# US 10,320,336 B2 · Output power cell for cascode amplifiers > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,320,336 B2 - Document ID: US10320336B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/677,327 - Filed: 2017-08-15 - Published: 2018-03-01 - Granted: 2019-06-11 - Earliest claimed: 2016-08-23 - Applicants: Skyworks Solutions, Inc. - Inventors: John William Mitchell Rogers - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10320336B2 ## CPC - H03F 1/22: by use of cascode coupling, i.e. earthed cathode or emitter stage followed by earthed grid or base stage respectively - H03F 1/3241: {using predistortion circuits (H03F1/3211, H03F1/3217 take precedence)} - H03F 1/56: Modifications of input or output impedances, not otherwise provided for - H03F 3/19: with semiconductor devices only - H03F 3/191: Tuned amplifiers (H03F3/193, H03F3/195 take precedence) - H03F 3/21: with semiconductor devices only {(H03F3/245 takes precedence)} - H03F 3/211: {using a combination of several amplifiers (H03F3/60 takes precedence)} - H03F 3/245: {with semiconductor devices only} - H03F 3/45089: {Non-folded cascode stages} - H03F 3/72: Gated amplifiers, i.e. amplifiers which are rendered operative or inoperative by means of a control signal - H03F 2200/111: the amplifier being a dual or triple band amplifier, e.g. 900 and 1800 MHz, e.g. switched or not switched, simultaneously or not - H03F 2200/222: A circuit being added at the input of an amplifier to adapt the input impedance of the amplifier - H03F 2200/318: A matching circuit being used as coupling element between two amplifying stages - H03F 2200/387: A circuit being added at the output of an amplifier to adapt the output impedance of the amplifier - H03F 2200/411: the output amplifying stage of an amplifier comprising two power stages - H03F 2200/451: the amplifier being a radio frequency amplifier - H03F 2203/21145: Output signals are combined by switching a plurality of paralleled power amplifiers to a common output - H03F 2203/7209: the gated amplifier being switched from a first band to a second band - H03F: AMPLIFIERS ## Abstract A cascode power cell for a power amplifier circuit includes a radio frequency signal input node, a radio frequency signal output node, and a plurality of sub-cells each including a first transistor having a collector coupled to the radio frequency signal output node, each of the plurality of sub-cells further including a second transistor having a collector coupled to an emitter of the first transistor at a connection node, and a base coupled to the radio frequency signal input node, the connection nodes for each of the plurality of sub-cells being electrically isolated from one another. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A cascode power cell for a power amplifier circuit comprising: a radio-frequency signal input node; a radio-frequency signal output node; and a plurality of sub-cells each including a first transistor having a collector coupled directly to the radio-frequency signal output node, each of the plurality of sub-cells further including a second transistor having a collector coupled to an emitter of the first transistor at a connection node, a base coupled to the radio-frequency signal input node, and an emitter coupled to a resistor at an emitter node, the connection nodes for each of the plurality of sub-cells being electrically isolated from one another, and the emitter nodes for each of the plurality of sub-cells being electrically isolated from each other. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The cascode power cell of claim 1 wherein the electrical isolation between the connection nodes of the plurality of sub-cells allows the second transistors of the plurality of sub-cells to control current flow through the cascode power cell. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The cascode power cell of claim 1 wherein the electrical isolation between the connection nodes of the plurality of sub-cells prevents current hogging by a subset of the plurality of sub-cells. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The cascode power cell of claim 1 wherein the first transistor of each of the plurality of sub-cells is a common-base transistor. ### Claim 5 A cascode power cell for a power amplifier circuit comprising: a radio-frequency signal input node; a radio-frequency signal output node; and a plurality of sub-cells each including a first transistor having a collector coupled directly to the radio-frequency signal output node and a base coupled to a capacitor, each of the plurality of sub-cells further including a second transistor having a collector coupled to an emitter of the first transistor at a connection node, and a base coupled to the radio-frequency signal input node, the connection nodes for each of the plurality of sub-cells being electrically isolated from one another. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The cascode power cell of claim 1 wherein the plurality of sub-cells includes eight sub-cells. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The cascode power cell of claim 1 wherein the plurality of sub-cells includes ten sub-cells. ### Claim 8 A cascode power amplifier circuit comprising: a radio-frequency signal input node; a radio-frequency signal output node; and a power amplifier core coupled to the radio-frequency signal input node and the radio-frequency signal output node and including an amplifier cell including a plurality of sub-cells, each of the plurality of sub-cells of the amplifier cell including a first transistor having a collector coupled directly to an amplifier output node, each of the plurality of sub-cells of the amplifier cell further including a second transistor having a collector coupled to an emitter of the first transistor at a connection node, an emitter coupled to a resistor at an emitter node, and a base coupled to an amplifier input node, the connection nodes for each of the plurality of sub-cells being electrically isolated from one another, the emitter nodes for each of the plurality of sub-cells being electrically isolated from each other. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The cascode power amplifier circuit of claim 8 wherein the first transistor of each of the plurality of sub-cells is a common-base transistor. ### Claim 10 A cascode power amplifier circuit comprising a radio-frequency signal input node; a radio-frequency signal output node; and a power amplifier core coupled to the radio-frequency signal input node and the radio-frequency signal output node and including an amplifier cell including a plurality of sub-cells, each of the plurality of sub-cells of the amplifier cell including a first transistor having a collector coupled directly to an amplifier output node and a base coupled to a capacitor, each of the plurality of sub-cells of the amplifier cell further including a second transistor having a collector coupled to an emitter of the first transistor at a connection node, and a base coupled to an amplifier input node, the connection nodes for each of the plurality of sub-cells being electrically isolated from one another. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The cascode power amplifier circuit of claim 8 wherein the plurality of sub-cells includes eight sub-cells. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The cascode power amplifier circuit of claim 8 wherein the plurality of sub-cells includes ten sub-cells. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The cascode power amplifier circuit of claim 8 wherein the electrical isolation between the connection nodes of the plurality of sub-cells allows the second transistors of the plurality of sub-cells to control current flow through the power amplifier core. ### Claim 14 A radio-frequency module comprising: a power amplifier including an amplifier cell including a plurality of sub-cells, each of the plurality of sub-cells of the amplifier cell including a first transistor having a collector coupled directly to an amplifier output node, each of the plurality of sub-cells of the amplifier cell further including a second transistor having a collector coupled to an emitter of the first transistor at a connection node, an emitter coupled to a resistor at an emitter node, and a base coupled to an amplifier input node, the connection nodes for each of the plurality of sub-cells being electrically isolated from one another, the emitter nodes for each of the plurality of sub-cells being electrically isolated from each other. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The radio-frequency module of claim 14 wherein the first transistor of each of the plurality of sub-cells is a common-base transistor. ### Claim 16 A radio-frequency module a power amplifier including an amplifier cell including a plurality of sub-cells, each of the plurality of sub-cells of the amplifier cell including a first transistor having a collector coupled directly to an amplifier output node and a base coupled to a capacitor, each of the plurality of sub-cells of the amplifier cell further including a second transistor having a collector coupled to an emitter of the first transistor at a connection node, and a base coupled to an amplifier input node, the connection nodes for each of the plurality of sub-cells being electrically isolated from one another. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The radio-frequency module of claim 14 wherein the electrical isolation between the connection nodes of the plurality of sub-cells allows the second transistors of the plurality of sub-cells to control current flow through the power amplifier.