# US 12,113,486 B2 · Amplifier with stacked transconducting cells in parallel and/or cascade “current mode” combining > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,113,486 B2 - Document ID: US12113486B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/378,564 - Filed: 2021-07-16 - Published: 2022-05-26 - Granted: 2024-10-08 - Earliest claimed: 2020-11-20 - Assignees: The Boeing Company - Applicants: The Boeing Company - Inventors: Chris M. Thomas; Brian K. Kormanyos - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12113486B2 ## CPC - H03F 1/223: {with MOSFET's} - H03F 1/0222: {by using a signal derived from the input signal} - H03F 3/195: in integrated circuits - H03F 3/211: {using a combination of several amplifiers (H03F3/60 takes precedence)} - H03F 3/245: {with semiconductor devices only} - H03F 2200/318: A matching circuit being used as coupling element between two amplifying stages - H03F 2200/451: the amplifier being a radio frequency amplifier - H03F 2200/61: the cascode amplifier has more than one common gate stage - H03F 2200/91: the amplifier has a current mode topology - H03F: AMPLIFIERS ## Abstract An amplifier with stacked transconducting cells in parallel and/or cascade “current mode” combining is disclosed herein. In one or more embodiments, a method for operation of a high-voltage signal amplifier comprises inputting, into each transconducting cell of a plurality of transconducting cells, a direct current (DC) supply current (Idc), an alternating current (AC) radio frequency (RF) input current (IRF_IN), and an RF input signal (RFIN). The method further comprises outputting, by each of the transconducting cells of the plurality of transconducting cells, the DC supply current (Idc) and an AC RF output current (IRF_OUT). In one or more embodiments, the transconducting cells are connected together in cascode for the DC supply current (Idc), are connected together in parallel (or in cascade) for the RF input signal (RFIN), and are connected together in parallel (or in cascade) for the AC RF output currents (IRF_OUT). ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for operation of a high-voltage multi-stage signal amplifier, the method comprising: inputting, into each transconducting cell of a plurality of transconducting cells of a first stage, a direct current (DC) supply current (Idc), an alternating current (AC) radio frequency (RF) input current (IRF_IN), and an RF input signal (RFIN); inputting, into each transconducting cell of a plurality of transconducting cells of a second stage, the DC supply current (Idc), the AC RF input current (IRF_IN), and the RF input signal (RFIN); outputting, by each of the transconducting cells of the plurality of transconducting cells of the first stage, the DC supply current (Idc) and an AC RF output current (IRF_OUT); and outputting, by each of the transconducting cells of the plurality of transconducting cells of the second stage, the DC supply current (Idc) and the AC RF output current (IRF_OUT), wherein the transconducting cells of the first stage are connected together in cascode for the DC supply current (Idc), are connected together in parallel or in cascade for the RF input signal (RFIN), and are connected together in parallel or in cascade for the AC RF output currents (IRF_OUT), wherein the transconducting cells of the second stage are connected together in cascode for the DC supply current (Idc), are connected together in parallel or in cascade for the RF input signal (RFIN), and are connected together in parallel or in cascade for the AC RF output currents (IRF_OUT), and wherein the first stage and the second stage are connected together in cascode for the DC supply current. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises splitting a power supply voltage (Vdd) evenly amongst the transconducting cells of the first stage and the second stage to power the transconducting cells of the first stage and the second stage. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein a DC supply voltage drop of Vdd/N, where N is a number of the transconducting cells of the first stage and the second stage, is across each of the transconducting cells of the first stage and the second stage. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises providing, by an input signal source (Vin), the RF input signal (RFIN) to an input matching network (M1). ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein the input matching network (M1) is a single-input single-output matching network. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein the method further comprises transforming, by the input matching network (M1), the RF input signal (RFIN) to provide a power match to an input of each of the transconducting cells of the first stage. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises inputting, the AC RF output current (IRF_OUT) outputted from at least one of the transconducting cells of the plurality transconducting cells of the first stage, into an inner stage matching network (M2) to deliver power to the transconducting cells of the second stage. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein the inner stage matching network (M2) is a single-input single-output matching network. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises inputting the AC RF output current (IRF_OUT) outputted from at least one of the transconducting cells of the plurality transconducting cells of the second stage, into an output matching network (M3) to deliver power to a load (RL). ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein the output matching network (M3) is a single-input single-output matching network. ### Claim 11 A high-voltage multi-stage signal amplifier, the amplifier comprising: a plurality of transconducting cells of a first stage, each configured to receive a direct current (DC) supply current (Idc), an alternating current (AC) radio frequency (RF) input current (IRF_IN), and an RF input signal (RFIN); and each configured to output the DC supply current (Idc) and an AC RF output current (IRF_OUT); and a plurality of transconducting cells of a second stage, each configured to receive the DC supply current (Idc), the AC RF input current (IRF_IN), and the RF input signal (RFIN); and each configured to output the DC supply current (Idc) and the AC RF output current (IRF_OUT), wherein the transconducting cells of the first stage are connected together in cascode for the DC supply current (Idc), are connected together in parallel or in cascade for the RF input signal (RFIN), and are connected together in parallel or in cascade for the AC RF output currents (IRF_OUT), wherein the transconducting cells of the second stage are connected together in cascode for the DC supply current (Idc), are connected together in parallel or in cascade for the RF input signal (RFIN), and are connected together in parallel or in cascade for the AC RF output currents (IRF_OUT), and wherein the first stage and the second stage are connected together in cascode for the DC supply current. ### Claim 12 A method for operation of a high-voltage signal amplifier, the method comprising: inputting, into each transconducting cell of a plurality of transconducting cells, a direct current (DC) supply current (Idc), an alternating current (AC) radio frequency (RF) input current (IRF_IN), and an RF input signal (RFIN); and outputting, by each of the transconducting cells of the plurality of transconducting cells, the DC supply current (Idc) and an AC RF output current (IRF_OUT), wherein the transconducting cells are connected together in cascode for the DC supply current (Idc), are connected together in parallel or in cascade for the RF input signal (RFIN), and are connected together in parallel or in cascade for the AC RF output currents (IRF_OUT). ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein the method further comprises providing, by an input signal source (Vin), the RF input signal (RFIN) to an input matching network (M1). ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the method further comprises transforming, by the input matching network (M1), the RF input signal (RFIN) to provide a power match to an input of each of the transconducting cells. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein when the transconducting cells are connected together in cascade for the RF input signal (RFIN), the input matching network (M1) is connected to an input junction of one of the transconducting cells. ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein the method further comprises inputting, the AC RF output current (IRF_OUT) outputted from the transconducting cells of the plurality transconducting cells, into an output matching network (M2) to deliver power to a load impedance (RL). ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein when the transconducting cells are connected together in cascade for the AC RF output currents (IRF_OUT), the output matching network (M2) is connected to an output junction of one of the transconducting cells. ### Claim 18 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein the method further comprises splitting a power supply voltage (Vdd) evenly amongst the transconducting cells to power the transconducting cells. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18, wherein a DC supply voltage drop of Vdd/N, where N is a number of the transconducting cells, is across each of the transconducting cells. ### Claim 20 A high-voltage signal amplifier, the amplifier comprising: a plurality of transconducting cells, each configured to receive a direct current (DC) supply current (Idc), an alternating current (AC) radio frequency (RF) input current (IRF_IN), and an RF input signal (RFIN); and each configured to output the DC supply current (Idc) and an AC RF output current (IRF_OUT), wherein the transconducting cells are connected together in cascode for the DC supply current (Idc), are connected together in parallel or in cascade for the RF input signal (RFIN), and are connected together in parallel or in cascade for the AC RF output currents (IRF_OUT).