# US 2019/0173435 A1 · Wideband power amplifiers with harmonic traps

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- Number: US 2019/0173435 A1
- Document ID: US20190173435A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 15/832,381
- Filed: 2017-12-05
- Published: 2019-06-06
- Earliest claimed: 2017-12-05
- Assignees: NXP USA, Inc.
- Applicants: NXP USA, Inc.
- Inventors: Roy MCLAREN; Ramanujam SRINIDHI EMBAR
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190173435A1

## CPC

- H03F 1/0288: {using a main and one or several auxiliary peaking amplifiers whereby the load is connected to the main amplifier using an impedance inverter, e.g. Doherty amplifiers}
- H03F 1/483: {with field-effect transistors}
- H03F 1/486: {with IC amplifier blocks}
- H03F 1/56: Modifications of input or output impedances, not otherwise provided for
- H03F 1/565: {using inductive elements}
- H03F 3/195: in integrated circuits
- H03F 3/213: in integrated circuits
- H03F 3/245: {with semiconductor devices only}
- H03F 3/60: Amplifiers in which coupling networks have distributed constants, e.g. with waveguide resonators (H03F3/54 takes precedence)
- H03F 3/601: {using FET's, e.g. GaAs FET's (H03F3/607, H03F3/608 take precedence)}
- H10W 44/20: at high-frequency [HF] or radio frequency [RF]
- H03F 2200/222: A circuit being added at the input of an amplifier to adapt the input impedance of the amplifier
- H03F 2200/255: Amplifier input adaptation especially for transmission line coupling purposes, e.g. impedance adaptation
- H03F 2200/36: the amplifier comprising means for increasing the bandwidth
- H03F 2200/387: A circuit being added at the output of an amplifier to adapt the output impedance of the amplifier
- H03F 2200/423: Amplifier output adaptation especially for transmission line coupling purposes, e.g. impedance adaptation
- H03F 2200/451: the amplifier being a radio frequency amplifier
- H10D 1/68: Capacitors having no potential barriers
- H10D 62/8503: {Nitride Group III-V materials, e.g. AlN or GaN}
- H10W 44/206: {Wires}
- H10W 44/234: {Arrangements for impedance matching}
- H10W 70/65: Shapes or dispositions of interconnections
- H10W 72/5445: {being orthogonal to a side surface of the chip, e.g. parallel arrangements}
- H03F: AMPLIFIERS
- H10W: GENERIC PACKAGES, INTERCONNECTIONS, CONNECTORS OR OTHER CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10
- H10D: INORGANIC ELECTRIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES

## Abstract

An amplifier may include a transistor and input and output matching networks. One or more harmonic trap circuits may be electrically connected to a node located between the input matching network and a gate terminal of the transistor or to a node located between the output matching network and a drain terminal of the transistor. Each harmonic trap may provide a low resistance path to ground for signal energy above a fundamental operating frequency of the amplifier, such as harmonic frequencies thereof. The output matching network may act as an impedance inverter that provides a 90 degree insertion phase between the input of the output matching network and the load. A variable length drain feeder may connect a voltage source to an output of the output matching network.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A system comprising:
an amplifier having an output node; and
an output network comprising:
an input coupled to the output node of the amplifier,
one or more harmonic traps coupled to the input,
a shunt-L path comprising a capacitor and an inductance, wherein the capacitor and the inductance are coupled in series between the input and a ground node, and
a baseband termination path coupled between the ground node and a node between the capacitor and the inductance of the shunt-L path.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more harmonic traps comprise:
one or more radial stubs coupled between the input and the ground node.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The system of claim 2, wherein the amplifier is configured to operate at a fundamental operating frequency and wherein at least one of the one or more radial stubs has a respective resonance frequency corresponding to a harmonic of the fundamental operating frequency.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The system of claim 2, wherein the amplifier is configured to operate at a fundamental operating frequency and wherein each of the one or more radial stubs is configured to pass signal energy within a harmonic band to the ground node.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more harmonic traps comprise:
a first resonant circuit comprising a first inductance and a first capacitor, wherein the first capacitor and the first inductance are coupled in series between the input and the ground node.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The system of claim 5, wherein the one or more harmonic traps further comprise:
a second resonant circuit comprising a second inductance and a second capacitor, wherein the second capacitor and the second inductance are coupled in series between the input and the ground node, and wherein the second resonant circuit is coupled in parallel with respect to the first resonant circuit.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The system of claim 6, wherein the amplifier is configured to operate at a fundamental operating frequency and wherein the first and second resonant circuits each have a respective resonance frequency corresponding to a harmonic of the fundamental operational frequency.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the amplifier comprises a gallium nitride (GaN) power transistor.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, further comprising:
a bias transmission line that electrically connects an output of the output network to a voltage source, wherein the bias transmission line has an adjustable electrical length.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, further comprising:
a load impedance; and
a transmission line coupled between the load impedance and the output of the output network, wherein the output network further comprises at least one wire-bond directly coupled between the output network and an input of the transmission line.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The system of claim 10, wherein the output network further comprises:
a shunt capacitor directly coupled to the input of the transmission line.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

The system of claim 10, further comprising:
a shunt capacitor directly coupled to the output of the transmission line.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the output network is coupled between the output of the amplifier and a load, and wherein the output network is an impedance inverter that provides a 90 degree insertion phase between the input of the output network and the load.

### Claim 14

An output impedance matching network of an amplifier, the output impedance matching network comprising:
an input electrically connected to an output node of the amplifier;
one or more harmonic traps electrically connected to the input;
an inductance electrically connected to the input;
a capacitor electrically connected in series with the inductance between the inductance and a ground node; and
a baseband termination path coupled between the ground node and a node coupled between the inductance and the capacitor.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The output impedance matching network of claim 14, wherein the one or more harmonic traps comprise one or more radial stubs electrically connected to the input, and wherein a radial stub of the one or more radial stubs has a resonance frequency that corresponds to a harmonic of a fundamental operating frequency of the amplifier.

### Claim 16 (depends on 14)

The output impedance matching network of claim 14, wherein the one or more harmonic traps comprise one or more resonant circuits, wherein the one or more resonant circuits each have a respective resonance frequency corresponding to a harmonic of a fundamental operating frequency of the amplifier.

### Claim 17 (depends on 14)

The output impedance matching network of claim 14, further comprising:
an additional inductance electrically connected between the input and an output of the output impedance matching network; and
a bias transmission line that electrically connects the output to a voltage source, wherein the bias transmission line has an adjustable electrical length.

### Claim 18 (depends on 14)

The output impedance matching network of claim 14, further comprising:
an output coupled to a load, wherein the output impedance matching network is an impedance inverter that provides a 90 degree insertion phase between the input and the load.

### Claim 19

An electronic circuit comprising:
an amplifier having an output node; and
an output impedance matching network comprising:
an input electrically connected to the output node of the amplifier,
one or more harmonic traps electrically connected to the input,
a shunt-L path electrically connected to the input, and
a baseband termination path electrically connected to a RF cold point node of the shunt-L path.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The electronic circuit of claim 19, wherein the one or more harmonic traps comprise one or more radial stubs electrically connected to the input, and wherein a radial stub of the one or more radial stubs has a resonance frequency that corresponds to a harmonic of a fundamental operating frequency of the electronic circuit.

### Claim 21 (depends on 20)

The electronic circuit of claim 20, further comprising:
an inductance electrically connected between the input and an output of the output impedance matching network; and
a bias transmission line that electrically connects the output to a voltage source, wherein the bias transmission line has an adjustable electrical length.

### Claim 22 (depends on 19)

The electronic circuit of claim 19, wherein the one or more harmonic traps comprise:
a first resonant circuit comprising a first inductance electrically connected to the input and a first capacitor electrically connected between the first inductance and a ground node.

### Claim 23 (depends on 22)

The electronic circuit of claim 22, wherein the one or more harmonic traps further comprise:
a second resonant circuit comprising a second inductance electrically connected to the input and a second capacitor electrically connected between the first inductance and the ground node, wherein the first resonant circuit has a first resonance frequency, wherein the second resonant circuit has a second resonance frequency, and wherein the first and second resonance frequencies correspond to different harmonics of a fundamental operational frequency of the electronic circuit.

### Claim 24 (depends on 23)

The electric circuit of claim 23, wherein the output of the output impedance matching network is electrically connected to a load, and wherein the output impedance matching network is an impedance inverter that provides a 90 degree insertion phase between the input and the load.

### Claim 25 (depends on 22)

The electric circuit of claim 22, wherein the baseband termination path comprises:
a baseband capacitor;
a baseband inductance; and
a baseband resistor, wherein the baseband capacitor, the baseband inductance, and the baseband resistor are electrically connected in series between the RF cold point node and the ground node.