RF switch with split tunable matching network

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10038414-B2
Application number	US-201615372260-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 7, 2016
Priority date	Dec 7, 2016
Publication date	Jul 31, 2018
Grant date	Jul 31, 2018

Abstract

An improved architecture for a radio frequency (RF) power amplifier, impedance matching network, and selector switch. One aspect of embodiments of the invention is splitting the functionality of a final stage impedance matching network (IMN) into two parts, comprising a base set of off-chip IMN components and an on-chip IMN tuning component. The on-chip IMN tuning component may be a digitally tunable capacitor (DTC). In one embodiment, an integrated circuit having a power amplifier, an on-chip IMN tuner, and a selector switch is configured to be coupled to an off-chip set of IMN components. In another embodiment, an integrated circuit having an on-chip IMN tuner and a selector switch is configured to be coupled through an off-chip set of IMN components to a separate integrated circuit having an RF power amplifier.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A radio frequency (RF) integrated circuit chip including:
(a) a selector switch with an input port; and
(b) an on-chip impedance matching network (IMN) tuner coupled to the input port of the selector switch and configured to be coupled to an off-chip set of IMN components;
wherein the on-chip IMN tuner and the off-chip set of IMN components together comprise an impedance matching network, and wherein the on-chip IMN tuner and the selector switch are integrated in close enough proximity such that the resonant frequency from parasitic inductance is more than about twice the operating frequency of the integrated circuit.

2. A radio frequency (RF) power amplifier, including an integrated circuit having:
(a) an on-chip IMN tuner;
(b) a selector switch coupled to the on-chip IMN tuner; and
(c) an RF power amplifier configured to be coupled to the on-chip IMN tuner through an off-chip set of IMN components;
wherein the on-chip IMN tuner and the off-chip set of IMN components together comprise an impedance matching network for the RF power amplifier, and wherein the on-chip IMN tuner and the selector switch are integrated in close enough proximity such that the resonant frequency from parasitic inductance is more than about twice the operating frequency of the integrated circuit.

3. A radio frequency (RF) impedance matching network (IMN) for providing impedance matching for an RF amplifier, including an integrated circuit having an on-chip IMN tuner and a selector switch coupled to the on-chip IMN tuner, the integrated circuit being configured to be coupled through an off-chip set of IMN components to a separate integrated circuit having an RF amplifier, wherein the on-chip IMN tuner and the off-chip set of IMN components together comprise an impedance matching network for the RF amplifier, and wherein the on-chip IMN tuner and the selector switch are integrated in close enough proximity such that the resonant frequency from parasitic inductance is more than about twice the operating frequency of the integrated circuit.

4. The invention of claim 3 , wherein the RF amplifier is one of a power amplifier or a low noise amplifier.

5. The invention of claims 1 , 2 , or 3 , wherein the integrated circuit further includes an on-chip control circuit, coupled to the on-chip IMN tuner, for providing tuning values for the on-chip IMN tuner.

6. The invention of claims 1 , 2 , or 3 , wherein the on-chip IMN tuner includes a digitally tunable capacitor.

7. The invention of claims 1 , 2 , or 3 , wherein at least one of the on-chip IMN tuner and the off-chip set of IMN components includes a shunt capacitor.

8. The invention of claims 1 , 2 , or 3 , further including a DC blocking capacitor coupled between the on-chip IMN tuner and the selector switch.

9. The invention of claim 6 , wherein the digitally tunable capacitor includes at least one stack of field effect transistors configured to withstand high power signals during operation.

10. A radio frequency (RF) integrated circuit chip including:
(a) a selector switch with an input port; and
(b) an on-chip impedance matching network (IMN) tuner coupled to the input port of the selector switch and configured to be coupled to an off-chip set of IMN components;
wherein the on-chip IMN tuner and the off-chip set of IMN components together comprise an impedance matching network, and wherein the on-chip IMN tuner and the selector switch are integrated in close enough proximity such that the resulting parasitic inductance is less than about 1 nH.

11. The invention of claim 10 , wherein the on-chip IMN tuner and the selector switch are integrated in close enough proximity such that the resulting parasitic inductance is less than about 0.5 nH.

12. The invention of claim 11 , wherein the on-chip IMN tuner and the selector switch are integrated in close enough proximity such that the resulting parasitic inductance is about 0.1 nH or less.

13. The invention of claim 10 , wherein the on-chip IMN tuner and the selector switch are integrated in close enough proximity such that the resonant frequency from parasitic inductance is more than about twice the operating frequency of the integrated circuit.

14. A radio frequency (RF) power amplifier, including:
(a) an integrated circuit including:
(1) an on-chip IMN tuner;
(2) a selector switch coupled to the on-chip IMN tuner; and
(3) an RF power amplifier; and

(b) an off-chip set of IMN components;
wherein the RF power amplifier is configured to be coupled to the on-chip IMN tuner through the off-chip set of IMN components, and the on-chip IMN tuner and the off-chip set of IMN components together comprise an impedance matching network for the RF power amplifier, and wherein the on-chip IMN tuner and the selector switch are integrated in close enough proximity such that the resonant frequency from parasitic inductance is more than about twice the operating frequency of the integrated circuit.

15. A method for providing a radio frequency (RF) integrated circuit chip including:
(a) fabricating on the integrated circuit chip a selector switch with an input port; and
(b) fabricating on the integrated circuit chip an on-chip impedance matching network (IMN) tuner coupled to the input port of the selector switch and configured to be coupled to an off-chip set of IMN components;
wherein the on-chip IMN tuner and the off-chip set of IMN components together comprise an impedance matching network, and wherein the on-chip IMN tuner and the selector switch are integrated in close enough proximity such that the resonant frequency from parasitic inductance is more than about twice the operating frequency of the integrated circuit.

16. A method for impedance matching a radio frequency (RF) power amplifier to a coupled selector switch, including:
(a) fabricating an integrated circuit having an on-chip IMN tuner, a selector switch coupled to the on-chip IMN tuner, and an RF power amplifier configured to be coupled to the on-chip IMN tuner through an off-chip set of IMN components; and
(b) configuring the on-chip IMN tuner and the off-chip set of IMN components as an impedance matching network for the RF power amplifier;
wherein the on-chip IMN tuner and the selector switch are integrated in close enough proximity such that the resonant frequency from parasitic inductance is more than about twice the operating frequency of the integrated circuit.

17. A method for impedance matching a radio frequency (RF) amplifier to a coupled selector switch, including:
(a) fabricating an integrated circuit having an on-chip IMN tuner and a selector switch coupled to the on-chip IMN tuner;
(b) configuring the integrated circuit to be coupled through an off-chip set of IMN components to a separate integrated circuit having an RF amplifier; and
(c) configuring the on-chip IMN tuner and the off-chip set of IMN components as an impedance matching network for the RF amplifier;
wherein the on-chip IMN tuner and the selector switch are integrated in close enough proximity such that the resonant frequency from parasitic inductance is more than about twice the operating frequency of the integrated circuit.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the RF amplifier is one of a power amplifier or a low noise amplifier.

19. The method of claims 15 , 16 , or 17 , further including fabricating on the integrated circuit an on-chip control circuit, coupled to the on-chip IMN tuner, for providing tuning values for the on-chip IMN tuner.

20. The method of claim

Assignees

• Psemi Corp

Inventors

• Ranta Tero Tapio
• Cheng Chih-Chieh
• Roberts Kevin

Classifications

• H03F2200/378

  A variable capacitor being added in the output circuit, e.g. collector, drain, of an amplifier stage · CPC title

• H03F3/195

  in integrated circuits · CPC title

• H03F3/213

  in integrated circuits · CPC title

• H03F2200/387

  A circuit being added at the output of an amplifier to adapt the output impedance of the amplifier · CPC title

• H03F1/56 Primary

  Modifications of input or output impedances, not otherwise provided for · CPC title