Power amplifier bias signal multiplexing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016248379-A1
Application number	US-201615018145-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 8, 2016
Priority date	Feb 13, 2015
Publication date	Aug 25, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A power amplifier (PA) system includes an amplifying transistor having a base, a collector, and an emitter. The PA system further includes a radio-frequency (RF) input configured to receive an RF input signal having an RF component and a DC bias component, a bias circuit coupled to the base of the amplifying transistor, and a bias tee circuit configured to receive the RF input signal and pass at least a portion of the DC component to the bias circuit and at least a portion of the RF component to the base of the amplifying transistor.

First claim

1 . A power amplifier (PA) system comprising:
an amplifying transistor having a base, a collector, and an emitter; a radio-frequency (RF) input configured to receive an RF input signal having an RF component and a DC bias component; a bias circuit coupled to the base of the amplifying transistor; and a bias tee circuit configured to receive the RF input signal and pass at least a portion of the DC component to the bias circuit and at least a portion of the RF component to the base of the amplifying transistor.

2 . The PA system of claim 1 wherein the bias tee circuit operates to at least partially decouple the RF component from the DC bias component.

3 . The PA system of claim 1 wherein the bias tee includes an inductor and a resistor.

4 . The PA system of claim 1 further comprising a voltage supply input configured to receive a supply voltage for amplifying an output of the amplifying transistor.

5 . The PA system of claim 1 wherein the DC bias component of the RF input signal includes a bias current.

6 . The PA system of claim 1 wherein the DC bias component of the RF input signal includes a bias voltage.

7 . The PA system of claim 1 wherein the bias circuit includes current mirror circuitry.

8 . A method for biasing a power amplifier (PA), the method comprising:
providing a radio-frequency (RF) input signal to a power amplifier module, the RF input signal having an RF component and a DC bias component; decoupling the DC bias component of the RF input signal from the RF component; providing the decoupled DC bias component to a bias circuit coupled to a base of an amplifying transistor of the power amplifier module; providing the decoupled RF component to the base of the amplifying transistor; and generating an RF output signal using the amplifying transistor.

9 . The method of claim 8 wherein said decoupling the DC bias component from the RF component is performed using a bias tee including an inductor and a resistor.

10 . The method of claim 8 further comprising providing a supply voltage to the amplifying transistor.

11 . The method of claim 8 wherein the DC bias component of the RF input signal includes a bias current.

12 . The method of claim 8 wherein the DC bias component of the RF input signal includes a bias voltage.

13 . The method of claim 8 wherein the bias circuit includes current mirror circuitry.

14 . A radio-frequency (RF) module comprising:
a packaging substrate configured to receive a plurality of components; a power amplifier (PA) die mounted on the packaging substrate, the PA die including a first semiconductor substrate having formed thereon an amplifying transistor having a base, a collector, and an emitter; a radio-frequency (RF) input to the PA die configured to receive an RF input signal having an RF component and a DC bias component; a bias circuit implemented on the first semiconductor substrate, the bias circuit coupled to the base of the amplifying transistor; a first bias tee circuit implemented on the first semiconductor substrate, the first bias tee circuit configured to receive the RF input signal and at least partially pass the DC bias component to the bias circuit and the RF component to the base of the amplifying transistor; and a plurality of connectors configured to provide electrical connections between the PA die and the packaging substrate.

15 . The RF module of claim 14 further comprising:
a controller die mounted on the packaging substrate, the controller die including a second semiconductor substrate and a bias signal generator configured to transmit a bias signal on a bias channel of the RF module; and
an RF transmission channel configured to transmit an RF signal within the RF module.

16 . The RF module of claim 15 further comprising:
a second bias tee circuit coupled to the bias channel and the RF transmission channel, the second bias tee circuit configured to couple the bias signal with the RF signal to form the RF input signal at least in part.

17 . The RF module of claim 15 wherein the bias signal generator is a current generator.

18 . The RF module of claim 15 wherein the bias signal generator is a voltage generator.

19 . The RF module of claim 15 wherein the controller die includes an input switching module implemented on the second semiconductor substrate.

20 . The RF module of claim 15 wherein the first semiconductor substrate is a GaAs substrate and the second semiconductor substrate is a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) die.

21 - 24 . (canceled)

Assignees

• Skyworks Solutions Inc

Inventors

• Lehtola Philip John

Classifications

• H03F3/195

  in integrated circuits · CPC title

• H03F3/245

  with semiconductor devices only · CPC title

• H03F3/72

  Gated amplifiers, i.e. amplifiers which are rendered operative or inoperative by means of a control signal · CPC title

• H03F2200/111

  the amplifier being a dual or triple band amplifier, e.g. 900 and 1800 MHz, e.g. switched or not switched, simultaneously or not · CPC title

• H03F2203/7209

  the gated amplifier being switched from a first band to a second band · CPC title