Tunable power amplifier with wide frequency range

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10666204-B2
Application number	US-201816173830-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 29, 2018
Priority date	Aug 5, 2014
Publication date	May 26, 2020
Grant date	May 26, 2020

Abstract

A circuit includes an amplifier to amplify an input signal and generate an output signal. The circuit also includes a tuning network to tune frequency response of the amplifier. The tuning network includes at least one tunable capacitor, which includes at least one micro-electro mechanical system (MEMS) capacitor. The amplifier could include a first die, the at least one MEMS capacitor could include a second die, and the first die and the second die could be integrated in a single package. The at least one MEMS capacitor could include a MEMS superstructure over a control structure, which is to control the MEMS superstructure and tune the capacitance of the at least one MEMS capacitor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A circuit comprising:
an amplifier having an amplifier input and an amplifier output, the amplifier having a frequency response; and
a tuning network coupled to the amplifier, the tuning network configured to tune the frequency response, the tuning network including a tunable microelectromechanical system (MEMS) capacitor having a capacitance, the tunable MEMS capacitor including a MEMS superstructure over a control structure, the control structure configured to control the MEMS superstructure and tune the capacitance, the control structure including an electrode, and the MEMS superstructure including a membrane of which at least a portion is parallel to the electrode.

2. The circuit of claim 1 , wherein:
the amplifier includes a first die;
the tunable MEMS capacitor includes a second die; and
the first die and the second die are integrated in a single package.

3. The circuit of claim 1 , wherein the control structure is configured to electrostatically control a position of the MEMS superstructure.

4. The circuit of claim 1 , wherein the tuning network includes multiple tunable MEMS capacitors.

5. A method comprising:
amplifying an input signal and generating an output signal using an amplifier, the amplifier having a frequency response; and
tuning the frequency response using a tuning network coupled to the amplifier, the tuning network including a tunable microelectromechanical system (MEMS) capacitor having a capacitance, the tunable MEMS capacitor including a MEMS superstructure over a control structure that controls the MEMS superstructure and tunes the capacitance, the control structure including an electrode, and the MEMS superstructure including a membrane of which at least a portion is parallel to the electrode.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein:
the amplifier includes a first die;
the tunable MEMS capacitor includes a second die; and
the first die and the second die are integrated in a single package.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein the control structure electrostatically controls a position of the MEMS superstructure.

8. The method of claim 5 , wherein the tuning network includes multiple tunable MEMS capacitors.

Assignees

• Texas Instruments Inc

Inventors

• Banerjee Aritra
• Schemm Nathan R
• Hezar Rahmi
• Ding Lei
• Haroun Baher

Classifications

• H01G5/40

  Structural combinations of variable capacitors with other electric elements not covered by this subclass, the structure mainly consisting of a capacitor, e.g. RC combinations · CPC title

• H03F3/193

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

• H03F2200/541

  Transformer coupled at the output of an amplifier · CPC title

• H03F1/0205

  in transistor amplifiers · CPC title

• H03F3/21

  with semiconductor devices only {(H03F3/245 takes precedence)} · CPC title