a filter portion and switches, the previous stage amplification element, the switches, and the posterior stage amplification element are arranged on a mounting surface of a substrate, the filter portion is stacked and arranged so as to overlap with at least one of the previous stage amplification element, the switches, and the posterior stage amplification element when the substrate is viewed in a plan view.

Claims

1. A power amplification module comprising:

a previous stage amplifier configured to amplify a high-frequency signal;

a posterior stage amplifier configured to amplify the high-frequency signal amplified by the previous stage amplifier; and

a variable filter circuit arranged between the previous stage amplifier and the posterior stage amplifier, and configured to vary a pass band or an attenuation band thereof based on a frequency band of the high-frequency signal, wherein;

the variable filter circuit comprises;

one or more filters, and

a switch circuit configured to vary the pass band or the attenuation band of the variable filter circuit by switching a connection path through the one or more filters based on the frequency band of the high-frequency signal,

the previous stage amplifier, the switch circuit, and the posterior stage amplifier are arranged on a mounting surface of a substrate,

the one or more filters are stacked and arranged so as to overlap with only the switch circuit when the substrate is viewed in a plan view.

9. The power amplification module according to claim 1, wherein:

the previous stage amplifier is configured to amplify the high-frequency signal in a frequency range including a plurality of communication bands,

the posterior stage amplifier comprises a plurality of amplifiers respectively corresponding to the plurality of communication bands,

each of the plurality of amplifiers being configured to amplify the high-frequency signal amplified by the previous stage amplifier.

10. A front-end circuit comprising:

the power amplification module according to claim 1;

a reception amplification circuit; and

a wave separator configured to output a reception signal from an antenna to the reception amplification circuit and to output the high-frequency signal amplified by the power amplification module to the antenna as a transmission signal.

11. The front-end circuit according to claim 10,

wherein the pass band of the variable filter circuit is a transmission band corresponding to a communication band for transmitting the high-frequency signal, and the attenuation band of the variable filter circuit is a reception band corresponding to the communication band.

12. A communication device comprising:

the front-end circuit according to claim 10;

an RF signal processing circuit configured to output the high-frequency signal to the front-end circuit and to which a high-frequency reception signal is inputted from the front-end circuit; and

a baseband signal processing circuit configured to convert the high-frequency reception signal received from the RF signal processing circuit to a first intermediate frequency signal, and to convert a second intermediate frequency signal to the high-frequency signal and output the high-frequency signal to the RF signal processing circuit.

2. A power amplification module comprising:

a previous stage amplifier configured to amplify a high-frequency signal;

a posterior stage amplifier configured to amplify the high-frequency signal amplified by the previous stage amplifier;

a plurality of filters, each of the plurality of filters having a pass band or an attenuation band different from the other filters, and

a variable filter circuit arranged between the previous stage amplifier and the posterior stage amplifier, and configured to vary a pass band or an attenuation band thereof based on a frequency band of the high-frequency signal, wherein;

the variable filter circuit comprises;

one or more filters, and

a switch circuit configured to vary the pass band or the attenuation band of the variable filter circuit by switching a connection path through the one or more filters based on the frequency band of the high-frequency signal,

the previous stage amplifier, the switch circuit, and the posterior stage amplifier are arranged on a mounting surface of a substrate,

the one or more filters are stacked and arranged so as to overlap with only at least one of the previous stage amplifier and the switch circuit when the substrate is viewed in a plan view,

the switch circuit comprises;

a first switch arranged between the previous stage amplifier and the plurality of filters, and configured to switch a connection between an output terminal of the previous stage amplifier and each of the plurality of filters, and

a second switch arranged between the plurality of filters and the posterior stage amplifier, and configured to switch a connection between an input terminal of the posterior stage amplifier and each of the plurality of filters, and

the plurality of filters are arranged so as to overlap with at least one of the first switch and the second switch when the substrate is viewed in the plan view.

3. The power amplification module according to claim 2, wherein:

each of the plurality of filters comprises an input terminal and an output terminal,

the first switch comprises a first common terminal connected to the output terminal of the previous stage amplifier and a first selection terminal connected to the input terminal of one of the plurality of filters,

the second switch comprises a second common terminal connected to the input terminal of the posterior stage amplifier and a second selection terminal connected to an output terminal of the one of the plurality of filters, and

the first selection terminal and the second selection terminal are arranged at a distance apart from each other such that when the one of the plurality of filters is not connected to the first switch and the second switch, isolation between the first selection terminal and the second selection terminal does not deteriorate more than isolation between the input terminal and the output terminal of the one of the plurality of filters.

4. The power amplification module according to claim 3,

wherein the distance is larger than a distance between the input terminal and the output terminal of the one of the plurality of filters.

5. The power amplification module according to claim 3,

wherein an attenuation of the one of the plurality of filters in the attenuation band is 16 dB or greater.

6. The power amplification module according to claim 2, wherein:

at least one of the first switch, the second switch, and the previous stage amplifier are formed on a first chip, and

the posterior stage amplifier is included on a second chip that is different from the first chip.

7. A power amplification module comprising:

a previous stage amplifier configured to amplify a high-frequency signal;

a posterior stage amplifier configured to amplify the high-frequency signal amplified by the previous stage amplifier; and

a variable filter circuit arranged between the previous stage amplifier and the posterior stage amplifier, and configured to vary a pass band or an attenuation band thereof based on a frequency band of the high-frequency signal, wherein;

the variable filter circuit comprises;

one or more filters, and

a switch circuit configured to vary the pass band or the attenuation band of the variable filter circuit by switching a connection path through the one or more filters based on the frequency band of the high-frequency signal,

the previous stage amplifier, the switch circuit, and the posterior stage amplifier are arranged on a mounting surface of a substrate, and

the one or more filters are stacked and arranged so as to overlap with at least one of the previous stage amplifier, the switch circuit, and the posterior stage amplifier when the substrate is viewed in a plan view, wherein;

at least a part of the switch circuit and the previous stage amplifier are formed on a first chip, and

the posterior stage amplifier is included on a second chip that is different from the first chip.

8. The power amplification module according to claim 7, further comprising:

an amplification control circuit configured to control amplification characteristics of the previous stage amplifier and the posterior stage amplifier based on a communication band for transmitting the high-frequency signal,

wherein the amplification control circuit is included on the first chip.