High-gain low noise figure complementary metal oxide semiconductor amplifier with low current consumption

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10250191-B2
Application number	US-201715652906-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 18, 2017
Priority date	Dec 8, 2015
Publication date	Apr 2, 2019
Grant date	Apr 2, 2019

Abstract

A radio frequency low noise amplifier circuit with a receive signal input, a receive signal output, and a voltage source include a low noise amplifier and a coupled inductor circuit with a primary inductive chain connected to the output of the low noise amplifier and to the voltage source. The coupled inductor circuit further includes a secondary inductive chain with a first inductor electromagnetically coupled to the primary inductive chain, and a second inductor in series with the first inductor and magnetically coupled to the primary inductive chain. The second inductor is connected to a feedback node of the low noise amplifier. There is an output matching network connected to the first inductor of the secondary inductive chain and to the receive signal output.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A radio frequency low noise amplifier circuit comprising:
an amplifier with an input, an output, and a feedback node; and
a coupled inductor circuit including a primary inductor electrically connected to the output of the amplifier, and one or more interconnected secondary inductors, at least one of which is electrically connected to the feedback node of the amplifier and to the amplifier output, the primary inductor and each of the one or more secondary inductors being separately electromagnetically coupled to the primary inductor, with a transformation factor of a signal current to the output of the coupled inductor circuit being increased by the coupled inductor circuit.

2. The radio frequency low noise amplifier circuit of claim 1 further comprising an output matching network connected to the coupled inductor circuit.

3. The radio frequency low noise amplifier circuit of claim 1 wherein each of the one or more secondary inductors are connected in series.

4. The radio frequency low noise amplifier circuit of claim 1 further comprising a current mirror circuit connected to the input of the amplifier.

5. The radio frequency low noise amplifier circuit of claim 1 wherein the low noise amplifier includes an amplifier transistor with a gate, a source, and a drain.

6. The radio frequency low noise amplifier circuit of claim 5 wherein the feedback node of the amplifier is the source of the amplifier transistor, the coupled inductor circuit being connected thereto.

7. The radio frequency low noise amplifier circuit 35 wherein the amplifier includes a cascode transistor connected to the amplifier transistor and to the coupled inductor circuit.

8. The radio frequency low noise amplifier circuit of claim 7 wherein the cascode transistor is connected to an independent control voltage.

9. The radio frequency low noise amplifier circuit of claim 7 wherein the cascode transistor includes a gate, a source, and a drain, the source of the cascode transistor being connected to the drain of the amplifier transistor.

10. The radio frequency low noise amplifier circuit of claim 9 wherein the feedback node of the amplifier is the source of the cascode transistor and the drain of the amplifier transistor, the coupled inductor circuit being connected thereto.

11. The radio frequency low noise amplifier circuit of claim 9 wherein the feedback node of the amplifier is the source of the amplifier transistor, the coupled inductor circuit being connected thereto.

12. The radio frequency low noise amplifier circuit of claim 9 wherein the feedback node of the amplifier is the gate of the cascode transistor, the coupled inductor circuit being connected thereto.

13. The radio frequency low noise amplifier circuit of claim 1 further comprising an input matching circuit connected to the input of the amplifier.

14. A low noise amplifier circuit with a receive signal input and a receive signal output comprising:
an amplifier with an input, an output, and a feedback node, the input of the amplifier being connected to the receive signal input;
a primary inductive chain connected to the output of the low noise amplifier; and
a secondary inductive chain connected to the feedback node of the amplifier and to the receive signal output, the secondary inductive chain being electromagnetically coupled to the primary inductive chain.

15. The low noise amplifier circuit of claim 14 further comprising an output matching network connected to the secondary inductive chain and to the receive signal output.

16. The low noise amplifier circuit of claim 14 wherein the amplifier includes an amplifier transistor with a gate, a source, and a drain, the gate being connected to the receive signal input.

17. The low noise amplifier circuit of claim 16 wherein the drain of the amplifier transistor is the output of the amplifier, and is connected to the primary inductive chain.

18. The low noise amplifier circuit of claim 16 wherein the source of the amplifier transistor is the feedback node of the amplifier, and is connected to the secondary inductive chain.

19. The low noise amplifier circuit of claim 16 wherein the amplifier includes a cascode transistor with a gate, a source, and a drain, the source of the cascode transistor being connected to the drain of the amplifier transistor at a first junction.

20. The low noise amplifier circuit 19 wherein the drain of the cascode transistor is the output of the amplifier, and is connected to the primary inductive chain.

21. The low noise amplifier circuit of claim 19 wherein the first junction is the feedback node of the amplifier, and is connected to the secondary inductive chain.

22. The low noise amplifier circuit 19 wherein the gate of the cascode transistor is connected to an independent control voltage.

23. The low noise amplifier circuit of claim 19 wherein the source of the amplifier transistor is the feedback node of the amplifier, and is connected to the secondary inductive chain.

24. The low noise amplifier circuit 19 wherein the gate of the cascode transistor is the feedback node of the amplifier, and is connected to the secondary inductive chain.

25. A radio frequency communications module comprising:
a semiconductor substrate on which a plurality of components are fabricated, the semiconductor substrate including a plurality of metal layers including a top metal layer and one or more lower metal layers, the top metal layer having a greater thickness than the lower metal layers; and
a radio frequency amplifier implemented on the semiconductor substrate, the radio frequency amplifier circuit including an amplifier with an input, an output, and a feedback node, a coupled inductor circuit including a primary inductor electrically connected to the output of the amplifier, and one or more interconnected secondary inductors, at least one of which is electrically connected to the feedback node of the radio frequency amplifier and to the output of the radio frequency amplifier, the primary inductor and each of the one or more secondary inductors being separately electromagnetically coupled to the primary inductor.

26. A radio frequency communications module comprising:
The radio frequency communications module of claim 25 wherein the primary inductor is fabricated on the top metal layer.

27. The radio frequency communications module of claim 25 wherein the secondary inductors are fabricated on one of the lower metal layers.

Assignees

• Skyworks Solutions Inc

Inventors

• Gorbachov Oleksandr
• Zhang Lisette L

Classifications

• H03F2200/489

  A coil being added in the source circuit of a common source stage, e.g. as degeneration means · CPC title

• H03F3/193

  with field-effect devices (H03F3/195 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H03F1/347

  using transformers · CPC title

• H03F1/223

  with MOSFET's · CPC title

• H03F3/245

  with semiconductor devices only · CPC title