Radio frequency power amplifier
AssigneeSTMicroelectronics France
InventorsSamia Ouyahia, Renaud Lemoine, Eric Wilhelm
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
According to an embodiment, An integrated circuit comprising a first cascode radio frequency (RF) power amplifier that includes a first common source transistor having a gate configured to receive a first RF signal, and a source connected to a neutral point; a first common gate transistor having a gate and a drain connected to a power source node, and a source connected to a drain of the first common source transistor; and a first resistor coupled between a bulk of the first common gate transistor and a first bulk bias node configured to provide a voltage that is greater than or equal to a voltage at the source of the first common gate transistor, wherein the first resistor is configured to obtain a floating point.
Claims20
A radio frequency (RF) power amplifier comprising:
- an input stage comprising a first amplifier coupled to a first input node configured to receive an RF input signal according to a first polarity, and a second amplifier coupled to a second input node configured to receive the RF input signal according to a second polarity opposite the first polarity;
- a first cascode stage having an input coupled to the input stage, the first cascode stage having a first common gate transistor having a source coupled to an output of the first amplifier a second common gate transistor having a source coupled to an output of the second amplifier;
- and
- a bias circuit configured to:
- provide a first bias voltage a bulk node of the first common gate transistor with a resistance of at least 10 kΩ, wherein the first common gate transistor is configured to have a gate-source voltage that is equal to or greater than its gate-bulk voltage, and
- provide a second bias voltage a bulk node of the second common gate transistor with a resistance of at least 10 kΩ, wherein the second common gate transistor is configured to have a gate-source voltage that is equal to or greater than its gate-bulk voltage.
An integrated circuit comprising a radio frequency (RF) power amplifier comprising:
- a common source transistor having a gate configured to receive an RF signal, and a source connected to a neutral point;
- a first common gate transistor having a gate connected to a first bias voltage source, a drain coupled to a source of a second common gate transistor, and a source coupled to a drain of the common source transistor;
- and
- the second common gate transistor having a gate connected to a second bias voltage source, a drain coupled to a power source node, and a source coupled to the drain of the first common gate transistor;
- a first resistor coupled between a bulk of the first common gate transistor and a first bulk bias node, wherein the first resistor is configured to obtain a floating point;
- and
- a second resistor coupled between a bulk of the second common gate transistor and a second bulk bias node, wherein the second resistor is configured to obtain a floating point, wherein the first bulk bias node is configured to provide a voltage that is greater than or equal to a voltage at the source of the first common gate transistor, and the second bulk bias node is configured to provide a voltage that is greater than or equal to a voltage at the source of the second common gate transistor.
A method of operating a radio frequency (RF) power amplifier comprising an input stage comprising a first amplifier coupled to a first input and a second amplifier coupled to a second input;
- a first cascode stage having an input coupled to the input stage, the first cascode stage having a first common gate transistor having a source coupled to an output of the first amplifier a second common gate transistor having a source coupled to an output of the second amplifier;
- and a bias circuit coupled to a bulk node of the first common gate transistor and to a bulk node of the second common gate transistor, the method comprising:
- providing a first bias voltage a bulk node of the first common gate transistor with a resistance of at least 10 kΩ, wherein the first bias voltage causes the first common gate transistor to have a gate-source voltage that is equal to or greater than its gate-bulk voltage;
- providing a second bias voltage a bulk node of the second common gate transistor with a resistance of at least 10 kΩ, wherein the second bias voltage causes the second common gate transistor to have a gate-source voltage that is equal to or greater than its gate-bulk voltage;
- providing a first polarity of an RF signal to the first input;
- and
- providing a second polarity of the RF signal to the second input, wherein the second polarity is opposite the first polarity.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.