Multi-substrate RF module for wireless communication devices
A radio frequency (RF) module includes a first substrate adapted to receive passive circuits; and a second substrate adapted to receive active circuits, the first and second substrates electrically coupled through pads positioned on opposing surfaces of the first and second substrate.
1. A radio frequency (RF) module, comprising:
a first substrate to receive passive circuits; and
a second substrate to receive active circuits, the first and second substrates electrically coupled through pads positioned on opposing surfaces of the first and second substrate;
a printed circuit board (PCB) having pads positioned thereon, the pads being adapted to electrically couple with pads on a remaining surface of the first substrate; and
one or more via holes in the first substrate, and wherein a PCB ground is electrically coupled to the second substrate through the one or more via holes.
2. The module of claim 1 , wherein the first substrate comprises low temperature co-fired ceramic (LTCC) passive elements or other suitable electronic materials.
3. The module of claim 1 , wherein the passive elements comprise one or more of: inductors, capacitors, resistors.
4. The module of claim 1 , wherein the first substrate comprises one or more of: a balun, a filter, a diplexer.
5. The module of claim 1 , wherein the second substrate comprises a gallium arsenide integrated circuit.
6. The module of claim 5 , wherein the active elements comprise one or more of: transistors, diodes.
7. The module of claim 5 , wherein the second substrate comprises one or more of: a power amplifier, a low noise amplifier, a switch.
8. The module of claim 7 , wherein the power amplifier comprises a power detector and a bias control circuit.
9. The module of claim 7 , comprising one or more power amplifiers, each processing an RF signal at a different frequency.
10. The module of claim 1 , comprising a printed circuit board having pads adapted to electrically couple with pads on a remaining surface of a substrate.
11. A radio frequency (RF) module, comprising:
a first substrate to receive passive circuits including one or more of: a balun, a filter, a diplexer; and
a second substrate to receive active circuits including one or more of a power amplifier, a switch, wherein the first and second substrates are electrically coupled through pads positioned on opposing surfaces of the first and second substrate and wherein the quality signal includes one of: Spectral Mask, Adjacent Channel Power Ratio (ACPR), Error Vector Magnitude (EVM), Bit Error Rate (BER), Packet Error Rate (PER).
12. The module of claim 11 , comprising a printed circuit board (PCB) having pads positioned thereon, the pads being adapted to electrically couple with pads on a remaining surface of the first substrate.
13. The module of claim 12 , comprising one or more via holes in the first substrate, and wherein a PCB ground is electrically coupled to the second substrate through the one or more via holes.
14. The module of claim 11 , wherein the power amplifier comprises a quality signal for closed loop linearity control.
15. The module of claim 14 , wherein the quality signal includes one or more of: phase linearity, gain linearity, inter-modulation component.
16. The module of claim 14 , wherein the quality signal is related to one or more of: phase distortion, gain distortion, inter-modulation spectrum distortion.
17. The module of claim 14 , wherein the power amplifier outputs an amplified radio frequency signal under the control of the quality signal.
18. The module of claim 11 , wherein the power amplifier comprises a power detector, a bias control circuit, an impedance matching network and a current sensing circuit.
19. The module of claim 1 , wherein the first and second substrates are coupled to each other using one of: a solder, a conductive adhesive.