High-frequency circuit and communication device

Abstract

A high-frequency circuit (1) is provided with: power amplifier circuits (10, 20); filters (41L and 42L), wherein the passbands of the filters (41L and 42L) include a frequency band A; filters (41H and 42H), wherein the passbands of the filters (41H and 42H) comprise a frequency band B; and a switching circuit (60) that switches the connection between the antenna terminal (60a) and the terminals (60c, 60d) and the connection between the antenna terminal (60b) and the terminals (60g, 60h), the output end of the power amplifier circuit (10) being connected to the input ends of the filter (41L) and the filter (41H), the output end of the filter (41L) being connected to the terminal (60c), and the output end of the filter (41H) being connected to the terminal (60d). The output end of the power amplifier circuit (20) is connected to the input ends of the filter (42L) and the filter (42H), the output end of the filter (42L) is connected to the terminal (60g), and the output end of the filter (42H) is connected to the terminal (60h).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a high-frequency circuit and a communication device. Background Art

[0002] Patent document 1 discloses a high-frequency circuit (power amplifier circuit), which comprises: a first amplifier (carrier amplifier), which amplifies a first signal allocated from an input signal in a region where the power level of the input signal is above a first level to output a second signal; a first transformer, to which the second signal is input; a second amplifier (peak amplifier), which amplifies a third signal allocated from the input signal in a region where the power level of the input signal is above a second level higher than the first level to output a fourth signal; and a second transformer, to which the fourth signal is input.

[0003] Prior art literature

[0004] Patent Literature

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-137566 Summary of the invention

[0006] Problem that the invention aims to solve

[0007] In the configuration of Patent Document 1, when signals in a plurality of frequency bands are transmitted simultaneously while ensuring high isolation, the high-frequency circuit may be increased in size.

[0008] The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a small high-frequency circuit and a communication device capable of simultaneously transmitting high-frequency signals in a plurality of frequency bands while ensuring high isolation.

[0009] Solutions for solving problems

[0010] In order to achieve the above-mentioned purpose, a high-frequency circuit involved in one embodiment of the present invention is a high-frequency circuit that can simultaneously transmit a first frequency band and a second frequency band, and comprises: a first power amplifier circuit and a second power amplifier circuit; a first multiplexer, which includes a first filter and a second filter, the passband of the first filter includes the first frequency band, and the passband of the second filter includes the second frequency band; a second multiplexer, which includes a third filter and a fourth filter, the passband of the third filter includes the first frequency band, and the passband of the fourth filter includes the second frequency band; and a switching circuit, which has a first antenna terminal, a second antenna terminal, a first terminal, a second terminal, a third terminal and a fourth terminal, and the switching circuit connects the first antenna terminal to the first terminal and the first antenna terminal The switching circuit switches the connection between the first antenna terminal and the second terminal, and switches the connection between the second antenna terminal and the third terminal and the connection between the second antenna terminal and the fourth terminal. The switching circuit does not connect the first antenna terminal to the third terminal and the fourth terminal, and does not connect the second antenna terminal to the first terminal and the second terminal. The output end of the first power amplifier circuit is connected to the input end of the first filter and the input end of the second filter, the output end of the first filter is connected to the first terminal, the output end of the second filter is connected to the second terminal, the output end of the second power amplifier circuit is connected to the input end of the third filter and the input end of the fourth filter, the output end of the third filter is connected to the third terminal, and the output end of the fourth filter is connected to the fourth terminal.

[0011] Effects of the Invention

[0012] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a compact high-frequency circuit and a communication device capable of simultaneously transmitting high-frequency signals in a plurality of frequency bands while ensuring high isolation. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013] Figure 1 It is a circuit configuration diagram of a high-frequency circuit and a communication device according to an embodiment.

[0014] Figure 2 It is a circuit configuration diagram of a high-frequency circuit and a communication device according to a comparative example.

[0015] Figure 3A It is a diagram showing an operating state of a switching circuit according to an embodiment.

[0016] Figure 3B It is a diagram showing an operating state of a switching circuit according to a comparative example.

[0017] Figure 4 It is a graph showing the pass characteristics of the high-frequency circuit according to the embodiment.

[0018] Figure 5 1 and 2 are a plan view and a cross-sectional view of a high-frequency circuit according to an embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0019] The embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below. In addition, the embodiments described below all represent general or specific examples. The numerical values, shapes, materials, constituent elements, configurations of constituent elements, and connection methods shown in the following embodiments are examples, and their main purpose is not to limit the present invention. Regarding the constituent elements of the following embodiments and modified examples that are not recorded in the independent claims, they are set as arbitrary constituent elements for description. In addition, the sizes or size ratios of the constituent elements shown in the drawings are not necessarily strict. In each figure, the same figure mark is marked for substantially the same structure, and repeated descriptions are sometimes omitted or simplified.

[0020] In the following, terms such as parallel and perpendicular indicating the relationship between elements, terms such as rectangular indicating the shape of an element, and numerical ranges do not have strict meanings but are substantially equivalent ranges and include differences of, for example, several percent.

[0021] In the following figures, the x-axis and the y-axis are axes that are orthogonal to each other on a plane parallel to the main surface of the module substrate. Specifically, when the module substrate has a rectangular shape when viewed from above, the x-axis is parallel to the first side of the module substrate, and the y-axis is parallel to the second side of the module substrate that is orthogonal to the first side. In addition, the z-axis is an axis perpendicular to the main surface of the module substrate, and its positive direction indicates the upward direction, and its negative direction indicates the downward direction.

[0022] In the circuit structure of the present invention, "connection" includes not only direct connection through connection terminals and / or wiring conductors, but also electrical connection via other circuit elements. "Connection between A and B" means connection between A and B and both A and B, including series connection to the path connecting A and B, and also includes parallel connection (shunt connection) between the path and the ground.

[0023] In the component configuration of the present invention, "looking down on the module substrate" means observing the object by orthogonally projecting it onto the xy plane from the positive side of the z-axis. "A is configured between B and C" means that at least one of the multiple line segments connecting an arbitrary point in B with an arbitrary point in C passes through A. "The distance between A and B when looking down on the module substrate" means the length of the line segment connecting the representative point in the area of ​​A with the representative point in the area of ​​B, which is orthogonally projected onto the xy plane. Here, as a representative point, the center point of the area or the point closest to the other area can be used, but it is not limited to this.

[0024] In addition, in the component configuration of the present invention, "components are configured on the substrate" includes the case where the components are configured on the main surface of the substrate and the case where the components are configured inside the substrate. "Components are configured on the main surface of the substrate" includes not only the case where the components are configured to contact the main surface of the substrate, but also the case where the components are configured above the main surface without contacting the main surface (for example, the case where the components are stacked on other components configured to contact the main surface). In addition, "components are configured on the main surface of the substrate" may also include the case where the components are configured in a recessed portion formed on the main surface. "Components are configured inside the substrate" includes not only the case where the components are encapsulated in the module substrate, but also the case where all the components are configured between the two main surfaces of the substrate but a part of the components is not covered by the substrate, and the case where only a part of the components is configured inside the substrate.

[0025] In the present disclosure, a “signal path” refers to a transmission line composed of a wiring that transmits a high-frequency signal, an electrode directly connected to the wiring, and a terminal directly connected to the wiring or the electrode.

[0026] (Implementation Method)

[0027] [1. Circuit Configuration of High-Frequency Circuit 1 and Communication Device 4]

[0028] Reference Figure 1 The circuit configurations of the high-frequency circuit 1 and the communication device 4 according to the present embodiment will be described. Figure 1 It is a circuit configuration diagram of the high-frequency circuit 1 and the communication device 4 according to the embodiment.

[0029] [1.1 Circuit Configuration of Communication Device 4]

[0030] First, the circuit structure of the communication device 4 is described. Figure 1 As shown, the communication device 4 according to the present embodiment includes a high-frequency circuit 1 , antennas 2A and 2B, and an RF signal processing circuit (RFIC) 3 .

[0031] The high-frequency circuit 1 transmits a high-frequency signal between the antennas 2A and 2B and the RFIC 3. The detailed circuit configuration of the high-frequency circuit 1 will be described later.

[0032] Antenna 2A is connected to antenna connection terminal 101 of high frequency circuit 1. Antenna 2B is connected to antenna connection terminal 102 of high frequency circuit 1. Antennas 2A and 2B transmit high frequency signals output from high frequency circuit 1, and receive high frequency signals from the outside and output the high frequency signals to high frequency circuit 1.

[0033] RFIC 3 is an example of a signal processing circuit that processes a high-frequency signal. Specifically, RFIC 3 performs signal processing on a received signal input via a receiving path of a high-frequency circuit 1 by down-conversion or the like, and outputs the received signal generated after the signal processing to a baseband signal processing circuit (BBIC, not shown). In addition, RFIC 3 performs signal processing on a transmission signal input from BBIC by up-conversion or the like, and outputs the transmission signal generated after the signal processing to the transmission path of the high-frequency circuit 1. In addition, RFIC 3 has a control unit that controls switches, amplifier elements, bias circuits, etc., which are possessed by the high-frequency circuit 1. In addition, part or all of the functions of RFIC 3 as a control unit can be installed outside RFIC 3, for example, it can be installed on the BBIC or the high-frequency circuit 1.

[0034] In addition, RFIC 3 also has a function as a control unit that controls the power supply voltage and bias voltage supplied to each amplifier included in high-frequency circuit 1. Specifically, RFIC 3 outputs a digital control signal to high-frequency circuit 1. Power supply voltage and bias voltage controlled by the digital control signal are supplied to each amplifier of high-frequency circuit 1.

[0035] The control unit may be included as an amplifier control circuit in the high frequency circuit 1. In this case, the amplifier control circuit outputs a control signal for controlling the power supply voltage and the bias current to the power supply circuit and the bias circuit according to the control signal received from the RFIC 3.

[0036] Furthermore, the RFIC 3 determines whether a high-frequency signal of the frequency band A or the frequency band B is to be output to the signal input terminals 111 , 112 , 121 , and 122 of the high-frequency circuit 1 based on the frequency band used.

[0037] In addition, in the communication device 4 according to the present embodiment, the antennas 2A and 2B are not essential components.

[0038] [1.2 Circuit structure of high frequency circuit 1]

[0039] Next, the circuit structure of the high frequency circuit 1 is described. Figure 1 As shown, the high frequency circuit 1 includes power amplifier circuits 10 and 20 , a low noise amplifier circuit 30 , diplexers 41 , 42 , 43 , and 44 , a switch circuit 60 , and antenna connection terminals 101 and 102 .

[0040] The power amplifier circuit 10 is an example of a first power amplifier circuit, and amplifies high-frequency transmission signals (hereinafter referred to as transmission signals) of frequency bands A and B input from signal input terminals 111 and 112, and outputs the amplified transmission signals from a signal output terminal 113. The power amplifier circuit 20 is an example of a second power amplifier circuit, and amplifies transmission signals of frequency bands A and B input from signal input terminals 121 and 122, and outputs the amplified transmission signals from a signal output terminal 123. The low-noise amplifier circuit 30 amplifies high-frequency reception signals (hereinafter referred to as reception signals) of frequency bands A and B input from signal input terminals 135 to 138, and outputs the amplified reception signals from signal output terminals 131 to 134.

[0041] In addition, frequency band A is an example of a first frequency band, frequency band B is an example of a second frequency band, and frequency band A and frequency band B are frequency bands for a communication system constructed using a radio access technology (RAT: Radio Access Technology). Frequency bands A and B are predefined by standardization organizations, such as 3GPP (registered trademark) (3rd Generation Partnership Project) and IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers), etc. As examples of communication systems, 5GNR (5th Generation New Radio) system, LTE (Long Term Evolution) system, and WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network) system can be listed. Frequency band A and frequency band B are frequency bands that can be transmitted and / or received simultaneously. In addition, frequency band A and frequency band B can be transmitted simultaneously as long as they meet the combination of frequency bands that can be transmitted simultaneously as recorded in the specifications of the standardization organization.

[0042] In the high-frequency circuit 1 involved in this embodiment, frequency band A is, for example, frequency band B40 for 4G-LTE or frequency band n40 (2300MHz-2400MHz) for 5G-NR, and frequency band B is frequency band B41 for 4G-LTE or frequency band n41 (2496MHz-2690MHz) for 5G-NR.

[0043] In addition, frequency band A may be, for example, frequency band B77 for 4G-LTE or frequency band n77 (3300MHz-4200MHz) for 5G-NR, and frequency band B may be frequency band B79 for 4G-LTE or frequency band n79 (4400MHz-5000MHz) for 5G-NR.

[0044] The detailed circuit structures of the power amplifier circuits 10 and 20 and the low-noise amplifier circuit 30 will be described later.

[0045] The diplexer 41 is an example of the first multiplexer, and includes filters 41L and 41H. The filter 41L is an example of the first filter, and is a low-pass filter for transmission whose passband includes frequency band A and whose attenuation band includes frequency band B. In addition, the filter 41L may not be a low-pass filter, but may be a band-pass filter. The filter 41H is an example of the second filter, and is a high-pass filter for transmission whose passband includes frequency band B and whose attenuation band includes frequency band A. In addition, the filter 41H may not be a high-pass filter, but may be a band-pass filter.

[0046] The input end of the filter 41L is connected to the input end of the filter 41H. Thus, the diplexer 41 outputs the transmission signal of the frequency band A among the transmission signals input from the input ends of the filters 41L and 41H from the output end of the filter 41L, and outputs the transmission signal of the frequency band B among the transmission signals input from the input ends of the filters 41L and 41H from the output end of the filter 41H.

[0047] The diplexer 42 is an example of the second multiplexer, and includes filters 42L and 42H. The filter 42L is an example of the third filter, and is a low-pass filter for transmission whose passband includes frequency band A and whose attenuation band includes frequency band B. In addition, the filter 42L may not be a low-pass filter, but may be a band-pass filter. The filter 42H is an example of the fourth filter, and is a high-pass filter for transmission whose passband includes frequency band B and whose attenuation band includes frequency band A. In addition, the filter 42H may not be a high-pass filter, but may be a band-pass filter.

[0048] The input end of the filter 42L is connected to the input end of the filter 42H. Thus, the diplexer 42 outputs the transmission signal of the frequency band A among the transmission signals input from the input ends of the filters 42L and 42H from the output end of the filter 42L, and outputs the transmission signal of the frequency band B among the transmission signals input from the input ends of the filters 42L and 42H from the output end of the filter 42H.

[0049] The diplexer 43 includes filters 43L and 43H. The filter 43L is a low-pass filter for reception whose passband includes frequency band A and whose attenuation band includes frequency band B. In addition, the filter 43L may not be a low-pass filter but may be a band-pass filter. The filter 43H is a high-pass filter for reception whose passband includes frequency band B and whose attenuation band includes frequency band A. In addition, the filter 43H may not be a high-pass filter but may be a band-pass filter.

[0050] The input end of the filter 43L is connected to the input end of the filter 43H. Thus, the diplexer 43 outputs the received signal of the frequency band A among the received signals input from the input ends of the filters 43L and 43H from the output end of the filter 43L, and outputs the received signal of the frequency band B among the received signals input from the input ends of the filters 43L and 43H from the output end of the filter 43H.

[0051] The diplexer 44 includes filters 44L and 44H. The filter 44L is a low-pass filter for reception whose passband includes frequency band A and whose attenuation band includes frequency band B. In addition, the filter 44L may not be a low-pass filter but may be a band-pass filter. The filter 44H is a high-pass filter for reception whose passband includes frequency band B and whose attenuation band includes frequency band A. In addition, the filter 44H may not be a high-pass filter but may be a band-pass filter.

[0052] The input end of the filter 44L is connected to the input end of the filter 44H. Thus, the diplexer 44 outputs the received signal of the frequency band A among the received signals input from the input ends of the filters 44L and 44H from the output end of the filter 44L, and outputs the received signal of the frequency band B among the received signals input from the input ends of the filters 44L and 44H from the output end of the filter 44H.

[0053] The switch circuit 60 includes an antenna terminal 60a (first antenna terminal), an antenna terminal 60b (second antenna terminal), a terminal 60c (first terminal), a terminal 60d (second terminal), a terminal 60e (fifth terminal), a terminal 60f (fifth terminal), a terminal 60g (third terminal), and a terminal 60h (fourth terminal). The switch circuit 60 switches the connection between the antenna terminal 60a and the terminal 60c and the connection between the antenna terminal 60a and the terminal 60d, and switches the connection between the antenna terminal 60b and the terminal 60g and the connection between the antenna terminal 60b and the terminal 60h. In addition, the switch circuit 60 does not connect the antenna terminal 60a to the terminals 60g and 60h, and does not connect the antenna terminal 60b to the terminals 60c and 60d. Furthermore, the switch circuit 60 switches the connection and non-connection between the antenna terminal 60a and each of the terminals 60e and 60f, and switches the connection and non-connection between the antenna terminal 60b and each of the terminals 60e and 60f.

[0054] The signal output terminal 113 of the power amplifier circuit 10 is connected to the input terminal of the filter 41L and the input terminal of the filter 41H. The output terminal of the filter 41L is connected to the terminal 60c, and the output terminal of the filter 41H is connected to the terminal 60d.

[0055] In addition, each of the antenna connection terminals 101 and 102, antenna terminals 60a and 60b, and terminals 60c, 60d, 60e, 60f, 60g, and 60h may be a metal conductor such as a metal electrode or a metal bump, or may be a point on a metal wiring.

[0056] The signal output terminal 123 of the power amplifier circuit 20 is connected to the input terminal of the filter 42L and the input terminal of the filter 42H. The output terminal of the filter 42L is connected to the terminal 60g, and the output terminal of the filter 42H is connected to the terminal 60h.

[0057] The signal input terminal 135 of the low noise amplifier circuit 30 is connected to the output end of the filter 43L, the signal input terminal 136 of the low noise amplifier circuit 30 is connected to the output end of the filter 43H, the signal input terminal 137 of the low noise amplifier circuit 30 is connected to the output end of the filter 44L, and the signal input terminal 138 of the low noise amplifier circuit 30 is connected to the output end of the filter 44H. The input end of the filter 43L and the input end of the filter 43H are connected to the terminal 60e, and the input end of the filter 44L and the input end of the filter 44H are connected to the terminal 60f.

[0058] That is, the signal input terminals 135 and 136 of the low noise amplifier circuit 30 are connected to the terminal 60 e via the diplexer 43 , and the signal input terminals 137 and 138 of the low noise amplifier circuit 30 are connected to the terminal 60 f via the diplexer 44 .

[0059] According to the above-described configuration of the high-frequency circuit 1 , a transmission signal in the frequency band A and a transmission signal in the frequency band B can be transmitted simultaneously.

[0060] For example, as the first connection state of the switch circuit 60, the antenna terminal 60a is connected to the terminal 60c, and the antenna terminal 60b is connected to the terminal 60h. As a result, while the transmission signal of the frequency band A is output to the antenna 2A via the power amplifier circuit 10, the filter 41L, the terminal 60c, the antenna terminal 60a, and the antenna connection terminal 101, the transmission signal of the frequency band B is output to the antenna 2B via the power amplifier circuit 20, the filter 42H, the terminal 60h, the antenna terminal 60b, and the antenna connection terminal 102.

[0061] In addition, for example, as the second connection state of the switch circuit 60, the antenna terminal 60a is connected to the terminal 60d, and the antenna terminal 60b is connected to the terminal 60g. As a result, while the transmission signal of the frequency band B is output to the antenna 2A via the power amplifier circuit 10, the filter 41H, the terminal 60d, the antenna terminal 60a, and the antenna connection terminal 101, the transmission signal of the frequency band A is output to the antenna 2B via the power amplifier circuit 20, the filter 42L, the terminal 60g, the antenna terminal 60b, and the antenna connection terminal 102.

[0062] According to this, the transmission signal of one of the frequency band A and the frequency band B can be output from the power amplifier circuit 10 to the antenna 2A via the diplexer 41 and the antenna terminal 60a, while the signal of the other of the frequency band A and the frequency band B can be output from the power amplifier circuit 20 to the antenna 2B via the diplexer 42 and the antenna terminal 60b. At this time, the power amplifier circuit 10 and the diplexer 41 can only be connected to the antenna terminal 60a of the antenna terminal 60a and 60b, and the power amplifier circuit 20 and the diplexer 42 can only be connected to the antenna terminal 60b of the antenna terminal 60a and 60b. Therefore, the isolation of the signal of the frequency band A and the signal of the frequency band B that are transmitted simultaneously can be ensured in the switch circuit 60. That is, it is possible to achieve simultaneous transmission of the transmission signal of the frequency band A and the transmission signal of the frequency band B with high isolation using a small high-frequency circuit 1 such as two power amplifier circuits 10 and 20, two diplexers 41 and 42, and one switch circuit 60.

[0063] In addition, in the high frequency circuit 1 according to the present embodiment, the low noise amplifier circuit 30 and the diplexers 43 and 44 may not be provided. In this case, the terminals 60e and 60f of the switch circuit 60 may not be provided.

[0064] Next, the circuit configurations of the power amplifier circuits 10 and 20 and the low-noise amplifier circuit 30 will be described.

[0065] The power amplifier circuit 10 is a Doherty type amplifier circuit that amplifies the transmission signal of the frequency band A and the transmission signal of the frequency band B and transmits them. Figure 1 As shown, the power amplifier circuit 10 includes preamplifiers 15 and 16, carrier amplifiers 11 and 12, peak amplifiers 13 and 14, transformers 17, 18 and 19, capacitors 53 and 54, phase shift lines 51 and 52, signal input terminals 111 and 112, and a signal output terminal 113.

[0066] In addition, each of the signal input terminals 111 and 112 and the signal output terminal 113 may be a metal conductor such as a metal electrode or a metal bump, or may be a point on a metal wiring.

[0067] In addition, the Doherty amplifier circuit refers to an amplifier circuit that achieves high efficiency by using multiple amplifiers as carrier amplifiers and peak amplifiers. The carrier amplifier refers to an amplifier that operates regardless of whether the power of the high-frequency signal (input) is low or high in the Doherty type amplifier circuit. The peak amplifier refers to an amplifier that operates mainly when the power of the high-frequency signal (input) is high in the Doherty type amplifier circuit. Therefore, when the input power of the high-frequency signal is low, the high-frequency signal is mainly amplified by the carrier amplifier, and when the input power of the high-frequency signal is high, the high-frequency signal is amplified by the carrier amplifier and the peak amplifier and then synthesized. Through such an action, in the Doherty type amplifier circuit, the load impedance seen from the carrier amplifier at low output power increases, and the efficiency at low output power is improved.

[0068] In the high-frequency circuit involved in the present invention, when the output signal of the carrier amplifier and the output signal of the peak amplifier are synthesized by current, it is determined that: the amplifier whose output end is connected to the phase shift circuit for shifting the phase of the high-frequency signal by 1 / 4 wavelength is the carrier amplifier, and the amplifier whose output end is not connected to the phase shift circuit for shifting the phase of the high-frequency signal by 1 / 4 wavelength is the peak amplifier.

[0069] The preamplifier 15 amplifies the transmission signal of the frequency band A or the frequency band B input from the signal input terminal 111 . The preamplifier 16 amplifies the transmission signal of the frequency band A or the frequency band B input from the signal input terminal 112 .

[0070] The transformer 17 has a primary coil 171 and a secondary coil 172. One end of the primary coil 171 is connected to a power supply (power supply voltage Vcc), and the other end of the primary coil 171 is connected to the output end of the preamplifier 15. One end of the secondary coil 172 is connected to the input end of the carrier amplifier 11, and the other end of the secondary coil 172 is connected to the input end of the carrier amplifier 12. The transformer 17 converts the unbalanced signal output from the preamplifier 15 into a balanced signal having a phase relationship in which the phases are opposite to each other.

[0071] The transformer 18 has a primary coil 181 and a secondary coil 182. One end of the primary coil 181 is connected to a power supply (power supply voltage Vcc), and the other end of the primary coil 181 is connected to the output end of the preamplifier 16. One end of the secondary coil 182 is connected to the input end of the peak amplifier 13, and the other end of the secondary coil 182 is connected to the input end of the peak amplifier 14. The transformer 18 converts the unbalanced signal output from the preamplifier 16 into a balanced signal having a phase relationship in which the phases are opposite to each other.

[0072] The transformer 19 has a primary coil 191 and a secondary coil 192. One end of the primary coil 191 is connected to the output end of the peak amplifier 13, and the other end of the primary coil 191 is connected to the output end of the peak amplifier 14. One end of the secondary coil 192 is connected to the signal output terminal 113, and the other end of the secondary coil 192 is connected to the ground. The transformer 19 converts a balanced signal obtained by current synthesis of a signal output from the carrier amplifier 11 and a signal output from the peak amplifier 13, and a balanced signal obtained by current synthesis of a signal output from the carrier amplifier 12 and a signal output from the peak amplifier 14 into an unbalanced signal.

[0073] The carrier amplifiers 11 and 12 are examples of first carrier amplifiers and have amplifier transistors. The peak amplifiers 13 and 14 are examples of first peak amplifiers and have amplifier transistors. The amplifier transistors of the carrier amplifiers and the peak amplifiers are, for example, bipolar transistors such as heterojunction bipolar transistors (HBT) or field effect transistors (FET) such as MOSFET (Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field Effect Transistor).

[0074] Carrier amplifiers 11 and 12 are class A (or class AB) amplifier circuits capable of amplifying signals of band A or band B output from transformer 17 at all power levels, and in particular, are capable of highly efficient amplification in low and medium output regions.

[0075] The peak amplifiers 13 and 14 are class C amplifier circuits capable of performing an amplification operation in a region where the power level of the signal in the frequency band A or the frequency band B output from the transformer 18 is high. A bias voltage lower than the bias voltage applied to the amplification transistors in the carrier amplifiers 11 and 12 is applied to the amplification transistors in the peak amplifiers 13 and 14, so that the higher the power level of the signal output from the transformer 18, the lower the output impedance. As a result, the peak amplifiers 13 and 14 can perform amplification operation with low distortion in a high output region.

[0076] The output end of the carrier amplifier 11 is connected to one end of the phase shift line 51, and the output end of the carrier amplifier 12 is connected to one end of the phase shift line 52. The other end of the phase shift line 51 is connected to the output end of the peak amplifier 13, and the other end of the phase shift line 52 is connected to the output end of the peak amplifier 14. In addition, the phase shift lines 51 and 52 can be phase shift circuits composed of chip inductors and capacitors.

[0077] The capacitor 53 is connected between the output terminal of the carrier amplifier 11 and the output terminal of the carrier amplifier 12. The capacitor 54 is connected between the vicinity of the midpoint of the primary side coil 191 and the ground. The capacitor 53 has a function of suppressing the harmonics output from the carrier amplifiers 11 and 12 from being transmitted to the transformer 19. The capacitor 54 has a function of reducing the common mode noise generated by the carrier amplifiers 11 and 12 and the peak amplifiers 13 and 14.

[0078] According to the above-mentioned connection structure of the power amplifier circuit 10, the differential signals of band A or band B output from the carrier amplifiers 11 and 12 and the differential signals of band A or band B output from the peak amplifiers 13 and 14 are synthesized by current, and the signal obtained by the current synthesis is converted into an unbalanced (non-differential) signal by the transformer 19 and then output from the signal output terminal 113.

[0079] Furthermore, the power amplifier circuit 10 may not be a differential amplifier circuit, but may have a carrier amplifier, a peak amplifier, and a phase shift circuit. In this case, transformers 17 to 19 are not required. Furthermore, the power amplifier circuit 10 may not be a Doherty amplifier circuit, but may have a power amplifier capable of amplifying transmission signals of frequency bands A and B.

[0080] The power amplifier circuit 20 is a Doherty type amplifier circuit that amplifies the transmission signal of the frequency band A and the transmission signal of the frequency band B and transmits them. Figure 1 As shown, the power amplifier circuit 20 includes preamplifiers 25 and 26, carrier amplifiers 21 and 22, peak amplifiers 23 and 24, transformers 27, 28 and 29, capacitors 58 and 59, phase shift lines 56 and 57, signal input terminals 121 and 122, and a signal output terminal 123.

[0081] In addition, each of the signal input terminals 121 and 122 and the signal output terminal 123 may be a metal conductor such as a metal electrode or a metal bump, or may be a point on a metal wiring.

[0082] In addition, the circuit structure of the power amplifier circuit 20 is the same as that of the power amplifier circuit 10, and the preamplifiers 25 and 26, the carrier amplifiers 21 and 22, the peak amplifiers 23 and 24, the transformers 27, 28 and 29, the capacitors 58 and 59, the phase shift lines 56 and 57, the signal input terminals 121 and 122, and the signal output terminal 123 of the power amplifier circuit 20 correspond to the preamplifiers 15 and 16, the carrier amplifiers 11 and 12, the peak amplifiers 13 and 14, the transformers 17, 18 and 19, the capacitors 53 and 54, the phase shift lines 51 and 52, the signal input terminals 111 and 112, and the signal output terminal 113 of the power amplifier circuit 10, respectively. Therefore, the detailed description of the circuit structure of the power amplifier circuit 20 is omitted.

[0083] According to the structure of the power amplifier circuit 20, the differential signals of band A or band B output from the carrier amplifiers 21 and 22 and the differential signals of band A or band B output from the peak amplifiers 23 and 24 are synthesized by current, and the signal obtained by the current synthesis is converted into an unbalanced (non-differential) signal by the transformer 29 and then output from the signal output terminal 123.

[0084] Furthermore, the power amplifier circuit 20 may not be a differential amplifier circuit, but may have a carrier amplifier, a peak amplifier, and a phase shift circuit. In this case, transformers 27 to 29 are not required. Furthermore, the power amplifier circuit 20 may not be a Doherty amplifier circuit, but may have a power amplifier capable of amplifying transmission signals of frequency bands A and B.

[0085] The low-noise amplifier circuit 30 includes low-noise amplifiers 31 , 32 , 33 , and 34 , signal input terminals 135 , 136 , 137 , and 138 , and signal output terminals 131 , 132 , 133 , and 134 .

[0086] The low noise amplifier 31 is an example of a first low noise amplifier, and can amplify the received signal of the frequency band A. The input end of the low noise amplifier 31 is connected to the output end of the filter 43L via the signal input terminal 135, and the output end of the low noise amplifier 31 is connected to the RFIC 3 via the signal output terminal 131. The low noise amplifier 32 is an example of a second low noise amplifier, and can amplify the received signal of the frequency band B. The input end of the low noise amplifier 32 is connected to the output end of the filter 43H via the signal input terminal 136, and the output end of the low noise amplifier 32 is connected to the RFIC 3 via the signal output terminal 132.

[0087] The low noise amplifier 33 is an example of a first low noise amplifier, and can amplify the received signal of the frequency band A. The input end of the low noise amplifier 33 is connected to the output end of the filter 44L via the signal input terminal 137, and the output end of the low noise amplifier 33 is connected to the RFIC 3 via the signal output terminal 133. The low noise amplifier 34 is an example of a second low noise amplifier, and can amplify the received signal of the frequency band B. The input end of the low noise amplifier 34 is connected to the output end of the filter 44H via the signal input terminal 138, and the output end of the low noise amplifier 34 is connected to the RFIC 3 via the signal output terminal 134.

[0088] [1.3 Circuit Configuration of High-Frequency Circuit 500 According to Comparative Example]

[0089] Figure 2 is a circuit diagram of a high frequency circuit 500 according to a comparative example. Figure 2 As shown, the high frequency circuit 500 includes power amplifier circuits 10 and 20 , a low noise amplifier circuit 30 , diplexers 43 , 44 , and 540 , a switch circuit 560 , and antenna connection terminals 101 and 102 .

[0090] The high-frequency circuit 500 according to the comparative example is different from the high-frequency circuit 1 according to the embodiment in that a diplexer 540 is provided instead of the diplexers 41 and 42, and in that a switch circuit 560 is configured. Hereinafter, the high-frequency circuit 500 according to the comparative example will be described with the structure that is the same as that of the high-frequency circuit 1 according to the embodiment omitted, and the description will be centered on the different structures.

[0091] The power amplifier circuits 10 and 20 and the low-noise amplifier circuit 30 have the same configurations as those of the high-frequency circuit 1 according to the embodiment, and thus description thereof will be omitted.

[0092] The diplexer 540 includes filters 540L and 540H. The filter 540L is a low-pass filter for transmission whose passband includes the frequency band A and whose attenuation band includes the frequency band B. The filter 540H is a high-pass filter for transmission whose passband includes the frequency band B and whose attenuation band includes the frequency band A.

[0093] The input end of the filter 540L is connected to the signal output terminal 113, and the input end of the filter 540H is connected to the signal output terminal 123. In addition, the output end of the filter 540L and the output end of the filter 540H are connected to the terminal 560e of the switch circuit 560. Thus, the diplexer 540 outputs the transmission signal of the frequency band A among the transmission signals input from the power amplifier circuit 10 to the terminal 560e, and outputs the transmission signal of the frequency band B among the transmission signals input from the power amplifier circuit 20 to the terminal 560e.

[0094] The switch circuit 560 includes antenna terminals 560a and 560b and terminals 560c, 560d, and 560e. The switch circuit 560 switches between connection and disconnection between the antenna terminal 560a and any of the terminals 560c, 560d, and 560e, and switches between connection and disconnection between the antenna terminal 560b and any of the terminals 560c, 560d, and 560e.

[0095] According to the above-mentioned structure of the high frequency circuit 500 involved in the comparative example, one of the transmission signal of the frequency band A and the transmission signal of the frequency band B can be outputted exclusively through the terminal 560e. However, since the transmission signal of the frequency band A and the transmission signal of the frequency band B are outputted through one terminal 560e, the isolation between the transmission signal of the frequency band A and the transmission signal of the frequency band B cannot be ensured, and therefore, the transmission signal of the frequency band A and the transmission signal of the frequency band B cannot be transmitted at the same time.

[0096] In contrast, according to the high-frequency circuit 1 involved in the embodiment, by only changing the structure of the diplexer connected to the power amplifier circuits 10 and 20 with respect to the circuit structure of the high-frequency circuit 500 involved in the comparative example, it is possible to ensure high isolation and realize simultaneous transmission of the transmission signal of the frequency band A and the transmission signal of the frequency band B.

[0097] [1.4 Isolation characteristics of high-frequency circuits]

[0098] Figure 3A is a diagram showing the operating state of the switch circuit 60 according to the embodiment. Figure 3B is a diagram showing the operating state of the switch circuit 560 involved in the comparative example. Figure 3A In the circuit configuration of the switch circuit 60 shown in the figure, it is assumed that the frequency band A and the frequency band B are frequency bands for time division duplex (TDD).

[0099] Figure 3A and Figure 3B 2 shows the operation state of the switch circuit when the transmission signal of the frequency band A and the transmission signal of the frequency band B are transmitted simultaneously.

[0100] Assuming that the transmission signal of the frequency band A and the transmission signal of the frequency band B are transmitted simultaneously in the high frequency circuit 500 according to the comparative example, it is assumed that Figure 3B1 and 1 . The switch circuit 560 includes switches 561, 562, 563, 564, 565, and 566 in addition to antenna terminals 560a and 560b and terminals 560c, 560d, and 560e. One end of the switch 561 is connected to the terminal 560c, and the other end of the switch 561 is connected to the antenna terminal 560a. One end of the switch 562 is connected to the terminal 560d, and the other end of the switch 562 is connected to the antenna terminal 560a. One end of the switch 563 is connected to the terminal 560e, and the other end of the switch 563 is connected to the antenna terminal 560a. One end of the switch 564 is connected to the terminal 560c, and the other end of the switch 564 is connected to the antenna terminal 560b. One end of the switch 565 is connected to the terminal 560d, and the other end of the switch 565 is connected to the antenna terminal 560b. One end of the switch 566 is connected to the terminal 560e, and the other end of the switch 566 is connected to the antenna terminal 560b.

[0101] Each of the switches 561 to 566 is, for example, a FET having a gate terminal, a source terminal, and a drain terminal. Figure 3B , the gate terminal is omitted. In addition, each of the switches 561 to 566 may be a FET, or may be a bipolar transistor. When each of the switches 561 to 566 is a bipolar transistor, for example, the source terminal is the emitter terminal, the drain terminal is the collector terminal, and the gate terminal is the base terminal.

[0102] In the switch circuit 560, the terminals 560c, 560d, and 560e have the same connection structure for the antenna terminals 560a and 560b. Here, the following situation is assumed: the transmission signal of the frequency band A is transmitted via the terminal 560c, the switch 561, and the antenna terminal 560a (defined as the transmission path A), and the transmission signal of the frequency band B is transmitted via the terminal 560d, the switch 566, and the antenna terminal 560b (defined as the transmission path B). In this case, the transmission path A and the transmission path B are connected via the switch 564 in the off state. In other words, the transmission path A and the transmission path B are coupled by the off capacitance of one switch 564, and the isolation equivalent to the off capacitance of one switch 564 can be ensured between the transmission signal of the frequency band A and the transmission signal of the frequency band B.

[0103] On the other hand, in the high frequency circuit 1 according to the embodiment, when the transmission signal of the frequency band A and the transmission signal of the frequency band B are transmitted simultaneously, it is assumed that Figure 3A The operating state of the switch circuit 60 is shown.

[0104] The switch circuit 60 includes switches 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, and 68 in addition to the antenna terminals 60a and 60b and the terminals 60c, 60d, 60e, 60f, 60g, and 60h. The switch 61 is an example of a first switch, and one end of the switch 61 is connected to the terminal 60c, and the other end of the switch 61 is connected to the antenna terminal 60a. The switch 62 is an example of a second switch, and one end of the switch 62 is connected to the terminal 60d, and the other end of the switch 62 is connected to the antenna terminal 60a. The switch 63 is an example of a fifth switch, and one end of the switch 63 is connected to the terminal 60e, and the other end of the switch 63 is connected to the antenna terminal 60a. The switch 64 is an example of a sixth switch, and one end of the switch 64 is connected to the terminal 60e, and the other end of the switch 64 is connected to the antenna terminal 60b. The switch 65 is an example of a fifth switch, and one end of the switch 65 is connected to the terminal 60f, and the other end of the switch 65 is connected to the antenna terminal 60a. The switch 66 is an example of a sixth switch, and one end of the switch 66 is connected to the terminal 60f, and the other end of the switch 66 is connected to the antenna terminal 60b. The switch 67 is an example of a third switch, and one end of the switch 67 is connected to the terminal 60g, and the other end of the switch 67 is connected to the antenna terminal 60b. The switch 68 is an example of a fourth switch, and one end of the switch 68 is connected to the terminal 60h, and the other end of the switch 68 is connected to the antenna terminal 60b.

[0105] Each of the switches 61 to 68 is, for example, a FET having a gate terminal, a source terminal, and a drain terminal. Figure 3A , the gate terminal is omitted. In addition, each of the switches 61 to 68 may be a FET, or may be a bipolar transistor. When each of the switches 61 to 68 is a bipolar transistor, for example, the source terminal is the emitter terminal, the drain terminal is the collector terminal, and the gate terminal is the base terminal.

[0106] Here, the following case is assumed: the transmission signal of frequency band A is transmitted via terminal 60c, switch 61, and antenna terminal 60a (defined as transmission path A), and the transmission signal of frequency band B is transmitted via terminal 60h, switch 68, and antenna terminal 60b (defined as transmission path B). In this case, during the period when the transmission signal of frequency band A and the transmission signal of frequency band B are transmitted simultaneously, the reception signal of frequency band A and the reception signal of frequency band B are not transmitted, so switches 63 and 64 are turned off. Therefore, the transmission path A and the transmission path B are connected via switches 63 and 64 in the off state. That is, the transmission path A and the transmission path B are coupled by the off capacitance of the two switches 63 and 64 connected in series, and the isolation equivalent to the off capacitance of the two switches 63 and 64 can be ensured between the transmission signal of frequency band A and the transmission signal of frequency band B.

[0107] In addition, in the switch circuit 560 involved in the comparative example, if it is desired to ensure the same isolation as the switch circuit 60 involved in the embodiment, two switches connected in series need to be respectively arranged in the path connecting the terminals 560c, 560d, and 560e to the antenna terminal 560a and the path connecting the terminals 560c, 560d, and 560e to the antenna terminal 560b. However, in this case, each path when transmitting a signal is added with an on-resistance corresponding to the two switches connected in series, resulting in an increase in transmission loss. In addition, since two switches are added to each path, the switch circuit 560 is enlarged.

[0108] That is, the switch circuit 60 according to the embodiment can achieve a reduction in size of the switch circuit 60 and at the same time ensure a greater degree of isolation due to the off-capacitance of the switch, compared to the switch circuit 560 according to the comparative example.

[0109] Figure 4 is a graph showing the pass characteristics of the high frequency circuit 1 according to the embodiment. Figure 4 , the through characteristics when the transmission signal of band A (band n77 of 5G-NR) and the transmission signal of band B (band n79 of 5G-NR) are transmitted simultaneously are shown. As described above, it can be seen that in the high-frequency circuit 1 involved in this embodiment, since the diplexers 41 and 42 and the switch circuit 60 are configured, the isolation degree when two transmission signals are transmitted simultaneously can be ensured to be 50 dB or more.

[0110] [2. Mounting structure of high-frequency circuit 1]

[0111] Reference Figure 5 The mounting structure of the high-frequency circuit 1 according to the present embodiment will be described.

[0112] Figure 5 It is a top view and a cross-sectional view of the high-frequency circuit 1 according to the embodiment. Figure 5 (a) is a top view of the high-frequency circuit 1, which is a view when the main surface of the module substrate 90 is viewed from the positive side of the z-axis. Figure 5 (b) is a cross-sectional view of the high-frequency circuit 1 . Figure 5 The cross section of the high frequency circuit 1 in (b) is Figure 5 The cross section at line VV of (a). Figure 5 In (a), in order to facilitate understanding of the configuration relationship of each amplifier, each switch, and each diplexer, each amplifier, each switch, and each diplexer is labeled with a mark indicating its function, but the actual amplifier, each switch, and each diplexer are not labeled with such a mark. Figure 5 In FIG. 1 , a portion of wiring connecting the module substrate 90 and each circuit component is omitted from illustration.

[0113] also, Figure 5 The high frequency circuit 1 shown in the figure may further include a resin member covering the main surface of the module substrate 90 and a part of the circuit components, and a shield electrode layer covering the main surface of the resin member. Figure 5 Illustration of the resin member and the shield electrode layer is omitted.

[0114] In addition to the high frequency circuit 1 Figure 1 In addition to the circuit structure shown in FIG. 1 , a module substrate 90 and a semiconductor IC 70 are provided. In addition, the diplexers 43 and 44 included in the high frequency circuit 1 are Figure 5 Although not shown, it can also be configured on the module substrate 90.

[0115] The module substrate 90 has a main surface 90a (first main surface) and a main surface 90b (second main surface) facing each other, and is a substrate for mounting circuit components constituting the high-frequency circuit 1. As the module substrate 90, for example, a low-temperature co-fired ceramic (LTCC) substrate having a stacked structure of a plurality of dielectric layers, a high-temperature co-fired ceramic (HTCC) substrate, a component-embedded substrate, a substrate having a redistribution layer (RDL), or a printed circuit board can be used.

[0116] Semiconductor ICs 70, 71, 72, and 73 and diplexers 41 and 42 are arranged on the main surface 90a of the module substrate 90. Semiconductor IC 70 is an example of a third semiconductor IC, and includes a control circuit for controlling the power amplifier circuits 10 and 20. Semiconductor IC 71 is an example of a first semiconductor IC, and includes at least carrier amplifiers 11 and 12 and peak amplifiers 13 and 14 of the power amplifier circuit 10. Semiconductor IC 72 is an example of a second semiconductor IC, and includes at least carrier amplifiers 21 and 22 and peak amplifiers 23 and 24 of the power amplifier circuit 20. Semiconductor IC 73 is an example of a fourth semiconductor IC, and includes at least low noise amplifiers 31 to 34.

[0117] Transformers 19 and 29 are formed on the main surface 90 a or inside the module substrate 90 .

[0118] The semiconductor IC 74 is arranged on the main surface 90 b of the module substrate 90 . The semiconductor IC 74 includes a switch circuit 60 .

[0119] In addition, each semiconductor IC in the semiconductor ICs 70 to 74 can be formed using, for example, a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor), and specifically, can be manufactured using an SOI (Silicon on Insulator) process. In addition, each semiconductor IC in the semiconductor ICs 70 to 74 can be formed of at least one of GaAs, SiGe, and GaN. In addition, the semiconductor material of the semiconductor ICs 70 to 74 is not limited to the above-mentioned materials.

[0120] Semiconductor ICs 71 and 72 are as follows Figure 5 As shown in FIG. 1 , the semiconductor IC 70 is arranged on the main surface 90 a and is arranged on the semiconductor IC 71 and the semiconductor IC 72 so as to straddle the semiconductor ICs 71 and 72 .

[0121] The semiconductor IC 73 is disposed on the main surface 90 a and is disposed between the semiconductor IC 71 and the semiconductor IC 72 in a plan view of the main surface 90 a .

[0122] According to this, the semiconductor IC 73 is arranged between the semiconductor IC 71 and the semiconductor IC 72, so that the distance between the power amplifier circuit 10 and the power amplifier circuit 20 can be ensured to be large. As a result, the isolation between the transmission signal of the frequency band A and the transmission signal of the frequency band B that are transmitted simultaneously can be ensured. In addition, when the frequency band A and the frequency band B are TDD frequency bands, the reception signal is not transmitted simultaneously with the transmission signal, so the reception sensitivity does not decrease due to the semiconductor IC 73 being arranged between the semiconductor IC 71 and the semiconductor IC 72.

[0123] In addition, if Figure 5 As shown, the high-frequency circuit 1 further includes a bonding wire 81 , one end of which is connected to a ground electrode of the semiconductor IC 70 , and the other end of which is connected to a ground electrode of the semiconductor IC 73 .

[0124] According to this, the semiconductor IC 73 is arranged between the semiconductor IC 71 and the semiconductor IC 72, and the bonding wire 81 connected to the ground is arranged, so that the isolation between the transmission signal of the frequency band A and the transmission signal of the frequency band B that are transmitted simultaneously can be further ensured.

[0125] In the high frequency circuit 1 according to the present embodiment, the semiconductor IC 73 may not be disposed between the semiconductor IC 71 and the semiconductor IC 72. The semiconductor IC 73 may be disposed on the main surface 90b, for example. In this case, one end of the bonding wire 81 may be connected to the ground electrode of the semiconductor IC 70, and the other end may be connected to the ground electrode of the module substrate 90 between the semiconductor IC 71 and the semiconductor IC 72.

[0126] Even in this case, since the bonding wire 81 connected to the ground is disposed between the semiconductor IC 71 and the semiconductor IC 72 , it is possible to further ensure the isolation between the transmission signal of the frequency band A and the transmission signal of the frequency band B that are transmitted simultaneously.

[0127] [3. Effects, etc.]

[0128] As described above, the high-frequency circuit 1 involved in this embodiment can simultaneously transmit frequency band A and frequency band B, and includes: power amplifier circuits 10 and 20; a diplexer 41, which includes a filter 41L and a filter 41H, the passband of the filter 41L includes the frequency band A, and the passband of the filter 41H includes the frequency band B; a diplexer 42, which includes a filter 42L and a filter 42H, the passband of the filter 42L includes the frequency band A, and the passband of the filter 42H includes the frequency band B; and a switch circuit 60, which has antenna terminals 60a, 60b, terminals 60c, 60d, 60g and 60h, and the switch circuit 60 switches the connection between the antenna terminal 60a and the terminal 60c and the connection between the antenna terminal 60a and the terminal 60d. The switching circuit 60 does not connect the antenna terminal 60a to the terminals 60g and 60h, and does not connect the antenna terminal 60b to the terminals 60c and 60d. The output end of the power amplifier circuit 10 is connected to the input end of the filter 41L and the input end of the filter 41H, the output end of the filter 41L is connected to the terminal 60c, and the output end of the filter 41H is connected to the terminal 60d. The output end of the power amplifier circuit 20 is connected to the input end of the filter 42L and the input end of the filter 42H, the output end of the filter 42L is connected to the terminal 60g, and the output end of the filter 42H is connected to the terminal 60h.

[0129] According to this, the transmission signal of one of the frequency band A and the frequency band B can be output from the power amplifier circuit 10 through the diplexer 41 and the antenna terminal 60a, and the signal of the other of the frequency band A and the frequency band B can be output from the power amplifier circuit 20 through the diplexer 42 and the antenna terminal 60b. At this time, the power amplifier circuit 10 and the diplexer 41 can only be connected to the antenna terminal 60a of the antenna terminal 60a and 60b, and the power amplifier circuit 20 and the diplexer 42 can only be connected to the antenna terminal 60b of the antenna terminal 60a and 60b. Therefore, the isolation of the signal of the frequency band A and the signal of the frequency band B that are transmitted simultaneously can be ensured in the switch circuit 60. That is, it is possible to ensure high isolation and realize simultaneous transmission of the transmission signal of the frequency band A and the transmission signal of the frequency band B using a small high-frequency circuit 1 such as two power amplifier circuits 10 and 20, two diplexers 41 and 42, and one switch circuit 60.

[0130] In addition, for example, the high-frequency circuit 1 may also include: a low-noise amplifier 31, which can amplify the high-frequency signal of frequency band A; and a low-noise amplifier 32, which can amplify the high-frequency signal of frequency band B, and the switching circuit 60 may also include a terminal 60e, and the switching circuit 60 may switch the connection and disconnection between the antenna terminal 60a and the terminal 60e, and may switch the connection and disconnection between the antenna terminal 60b and the terminal 60e, and the input end of the low-noise amplifier 31 and the input end of the low-noise amplifier 32 may be connected to the terminal 60e.

[0131] According to this, the reception signal of frequency band A and the reception signal of frequency band B can be transmitted.

[0132] In addition, for example, in the high-frequency circuit 1, the frequency band A and the frequency band B are frequency bands for time division duplexing, respectively, and the switch circuit 60 further includes switches 61, 62, 63, 64, 67, and 68, one end of the switch 61 is connected to the terminal 60c, and the other end of the switch 61 is connected to the antenna terminal 60a, one end of the switch 62 is connected to the terminal 60d, and the other end of the switch 62 is connected to the antenna terminal 60a, one end of the switch 67 is connected to the terminal 60g, and the other end of the switch 67 is connected to the antenna terminal 60b, one end of the switch 68 is connected to the terminal 60h, and the other end of the switch 68 is connected to the antenna terminal 60b, one end of the switch 63 is connected to the terminal 60e, and the other end of the switch 63 is connected to the antenna terminal 60a, one end of the switch 64 is connected to the terminal 60e, and the other end of the switch 64 is connected to the antenna terminal 60b.

[0133] According to this, the transmission signals of the frequency band A and the frequency band B pass through only one of the switches 61, 62, 67 and 68 in the switch circuit 60, so that the on-resistance of the switch when the signal passes can be minimized. In addition, when the transmission signal of the frequency band A and the transmission signal of the frequency band B are transmitted at the same time, the reception signal of the frequency band A and the reception signal of the frequency band B do not pass through, and the switches 63 and 64 are in the off state. Therefore, the switches 63 and 64 in the off state are interposed between the transmission path for transmitting the transmission signal of the frequency band A and the transmission path for transmitting the transmission signal of the frequency band B, so that the high isolation between the transmission signal of the frequency band A and the transmission signal of the frequency band B can be ensured.

[0134] In addition, for example, the high-frequency circuit 1 may further include: a module substrate 90 having main surfaces 90a and 90b facing each other; and a control circuit that controls the power amplifier circuits 10 and 20, at least a portion of the power amplifier circuit 10 is included in the semiconductor IC 71, at least a portion of the power amplifier circuit 20 is included in the semiconductor IC 72, the control circuit is included in the semiconductor IC 70, the semiconductor ICs 71 and 72 are arranged on the main surface 90a, the semiconductor IC 70 is arranged on the semiconductor IC 71 and the semiconductor IC 72 in a manner straddling the semiconductor ICs 71 and 72, and the high-frequency circuit 1 may further include a bonding wire 81, one end of the bonding wire 81 is connected to the ground electrode of the semiconductor IC 70, and the other end of the bonding wire 81 is connected to the ground electrode of the module substrate 90 between the semiconductor IC 71 and the semiconductor IC 72.

[0135] According to this, since the bonding wire 81 connected to the ground is disposed between the semiconductor IC 71 and the semiconductor IC 72 , the isolation between the transmission signal of the frequency band A and the transmission signal of the frequency band B can be ensured.

[0136] In addition, for example, the high-frequency circuit 1 may further include: a module substrate 90 having main surfaces 90a and 90b facing each other; and a control circuit that controls the power amplifier circuits 10 and 20, at least a portion of the power amplifier circuit 10 is included in the semiconductor IC 71, at least a portion of the power amplifier circuit 20 is included in the semiconductor IC 71, the control circuit is included in the semiconductor IC 70, and the low-noise amplifiers 31 and 32 are included in the semiconductor IC 73, and the semiconductor ICs 71, 72 and 73 are arranged on the main surface 90a, and when the main surface 90a is viewed from above, the semiconductor IC 73 is arranged between the semiconductor IC 71 and the semiconductor IC 72.

[0137] Thus, by disposing the semiconductor IC 73 between the semiconductor IC 71 and the semiconductor IC 72 , the distance between the power amplifier circuit 10 and the power amplifier circuit 20 can be ensured to be large, so that the isolation between the transmission signal of the frequency band A and the transmission signal of the frequency band B can be ensured.

[0138] In addition, for example, in the high-frequency circuit 1, the semiconductor IC 70 is arranged on the semiconductor IC 71 and the semiconductor IC 72 in a manner spanning the semiconductor ICs 71 and 72, and the high-frequency circuit 1 also has a bonding wire 81, one end of the bonding wire 81 is connected to the ground electrode of the semiconductor IC 70, and the other end of the bonding wire 81 is connected to the ground electrode of the semiconductor IC 73.

[0139] According to this, the semiconductor IC 73 is disposed between the semiconductor IC 71 and the semiconductor IC 72 , and the bonding wire 81 connected to the ground is disposed, so that the isolation between the transmission signal of the frequency band A and the transmission signal of the frequency band B can be ensured.

[0140] In addition, for example, in the high-frequency circuit 1, the power amplifier circuit 10 includes a carrier amplifier 11 and a peak amplifier 13, and the output end of the carrier amplifier 11 and the output end of the peak amplifier 13 are connected to the input end of the filter 41L and the input end of the filter 41H, and the power amplifier circuit 20 includes a carrier amplifier 21 and a peak amplifier 23, and the output end of the carrier amplifier 21 and the output end of the peak amplifier 23 are connected to the input end of the filter 42L and the input end of the filter 42H.

[0141] Accordingly, the transmission signal of one of the frequency bands A and B output from the carrier amplifier 11 and the signal of the one of the frequency bands A and B output from the peak amplifier 13 are current synthesized, and the signal obtained by the current synthesis is converted into an unbalanced (non-differential) signal by the transformer 19 and output from the signal output terminal 113. In addition, the transmission signal of the other of the frequency bands A and B output from the carrier amplifier 21 and the signal of the other of the frequency bands A and B output from the peak amplifier 23 are current synthesized, and the signal after the current synthesis is converted into an unbalanced (non-differential) signal by the transformer 29 and output from the signal output terminal 123.

[0142] In addition, for example, in the high-frequency circuit 1, the frequency band A is the frequency band B40 for 4G-LTE or the frequency band n40 for 5G-NR, and the frequency band B is the frequency band B41 for 4G-LTE or the frequency band n41 for 5G-NR.

[0143] In addition, for example, in the high-frequency circuit 1, the frequency band A is the frequency band B77 for 4G-LTE or the frequency band n77 for 5G-NR, and the frequency band B is the frequency band B79 for 4G-LTE or the frequency band n79 for 5G-NR.

[0144] Furthermore, the communication device 4 according to the present embodiment includes an RFIC 3 that processes a high-frequency signal and a high-frequency circuit 1 that transmits the high-frequency signal between the RFIC 3 and the antennas 2A and 2B.

[0145] According to this, the effect of the high-frequency circuit 1 can be realized in the communication device 4 .

[0146] (Other Implementations, etc.)

[0147] The high-frequency circuit and communication device involved in the embodiments of the present invention are described above, but the high-frequency circuit and communication device involved in the present invention are not limited to the above embodiments. The present invention also includes other embodiments realized by combining any constituent elements in the above embodiments, variations obtained by implementing various variations that can be thought of by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the present invention to the above embodiments, and various devices having the above high-frequency circuit and communication device built therein.

[0148] Furthermore, for example, in the high-frequency circuit and the communication device according to the above-described embodiments, other circuit elements and wirings may be inserted between paths connecting the circuit elements disclosed in the drawings and the signal path.

[0149] Next, features of the high-frequency circuit and the communication device described in the above-mentioned embodiments are shown.

[0150] <1>

[0151] A high-frequency circuit is a high-frequency circuit capable of transmitting a first frequency band and a second frequency band simultaneously, and has:

[0152] A first power amplifier circuit and a second power amplifier circuit;

[0153] A first multiplexer, comprising a first filter and a second filter, wherein a passband of the first filter includes the first frequency band, and a passband of the second filter includes the second frequency band;

[0154] a second multiplexer comprising a third filter and a fourth filter, wherein a passband of the third filter includes the first frequency band, and a passband of the fourth filter includes the second frequency band; and

[0155] A switch circuit having a first antenna terminal, a second antenna terminal, a first terminal, a second terminal, a third terminal, and a fourth terminal, wherein the switch circuit switches the connection between the first antenna terminal and the first terminal and the connection between the first antenna terminal and the second terminal, and switches the connection between the second antenna terminal and the third terminal and the connection between the second antenna terminal and the fourth terminal, wherein the switch circuit does not connect the first antenna terminal to the third terminal and the fourth terminal, and does not connect the second antenna terminal to the first terminal and the second terminal,

[0156] The output end of the first power amplifier circuit is connected to the input end of the first filter and the input end of the second filter.

[0157] The output end of the first filter is connected to the first terminal,

[0158] The output end of the second filter is connected to the second terminal,

[0159] The output end of the second power amplifier circuit is connected to the input end of the third filter and the input end of the fourth filter.

[0160] The output end of the third filter is connected to the third terminal,

[0161] An output end of the fourth filter is connected to the fourth terminal.

[0162] <2>

[0163] according to <1> The high frequency circuit described above further comprises:

[0164] A first low noise amplifier, which is capable of amplifying high frequency signals in the first frequency band; and

[0165] a second low noise amplifier capable of amplifying the high frequency signal in the second frequency band,

[0166] The switch circuit further includes a fifth terminal, and the switch circuit switches connection and non-connection between the first antenna terminal and the fifth terminal, and switches connection and non-connection between the second antenna terminal and the fifth terminal.

[0167] An input terminal of the first low noise amplifier and an input terminal of the second low noise amplifier are connected to the fifth terminal.

[0168] <3>

[0169] according to <2> The high frequency circuit described, wherein

[0170] The first frequency band and the second frequency band are frequency bands used for time division duplexing respectively.

[0171] The switch circuit further comprises a first switch, a second switch, a third switch, a fourth switch, a fifth switch and a sixth switch.

[0172] One end of the first switch is connected to the first terminal, and the other end of the first switch is connected to the first antenna terminal.

[0173] One end of the second switch is connected to the second terminal, and the other end of the second switch is connected to the first antenna terminal.

[0174] One end of the third switch is connected to the third terminal, and the other end of the third switch is connected to the second antenna terminal.

[0175] One end of the fourth switch is connected to the fourth terminal, and the other end of the fourth switch is connected to the second antenna terminal.

[0176] One end of the fifth switch is connected to the fifth terminal, and the other end of the fifth switch is connected to the first antenna terminal.

[0177] One end of the sixth switch is connected to the fifth terminal, and the other end of the sixth switch is connected to the second antenna terminal.

[0178] <4>

[0179] according to <1> ~ <3> A high frequency circuit as described in any one of the above, further comprising:

[0180] A substrate having a first main surface and a second main surface facing each other; and

[0181] a control circuit, which controls the first power amplifier circuit and the second power amplifier circuit,

[0182] At least a portion of the first power amplifier circuit is included in a first semiconductor IC,

[0183] At least a portion of the second power amplifier circuit is included in a second semiconductor IC,

[0184] The control circuit is included in a third semiconductor IC,

[0185] The first semiconductor IC and the second semiconductor IC are arranged on the first main surface,

[0186] The third semiconductor IC is arranged on the first semiconductor IC and the second semiconductor IC in a manner spanning the first semiconductor IC and the second semiconductor IC.

[0187] The high-frequency circuit further includes a bonding wire, one end of which is connected to a ground electrode of the third semiconductor IC, and the other end of which is connected to a ground electrode of the substrate between the first semiconductor IC and the second semiconductor IC.

[0188] <5>

[0189] according to <2> or <3> The high frequency circuit described above further comprises:

[0190] A substrate having a first main surface and a second main surface facing each other; and

[0191] a control circuit, which controls the first power amplifier circuit and the second power amplifier circuit,

[0192] At least a portion of the first power amplifier circuit is included in a first semiconductor IC,

[0193] At least a portion of the second power amplifier circuit is included in a second semiconductor IC,

[0194] The control circuit is included in a third semiconductor IC,

[0195] The first low noise amplifier and the second low noise amplifier are included in a fourth semiconductor IC,

[0196] The first semiconductor IC, the second semiconductor IC, and the fourth semiconductor IC are arranged on the first main surface.

[0197] In a plan view of the first main surface, the fourth semiconductor IC is arranged between the first semiconductor IC and the second semiconductor IC.

[0198] <6>

[0199] according to <5> The high frequency circuit described, wherein

[0200] The third semiconductor IC is arranged on the first semiconductor IC and the second semiconductor IC in a manner spanning the first semiconductor IC and the second semiconductor IC.

[0201] The high-frequency circuit further includes a bonding wire, one end of which is connected to a ground electrode of the third semiconductor IC, and the other end of which is connected to a ground electrode of the fourth semiconductor IC.

[0202] <7>

[0203] according to <1> ~ <6> A high-frequency circuit as described in any one of the items , wherein:

[0204] The first power amplifier circuit includes a first carrier amplifier and a first peak amplifier.

[0205] The output end of the first carrier amplifier and the output end of the first peak amplifier are connected to the input end of the first filter and the input end of the second filter,

[0206] The second power amplifier circuit includes a second carrier amplifier and a second peak amplifier.

[0207] An output end of the second carrier amplifier and an output end of the second peak amplifier are connected to an input end of the third filter and an input end of the fourth filter.

[0208] <8>

[0209] according to <1> ~ <7> A high-frequency circuit as described in any one of the items , wherein:

[0210] The first frequency band is the frequency band B40 for 4G-LTE or the frequency band n40 for 5G-NR,

[0211] The second frequency band is frequency band B41 for 4G-LTE or frequency band n41 for 5G-NR.

[0212] <9>

[0213] according to <1> ~ <7> A high-frequency circuit as described in any one of the items , wherein:

[0214] The first frequency band is the frequency band B77 for 4G-LTE or the frequency band n77 for 5G-NR,

[0215] The second frequency band is frequency band B79 for 4G-LTE or frequency band n79 for 5G-NR.

[0216] <10>

[0217] A communication device, comprising:

[0218] a signal processing circuit that processes high frequency signals; and

[0219] according to <1> ~ <9> The high-frequency circuit described in any one of the items transmits the high-frequency signal between the signal processing circuit and the antenna.

[0220] Industrial Applicability

[0221] The present invention can be widely used in communication equipment such as mobile phones as a high-frequency circuit disposed in a front end portion supporting multiple frequency bands.

[0222] Description of Reference Numerals

[0223] 1, 500: high frequency circuit; 2A, 2B: antenna; 3: RF signal processing circuit (RFIC); 4: communication device; 10, 20: power amplifier circuit; 11, 12, 21, 22: carrier amplifier; 13, 14, 23, 24: peak amplifier; 15, 16, 25, 26: preamplifier; 17, 18, 19, 27, 28, 29: transformer; 30: low noise amplifier circuit; 31 , 32, 33, 34: low noise amplifier; 41, 42, 43, 44, 540: diplexer; 41H, 41L, 42H, 42L, 43H, 43L, 44H, 44L, 540H, 540L: filter; 51, 52, 56, 57: phase shift circuit; 53, 54, 58, 59: capacitor; 60, 560: switch circuit; 60a, 60b, 560a, 560 b: antenna terminal; 60c, 60d, 60e, 60f, 60g, 60h, 560c, 560d, 560e: terminals; 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 561, 562, 563, 564, 565, 566: switches; 70, 71, 72, 73, 74: semiconductor ICs; 81: bonding wires; 90: module substrate; 90a, 90b: main surfaces ; 101, 102: antenna connection terminals; 111, 112, 121, 122, 135, 136, 137, 138: signal input terminals; 113, 123, 131, 132, 133, 134: signal output terminals; 171, 181, 191, 271, 281, 291: primary side coils; 172, 182, 192, 272, 282, 292: secondary side coils.

Claims

1. A high frequency circuit capable of transmitting in a first frequency band and a second frequency band simultaneously, comprising: A first power amplifier circuit and a second power amplifier circuit; A first multiplexer, comprising a first filter and a second filter, wherein a passband of the first filter includes the first frequency band, and a passband of the second filter includes the second frequency band; a second multiplexer comprising a third filter and a fourth filter, wherein a passband of the third filter includes the first frequency band, and a passband of the fourth filter includes the second frequency band; and A switch circuit having a first antenna terminal, a second antenna terminal, a first terminal, a second terminal, a third terminal, and a fourth terminal, wherein the switch circuit switches the connection between the first antenna terminal and the first terminal and the connection between the first antenna terminal and the second terminal, and switches the connection between the second antenna terminal and the third terminal and the connection between the second antenna terminal and the fourth terminal, wherein the switch circuit does not connect the first antenna terminal to the third terminal and the fourth terminal, and does not connect the second antenna terminal to the first terminal and the second terminal, in, The output end of the first power amplifier circuit is connected to the input end of the first filter and the input end of the second filter. The output end of the first filter is connected to the first terminal, The output end of the second filter is connected to the second terminal, The output end of the second power amplifier circuit is connected to the input end of the third filter and the input end of the fourth filter. The output end of the third filter is connected to the third terminal, An output end of the fourth filter is connected to the fourth terminal.

2. The high frequency circuit according to claim 1, wherein: Also available: A first low noise amplifier, which is capable of amplifying high frequency signals in the first frequency band; and a second low noise amplifier capable of amplifying the high frequency signal in the second frequency band, The switch circuit further includes a fifth terminal, and the switch circuit switches connection and non-connection between the first antenna terminal and the fifth terminal, and switches connection and non-connection between the second antenna terminal and the fifth terminal. An input terminal of the first low noise amplifier and an input terminal of the second low noise amplifier are connected to the fifth terminal.

3. The high frequency circuit according to claim 2, wherein: The first frequency band and the second frequency band are frequency bands used for time division duplexing respectively. The switch circuit further comprises a first switch, a second switch, a third switch, a fourth switch, a fifth switch and a sixth switch. One end of the first switch is connected to the first terminal, and the other end of the first switch is connected to the first antenna terminal. One end of the second switch is connected to the second terminal, and the other end of the second switch is connected to the first antenna terminal. One end of the third switch is connected to the third terminal, and the other end of the third switch is connected to the second antenna terminal. One end of the fourth switch is connected to the fourth terminal, and the other end of the fourth switch is connected to the second antenna terminal. One end of the fifth switch is connected to the fifth terminal, and the other end of the fifth switch is connected to the first antenna terminal. One end of the sixth switch is connected to the fifth terminal, and the other end of the sixth switch is connected to the second antenna terminal.

4. The high frequency circuit according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: Also available: A substrate having a first main surface and a second main surface facing each other; and a control circuit, which controls the first power amplifier circuit and the second power amplifier circuit, At least a portion of the first power amplifier circuit is included in a first semiconductor integrated circuit, namely, a first semiconductor IC. At least a portion of the second power amplifier circuit is included in a second semiconductor integrated circuit, namely, a second semiconductor IC. The control circuit is included in a third semiconductor integrated circuit, namely, a third semiconductor IC. The first semiconductor IC and the second semiconductor IC are arranged on the first main surface, The third semiconductor IC is arranged on the first semiconductor IC and the second semiconductor IC in a manner spanning the first semiconductor IC and the second semiconductor IC. The high-frequency circuit further includes a bonding wire, one end of which is connected to a ground electrode of the third semiconductor IC, and the other end of which is connected to a ground electrode of the substrate between the first semiconductor IC and the second semiconductor IC.

5. The high frequency circuit according to claim 2 or 3, wherein: Also available: A substrate having a first main surface and a second main surface facing each other; and a control circuit, which controls the first power amplifier circuit and the second power amplifier circuit, At least a portion of the first power amplifier circuit is included in a first semiconductor integrated circuit, namely, a first semiconductor IC. At least a portion of the second power amplifier circuit is included in a second semiconductor integrated circuit, namely, a second semiconductor IC. The control circuit is included in a third semiconductor integrated circuit, namely, a third semiconductor IC. The first low noise amplifier and the second low noise amplifier are included in a fourth semiconductor integrated circuit (ie, a fourth semiconductor IC), The first semiconductor IC, the second semiconductor IC, and the fourth semiconductor IC are arranged on the first main surface. In a plan view of the first main surface, the fourth semiconductor IC is arranged between the first semiconductor IC and the second semiconductor IC.

6. The high frequency circuit according to claim 5, wherein: The third semiconductor IC is arranged on the first semiconductor IC and the second semiconductor IC in a manner spanning the first semiconductor IC and the second semiconductor IC. The high-frequency circuit further includes a bonding wire, one end of which is connected to a ground electrode of the third semiconductor IC, and the other end of which is connected to a ground electrode of the fourth semiconductor IC.

7. The high frequency circuit according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein: The first power amplifier circuit includes a first carrier amplifier and a first peak amplifier. The output end of the first carrier amplifier and the output end of the first peak amplifier are connected to the input end of the first filter and the input end of the second filter, The second power amplifier circuit includes a second carrier amplifier and a second peak amplifier. An output end of the second carrier amplifier and an output end of the second peak amplifier are connected to an input end of the third filter and an input end of the fourth filter.

8. The high frequency circuit according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein: The first frequency band is the frequency band B40 for 4G-LTE or the frequency band n40 for 5G-NR, The second frequency band is frequency band B41 for 4G-LTE or frequency band n41 for 5G-NR.

9. The high frequency circuit according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein: The first frequency band is the frequency band B77 for 4G-LTE or the frequency band n77 for 5G-NR, The second frequency band is frequency band B79 for 4G-LTE or frequency band n79 for 5G-NR.

10. A communication device comprising: a signal processing circuit that processes high frequency signals; and The high-frequency circuit according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the high-frequency signal is transmitted between the signal processing circuit and an antenna.

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