Broadband power transistor devices and amplifiers with input-side harmonic termination circuits and methods of manufacture

A radio frequency (RF) amplifier with a first amplification path that comprises:

• a transistor die with a transistor and a transistor input terminal;
• an input-side impedance matching circuit coupled between the transistor input terminal and an input of the first amplification path, wherein the input-side impedance matching circuit includes an input-side harmonic termination circuit comprising a first inductive element and a first capacitance connected in series between the transistor input terminal and a ground reference node, wherein the first inductive element includes a first plurality of bondwires, and the input-side harmonic termination circuit resonates at a harmonic frequency of a fundamental frequency of operation of the RF amplifier, and
• a second inductive element and a second capacitance connected in series between the transistor input terminal and the ground reference node, wherein the second inductive element includes a second plurality of bondwires, and
• a third inductive element connected between the input of the first amplification path and the second capacitance, wherein the third inductive element includes a third plurality of bondwires;
• and
• a video bandwidth circuit coupled to a connection node between the second inductive element and the second capacitance, wherein the video bandwidth circuit includes a plurality of components, wherein the plurality of components includes an envelope resistor, an envelope inductor, and an envelope capacitor coupled in series between the connection node and the ground reference node.

A radio frequency (RF) amplifier with a first amplification path that comprises:

• a transistor die with a transistor, a transistor input terminal, and a transistor output terminal, wherein the transistor has a drain-source capacitance below 0.2 picofarads per watt;
• an input-side impedance matching circuit coupled between the transistor input terminal and an input of the first amplification path, wherein the input-side impedance matching circuit includes
• an input-side harmonic termination circuit comprising a first inductive element and a first capacitance connected in series between the transistor input terminal and a ground reference node, wherein the first inductive element includes a first plurality of bondwires, and the input-side harmonic termination circuit resonates at a harmonic frequency of a fundamental frequency of operation of the RF amplifier,
• a second inductive element and a second capacitance connected in series between the transistor input terminal and the ground reference node, wherein the second inductive element includes a second plurality of bondwires, and
• a third inductive element connected between the input of the first amplification path and the second capacitance, wherein the third inductive element includes a third plurality of bondwires;
• and
• an output-side impedance matching circuit coupled between the transistor output terminal and an output of the first amplification path, wherein the output-side impedance matching circuit includes
• an output-side harmonic termination circuit comprising a fourth inductive element and a third capacitance connected in series between the transistor output terminal and the ground reference node, wherein an equivalent capacitance from a combination of the fourth inductive element and the third capacitance in series effectively increases the drain-source capacitance by at least 10 percent, the fourth inductive element includes a fourth plurality of bondwires, and the output-side harmonic termination circuit resonates at a harmonic frequency of the fundamental frequency of operation of the RF amplifier, and
• a fifth inductive element and a fourth capacitance connected in series between the transistor output terminal and the ground reference node, wherein the fifth inductive element includes a fifth plurality of bondwires, and wherein the fifth plurality of bondwires and the fourth capacitance are directly connected.

A packaged radio frequency (RF) amplifier device comprising:

• a device substrate;
• a first input lead coupled to the device substrate;
• a first output lead coupled to the device substrate;
• a first transistor die coupled to the device substrate, wherein the first transistor die includes a first transistor, a transistor input terminal coupled to the first input lead, and a transistor output terminal coupled to the first output lead, and wherein the first transistor has a drain-source capacitance below 0.2 picofarads per watt;
• a first integrated passive device coupled to the device substrate;
• and
• an input-side impedance matching circuit coupled between the transistor input terminal and the first input lead, wherein the input-side impedance matching circuit includes
• an input-side harmonic termination circuit comprising a first inductive element and a first capacitance connected in series between the transistor input terminal and a ground reference node, wherein the first inductive element includes a first plurality of bondwires connected between the first transistor die and the first integrated passive device, and the input-side harmonic termination circuit resonates at a harmonic frequency of a fundamental frequency of operation of the RF amplifier device,
• a second inductive element and a second capacitance connected in series between the transistor input terminal and the ground reference node, wherein the second inductive element includes a second plurality of bondwires, and
• a third inductive element connected between the first input lead and the second capacitance, wherein the third inductive element includes a third plurality of bondwires.

A method of manufacturing an RF amplifier device, the method comprising the steps of:

• coupling an input lead to a device substrate;
• coupling an output lead to the device substrate;
• coupling a transistor die to the device substrate between the input and output leads, wherein the transistor die includes a transistor and a transistor output terminal, and wherein the transistor has a drain-source capacitance below 0.2 picofarads per watt;
• coupling a first integrated passive device to the device substrate between the transistor die and the input lead, wherein the first integrated passive device includes a first capacitance and a second capacitance, wherein the first capacitance includes a first capacitor that is integrally formed with the first integrated passive device, and the second capacitance also is integrally formed with the first integrated passive device;
• creating an input-side harmonic termination circuit by connecting a first inductive element in the form of a first plurality of bondwires between the transistor input terminal and the first capacitance, wherein the input-side harmonic termination circuit resonates at a harmonic frequency of a fundamental frequency of operation of the RF amplifier device;
• and
• creating a portion of an input-side impedance matching circuit by connecting a second inductive element in the form of a second plurality of bondwires between the transistor input terminal and the second capacitance, and connecting a third inductive element in the form of a third plurality of bondwires between the input lead and the second capacitance.