Amplification circuit, multi-stage amplifier and amplifier

Abstract

An amplification circuit includes: an amplifier including an input terminal and an output terminal; a first inductor unit connected to the input terminal; and a second inductor unit connected to the output terminal. The first inductor unit and the second inductor unit may be inductively coupled to each other such that a change in an output voltage of the amplification circuit is positively fed back.

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims the priority of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2023-0090736 filed on July 12, 2023, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, and Korean Patent Application No. 10-2023-0129712 filed on September 26, 2023, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. Technical Field

[0003] Various example embodiments relate to an amplification circuit, a multi-stage amplifier, and an amplifier. Background Art

[0004] As data usage explodes, data transmission speeds for various wired and wireless communication standards are also increasing rapidly. Analog front-end (AFE) amplifiers operating at high frequencies are needed to achieve (or facilitate) high-speed data transmission. However, conventional bandwidth extension techniques have limited ability to extend amplifier bandwidth.

[0005] For example, an amplifier with a bandwidth of at least 56 GHz is required to comply with the 224 Gbps transmission standard of IEEE 802.3 (or an amplifier with a bandwidth of at least 56 GHz is conducive to complying with the 224 Gbps transmission standard of IEEE802.3). However, conventional amplifiers have an inherent delay caused by the parasitic capacitance component of transistors, which limits their bandwidth to around 10 GHz. Even if conventional bandwidth extension technology is applied, it may be difficult to extend the bandwidth of the amplifier to 56 GHz. Summary of the invention

[0006] Various example embodiments provide an amplification circuit, a multi-stage amplifier, and an amplifier having an extended bandwidth for high-speed operation.

[0007] Some example embodiments of the present inventive concept provide an amplifying circuit, comprising: an amplifier including an input terminal and an output terminal; a first inductor unit connected to the input terminal; and a second inductor unit connected to the output terminal. The first inductor unit and the second inductor unit can be inductively coupled to each other so that a change in an output voltage of the amplifying circuit is positively fed back.

[0008] Some example embodiments of the inventive concept provide a multi-stage amplifier including a plurality of amplification stages. At least one of the plurality of amplification stages may include: an amplifier including an input terminal and an output terminal; a first inductor unit connected to the input terminal; and a second inductor unit connected to the output terminal. The first inductor unit and the second inductor unit may be inductively coupled to each other so that a change in an output voltage of a corresponding amplification stage is positively fed back.

[0009] Some example embodiments of the present inventive concept provide an amplifier including an input terminal and an output terminal. A first inductor and a second inductor inductively coupled to each other to have a mutual inductance may be connected to the input terminal and the output terminal, respectively. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] The above and other aspects, features and advantages of the present inventive concept will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0011] Figure 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of an amplification circuit according to an example embodiment.

[0012] Figure 2A is a diagram showing the coupling effect between two inductors caused by mutual inductance.

[0013] Figure 2B is a circuit diagram showing an example of how an amplification circuit may be implemented according to an example embodiment.

[0014] Figure 3 is a graph showing a bandwidth improvement effect of an amplifier circuit according to an example embodiment.

[0015] Figure 4 is a circuit diagram showing an example of how an amplification circuit may be implemented according to an example embodiment.

[0016] Figure 5A is a circuit diagram showing an example of how an amplification circuit may be implemented according to an example embodiment.

[0017] Figure 5B is a circuit diagram showing an example of how an amplification circuit may be implemented according to an example embodiment.

[0018] Fig. 6A is a circuit diagram showing an example of how a multi-stage amplifier may be implemented according to an example embodiment.

[0019] Figure 6B is a circuit diagram showing an example of how a multi-stage amplifier may be implemented according to an example embodiment.

[0020] Figure 6C is a circuit diagram showing an example of how a multi-stage amplifier may be implemented according to an example embodiment.

[0021] Figure 7 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a transceiver according to an example embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] Hereinafter, various example embodiments will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0023] The expressions “first,” “second,” “the first one,” or “the second one” used in the description of various exemplary embodiments modify various components regardless of order or importance, but do not limit the corresponding components.

[0024] Figure 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an amplification circuit according to an example embodiment. Figure 1 , the amplifying circuit 100 may include a first inductor unit 110 , an amplifier 120 , and a second inductor unit 130 .

[0025] The amplifier 120 may include an input terminal 20 and an output terminal 30. The amplifier 120 may amplify a signal input through the input terminal 20 and output the amplified signal through the output terminal 30. For example, the amplifier 120 may be one of a voltage amplifier, a current amplifier, a transconductance amplifier, or a transimpedance amplifier, but example embodiments are not limited thereto.

[0026] According to example embodiments, the amplifier 120 may be a single amplifier. The single amplifier may include a single input terminal 20 and a single output terminal 30. For example, the amplifier 120 may receive a single input signal through the input terminal 20 and output a single output signal through the output terminal 30. According to example embodiments, the amplifier 120 may be a differential amplifier. The differential amplifier may include two input terminals 20 and two output terminals 30. For example, the amplifier 120 may receive a differential input signal through the input terminal 20 and output a differential output signal through the output terminal 30. Figure 1 In FIG. 1 , for convenience of description, the input terminal 20 and the output terminal 30 of the amplifier 120 are both shown as single lines, but this does not mean that the amplifier 120 is a single amplifier.

[0027] The first inductor unit 110 may have one end connected to the input terminal 20 of the amplifier 120. In addition, the first inductor unit 110 may have the other end 10 to which the input signal IN is applied. According to example embodiments, the input signal IN may be a single signal or a differential signal. For example, when the amplifier 120 is a single amplifier, the first inductor unit 110 may include a single inductor. In this case, for example, the first inductor unit 110 may apply a single input signal IN to the input terminal 20 of the amplifier 120 through a single inductor. In some example embodiments, when the amplifier 120 is a differential amplifier, the first inductor unit 110 may include two inductors. For example, the first inductor unit 110 may apply a differential input signal IN to the input terminal 20 of the amplifier 120 through two inductors.

[0028] The second inductor unit 130 may have one end connected to the output terminal 30 of the amplifier 120. In addition, the second inductor unit 130 may have another end 40 to which the output signal OUT of the amplifying circuit 100 is output. According to example embodiments, the output signal OUT may be a single signal or a differential signal. For example, when the amplifier 120 is a single amplifier, the second inductor unit 130 may include a single inductor. In this case, for example, the second inductor unit 130 may output a single output signal OUT through a single inductor. In some example embodiments, when the amplifier 120 is a differential amplifier, the second inductor unit 130 may include two inductors. For example, the second inductor unit 130 may output a differential output signal OUT through two inductors.

[0029] According to example embodiments, the first inductor unit 110 and the second inductor unit 130 may be inductively coupled to each other. The term "inductive coupling" refers to coupling caused by the interaction between magnetic fields generated by currents flowing through the two inductors. Due to the inductive coupling, mutual inductance may exist between the two inductors. Therefore, when the first inductor unit 110 and the second inductor unit 130 are inductively coupled to each other, mutual inductance M may exist between the first inductor unit 110 and the second inductor unit 130.

[0030] In an example embodiment, the first inductor unit 110 and the second inductor unit 130 may be implemented using an inductive component of an interconnection connected to the input terminal 20 and an interconnection connected to the output terminal 30. For example, an interconnection corresponding to the first inductor unit 110 and an interconnection corresponding to the second inductor unit 130 may be routed to overlap each other on different layers so that the first inductor unit 110 and the second inductor unit 130 may be inductively coupled to each other.

[0031] According to example embodiments, the first inductor unit 110 and the second inductor unit 130 may be inductively coupled to each other so that a voltage change of the output signal OUT (eg, an output voltage of the amplification circuit 100 ) is positively fed back.

[0032] The term "positive feedback" means that a change in the output voltage of the amplifier circuit 100 is fed back to the input terminal 20 to promote a change in the voltage at the input terminal 20 of the amplifier 120. Therefore, for example, when the output voltage of the amplifier circuit 100 decreases, the voltage at the input terminal 20 may decrease due to the positive feedback. In this case, for example, the output voltage may be further reduced. In some example embodiments, when the output voltage of the amplifier circuit 100 increases, the voltage at the input terminal 20 may increase due to the positive feedback. For example, the output voltage may be further increased.

[0033] This will now be described in more detail. For example, the output voltage of the amplifier circuit 100 may decrease as the voltage at the input terminal 20 decreases. In this case, for example, the decrease in the voltage at the input terminal 20 may be promoted by positive feedback of the output voltage. Accordingly, the output voltage may decrease faster. In addition, the output voltage of the amplifier circuit 100 may increase as the voltage at the input terminal 20 increases. In this case, for example, the increase in the voltage at the input terminal 20 may be promoted by positive feedback of the output voltage. Accordingly, the output voltage may increase faster.

[0034] For example, the amplifier 120 may be an inverting amplifier. In some example embodiments, when the output voltage of the amplifying circuit 100 decreases, the voltage at the input terminal 20 may increase due to positive feedback. In addition, in some example embodiments, when the output voltage of the amplifying circuit 100 increases, the voltage at the input terminal 20 may decrease due to positive feedback.

[0035] For example, a change in the output voltage of the amplifying circuit 100 may be positively fed back to the input terminal 20 based on the mutual inductance M between the first inductor unit 110 and the second inductor unit 130. For example, when the output voltage of the amplifying circuit 100 changes, the current i flowing through the second inductor unit 130 may change accordingly. In some example embodiments, when the current i changes, a voltage v may be induced at the opposite ends 10 and 20 of the first inductor unit 110 due to the mutual inductance M. Accordingly, the voltage at the input terminal 20 may change. For example, the voltage of the input terminal 20 may decrease when the voltage v increases, and may increase when the voltage v decreases.

[0036] Therefore, according to example embodiments, when the output voltage of the amplifier circuit 100 decreases, the first inductor unit 110 and the second inductor unit 130 may be inductively coupled to each other so that the voltage v increases due to the change in the current i. In some example embodiments, when the output voltage of the amplifier circuit 100 increases, the first inductor unit 110 and the second inductor unit 130 may be inductively coupled to each other so that the voltage v decreases due to the change in the current i. Therefore, the change in the output voltage of the amplifier circuit 100 may be positively fed back to the input terminal 20 through the mutual inductance between the first inductor unit 110 and the second inductor unit 130.

[0037] In some example embodiments, when the change in the output voltage of the amplifier circuit 100 is positively fed back, the rate at which the output voltage of the amplifier circuit 100 changes according to (or alternatively, based on) the change in the voltage at the input terminal 20 can be further improved. Accordingly, the bandwidth of the amplifier circuit 100 can be improved or increased.

[0038] According to example embodiments, the amplifier circuit 100 may constitute a single stage of a multi-stage amplifier. For example, the multi-stage amplifier may include a plurality of amplifier stages (e.g., a transconductance stage and a transimpedance stage). In this case, for example, the amplifier circuit 100 may constitute at least one of the plurality of amplifier stages.

[0039] In the following, reference will be made to Figure 2A and Figure 2B The configuration and operation of an amplifying circuit according to example embodiments are described in detail.

[0040] Figure 2A is a diagram showing the coupling effect between two inductors caused by mutual inductance. Figure 2A The coupling effect caused by mutual inductance is shown in relation to an example embodiment. Figure 2A In the figure, M represents two inductors L that are inductively coupled to each other. 1 and L 2 The mutual inductance between them, and M is a positive number.

[0041] refer to Figure 2A , when in i 2 When the change in the current flowing in the direction increases, the voltage v 1 can be increased due to the mutual inductance M. On the contrary, when i 2 When the change in the current flowing in the direction decreases, the voltage v 1 can be reduced due to the mutual inductance M.

[0042] Figure 2B is a circuit diagram showing an example of how to implement an amplification circuit according to an example embodiment. Figure 2B, the amplifying circuit 100A may include a first inductor unit 110A, an amplifier 120A and a second inductor unit 130A.

[0043] Amplifier 120A may be a device that receives a differential input signal in_m b and in_p b And output differential output signal out_p a and out_m a The differential input signal may include a first signal in_m having opposite phases. b and the second signal in_p b Accordingly, the amplifier 120A may include a circuit for receiving the first signal in_m b The first input terminal (-) and the second input terminal for receiving the second signal in_p b The differential output signal may include amplifying the first signal in_m b The third signal out_m is obtained a and by amplifying the second signal in_p b The fourth signal out_p obtained a The third signal out_m a and the fourth signal out_p a may have opposite phases. Accordingly, the amplifier 120A may include a circuit for outputting a third signal out_m a The first output terminal (-) and the fourth signal out_p a The second output terminal (+) of .

[0044] The first inductor unit 110A may include a first inductor L 1M and the second inductor L 1P The first inductor L 1M The first input terminal (-) of the amplifier 120A may have one end connected to the first input terminal (-) of the amplifier 120A, and may receive an input signal in_m through the other end thereof. a The second inductor L 1P The first terminal of the amplifier 120A may have one end connected to the second input terminal (+) of the amplifier 120A, and may receive an input signal in_p through the other end thereof. a For example, the input signal in_m a and input signal in_p a It can be a differential signal with opposite phases. The first inductor L 1M The other end of the second inductor L may be a first input terminal of the amplifier circuit 100A, and the second inductor L 1P The other end of may be a second input terminal of the amplifier circuit 100A.

[0045] The second inductor unit 130A may include a third inductor L 2M and the fourth inductor L 2P The third inductor L 2M The fourth inductor L may have one end connected to the first output terminal (-) of the amplifier 120A, and may output the output signal OUT_M through the other end thereof. 2P The fourth inductor L may have one end connected to the second output terminal (+) of the amplifier 120A, and may output the output signal OUT_P through the other end. For example, the output signal OUT_M and the output signal OUT_P may be differential signals with opposite phases. 2P The other end of the third inductor L may be a first output terminal of the amplifier circuit 100A, and the third inductor L 2M The other end of may be a second output terminal of the amplifier circuit 100A.

[0046] As described above, the first inductor unit 110A and the second inductor unit 130A may be inductively coupled to each other. In this case, according to example embodiments, the first inductor L 1M and the third inductor L 2M can be inductively coupled to each other, and the second inductor L 1P and the fourth inductor L 2P can be inductively coupled to each other. For example, the first inductor L 1M and the third inductor L 2M There may be mutual inductance between the two, and the second inductor L 1P and the fourth inductor L 2P There can be mutual induction between them.

[0047] For example, when the input signal in_p a The voltage of the input signal in_m increases and a When the voltage of decreases, the voltage of the output signal OUT_P can be increased and the voltage of the output signal OUT_M can be decreased through the amplifier 120A.

[0048] In some example embodiments, when the voltage of the output signal OUT_M decreases, the 2 release positive charge in the direction to increase the 2 For example, the first inductor L 1M The voltage across the two ends is v 1 Due to the first inductor L 1M and the third inductor L 2M In some example embodiments, when the voltage v 1 When the first signal in_m applied to the first input terminal (-) of the amplifier 120A increases,b The voltage of the first signal in_m b As the voltage of the output signal OUT_M decreases, the voltage of the output signal OUT_M can decrease faster through the gain of the amplifier 120A.

[0049] In some example embodiments, when the voltage of the output signal OUT_P increases, the 4 The positive charge is released in the opposite direction to reduce the 4 For example, the second inductor L 1P The voltage across the two ends is v 3 The second inductor L 1P and the fourth inductor L 2P In some example embodiments, when the voltage v 3 When the second signal in_p applied to the second input terminal (+) of the amplifier 120A decreases, b The voltage of the second signal in_p b As the voltage of the output signal OUT_P increases, the voltage of the output signal OUT_P can increase faster through the gain of the amplifier 120A.

[0050] Although the input signal in_p has been described a The voltage of the input signal in_m increases and a However, the operation of the amplifier circuit 100A in the opposite case can also be similarly understood. For example, the input signal in_p a The voltage of the input signal in_m decreases and a The voltage increases.

[0051] As described above, according to example embodiments, the voltages of the output signal OUT_M and the output signal OUT_P are determined according to (or alternatively, based on) the input signal in_m. a and input signal in_p a The rate of change of the voltage can be further improved, and the bandwidth of the amplifier circuit 100A can be improved.

[0052] Figure 3 is a diagram showing the bandwidth improvement effect of the amplifier circuit according to the example embodiment. Figure 3 , a dotted line represents the bandwidth of an amplifying circuit to which a general bandwidth extension technique is applied, and a solid line represents the bandwidth of an amplifying circuit according to an example embodiment.

[0053] exist Figure 3In the figure, it can be seen that the bandwidth of the amplifier circuit according to the example embodiment is significantly greater than the bandwidth of the amplifier circuit using general technology. Therefore, for example, in the case of general technology, even when the frequency of the input signal is a (or alternatively, only a), the gain of the amplifier is significantly reduced. For example, compared with the rate of change of the input signal, the rate of change of the output signal may be significantly reduced to prevent the amplifier circuit from operating abnormally (or alternatively, reduce the chance of abnormal operation of the amplifier circuit). However, according to the example embodiment, for input signals with the same frequency, the gain of the amplifier can be maintained. Therefore, compared with general technology, even for input signals with high frequency bands, normal high-speed operation can be performed.

[0054] Figure 4 is a circuit diagram showing an example of how an amplification circuit may be implemented according to an example embodiment.

[0055] refer to Figure 4 , the amplifying circuit 100B may include a first inductor unit 110B, an amplifier 120A, and a second inductor unit 130B.

[0056] Figure 4 The amplifier circuit 100B has Figure 2B The amplifier circuit 100A has the same configuration. However, in the first inductor L 1M and the fourth inductor L 2P are inductively coupled to each other and the second inductor L 1P and the third inductor L 2M In the sense of inductive coupling with each other, Figure 4 The amplifier circuit 100B and Figure 2B Therefore, the third inductor L 2M and the fourth inductor L 2P The position of the point and the third inductor L 2M and the fourth inductor L 2P The associated voltage v 2 and v 4 And the current i 2 and i 4 It is shown as being different from the amplifier circuit 100A.

[0057] Hereinafter, redundant description of the same configuration as the amplification circuit 100A will be omitted, and the operation of the amplification circuit 100B will be described focusing on the differences.

[0058] As described above, in the amplifier circuit 100B, the first inductor L 1M and the fourth inductor L 2P are inductively coupled to each other, and the second inductor L 1P and the third inductor L 2MTherefore, in the first inductor L 1M and the fourth inductor L 2P There may be mutual inductance between the second inductor L 1P and the third inductor L 2M There can be mutual induction between them.

[0059] For example, when the input signal in_p a The voltage of the input signal in_m increases, and a When the voltage of the output signal OUT_P decreases, the voltage of the output signal OUT_P may be increased by the amplifier 120A, and the voltage of the output signal OUT_M may be decreased by the amplifier 120A.

[0060] In some example embodiments, when the voltage of the output signal OUT_M decreases, the 2 The positive charge is released in the opposite direction to reduce the 2 For example, the second inductor L 1P The voltage across the two ends is v 3 The second inductor L 1P and the third inductor L 2M In some example embodiments, when the voltage v 3 When the second signal in_p applied to the second input terminal (+) of the amplifier 120A decreases, b The voltage of the second signal in_p b As the voltage of the output signal OUT_P increases, the voltage of the output signal OUT_P can increase faster through the gain of the amplifier 120A.

[0061] In some example embodiments, when the voltage of the output signal OUT_P increases, the 4 release positive charge in the direction to increase the 4 For example, the first inductor L 1M The voltage across the two ends is v 1 Due to the first inductor L 1M and the fourth inductor L 2P In some example embodiments, when the voltage v 1 When the first signal in_m applied to the first input terminal (-) of the amplifier 120A increases, b The voltage of the first signal in_m b As the voltage of the output signal OUT_M decreases, the voltage of the output signal OUT_M can decrease faster through the gain of the amplifier 120A.

[0062] In summary, when the voltage of the output signal OUT_M decreases, the second signal in_p applied to the second input terminal (+) of the amplifier 120A is b In addition, when the output signal OUT_P increases, the first signal in_m applied to the first input terminal (-) of the amplifier 120A is increased. b For example, the output signal OUT_M and the output signal OUT_P are differential signals with opposite phases, so that when the voltage of the output signal OUT_M decreases, the voltage of the output signal OUT_P increases, and when the voltage of the output signal OUT_P increases, the voltage of the output signal OUT_M decreases.

[0063] Accordingly, in some example embodiments, the amplifier circuit 100B may also be configured to receive positive feedback. For example, when the voltage of the output signal OUT_M decreases, the first signal in_m applied to the first input terminal (-) of the amplifier 120A is positively feedbacked. b The voltage of the output signal OUT_M is reduced based on the increased voltage of the output signal OUT_P, so that the voltage of the output signal OUT_M can be reduced faster by the gain of the amplifier 120A. In addition, when the voltage of the output signal OUT_P increases, the second signal in_p applied to the second input terminal (+) of the amplifier (120A) is b The voltage of the output signal OUT_P increases based on the decreased voltage of the output signal OUT_M, so that the voltage of the output signal OUT_P can be increased faster by the gain of the amplifier 120A.

[0064] Although the input signal in_p has been described a The voltage of the input signal in_m increases and a However, the operation of the amplifier circuit 100B in the opposite case can also be similarly understood. For example, the input signal in_p a The voltage of the input signal in_m decreases and a The voltage increases.

[0065] As described above, according to example embodiments, the voltages of the output signal OUT_M and the output signal OUT_P are determined according to (or alternatively, based on) the input signal in_m. a and input signal in_p a As a result, the bandwidth of the amplifier circuit 100B can be improved.

[0066] Figure 5A is a circuit diagram showing an example of how an amplification circuit may be implemented according to an example embodiment.

[0067] refer to Figure 5A, the amplifying circuit 100C may include a first inductor unit 110C, an amplifier 120C, and a second inductor unit 130C.

[0068] Amplifier 120C may be a single input signal in b And output a single output signal out a For example, amplifier 120C may be a non-inverting amplifier. Amplifier 120C may include a single amplifier for receiving an input signal in b A single input terminal and an output signal out a A single output terminal.

[0069] The first inductor unit 110C may include a first inductor L 1 The first inductor L 1 The amplifier 120C may have one end connected to the input terminal of the amplifier 120C and receive an input signal in through the end. a the other end.

[0070] The second inductor unit 130C may include a second inductor L 2 The second inductor L 2 It may have one end connected to the output terminal of the amplifier 120C, and the other end through which the output signal OUT of the amplification circuit 100C is output.

[0071] According to an example embodiment, the first inductor L 1 and the second inductor L 2 can be inductively coupled to each other. For example, the first inductor L 1 and the second inductor L 2 There can be mutual induction between them.

[0072] For example, when the input signal in a When the voltage of the output signal OUT decreases, the voltage of the output signal OUT may be decreased by the amplifier 120C. In some example embodiments, when the voltage of the output signal OUT decreases, the voltage of the output signal OUT may be decreased by the amplifier 120C. 2 release positive charge in the direction to increase the 2 For example, the first inductor L 1 The voltage across the two ends is v 1 Due to the first inductor L 1 and the second inductor L 2 In some example embodiments, when the voltage v 1 When the signal in applied to the input terminal of the amplifier 120C increases, b The voltage can be reduced. As the signal in bAs the voltage of the output signal OUT decreases, the voltage of the output signal OUT can decrease faster through the gain of the amplifier 120C.

[0073] In some example embodiments, when the input signal in a When the voltage of the output signal OUT increases, the voltage of the output signal OUT may be increased by the amplifier 120C. In some example embodiments, when the voltage of the output signal OUT increases, the voltage of the output signal OUT may be increased by the amplifier 120C. 2 The positive charge is released in the opposite direction to reduce the 2 For example, the first inductor L 1 The voltage across the two ends is v 1 Due to the first inductor L 1 and the second inductor L 2 In some example embodiments, when the voltage v 1 When the signal in applied to the input terminal of the amplifier 120C decreases b The voltage can be increased. As the signal in b As the voltage of the output signal OUT increases, the voltage of the output signal OUT can increase faster through the gain of the amplifier 120C.

[0074] As described above, according to example embodiments, the voltage of the output signal OUT is determined according to (or alternatively, based on) the input signal in a The rate of change due to voltage change can be further improved, and the bandwidth of the amplifier circuit 100C can be improved.

[0075] Figure 5B is a circuit diagram showing an example of how to implement an amplification circuit according to an example embodiment. Figure 5B , the amplifying circuit 100D may include a first inductor unit 110D, an amplifier 120D, and a second inductor unit 130D.

[0076] Amplifier 120D may be a single input signal received in b And output a single output signal out a For example, amplifier 120D may be an inverting amplifier. Amplifier 120D may include a circuit for receiving an input signal in b A single input terminal and an output signal out a A single output terminal.

[0077] The first inductor unit 110D may include a first inductor L 1 The first inductor L 1 The amplifier 120D may have one end connected to the input terminal of the amplifier 120D and receive an input signal in through the end. a the other end.

[0078] The second inductor unit 130D may include a second inductor L 2 The second inductor L 2 It may have one end connected to the output terminal of the amplifier 120D, and the other end through which the output signal OUT of the amplification circuit 100D is output.

[0079] According to an example embodiment, the first inductor L 1 and the second inductor L 2 can be inductively coupled to each other. For example, the first inductor L 1 and the second inductor L 2 There can be mutual induction between them.

[0080] For example, because amplifier 120D is an inverting amplifier, when the input signal in a When the voltage of the output signal OUT decreases, the voltage of the output signal OUT may increase. In some example embodiments, when the voltage of the output signal OUT increases, the voltage of the output signal OUT may increase. 2 release positive charge in the direction to increase the 2 For example, the first inductor L 1 The voltage across the two ends is v 1 Due to the first inductor L 1 and the second inductor L 2 In some example embodiments, when the voltage v 1 When the signal in applied to the input terminal of the amplifier 120D increases, b The voltage of can be reduced. Since the amplifier 120D is an inverting amplifier, as the signal in b As the voltage of the output signal OUT decreases, the voltage of the output signal OUT can increase faster through the gain of the amplifier 120D.

[0081] In some example embodiments, since the amplifier 120D is an inverting amplifier, when the input signal in a When the voltage of the output signal OUT increases, the voltage of the output signal OUT may decrease. In some example embodiments, when the voltage of the output signal OUT decreases, the voltage of the output signal OUT may decrease. 2 The positive charge is released in the opposite direction to reduce the 2 For example, the first inductor L 1 The voltage across the two ends is v 1 Due to the first inductor L 1 and the second inductor L 2 In some example embodiments, when the voltage v 1When the signal in applied to the input terminal of the amplifier 120D decreases b The voltage of can be increased. Since the amplifier 120D is an inverting amplifier, as the signal in b As the voltage of the output signal OUT increases, the voltage of the output signal OUT can decrease faster through the gain of the amplifier 120D.

[0082] As described above, according to example embodiments, the voltage of the output signal OUT is determined according to (or alternatively, based on) the input signal in a The rate of change due to voltage change can be further improved, and the bandwidth of the amplifier circuit 100D can be improved.

[0083] Fig. 6A 1 is a circuit diagram showing an example of how to implement a multi-stage amplifier according to an example embodiment. A multi-stage amplifier is an amplifier including a plurality of single-stage amplifiers connected in cascade. Each amplifier constituting the multi-stage amplifier may be referred to as a "stage" or an "amplification stage". According to an example embodiment, each of the above-described amplification circuits 100, 100A, 100B, 100C, and 100D may constitute at least one stage among a plurality of stages included in the multi-stage amplifier.

[0084] For example, refer to Fig. 6A , the multi-stage amplifier 1000A may include a gm stage 200 and a TIA stage 300A. The gm stage represents a transconductance stage, and the TIA stage represents a transimpedance amplifier stage.

[0085] The gm stage 200 may be an amplifier stage that receives a voltage as an input and outputs a current as an output. For example, the gm stage 200 may include a circuit that receives differential input signals IN_P and IN_M and outputs a differential output signal IN_M. a and in_p a The differential amplifier 220 is provided.

[0086] The TIA stage 300A may be an amplifier stage that receives a current as an input and outputs a voltage as an output. For example, the TIA stage 300A may include the above Figure 2B According to example embodiments, the resistor R1 may be connected between a first input terminal and a first output terminal of the amplifying circuit 100A, and between a second input terminal and a second output terminal of the amplifying circuit 100A.

[0087] The output of the gm stage 200 may be the input of the TIA stage 300A. For example, the output signal in_m of the gm stage 200 may be a The output signal in_p of the gm stage 200 may be input to the TIA stage 300A through the first input terminal of the amplifier circuit 100A, and the output signal in_p of the gm stage 200 may be input to the TIA stage 300A through the first input terminal of the amplifier circuit 100A. aThe differential input signal in_m can be input to the TIA stage 300A through the second input terminal of the amplifier circuit 100A. Accordingly, the TIA stage 300A can receive the differential input signal in_m through the first input terminal and the second input terminal of the amplifier circuit 100A, respectively. a and in_p a , and differential output signals OUT_P and OUT_M can be output through the first output terminal and the second output terminal of the amplification circuit 100A, respectively.

[0088] For example, when the voltage of IN_P increases and the voltage of IN_M decreases, OUT_P can be increased and OUT_M can be decreased by amplifier 220 and amplifier 120A. In this case, for example, as described above in Figure 2B As described in , through the operation of the amplification circuit 100A, OUT_P can increase faster and OUT_M can decrease faster.

[0089] In some example embodiments, in the same manner as the voltage of IN_P increases and the voltage of IN_M decreases as above, as the voltage of IN_P decreases and the voltage of IN_M increases, OUT_P decreases and OUT_M increases, and through the operation of the amplification circuit 100A, OUT_P can decrease faster and OUT_M can increase faster.

[0090] As described above, according to example embodiments, the speed at which the voltages of OUT_P and OUT_M change according to (or alternatively, based on) the voltage changes of IN_P and IN_M can be further improved. Therefore, the bandwidth of the multi-stage amplifier 1000A can be improved.

[0091] Figure 6B and Figure 6C are circuit diagrams respectively showing examples of how to implement a multi-stage amplifier according to various example embodiments. Figure 6B , the multi-stage amplifier 1000B may include a gm stage 200 and a TIA stage 300B. For example, the TIA stage 300B may include a resistor R1 connected between a first input terminal (-) of the amplifier 120A and a first output terminal of the amplifying circuit 100A, and between a second input terminal (+) of the amplifier 120A and a second output terminal of the amplifying circuit 100A, respectively.

[0092] In addition to the node to which the resistor R1 is connected (or alternatively, only in addition to the node to which the resistor R1 is connected), the multi-stage amplifier 1000B has Fig. 6A The operation of the multi-stage amplifier 1000B is the same as that of the multi-stage amplifier 1000A. Fig. 6A The operation of the multi-stage amplifier 1000A is the same, so redundant description will be omitted.

[0093] refer to Figure 6C , the multi-stage amplifier 1000C may include a gm stage 200 and a TIA stage 300C. The TIA stage 300C may include a resistor R1 connected between the first input terminal of the amplifier circuit 100A and the second output terminal (+) of the amplifier 120A, and between the second input terminal of the amplifier circuit 100A and the first output terminal (-) of the amplifier 120A.

[0094] In addition to the node to which resistor R1 is connected, the multi-stage amplifier 1000C also has Fig. 6A The multi-stage amplifier 1000C operates in the same manner as the multi-stage amplifier 1000A. Fig. 6A The operation of the multi-stage amplifier 1000A is the same, so redundant description will be omitted.

[0095] exist FIG. 6A to FIG. 6C It has been described how to use Figure 2B The amplifier circuit 100A implements an example of a TIA stage of a multi-stage amplifier, but the example embodiment is not limited thereto. According to the example embodiment, the Figure 2B Amplifier circuit 100A or Figure 4 The amplifier circuit 100B of the embodiment can implement at least one of the gm stage and the TIA stage. For example, the amplifier circuits 100A and 100B can be used to implement the gm stage of a multi-stage amplifier, and the amplifier circuits 100A and 100B can be used to implement both the gm stage and the TIA stage of a multi-stage amplifier.

[0096] According to example embodiments, the above-described amplification circuits 100, 100A, 100B, 100C, and 100D may be included in transceivers of various wired and wireless communication modules. For example, the amplification circuits 100, 100A, 100B, 100C, and 100D may constitute an amplifier or a stage of an amplifier, such as a power amplifier (PA), a gain peaking amplifier (GPA), or a low noise amplifier (LNA) included in a high-speed wired SerDes transceiver or a high-speed wireless communication transceiver.

[0097] Figure 7 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a transceiver according to an example embodiment. Figure 7, the transceiver 10000 may include a transmission circuit TXC for transmitting a signal, and a reception circuit RXC for receiving a signal. For example, when the transceiver 10000 is a transceiver for wired communication such as Ethernet, the transceiver may transmit and receive signals through the transmission circuit TXC and the reception circuit RXC and at least one wired channel. In addition, when the transceiver 10000 is a transceiver for wireless communication such as wireless LAN or mobile communication, the transceiver may transmit and receive signals through the transmission circuit TXC and the reception circuit RXC and at least one wireless channel.

[0098] The transmitting circuit TXC may include various amplifiers such as a driving amplifier, a GPA, a PA, etc., and the receiving circuit RXC may include various amplifiers such as an intermediate frequency (IF) amplifier, an LNA, etc. For example, according to an example embodiment, at least one of the various amplifiers included in the transmitting circuit TXC and the receiving circuit RXC may be implemented to include the above-described amplification circuit 100.

[0099] Although various example embodiments related to amplifiers for signal amplification have been described, the example embodiments are not limited thereto. The example embodiments may be applied to all circuits (e.g., buffers, clock distribution circuits, etc.) that require (or use) bandwidth extension for high-speed operation. For example, even in the case of devices other than amplifiers, bandwidth may be extended by placing inductors that are inductively coupled to each other at the input terminal and the output terminal, respectively.

[0100] As an example, in the above-described exemplary embodiments, a buffer may be used instead of the amplifiers 120, 120A, 120C, and 120D. For example, each of the amplification circuits 100, 100A, 100B, 100C, and 100D may be a buffer circuit. Compared to a typical buffer circuit, such a buffer circuit includes a first inductor unit 110 and a second inductor unit 130 that are inductively coupled to each other, and therefore, due to the coupling effect caused by the above-described mutual inductance, such a buffer circuit may have an improved bandwidth and perform high-speed operation.

[0101] The positions of the points of the inductors, the directions of the voltages, and the directions of the currents shown in the drawings are merely examples given for ease of description, and the exemplary embodiments are not limited thereto. For example, in the case where the first inductor and the second inductor that are inductively coupled to have mutual inductance are respectively connected to the input terminal and the output terminal of the amplifier (or buffer), and the output voltage is positively fed back through the mutual inductance, even when the positions of the points, the directions of the voltages and the currents, and the signs of the mutual inductance M are changed, this situation may also be included in the exemplary embodiments.

[0102] According to the various exemplary embodiments described above, it is possible to provide an amplification circuit, a multi-stage amplifier, and an amplifier whose bandwidths are improved based on a coupling effect occurring due to inductive coupling of an inductor.

[0103] As described above, according to example embodiments, an amplification circuit, a multi-stage amplifier, and an amplifier having a bandwidth improved based on a coupling effect occurring due to inductive coupling of an inductor may be provided.

[0104] While example embodiments have been shown and described above, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that modifications and variations may be made without departing from the scope of the inventive concept as defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. An amplifier circuit, comprising: an amplifier, comprising an input terminal and an output terminal; a first inductor unit connected to the input terminal; as well as a second inductor unit, connected to the output terminal, The first inductor unit and the second inductor unit are inductively coupled to each other, so that a change in the output voltage of the amplifier circuit is positively fed back.

2. The amplifier circuit according to claim 1, wherein The first inductor unit and the second inductor unit are inductively coupled to each other so that a change in voltage at the input terminal is facilitated by a change in the output voltage of the amplification circuit.

3. The amplifier circuit according to claim 1, wherein The first inductor unit and the second inductor unit are inductively coupled to each other so that there is a mutual inductance between the first inductor unit and the second inductor unit, and A change in the output voltage of the amplifier circuit is positively fed back based on the mutual inductance.

4. The amplifier circuit according to claim 1, wherein The input terminal includes a first input terminal and a second input terminal, The output terminals include a first output terminal corresponding to the first input terminal and a second output terminal corresponding to the second input terminal, The first inductor unit comprises: a first inductor having one end connected to the first input terminal and another end thereof receiving a first input signal; as well as a second inductor having one end connected to the second input terminal and the other end receiving therethrough a second input signal having a phase opposite to that of the first input signal, and The second inductor unit comprises: a third inductor having one end connected to the first output terminal and the other end through which the first output voltage of the amplifying circuit is output; as well as A fourth inductor has one end connected to the second output terminal and the other end through which the second output voltage of the amplifier circuit is output.

5. The amplifier circuit according to claim 4, wherein The first output voltage is output through the other end of the third inductor, and the second output voltage is output through the other end of the fourth inductor, The first output voltage and the second output voltage are differential signals with opposite phases, The voltage at the first input terminal decreases when the first output voltage decreases, and increases when the first output voltage increases, and The voltage at the second input terminal increases when the second output voltage increases, and decreases when the second output voltage decreases.

6. The amplifier circuit according to claim 4, wherein The first inductor and the third inductor are inductively coupled to each other to have a first mutual inductance, and The second inductor and the fourth inductor are inductively coupled to each other to have a second mutual inductance.

7. The amplifier circuit according to claim 6, wherein The first inductor and the third inductor are inductively coupled to each other so that a voltage at the first input terminal decreases through the first mutual inductance based on a decreasing first output voltage, and the voltage at the first input terminal increases through the first mutual inductance based on an increasing first output voltage, and The second inductor and the fourth inductor are inductively coupled to each other so that a voltage at the second input terminal increases through the second mutual inductance based on an increased second output voltage and the voltage at the second input terminal decreases through the second mutual inductance based on a decreased second output voltage.

8. The amplifier circuit according to claim 4, wherein The first inductor and the fourth inductor are inductively coupled to each other to have a first mutual inductance, and The second inductor and the third inductor are inductively coupled to each other to have a second mutual inductance.

9. The amplifier circuit according to claim 8, wherein The first inductor and the fourth inductor are inductively coupled to each other so that when the first output voltage decreases, the voltage at the first input terminal decreases through the first mutual inductance based on the increased second output voltage, and when the first output voltage increases, the voltage at the first input terminal increases through the first mutual inductance based on the decreased second output voltage, and The second inductor and the third inductor are inductively coupled to each other so that when the second output voltage increases, the voltage at the second input terminal increases through the second mutual inductance based on the decreased first output voltage, and when the second output voltage decreases, the voltage at the second input terminal decreases through the second mutual inductance based on the increased first output voltage.

10. The amplifier circuit according to claim 1, wherein The first inductor unit includes a first inductor having one end connected to the input terminal and the other end through which an input signal is received, The second inductor unit includes a second inductor having one end connected to the output terminal and the other end through which the output voltage of the amplifying circuit is output, and The first inductor and the second inductor are inductively coupled to each other to have mutual inductance.

11. The amplifier circuit according to claim 10, wherein The amplifier is a non-inverting amplifier, and The voltage at the input terminal increases through the mutual inductance based on the increased output voltage of the amplifying circuit, and the voltage at the input terminal decreases through the mutual inductance based on the decreased output voltage of the amplifying circuit.

12. The amplifier circuit according to claim 10, wherein The amplifier is an inverting amplifier, and The voltage at the input terminal decreases by the mutual inductance based on the increased output voltage of the amplification circuit, and the voltage at the input terminal increases by the mutual inductance based on the decreased output voltage of the amplification circuit.

13. The amplifier circuit according to claim 1, wherein The amplifier is a buffer.

14. The amplifier circuit according to claim 1, wherein The amplification circuit constitutes at least one stage among a plurality of stages included in a multi-stage amplifier.

15. The amplifier circuit according to claim 14, wherein The multiple stages include: Transconductance stage; as well as transimpedance amplifier stage, and The amplification circuit constitutes the transimpedance amplifier stage.

16. A multi-stage amplifier comprising: Multiple amplifier stages, Wherein, at least one of the plurality of amplification stages comprises: an amplifier, comprising an input terminal and an output terminal; a first inductor unit connected to the input terminal; and a second inductor unit connected to the output terminal, and The first inductor unit and the second inductor unit are inductively coupled to each other so that a change in an output voltage of a corresponding amplifier stage is positively fed back.

17. The multi-stage amplifier of claim 16, wherein The first inductor unit and the second inductor unit are inductively coupled to each other so that a change in voltage at the input terminal is facilitated by a change in the output voltage of the corresponding amplification stage.

18. The multi-stage amplifier of claim 16, wherein The first inductor unit and the second inductor unit are inductively coupled to each other so that there is a mutual inductance between the first inductor unit and the second inductor unit, and A change in the output voltage of the corresponding amplifier stage is positively fed back based on the mutual inductance.

19. The multi-stage amplifier of claim 16, wherein The multi-stage amplifier is included in a transceiver of a wired communication module or a wireless communication module.

20. An amplifier, comprising: Input terminal; as well as Output terminals, Wherein, a first inductor and a second inductor which are inductively coupled to each other to have mutual inductance are connected to the input terminal and the output terminal, respectively.

Images