Radio frequency amplifier

• US 20030076174A1
• Filed: 10/18/2002
• Published: 04/24/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Sekine, Kenji, Kuriyama, Akira, Tanoue, Tomonori
• Application Number:
  US10/273,092
• Publication Number:
  US 20030076174A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 330/302
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2223/6644 Packaging aspects of high-frequency amplifiers amplifiers per se H03F
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/023 Redistribution layers [RDL] for bonding areas
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/04042 Bonding areas specifically adapted for wire connectors, e.g. wirebond pads
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/05553 being rectangular
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/05554 being square
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/05556 in side view
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/05599 Material
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/0603 Bonding areas having different sizes, e.g. different heights or widths
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/45099 Material
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48235 connecting the wire to a via metallisation of the item
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48464 the other connecting portion not on the bonding area also being a ball bond, i.e. ball-to-ball
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/49111 the connectors connecting two common bonding areas, e.g. Litz or braid wires
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/49171 Fan-out arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/85399 Material
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 24/05 of an individual bonding area
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 24/06 of a plurality of bonding areas
• 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 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 2924/0001 Technical content checked by a classifier
• 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 2924/01004 : Beryllium [Be]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01005 : Boron [B]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01014 : Silicon [Si]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01047 : Silver [Ag]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01074 : Tungsten [W]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/014 : Solder alloys
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/10329 : Gallium arsenide [GaAs]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/12034 : Varactor
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/1305 : Bipolar Junction Transistor [BJT]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/13091 : Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistor [MOSFET]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/14 : Integrated circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/19041 : being a capacitor
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/19042 : being an inductor
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/19105 : in a side-by-side arrangement on a common die mounting substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/30105 : Capacitance
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/30107 : Inductance
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/3011 : Impedance
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/30111 : matching
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 1/56 : Modifications of input or output impedances, not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/191 : Tuned amplifiers H03F3/193, H03F3/195 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/60 : Amplifiers in which coupling networks have distributed constants, e.g. with waveguide resonators H03F3/54 takes precedence

Abstract

In a radio frequency amplifier, a value of a matching device is changed in one matching circuit so as to constitute a matching circuit which realizes a load impedance optimized by a plurality of frequency bands, outputs, and signal modulation systems. When the matching device value is changed, a plurality of devices are connected onto the matching circuit via a micro mechanical switch. Alternatively, two points disposed apart from each other on a transmission line are connected using a micro mechanical switch. The micro mechanical switch is controlled to be on/off so that a device value or transmission line length is changed.

Claims

1. A radio frequency amplifier comprising:

an amplifier for amplifying and outputting a transmission signal; and

a mechanical switch for changing a value of a matching circuit device included in an output matching circuit of said amplifier,

wherein said mechanical switch is turned on/off so as to change a matching impedance of said output matching circuit; and

the transmission signal of a plurality of frequency bands is amplified by changing said matching impedance.

3. The radio frequency amplifier according to claim 1, wherein

said amplifier is constituted of a plurality of stages;

an amplification stage other than a final stage among said plurality of stages has an amplification bandwidth extending over said plurality of frequency bands; and

the final stage has a bandwidth narrower than the amplification bandwidth extending over said plurality of frequency bands.

9. The radio frequency amplifier according to claim 1 wherein said mechanical switch includes a micro mechanical switch.

10. The radio frequency amplifier according to claim 9 wherein said micro mechanical switch is processed using photolithography and etching similar to photolithography and etching for use in preparing a semiconductor integrated circuit, and integrated on an amplifier substrate.

11. The radio frequency amplifier according to claim 9 wherein said micro mechanical switch is processed using photolithography and etching similar to photolithography and etching for use in preparing a semiconductor integrated circuit, and integrated together with a transistor for amplification.

2. A radio frequency amplifier comprising:

an amplifier for amplifying and outputting a transmission signal; and

a mechanical switch for changing a value of a matching circuit device included in an output matching circuit of said amplifier,

wherein said mechanical switch is turned on/off so as to change a matching impedance of said output matching circuit; and

a saturated output level of said amplifier changes by changing-said matching impedance.

4. A radio frequency amplifier comprising:

an amplifier constituted of a plurality of stages, for amplifying a transmission signal of a multimode cellular phone; and

a mechanical switch for changing a value of a matching circuit device included in an output matching circuit of a final stage of said amplifier,

wherein said mechanical switch matches said output matching circuit with a transmission frequency or output level of said transmission signal.

5. A radio frequency amplifier comprising:

a first amplifier including a first node for inputting a transmission signal and a first output matching circuit, said first amplifier amplifying the transmission signal inputted via said first node to output the amplified transmission signal via said first output matching circuit;

a second amplifier including a second node for inputting an output signal of said first amplifier and a second output matching circuit, said second amplifier amplifying the output signal inputted via said second node to output the amplified output signal via said second output matching circuit; and

a third amplifier including a third node for inputting an output signal of said second amplifier, a third output matching circuit capable of matching the transmission signal of a band narrower than bands of said first and second output matching circuits, and a mechanical switch for changing a value of a matching circuit device included in said third output matching circuit, said third amplifier amplifying the output signal inputted via said third node to output the amplified output signal via said third output matching circuit,

wherein said mechanical switch turns on/off so as to match the value of the matching circuit device of said third output matching circuit with a transmission frequency or output level of said transmission signal.

6. A radio frequency amplifier comprising:

a second amplifier including a second node for inputting a transmission signal and a second output matching circuit, said second amplifier amplifying the transmission signal inputted via said second node to output the amplified transmission signal via said second output matching circuit; and

a third amplifier including a third node for inputting an output signal of said second amplifier, a third output matching circuit capable of matching the transmission signal of a band narrower than a band of said second output matching circuit, and a mechanical switch for changing a value of a matching circuit device included in the third output matching circuit, said third amplifier amplifying the output signal inputted via said third node to output the amplified output signal via said third output matching circuit,

wherein said mechanical switch turns on/off so as to match the value of the matching circuit device of said third output matching circuit with a transmission frequency or output level of said transmission signal.

7. A radio frequency amplifier comprising:

a first amplifier system constituted of a plurality of stages, for amplifying a first transmission signal of a single frequency band; and

a second amplifier system including an amplifier constituted of a plurality of stages to amplify a plurality of transmission signals of a plurality of frequency bands, and a mechanical switch for changing a value of a matching circuit device included in an output matching circuit of a final stage of the amplifier,

wherein said mechanical switch matches said output matching circuit with a transmission frequency or output level of at least two transmission signals among said plurality of transmission signals.

8. The radio frequency amplifier according to claim 7, wherein

said single frequency band is a GSM band;

and

said plurality of frequency bands include DCS, PCS and W-CDMA bands.