IP Library › Granted Patent US 10,790,789
Granted Patent B2
US 10,790,789 · App. 16/550,385 · Granted Sep 29, 2020

Injection lock power amplifier with back-gate bias

Inventors: See T. Lee (Allen, TX); Abdellatif Bellaouar (Richardson, TX)
Assignee: GLOBALFOUNDRIES INC.
H03F1/565H03B5/1228H03F3/193H03F3/245H03F3/195H03F3/26H03F2200/541
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,790,789
App. No.
16/550,385
Granted
Sep 29, 2020
Kind
B2
Abstract

In an exemplary structure, a transformer has a primary side and a secondary side. Output from the primary side is coupled to the secondary side. A first power supply is connected to a center tap of the primary side of the transformer. An oscillator includes a first transistor and a second transistor. The front-gate of the first transistor is connected to the drain of the second transistor and the primary side of the transformer. The front-gate of the second transistor is connected to the drain of the first transistor and the primary side of the transformer. A third transistor is connected to the first transistor and a fourth transistor is connected to the second transistor. The third and fourth transistors inject a desired frequency to the oscillator. A voltage source is connected to the back-gate of the first transistor and the back-gate of the second transistor.

Claims (43)

1. A structure, comprising:

a transformer having a primary side and a secondary side;

a power supply connected to a center tap of the primary side of the transformer;

an oscillator comprising a pair of switching transistors connected to each end of the primary side of the transformer;

a pair of injection transistors connected to the pair of switching transistors; and

a voltage source connected to each transistor of the pair of switching transistors of the oscillator,

wherein each transistor of the pair of switching transistors of the oscillator and each transistor of the pair of injection transistors has a front-gate node and a back-gate node,

wherein the back-gate node of each transistor of the pair of switching transistors is connected to the voltage source, and

wherein output power from the secondary side of the transformer is controlled by adjusting the voltage source connected to the back-gate node of the pair of switching transistors.

2. The structure according to claim 1 , wherein the front-gate node of each transistor of the pair of switching transistors is connected to each end of the primary side of the transformer.

3. The structure according to claim 1 , wherein the voltage source connected to the back-gate node of the pair of switching transistors is adjusted independently for each transistor of the pair of switching transistors.

4. The structure according to claim 1 , wherein the pair of injection transistors inject a desired frequency to the oscillator.

5. The structure according to claim 4 , wherein the frequency is tuned by adjusting the voltage source to the back-gate node of the pair of switching transistors.

6. The structure according to claim 1 , wherein each transistor of the pair of switching transistors and each transistor of the pair of injection transistors comprises a fully-depleted semiconductor-on-insulator (FDSOI) transistor.

7. The structure according to claim 1 , wherein the secondary side of the transformer is configured for single ended output having one end of the secondary side of the transformer connected to ground.

8. The structure according to claim 1 , further comprising:

an input transformer having a primary side and a secondary side, wherein the primary side of the input transformer has an RF input; and

each end of the secondary side of the input transformer is connected to a front-gate of one of the transistors of the pair of injection transistors.

9. The structure according to claim 8 , further comprising:

a DC power supply connected to a center tap of the secondary side of the input transformer.

10. The structure according to claim 9 , wherein the DC power supply provides voltage for the pair of injection transistors.

11. A power amplifier, comprising:

a transformer having a primary side and a secondary side;

a power supply connected to a center tap of the primary side of the transformer;

a pair of cross-coupled switching transistors connected to each end of the primary side of the transformer; and

a pair of injection transistors connected to the pair of cross-coupled switching transistors,

wherein each transistor of the pair of cross-coupled switching transistors and each transistor of the pair of injection transistors has a front-gate node and a back-gate node,

wherein an injection signal source is connected to the front-gate node of each transistor of the pair of injection transistors, and a bias voltage source is connected to the back-gate node of each transistor of the pair of cross-coupled switching transistors, and

wherein output power from the secondary side of the transformer is controlled by adjusting the bias voltage from a bias voltage source connected to the back-gate node of each transistor of the pair of cross-coupled switching transistors.

12. The power amplifier according to claim 11 , wherein the front-gate node of each transistor of the pair of cross-coupled switching transistors is connected to each end of the primary side of the transformer.

13. The power amplifier according to claim 11 , wherein a separate bias voltage source is connected to the back-gate node of each transistor of the pair of cross-coupled switching transistors, each separate bias voltage source being adjusted independently.

14. The power amplifier according to claim 11 , wherein the pair of injection transistors inject a desired frequency to the cross-coupled switching transistors.

15. The power amplifier according to claim 14 , wherein the frequency is tuned by adjusting a voltage source to the back-gate node of the cross-coupled switching transistors.

16. The power amplifier according to claim 11 , wherein each transistor of the pair of cross-coupled switching transistors and each transistor of the pair of injection transistors comprises a fully-depleted semiconductor-on-insulator (FDSOI) transistor.

17. The power amplifier according to claim 11 , further comprising:

an input transformer having a primary side and a secondary side, wherein the primary side of the input transformer has an RF input; and

each end of the secondary side of the input transformer is connected to the front-gate node of one of the transistors of the pair of injection transistors.

18. A method of controlling a power amplifier, comprising:

cross coupling a pair of switching transistors connected to the primary side of a transformer having a primary side and a secondary side;

providing an injection current to each transistor of the pair of switching transistors, wherein the injection current determines a desired frequency for the pair of switching transistors to oscillate the transformer;

measuring output power from the secondary side of the transformer;

determining if output power from both ends of the secondary side of the transformer are approximately equal; and

responsive to the output power from both ends of the secondary side of the transformer not being approximately equal, controlling output power of the pair of switching transistors by adjusting voltage to a back-gate of the pair of switching transistors.

Assignments (3)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded May 12, 2021
From: WILMINGTON TRUST, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
To: GLOBALFOUNDRIES U.S. INC.
Reel/Frame 056987/0001 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 2, 2020
From: GLOBALFOUNDRIES INC.
To: GLOBALFOUNDRIES U.S. INC.
Reel/Frame 054633/0001 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 26, 2019
From: LEE, SEE T.; BELLAOUAR, ABDELLATIF
To: GLOBALFOUNDRIES INC.
Reel/Frame 050160/0986 →
Continuity (2)
Continuation 15933542 · Mar 23, 2018
Related Publication 20190379338A1 · Dec 12, 2019