# US 2019/0356277 A1 · 90-degree lumped and distributed doherty impedance inverter > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2019/0356277 A1 - Document ID: US20190356277A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/530,293 - Filed: 2019-08-02 - Published: 2019-11-21 - Earliest claimed: 2002-02-17 - Assignees: MACOM Technology Solutions Holdings, Inc. - Applicants: MACOM Technology Solutions Holdings, Inc. - Inventors: Gerard Bouisse; Andrew Alexander; Andrew Patterson - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190356277A1 ## 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 1/565: {using inductive elements} - H03F 3/195: in integrated circuits - H03F 3/245: {with semiconductor devices only} - H10W 44/20: at high-frequency [HF] or radio frequency [RF] - H03F 2200/451: the amplifier being a radio frequency amplifier - H10W 44/206: {Wires} - H10W 44/234: {Arrangements for impedance matching} - H03F: AMPLIFIERS - H10W: GENERIC PACKAGES, INTERCONNECTIONS, CONNECTORS OR OTHER CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10 ## Abstract Apparatus and methods for a modified Doherty amplifier operating at gigahertz frequencies are described. The combining of signals from a main amplifier and a peaking amplifier occur prior to impedance matching of the amplifier's output to a load. An integrated distributed inductor may be used in an impedance inverter to combine the signals. A size of the impedance element can be selected by patterning during manufacture to tune the amplifier and to allow power scaling for the amplifier. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A Doherty amplifier comprising: an RF input; a main amplifier connected to the RF input; a peaking amplifier connected to the RF input; a combining node at which an output from the main amplifier combines with an output from the peaking amplifier; and an impedance inverter comprising an integrated distributed inductor connected between an output of the main amplifier and the combining node. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The Doherty amplifier of claim 1, wherein an input to the impedance inverter comprises one or more bond wires connected to the output of the main amplifier. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The Doherty amplifier of claim 1, wherein the combining node is located at a drain bonding pad of the peaking amplifier. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The Doherty amplifier of claim 1, wherein there are no impedance-matching elements connected between the main amplifier and the impedance inverter to match an output impedance of the main amplifier to 50 ohms. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The Doherty amplifier of claim 1, wherein the impedance inverter rotates a phase of a first signal amplified by the main amplifier by no more than 95 degrees with respect to a phase of a second signal amplified by the peaking amplifier. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The Doherty amplifier of claim 1, wherein the integrated distributed inductor comprises a conductive strip line having a width and a length integrated on a substrate. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The Doherty amplifier of claim 6, wherein the impedance inverter further comprises at least one capacitive element. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The Doherty amplifier of claim 6, wherein the impedance inverter further comprises bond wires or conductive interconnects connected between the conductive strip line and outputs of the main amplifier and the peaking amplifier. ### Claim 9 (depends on 6) The Doherty amplifier of claim 6, wherein the width is between approximately 100 microns and approximately 1000 microns. ### Claim 10 (depends on 6) The Doherty amplifier of claim 6, wherein the length is between approximately 2 millimeters and approximately 6 millimeters. ### Claim 11 (depends on 6) The Doherty amplifier of claim 6, wherein the main amplifier and peaking amplifier are integrated on a same substrate as the conductive strip line. ### Claim 12 (depends on 6) The Doherty amplifier of claim 6, wherein the substrate comprises a high-frequency laminate. ### Claim 13 (depends on 6) The Doherty amplifier of claim 6, wherein the substrate comprises a semiconductor. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The Doherty amplifier of claim 1, wherein one or both of the main amplifier and peaking amplifier comprises gallium-nitride transistors. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The Doherty amplifier of claim 1, wherein the impedance inverter consists essentially of: a conductive strip line having a width and a length integrated on a substrate; bond wires connected between the conductive strip line and outputs from the main amplifier and the peaking amplifier; and drain-to-source capacitances of the main amplifier and the peaking amplifier. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The Doherty amplifier of claim 1, further comprising an impedance-matching element connected between the combining node and an output port of the Doherty amplifier. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The Doherty amplifier of claim 16, wherein the impedance-matching element provides an output impedance of approximately 50 ohms for the Doherty amplifier. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The Doherty amplifier of claim 16, wherein the impedance-matching element comprises a double-section impedance-matching element. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The Doherty amplifier of claim 16, wherein an RF fractional bandwidth for the amplifier is between approximately 6% and approximately 18%. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The Doherty amplifier of claim 19, wherein an operating frequency for the Doherty amplifier is between approximately 500 MHz and approximately 6 GHz. ### Claim 21 (depends on 1) The Doherty amplifier of claim 1, wherein a rated output power level from the combining node is between approximately 20 Watts and approximately 100 Watts. ### Claim 22 (depends on 1) The Doherty amplifier of claim 1 connected to a cellular transmitter. ### Claim at position 23 23-61. (canceled)