Magnetically coupled load modulation

• US 9,979,356 B2
• Filed: 12/17/2014
• Issued: 05/22/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NXP USA, Inc. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Original Assignee: NXP USA, Inc. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Inventors: Holmes, Damon G., Embar, Ramanujam Srinidhi, Staudinger, Joseph, Watts, Michael E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Patricia T
• Application Number:
  US14/573,927
• Publication Number:
  US 20160181992A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,252 Days
• Field of Search: 330124 R, 330295
• 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 1/083 in transistor amplifiers H03F1/10 - H03F1/22 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/451 the amplifier being a radio frequency amplifier
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/537 A transformer being used as coupling element between two amplifying stages
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/541 Transformer coupled at the output of an amplifier
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/195 in integrated circuits

Abstract

A method, packaged semiconductor device, and system for controlling a secondary amplifier output current based on an input signal received from an amplifier input, converting electrical energy to magnetic energy at a secondary amplifier output inductor, coupling the magnetic energy from the secondary amplifier output inductor to a primary amplifier output inductor, converting the coupled magnetic energy to induced electrical energy at the primary amplifier output inductor, combining the induced electrical energy with output electrical energy from a primary amplifier gain element, and applying a combined electrical energy including the output electrical energy and the induced electrical energy to a primary amplifier load are provided.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

controlling a secondary amplifier output current of a secondary radio frequency (RF) amplifier gain element based on an input signal received from an amplifier input;

providing the secondary amplifier output current to a secondary amplifier output inductor to convert electrical energy to magnetic energy;

coupling the magnetic energy from the secondary amplifier output inductor to a primary amplifier output inductor, wherein the coupled magnetic energy is converted to induced electrical energy at the primary amplifier output inductor;

combining the induced electrical energy with output electrical energy from a primary RF amplifier gain element;

applying a combined electrical energy including the output electrical energy and the induced electrical energy to a primary amplifier load; and

wherein the combining the induced electrical energy with the output electrical energy from the primary RF amplifier gain element further comprises modulating a primary amplifier load impedance of the primary amplifier load as a function of the induced electrical energy.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the modulating comprises:

modulating the primary amplifier load impedance according to an equation Z_m=jω

L+R_m+jX_m+jω

M(I_p/I_m), where Z_m equals the primary amplifier load impedance, j equals the square root of negative one, ω

equals two times pi times a frequency of operation, L equals a self inductance of the primary amplifier output inductor, R_m equals a primary amplifier load resistance of the primary amplifier load, X_m equals a primary amplifier output capacitive reactance, M equals a mutual inductance, I_p equals a secondary amplifier output current, and I_m equals a primary amplifier output current.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the combining the induced electrical energy with the output electrical energy from the primary RF amplifier gain element comprises:

combining a main amplifier output signal with a peaking amplifier output signal, wherein a Doherty amplifier comprises the primary RF amplifier gain element outputting the output electrical energy and the secondary RF amplifier gain element outputting the output electrical energy.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

configuring the primary amplifier output inductor and the secondary amplifier output inductor to have a maximum separation of 40 mils.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

configuring the primary amplifier output inductor and the secondary amplifier output inductor as arcuate planar coils.

3. A method comprising:

controlling a secondary amplifier output current of a secondary radio frequency (RF) amplifier gain element based on an input signal received from an amplifier input;

providing the secondary amplifier output current to a secondary amplifier output inductor to convert electrical energy to magnetic energy;

coupling the magnetic energy from the secondary amplifier output inductor to a primary amplifier output inductor, wherein the coupled magnetic energy is converted to induced electrical energy at the primary amplifier output inductor;

combining the induced electrical energy with output electrical energy from a primary RF amplifier gain element;

applying a combined electrical energy including the output electrical energy and the induced electrical energy to a primary amplifier load; and

wherein the converting the electrical energy to the magnetic energy at the secondary amplifier output inductor further comprises;

providing impedance inversion of a secondary amplifier load impedance of the secondary RF amplifier gain element.

7. A packaged semiconductor device comprising:

a primary radio frequency (RF) amplifier gain element;

a primary amplifier output inductor electrically coupled to the primary RF amplifier gain element;

a primary amplifier load electrically coupled to the primary amplifier output inductor;

a secondary RF amplifier gain element;

a secondary amplifier output inductor electrically coupled to the secondary RF amplifier gain element and magnetically coupled to the primary amplifier output inductor; and

a secondary amplifier load electrically coupled to the secondary amplifier output inductor, wherein the secondary amplifier output inductor magnetically couples a majority of a secondary amplifier output power of the secondary RF amplifier gain element to the primary amplifier output inductor to be applied to the primary amplifier load.

8. The packaged semiconductor device of claim 7 wherein the secondary amplifier output inductor modulates a primary amplifier output inductor impedance of the primary amplifier output inductor via magnetic coupling as a function of a secondary amplifier output of the secondary RF amplifier gain element.

9. The packaged semiconductor device of claim 7 wherein a primary amplifier gain element output impedance presented to a primary amplifier output of the primary RF amplifier gain element conforms to an equation Z_m=jω

L+R_m+jX_m+jω

M(I_p/I_m), where Z_m equals the primary amplifier load impedance, j equals the square root of negative one, ω

equals two times pi times a frequency of operation, L equals a self inductance of the primary amplifier output inductor, Rm equals a primary amplifier load resistance of the primary amplifier load, X_m equals a primary amplifier output capacitive reactance, M equals a mutual inductance, I_p equals a secondary amplifier output current, and I_m equals a primary amplifier output current.

10. The packaged semiconductor device of claim 7 wherein the secondary amplifier output inductor, in conjunction with the primary amplifier output inductor, functions as an impedance inverter.

11. The packaged semiconductor device of claim 7 wherein a Doherty amplifier comprises the primary RF amplifier gain element and the secondary RF amplifier gain element.

12. The packaged semiconductor device of claim 7 wherein the primary amplifier output inductor and the secondary amplifier output inductor have a maximum separation of 40 mils.

13. The packaged semiconductor device of claim 7 wherein the primary amplifier output inductor and the secondary amplifier output inductor are arcuate planar coils.

14. A system comprising:

a signal input;

a phase adjustment circuit coupled to the signal input for receiving a radio frequency (RF) input signal;

a primary RF amplifier gain element coupled to the phase adjustment circuit for receiving a first instance having a first phase of an RF signal;

a secondary RF amplifier gain element coupled to the phase adjustment circuit for receiving a second instance having a second phase of the RF signal;

a primary amplifier output inductor electrically coupled to a primary amplifier output of the primary RF amplifier gain element;

a primary amplifier load electrically coupled to the primary amplifier output inductor;

a secondary amplifier output inductor electrically coupled to a secondary amplifier output of the secondary RF amplifier gain element and magnetically coupled to the primary amplifier output inductor; and

a secondary amplifier load electrically coupled to the secondary amplifier output inductor, wherein the secondary amplifier output inductor magnetically couples a majority of a secondary amplifier output power of the secondary RF amplifier gain element to the primary amplifier output inductor to be applied to the primary amplifier load.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the secondary amplifier output inductor modulates a primary amplifier output inductor impedance of the primary amplifier output inductor via magnetic coupling as a function of a secondary amplifier output of the secondary RF amplifier gain element.

16. The system of claim 14 wherein a primary amplifier output impedance presented to the primary amplifier output conforms to an equation Z_m=jω

L+R_m+jX_m+jω

M(I_p/I_m), where Z_m equals the primary amplifier load impedance, j equals the square root of negative one, ω

equals two times pi times a frequency of operation, L equals a self inductance of the primary amplifier output inductor, Rm equals a primary amplifier load resistance of the primary amplifier load, X_m equals a primary amplifier output capacitive reactance, M equals a mutual inductance, I_p equals a secondary amplifier output current, and I_m equals a primary amplifier output current.

17. The system of claim 14 wherein the secondary amplifier output inductor, in conjunction with the primary amplifier output inductor, functions as an impedance inverter.

18. The system of claim 14 wherein a Doherty amplifier comprises the primary RF amplifier gain element and the secondary RF amplifier gain element.

19. The system of claim 14 wherein the primary amplifier output inductor and the secondary amplifier output inductor are arcuate planar coils.