Composite cascode power amplifiers for envelope tracking applications
AssigneeSkyworks Solutions, Inc.
InventorsAleksey A. Lyalin, Huiming Xu, Shayan Farahvash, Reinhard Ulrich Mahnkopf
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Composite cascode power amplifiers for envelope tracking applications are provided herein. In certain embodiments, an envelope tracking system includes a composite cascode power amplifier that amplifies a radio frequency (RF) signal and that receives power from a power amplifier supply voltage, and an envelope tracker that generates the power amplifier supply voltage based on an envelope of the RF signal. The composite cascode power amplifier includes an enhancement mode (E-MODE) field-effect transistor (FET) for amplifying the RF signal and a depletion mode (D-MODE) FET in cascode with the E-MODE FET.
Claims20
A mobile device comprising:
- a transceiver configured to generate a radio frequency signal;
- a power management system including an envelope tracker configured to generate a power amplifier supply voltage based on an envelope of the radio frequency signal;
- and
- a front end system including a composite cascode power amplifier configured to amplify the radio frequency signal and to receive power from the power amplifier supply voltage, the composite cascode power amplifier including an enhancement mode field-effect transistor having a gate configured to receive the radio frequency signal, and a depletion mode field-effect transistor having a source connected to a drain of the enhancement-mode field-effect transistor, the envelope tracker including a DC-to-DC converter configured to output a plurality of regulated voltages, a modulator configured to generate a modulator output voltage at an output based on the plurality of regulated voltages and the envelope of the radio frequency signal, and a modulator output filter coupled between the output of the modulator and the power amplifier supply voltage.
An envelope tracking system comprising:
- an envelope tracker configured to generate a power amplifier supply voltage based on an envelope of a radio frequency signal, the envelope tracker including a DC-to-DC converter configured to output a plurality of regulated voltages, a modulator configured to generate a modulator output voltage at an output based on the plurality of regulated voltages and the envelope of the radio frequency signal, and a modulator output filter coupled between the output of the modulator and the power amplifier supply voltage;
- and
- a composite cascode power amplifier configured to amplify the radio frequency signal and to receive power from the power amplifier supply voltage, the composite cascode power amplifier including an enhancement mode field-effect transistor having a gate configured to receive the radio frequency signal, and a depletion mode field-effect transistor having a source connected to a drain of the enhancement-mode field-effect transistor.
A method of radio frequency signal amplification in a mobile device, the method comprising:
- generating a power amplifier supply voltage based on an envelope of a radio frequency signal using an envelope tracker, generating the power amplifier supply voltage including outputting a plurality of regulated voltages from a DC-to-DC converter, generating a modulator output voltage at an output based on the plurality of regulated voltages and the envelope of the radio frequency signal using a modulator, and filtering the power amplifier supply voltage using a modulator output filter coupled between the output and the power amplifier supply voltage;
- powering a composite cascode power amplifier using the power amplifier supply voltage, the composite cascode power amplifier including an enhancement mode field-effect transistor having a gate configured to receive the radio frequency signal, and a depletion mode field-effect transistor having a source connected to a drain of the enhancement-mode field-effect transistor;
- and
- amplifying the radio frequency signal using the composite cascode power amplifier.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.