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US 2003/0201832 A1Published application
HBT linearizer and power booster
AssigneeFreescale Semiconductor, Inc.
InventorHoward Patterson
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A power amplifier incorporates base ballasted hetero-junction bipolar transistors (HBTs) in parallel. A transistor pair adjusts the voltage applied to the base ballast if it senses that the voltage appearing between one of the HBT transistors and its base ballast is drooping to a level not strong enough to keep the HBTs active.
Claims18
An integrated circuit comprising:
- a plurality of hetero-junction bipolar transistors (HBTs) connected in parallel, each of the plurality of HBTs including a base ballast;
- a means for sensing a first voltage between one of the plurality of HBTs and its corresponding base ballast and adjusting a second voltage driving the plurality of HBTs commonly connected base ballast ends when the first voltage drops below a threshold.
An HBT linearizer and power booster circuit comprising:
- A first transistor having a control terminal coupled to a base of one of a plurality of base ballasted transistors connected in parallel and having a common base ballast input;
- a first current carrying terminal and a second current carrying terminal coupled with a grounding source;
- A second transistor having a control terminal coupled with the first current carrying terminal of the first transistor, a first current carrying terminal connected with a voltage source and a second current carrying terminal connected to the common base ballast input of the plurality of base ballasted transistors connected in parallel;
- and
- A resistor with a first end connected to the voltage source and a second end connected with the control terminal of the second transistor and the first current carrying terminal of the first transistor.
2 more elements
A method of boosting power of a power amplifier operating a high power comprising:
- detecting a voltage occurring directly at a base of one of a plurality of base ballasted HBT devices connected in parallel and having a common base ballast input;
- and
- providing supplemental power at the common base ballast input when the detected voltage droops below a predetermined threshold.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.