Output power cell for cascode amplifiers
A cascode power cell for a power amplifier circuit includes a radio frequency signal input node, a radio frequency signal output node, and a plurality of sub-cells each including a first transistor having a collector coupled to the radio frequency signal output node, each of the plurality of sub-cells further including a second transistor having a collector coupled to an emitter of the first transistor at a connection node, and a base coupled to the radio frequency signal input node, the connection nodes for each of the plurality of sub-cells being electrically isolated from one another.
1. A cascode power cell for a power amplifier circuit comprising:
a radio-frequency signal input node;
a radio-frequency signal output node; and
a plurality of sub-cells each including a first transistor having a collector coupled directly to the radio-frequency signal output node, each of the plurality of sub-cells further including a second transistor having a collector coupled to an emitter of the first transistor at a connection node, a base coupled to the radio-frequency signal input node, and an emitter coupled to a resistor at an emitter node, the connection nodes for each of the plurality of sub-cells being electrically isolated from one another, and the emitter nodes for each of the plurality of sub-cells being electrically isolated from each other.
2. The cascode power cell of claim 1 wherein the electrical isolation between the connection nodes of the plurality of sub-cells allows the second transistors of the plurality of sub-cells to control current flow through the cascode power cell.
3. The cascode power cell of claim 1 wherein the electrical isolation between the connection nodes of the plurality of sub-cells prevents current hogging by a subset of the plurality of sub-cells.
4. The cascode power cell of claim 1 wherein the first transistor of each of the plurality of sub-cells is a common-base transistor.
5. A cascode power cell for a power amplifier circuit comprising:
a radio-frequency signal input node;
a radio-frequency signal output node; and
a plurality of sub-cells each including a first transistor having a collector coupled directly to the radio-frequency signal output node and a base coupled to a capacitor, each of the plurality of sub-cells further including a second transistor having a collector coupled to an emitter of the first transistor at a connection node, and a base coupled to the radio-frequency signal input node, the connection nodes for each of the plurality of sub-cells being electrically isolated from one another.
6. The cascode power cell of claim 1 wherein the plurality of sub-cells includes eight sub-cells.
7. The cascode power cell of claim 1 wherein the plurality of sub-cells includes ten sub-cells.
8. A cascode power amplifier circuit comprising:
a radio-frequency signal input node;
a radio-frequency signal output node; and
a power amplifier core coupled to the radio-frequency signal input node and the radio-frequency signal output node and including an amplifier cell including a plurality of sub-cells, each of the plurality of sub-cells of the amplifier cell including a first transistor having a collector coupled directly to an amplifier output node, each of the plurality of sub-cells of the amplifier cell further including a second transistor having a collector coupled to an emitter of the first transistor at a connection node, an emitter coupled to a resistor at an emitter node, and a base coupled to an amplifier input node, the connection nodes for each of the plurality of sub-cells being electrically isolated from one another, the emitter nodes for each of the plurality of sub-cells being electrically isolated from each other.
9. The cascode power amplifier circuit of claim 8 wherein the first transistor of each of the plurality of sub-cells is a common-base transistor.
10. A cascode power amplifier circuit comprising
a radio-frequency signal input node;
a radio-frequency signal output node; and
a power amplifier core coupled to the radio-frequency signal input node and the radio-frequency signal output node and including an amplifier cell including a plurality of sub-cells, each of the plurality of sub-cells of the amplifier cell including a first transistor having a collector coupled directly to an amplifier output node and a base coupled to a capacitor, each of the plurality of sub-cells of the amplifier cell further including a second transistor having a collector coupled to an emitter of the first transistor at a connection node, and a base coupled to an amplifier input node, the connection nodes for each of the plurality of sub-cells being electrically isolated from one another.
11. The cascode power amplifier circuit of claim 8 wherein the plurality of sub-cells includes eight sub-cells.
12. The cascode power amplifier circuit of claim 8 wherein the plurality of sub-cells includes ten sub-cells.
13. The cascode power amplifier circuit of claim 8 wherein the electrical isolation between the connection nodes of the plurality of sub-cells allows the second transistors of the plurality of sub-cells to control current flow through the power amplifier core.
14. A radio-frequency module comprising:
a power amplifier including an amplifier cell including a plurality of sub-cells, each of the plurality of sub-cells of the amplifier cell including a first transistor having a collector coupled directly to an amplifier output node, each of the plurality of sub-cells of the amplifier cell further including a second transistor having a collector coupled to an emitter of the first transistor at a connection node, an emitter coupled to a resistor at an emitter node, and a base coupled to an amplifier input node, the connection nodes for each of the plurality of sub-cells being electrically isolated from one another, the emitter nodes for each of the plurality of sub-cells being electrically isolated from each other.
15. The radio-frequency module of claim 14 wherein the first transistor of each of the plurality of sub-cells is a common-base transistor.
16. A radio-frequency module
a power amplifier including an amplifier cell including a plurality of sub-cells, each of the plurality of sub-cells of the amplifier cell including a first transistor having a collector coupled directly to an amplifier output node and a base coupled to a capacitor, each of the plurality of sub-cells of the amplifier cell further including a second transistor having a collector coupled to an emitter of the first transistor at a connection node, and a base coupled to an amplifier input node, the connection nodes for each of the plurality of sub-cells being electrically isolated from one another.
17. The radio-frequency module of claim 14 wherein the electrical isolation between the connection nodes of the plurality of sub-cells allows the second transistors of the plurality of sub-cells to control current flow through the power amplifier.