Voltage mode power combiner for radio frequency linear power amplifier

A radio frequency power combining amplifier circuit with a circuit input and a circuit output, comprising:

• a driver amplifier defined by a driver input and a driver output, the driver input being connected to the circuit input;
• a first amplifier directly connected to the driver output, the first amplifier being defined by a small signal linearity dominance operating region corresponding to a first voltage level of an input signal;
• a first output matching network connected to an output of the first amplifier and to the circuit output;
• a second amplifier directly connected to the driver output, the second amplifier being defined by a gain expansion dominance operating region corresponding to a second voltage level of the input signal, the input signal as applied to the first amplifier and the second amplifier being in-phase relative to each other;
• and
• a second output matching network connected to an output of the second amplifier and to the circuit output.

A radio frequency integrated circuit with a circuit input and a circuit output, comprising:

• a semiconductor substrate;
• a driver amplifier fabricated on the semiconductor substrate and defined by a driver input and a driver output, the driver input being connected to the circuit input;
• a first amplifier fabricated on the semiconductor substrate and directly connected to the driver output, the first amplifier being defined by a small signal linearity dominance operating region corresponding a first voltage level of a radio frequency signal applied to the input;
• a first output matching network fabricated on the semiconductor substrate and connected to the first amplifier and to the output;
• a second amplifier fabricated on the semiconductor substrate and directly connected to the driver output, the second amplifier being defined by a gain expansion dominance operating region corresponding to a second voltage level of the radio frequency signal applied to the input, the input signal as applied to the first amplifier and the second amplifier being in-phase relative to each other;
• and
• a second output matching network fabricated on the semiconductor substrate and connected to the second amplifier and to the output.