Power amplifier modules including transistor with grading and semiconductor resistor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10771024-B2
Application number	US-201816104114-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 16, 2018
Priority date	Jun 14, 2012
Publication date	Sep 8, 2020
Grant date	Sep 8, 2020

Abstract

One aspect of this disclosure is a power amplifier module that includes a power amplifier on a substrate and a semiconductor resistor on the substrate. The power amplifier includes a bipolar transistor having a collector, a base, and an emitter. The collector has a doping concentration of at least 3×10 16 cm −3 at an interface with the base. The collector also has at least a first grading in which doping concentration increases away from the base. The semiconductor resistor includes a resistive layer that that includes the same material as a layer of the bipolar transistor. Other embodiments of the module are provided along with related methods and components thereof.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A power amplifier module comprising:
a power amplifier on a substrate, the power amplifier including a bipolar transistor having a collector, a base, and an emitter, the collector having a doping concentration of at least 3×10 16 cm −3 at an interface with the base, the collector also having a grading in which doping concentration increases away from the base; and
a semiconductor resistor on the substrate, the semiconductor resistor including a resistive layer that includes the same material as a layer of the bipolar transistor.

2. The power amplifier module of claim 1 wherein the substrate is a gallium arsenide substrate.

3. The power amplifier module of claim 1 wherein the emitter includes the layer of the bipolar transistor.

4. The power amplifier module of claim 1 wherein the base includes the layer of the bipolar transistor.

5. The power amplifier module of claim 1 wherein the bipolar transistor is electrically connected to the semiconductor resistor.

6. The power amplifier module of claim 5 wherein the semiconductor resistor is configured to provide ballast resistance for the bipolar transistor.

7. The power amplifier module of claim 1 wherein a semiconductor die includes the bipolar transistor and the semiconductor transistor, and the semiconductor resistor is configured to electrically connect to a circuit that is external to the semiconductor die.

8. The power amplifier module of claim 1 comprising a first die and a second die, the first die including the bipolar transistor and the semiconductor resistor, and the second die including a bias circuit configured to generate a bias signal based at least partly on an indication of a resistance of the semiconductor resistor and to provide the bias signal to the power amplifier.

9. The power amplifier module of claim 1 wherein the collector further includes a second grading in which doping concentration increases away from the base at a different rate than in the grading.

10. The power amplifier module of claim 1 wherein the doping concentration of the collector at the interface with the base is in a range from 3×10 16 cm −3 to 9×10 16 cm −3 .

11. The power amplifier module of claim 1 wherein the doping concentration of the collector at the interface with the base is in a range from 5×10 16 cm −3 to 9×10 16 cm −3 .

12. A power amplifier module comprising:
a power amplifier on a gallium arsenide substrate, the power amplifier including a heterojunction bipolar transistor having a collector, a base, and an emitter, the collector having a doping concentration of at least 3×10 16 cm −3 at an interface with the base, the collector also having a grading in which doping concentration increases away from the base; and
a semiconductor resistor on the gallium arsenide substrate, the semiconductor resistor including a resistive layer that includes the same material as a layer of the heterojunction bipolar transistor, and the resistive layer being disposed laterally from and being electrically isolated from the layer of the heterojunction bipolar transistor.

13. The power amplifier module of claim 12 wherein the base includes the layer of the heterojunction bipolar transistor.

14. The power amplifier module of claim 12 wherein the emitter includes the layer of the heterojunction bipolar transistor.

15. The power amplifier module of claim 12 wherein the semiconductor resistor includes a plurality of differently doped gallium arsenide layers.

16. The power amplifier module of claim 12 wherein the doping concentration of the collector at the interface with the base is at least 5×10 16 cm −3 .

17. The power amplifier module of claim 12 wherein the doping concentration of the collector at the interface with the base is in a range from 5×10 16 cm −3 to 9×10 16 cm −3 .

18. The power amplifier module of claim 12 wherein the collector further includes a second grading in which doping concentration increases away from the base at a different rate than in the grading.

19. A power amplifier module comprising:
a power amplifier on a gallium arsenide substrate, the power amplifier including a heterojunction bipolar transistor having a collector, a base, and an emitter, the collector having a doping concentration in a range from 5×10 16 cm −3 to 9×10 16 cm −3 at an interface with the base, the collector also having a grading in which doping concentration increases away from the base; and
a semiconductor resistor on the gallium arsenide substrate, the semiconductor resistor including a plurality of differently doped gallium arsenide layers, the plurality of differently doped gallium arsenide layers include a resistive layer that includes the same material as a layer of the heterojunction bipolar transistor, and the resistive layer is disposed laterally from and is electrically isolated from the layer of the heterojunction bipolar transistor.

20. The power amplifier module of claim 19 wherein the semiconductor resistor includes a doped layer of indium gallium phosphate.

21. The power amplifier module of claim 19 further comprising a bias circuit configured to generate a bias signal based at least partly on an indication of a resistance of the semiconductor resistor and to provide the bias signal to the power amplifier.

22. The power amplifier module of claim 19 wherein the collector further includes second grading in which doping concentration increases away from the base at a different rate than in the grading.

Assignees

• Skyworks Solutions Inc

Inventors

• Zampardi Jr Peter J
• Shao Hongxiao
• Ko Tin Myint
• Ozalas Matthew Thomas
• Ripley David Steven
• Lehtola Philip John

Classifications

• H10W42/276

  the arrangements being on an external surface of the package, e.g. on the outer surface of an encapsulation · CPC title

• H10W20/0242

  comprising etching via holes from the back sides of the chips, wafers or substrates · CPC title

• H10W20/0234

  comprising etching via holes that stop on pads or on electrodes · CPC title

• H10W72/552

  comprising metals or metalloids, e.g. silver · CPC title

• H10W74/00

  Encapsulations, e.g. protective coatings · CPC title