Radio frequency front-end module and communication equipment

Abstract

The utility model discloses a radio frequency front-end module and communication equipment, the radio frequency front-end module comprises a substrate, a chip arranged on the substrate and a low-noise amplifier, the low-noise amplifier comprises at least two signal input ports, a multiplexer switch, a matching inductor and an amplification circuit; the multiplexer switch comprises a common output end and at least two input ends, each input end corresponds to one signal input port and is used for receiving one radio frequency input signal, and the common output end is connected with the first end of the matching inductor. The second end of the matching inductor is connected with the input end of the amplifying circuit, and the amplifying circuit is used for amplifying the radio frequency input signal and obtaining and outputting a radio frequency output signal; wherein the matching inductor is arranged on the substrate, the multiplexer switch and the amplification circuit are integrated on the chip, and the technical scheme provided by the utility model can realize miniaturization of the radio frequency front-end module.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a radio frequency front-end module and communication equipment. Background Art

[0002] In radio frequency microwave systems such as wireless communications and radar, low noise amplifiers (LNA) are widely used in various receiving links to amplify weak signals. Usually, an input matching circuit is set at the input end of the LNA to match the input impedance of the LNA with the output impedance of the previous stage circuit. When the frequency band of the input signal corresponding to the input end of the LNA is different, the required input matching inductance value is different.

[0003] For a wideband LNA, in order to process input signals of at least two frequency bands, a plurality of input terminals are usually provided, wherein each input terminal can transmit an input signal of one frequency band. In the related art, a group of input matching inductors matching the signal frequency band of the input terminal is provided behind each input terminal of the input matching circuit, and N input terminals need to be provided with corresponding N input matching inductors, and the inductance value of each input matching inductor is relatively large, so that the overall area occupied by the LNA is relatively large. Utility Model Content

[0004] Based on this, an embodiment of the present application provides a radio frequency front-end module and a communication device.

[0005] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a radio frequency front-end module, comprising: a substrate, a chip disposed on the substrate, and a low-noise amplifier, wherein the low-noise amplifier comprises at least two signal input ports, a multi-way selection switch, a matching inductor, and an amplification circuit;

[0006] The multi-way selection switch includes a common output terminal and at least two input terminals, each of the input terminals is arranged corresponding to one of the signal input ports and is used to receive a radio frequency input signal, the common output terminal is connected to the first terminal of the matching inductor, the second terminal of the matching inductor is connected to the input terminal of the amplifier circuit, and the amplifier circuit is used to amplify the radio frequency input signal to obtain and output a radio frequency output signal;

[0007] Wherein, the matching inductor is arranged on the substrate, and the multi-way selection switch and the amplifying circuit are integrated into the chip.

[0008] In some embodiments, the matching inductor is implemented by an SMD component mounted on the surface of the substrate, or by a transmission line disposed on the surface of the substrate.

[0009] In some implementations, the inductance of the matching inductor is greater than or equal to 5 nH.

[0010] In some embodiments, the low noise amplifier further includes at least one branch inductor, a first end of the branch inductor correspondingly connected to one of the signal input ports, and a second end of the branch inductor correspondingly connected to an input end of the multi-way selection switch.

[0011] In some embodiments, the branch inductor is implemented by an SMD component mounted on the surface of the substrate, or is implemented by a transmission line arranged on the surface of the substrate; or, the branch inductor is integrated into the chip.

[0012] In some implementations, the inductance of the branch inductor is less than or equal to 7 nH.

[0013] In some embodiments, the inductance value of the matching inductor is greater than or equal to 5 nH, and is implemented by a transmission line disposed on the surface of the substrate;

[0014] The at least one branch inductor comprises a first branch inductor and a second branch inductor;

[0015] The frequency of the radio frequency input signal corresponding to the signal input port connected to the first branch inductor is higher than 2.4 GHz, and the first branch inductor is a transmission line arranged on the surface of the substrate;

[0016] The frequency of the radio frequency input signal corresponding to the signal input port connected to the second branch inductor is lower than 2.4 GHz, and the second branch inductor is an SMD component mounted on the surface of the substrate.

[0017] In some embodiments, the inductance value of the matching inductor is greater than or equal to 5 nH, and is implemented by a transmission line disposed on the surface of the substrate;

[0018] The at least one branch inductor comprises a first branch inductor and a second branch inductor;

[0019] The frequency of the radio frequency input signal corresponding to the signal input port connected to the first branch inductor is higher than 2.4 GHz, and the first branch inductor is a transmission line arranged on the surface of the substrate;

[0020] The frequency of the radio frequency input signal corresponding to the signal input port connected to the second branch inductor is lower than 2.4 GHz, and the second branch inductor is integrated in the chip.

[0021] In some embodiments, a pad is disposed on the surface of the substrate, and the chip is bonded to the pad by wire bonding; or, the chip is disposed on the first surface of the substrate by flip-chip packaging.

[0022] In some embodiments, the chip is disposed on the first surface of the substrate through a flip-flop package, and the matching inductor is disposed on the first surface or the second surface of the substrate, wherein the first surface and the second surface are two opposite surfaces.

[0023] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication device, the communication device comprising: a mainboard and a radio frequency front-end module, wherein the radio frequency front-end module is arranged on the mainboard, the radio frequency front-end module comprises a substrate, a chip arranged on the substrate and a low-noise amplifier, the low-noise amplifier comprises at least two signal input ports, a multi-way selection switch, a matching inductor, and an amplification circuit;

[0024] The multi-way selection switch includes a common output terminal and at least two input terminals, each of the input terminals is arranged corresponding to one of the signal input ports and is used to receive a radio frequency input signal, the common output terminal is connected to the first terminal of the matching inductor, the second terminal of the matching inductor is connected to the input terminal of the amplifier circuit, and the amplifier circuit is used to amplify the radio frequency input signal to obtain and output a radio frequency output signal;

[0025] At least two of the signal input ports are arranged on the main board, the matching inductor is arranged on the substrate, and the multi-way selection switch and the amplifying circuit are integrated into the chip.

[0026] In some embodiments, the RF front-end module further includes at least one branch inductor, a first end of the branch inductor correspondingly connected to one of the signal input ports, and a second end of the branch inductor correspondingly connected to an input end of the multi-way selection switch.

[0027] In some embodiments, at least one of the branch inductors is disposed on the mainboard, and the branch inductor is implemented by an SMD component mounted on the surface of the mainboard, or by a transmission line disposed on the surface of the mainboard.

[0028] It can be seen from the above technical solution that the RF front-end module provided in the present application effectively saves the substrate occupied area of ​​the RF front-end module by setting a common matching inductor for at least two signal input ports, thereby eliminating the need to set a separate matching inductor for each signal input port. At the same time, the RF front-end module integrates the multi-way selection switch and the amplifier circuit into the chip, thereby eliminating the need to set the multi-way selection switch and the amplifier circuit on the substrate, further reducing the substrate occupied area and realizing the miniaturization of the RF front-end module.

[0029] It should be understood that the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the present application. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, the drawings required for use in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of the present application. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying any creative work.

[0031] Figure 1 It is a block diagram schematic diagram of a radio frequency front-end module provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0032] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of the block structure of a low noise amplifier provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0033] Figure 3 1 is a circuit structure diagram of a first specific implementation of a low noise amplifier provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0034] Figure 4 1 is a circuit structure diagram of a second specific implementation of a low noise amplifier provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0035] Figure 5 It is a circuit structure diagram of a low noise amplifier in the related art;

[0036] Figure 6 1 is a schematic diagram of a circuit structure of a third specific implementation of a low noise amplifier provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0037] Figures 7 and 8 It is a structural diagram of the mutual positional relationship between various structures in the radio frequency front-end module provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0038] Fig. 9 It is a block diagram schematic diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0039] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of the present application to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are part of the embodiments of the present application, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0040] It should be noted that the descriptions involving "first", "second", etc. in this application are only for descriptive purposes and cannot be understood as indicating or implying their relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, the features defined as "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of the features. In addition, the technical solutions between the various embodiments can be combined with each other, but they must be based on the ability of ordinary technicians in this field to implement them. When the combination of technical solutions is contradictory or cannot be implemented, it should be deemed that such combination of technical solutions does not exist and is not within the scope of protection required by this application.

[0041] In the description of the present application, it should be noted that, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "installed", "connected", and "connected" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection. It can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection. It can be directly connected or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium. It can be the internal connection of two elements or the interaction relationship between two elements. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0042] The flowcharts shown in the accompanying drawings are only examples and do not necessarily include all the contents and operations / steps, nor must they be executed in the order described. For example, some operations / steps may also be decomposed, combined or partially merged, so the actual execution order may change according to actual conditions.

[0043] In conjunction with the accompanying drawings, some embodiments of the present application are described in detail below. In the absence of conflict, the following embodiments and features in the embodiments can be combined with each other.

[0044] See also Figure 1 , Figure 1 A block diagram of a radio frequency front-end module is provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0045] like Figure 1 As shown, the RF front-end module 200 includes a substrate 300, a chip 400 disposed on the substrate 300, and a low noise amplifier 100. The low noise amplifier 100 can be integrated into the chip 400, or disposed on the substrate 300, or part of the structure of the low noise amplifier 100 can be disposed on the substrate 300, and part of the structure can be integrated into the chip 400. In addition, the RF front-end module 100 can be applied to 4G and 5G communication devices such as smart phones, tablet computers, and smart watches.

[0046] Optionally, the chip 400 may be disposed on the substrate 300 by disposing a pad 301 on the substrate 300, fixing the chip 400 on the substrate 300, and connecting the chip 400 and the pad 301 through a lead 302, thereby realizing electrical connection between the chip 400 and the substrate 300. Alternatively, the chip 400 may be disposed on the substrate 300 by realizing electrical connection between the chip 400 and the substrate 300 through a flip-flop package. For example, the chip 400 is disposed on the first surface of the substrate 300 through a flip-flop package. Alternatively, the chip 400 is disposed on the first surface of the substrate 300 through a flip-flop package.

[0047] like Figure 1 As shown, it should be understood that the RF front-end module 200 is used to adapt to the antenna module 500, and is used to receive or transmit signals through the antenna module 500. Usually, the RF front-end module 200 has two working modes, one working mode is a signal receiving mode, and the other working mode is a signal transmitting mode. When the RF front-end module 200 works in the signal receiving mode, the RF front-end module 200 receives the signal through the antenna module 500, and pre-processes the received signal and outputs it to the signal receiving module 600. When the RF front-end module 200 works in the signal transmitting mode, the RF signal output by the signal transmitting module 700 is transmitted to the RF front-end module 200, so as to be pre-processed by the RF front-end module 200 and transmit the signal through the antenna module 500.

[0048] Specifically, in order to realize signal transmission and reception, the RF front-end module 200 generally includes a signal transmission branch and a signal receiving branch, wherein a low noise amplifier 100 (LNA) is arranged in the signal receiving branch. When the RF front-end module 200 works in the signal receiving mode, the signal receiving branch is connected to the antenna module 500 for signal reception, and the received signal is amplified by the low noise amplifier (LNA), and the processed signal is output to the signal receiving module 600. The signal transmission branch is provided with a power amplifier (PA). When the RF front-end module 200 works in the signal transmission mode, the signal transmission branch is connected to the antenna module 500 for signal transmission, and the signal output by the signal transmission module 700 is amplified by the signal of the signal transmission branch through the power amplifier (PA), and the processed signal is radiated to the external space through the antenna module 500 to realize signal transmission.

[0049] In order to reduce the signal loss during the signal transmission from the antenna module 500 to the signal receiving branch, an input matching circuit is usually arranged between the signal receiving branch and the corresponding signal input terminal. The input matching circuit is used to achieve impedance matching between the antenna module 500 and the signal input terminal, thereby reducing the signal loss in the signal transmission between the antenna module 500 and the RF front-end module 200.

[0050] And with the development of wireless communication technology, the RF front-end module 200 can be used to receive input signals of at least two frequency bands. For this type of broadband RF products, in order to process input signals of at least two frequency bands, in the related technology, a group of input matching inductors matching the signal frequency band of the input end is set behind each input end of the LNA input matching circuit. N input ends need to be correspondingly set with N input matching inductors, and the inductance value of each input matching inductor is relatively large, so that the overall area occupied by the LNA is relatively large.

[0051] Based on this, the low noise amplifier 100 provided in the present application can solve the problem that the multi-input LNA occupies a large area as a whole, thereby realizing the miniaturization of the RF front-end module 200.

[0052] It can be understood that in the process of transmitting the signal from the antenna module 500 to the low noise amplifier 100, in order to reduce the loss of signal transmission, it is usually necessary to match the output impedance of the output end of the antenna module 500 with the input impedance of the signal input port 10 of the low noise amplifier 100 (for example, the output impedance and the input impedance are consistent or the difference is less than a preset value). After the impedance matching, the signal at the output end of the antenna module 500 can be transmitted to the signal input port 10 to the maximum extent. Therefore, an input matching circuit is provided at the signal input port 10 of the low noise amplifier 100. After the antenna module 500 receives the signal, the signal input port 10 connected to the corresponding input matching circuit is selected according to the signal frequency band to be connected to the antenna module 500. The impedance matching between the signal input port 10 and the output end of the antenna module 500 is achieved through the input matching circuit, thereby effectively reducing the loss of the signal in the process of transmitting the signal from the antenna module 500 to the signal receiving circuit and improving the reliability of signal transmission.

[0053] In an embodiment of the present application, the input matching circuit includes at least a matching inductor 30 connected between the signal input port 10 and the amplifying circuit 40. The matching inductor has resistance and inductance, and can adjust the real and imaginary parts of the impedance of the signal input port 10 to match it with the output impedance of the antenna module 500.

[0054] See also Figure 2 and Figure 3, the low noise amplifier 100 includes at least two signal input ports 10, an input matching circuit and an amplifier circuit 40. Among them, the input matching circuit includes a multi-way selection switch 20 and a matching inductor 30, and the input matching circuit is used to achieve impedance matching between the signal input port 10 and the antenna module 500. The multi-way selection switch 20 includes a common output terminal 201 and at least two input terminals 202, each input terminal 202 is set corresponding to a signal input port 10 and is used to receive a radio frequency input signal, the common output terminal 201 is connected to the first end of the matching inductor 30, the second end of the matching inductor 30 is connected to the input end of the amplifier circuit 30, and the amplifier circuit 30 is used to amplify the radio frequency input signal, obtain and output the radio frequency output signal. In addition, the matching inductor 30 is set on the substrate 300, and the multi-way selection switch 20 and the amplifier circuit 40 are integrated in the chip 400.

[0055] Optionally, the chip 400 is arranged on any surface of the substrate 300 through a flip-down package, and the chip 400 and the matching inductor 30 are arranged on different surfaces of the substrate 300. For example, the substrate 300 includes a first surface and a second surface relative to each other. When the chip 400 is arranged on the first surface, the matching inductor 30 is arranged on the second surface. When the chip 400 is arranged on the second surface, the matching inductor 30 is arranged on the first surface. By arranging the matching inductor 30 and the chip 400 on different surfaces of the substrate 300, the area of ​​the substrate 300 can be effectively saved.

[0056] like Figure 1 As shown, optionally, the matching inductor 30 is implemented by an SMD component mounted on the surface of the substrate 300, or by a transmission line arranged on the surface of the substrate 300. It can be understood that the transmission line can be a straight line, a bending line, or an arc line, which is not limited here. Exemplarily, the matching inductor 30 can be wound in a ring shape with multiple turns to achieve the required inductance.

[0057] like Figure 3 As shown, the multi-way selection switch 20 includes three branch switches, which are respectively denoted as the first branch switch K1, the second branch switch K2 and the third branch switch K3. The input end 202 of each branch switch corresponds to a signal input port 10, and the common output end 201 of the branch switch is connected to the matching inductor 30 to connect to the amplifier circuit 40 through the matching inductor 30.

[0058] When the low noise amplifier 100 is working, the branch switch corresponding to the multi-way selection switch 20 is closed according to the port of the RF input signal, so as to connect the corresponding signal input port 10 with the matching inductor 30, thereby achieving impedance matching of the corresponding signal input port 10.

[0059] Based on the matching inductor 30 being arranged on the substrate 300, when the low-noise amplifier 100 is working, the corresponding signal input port 10 can be selected to be connected to the matching inductor 30 through the multi-way selection switch 20. By setting a common matching inductor 30 for multiple signal input ports 10, there is no need to set a corresponding independent matching inductor for each signal input port 10, thereby reducing the area occupied by multiple matching inductors 30 on the substrate 300, thereby miniaturizing the substrate 300 and further miniaturizing the RF front-end module 200.

[0060] See also Figure 4 In some embodiments, the low noise amplifier 100 further includes at least one branch inductor 50 , a first end of the branch inductor 50 is connected to a corresponding signal input port 10 , and a second end of the branch inductor 50 is connected to a corresponding input end of the multi-way selection switch 20 .

[0061] In the embodiment of the present application, different signal input ports 10 of the low noise amplifier 100 are used to receive different RF input signals, and the frequency bands of these different RF input signals may be the same or different. It can be understood that for RF signals of different frequency bands, the matching inductance values ​​required for impedance matching are different. Generally, the higher the frequency band of the RF signal, the lower the matching inductance value required for impedance matching. When the frequency bands of the RF input signals received by the two signal input ports 10 are different, the matching inductance values ​​required by the two signal input ports 10 are different.

[0062] Since the low noise amplifier 100 includes at least two signal input ports 10, each signal input port 10 needs to be impedance matched. In order to reduce the area occupied by the LNA input matching, in the implementation mode of the present application, the input matching circuit at least includes a multi-way selection switch 20, a matching inductor 30 and at least one branch inductor 50. The corresponding branch inductor 50 and the matching inductor 30 are connected through the multi-way selection switch 20, or the signal input port 10 is connected to the matching inductor 30, so as to construct an input matching circuit with different matching inductance values, so that the input matching circuit can meet various impedance matching requirements of the signal input port 10 with an area much smaller than that of the related art.

[0063] It can be understood that for RF signals of different frequency bands, different matching inductance values ​​are required for impedance matching. Generally, the higher the frequency band of the RF signal, the lower the matching inductance value required for impedance matching. When the frequency bands of the RF input signals received by the two signal input ports 10 are different, the matching inductance values ​​required by the two signal input ports 10 are different.

[0064] For example, the signal frequency band that the low noise amplifier 100 can receive is between 1.8GHz and 2.7GHz. In order to achieve better signal transmission, the matching inductance value required for the corresponding signal input port 10 is between 5-12nH, that is, the total inductance value of the input matching circuit 20 is between 5-12nH. Specifically, when the signal frequency band received by the low noise amplifier 100 is between 2.5GHz and 2.7GHz, the total inductance value of the input matching circuit 20 is 5nH; when the signal frequency band received by the low noise amplifier 100 is between 1.8GHz and 1.9GHz, the total inductance value of the input matching circuit 20 is 12nH.

[0065] In the embodiment of the present application, the signal frequency bands inputted by different signal input ports 10 may be the same or different. When the signal frequency bands inputted by different signal input ports 10 are different, the matching inductance values ​​of the input matching circuits connected to the corresponding signal input ports 10 are different. When the signal frequency bands inputted by different signal input ports 10 are the same, the matching inductance values ​​of the input matching circuits connected to the corresponding signal input ports 10 may be the same, wherein the matching inductance value refers to the total inductance of the input matching circuit.

[0066] In the implementation manner of the present application, the number of branch inductors 2012 may be less than or equal to the number of signal input ports. Optionally, each signal input port is connected to a matching inductor through a corresponding branch inductor; or, only some of the signal input ports are connected to a matching inductor through a corresponding branch inductor, and the other part of the signal input ports are directly connected to a matching inductor. When a signal input port is connected to a branch inductor, the matching inductance value of the signal input port 10 is the sum of the inductance values ​​of the corresponding branch inductor 2012 and the matching inductor 202. When a signal input port is not connected to a branch inductor, the matching inductance value of the signal input port 10 is the inductance value of the matching inductor 202.

[0067] Since multiple signal input ports 10 are all connected to the matching inductor 202, the matching inductor 202 can be set to have a fixed inductance, and the branch inductor 2012 in the corresponding matching branch 201 can be set according to the difference between the matching inductance value required by each signal input port 10 and the inductance of the matching inductor 202 to adapt to the different requirements of each signal input port 10 for the matching inductance value.

[0068] As an implementation mode, in order to avoid interference between different RF input signals, regardless of whether the signal frequency bands input by each signal input port 10 are the same, at most one branch switch 2011 in the matching branch 201 is turned on at the same time, so that multiple signal input ports 10 are connected to the input matching circuit 20 and the amplification circuit 30 in a time-sharing manner, thereby achieving isolation between different RF input signals.

[0069] Optionally, the inductance value of the branch inductor 50 is less than or equal to 7 nH.

[0070] Optionally, the branch inductor 50 is disposed on the substrate 300 , and the branch inductor 50 is implemented by an SMD component mounted on the surface of the substrate 300 , or is implemented by a transmission line disposed on the surface of the substrate 300 .

[0071] Optionally, the branch inductor 50 is integrated into the chip, so that the area of ​​the substrate 300 can be further miniaturized.

[0072] It can be understood that SMD components are standard parts, and the area size of the inductor realized by SMD components is relatively fixed, and the inductance value of the inductor is relatively fixed. That is, when the matching inductor 30 is realized by using SMD components, the inductance value selection range corresponding to the matching inductor 30 is smaller than the inductance value selection range of the matching inductor 30 realized by using transmission lines. Alternatively, when the branch inductor 50 is realized by using SMD components, the inductance value selection range corresponding to the branch inductor 50 is smaller than the inductance value selection range of the branch inductor 50 realized by using transmission lines.

[0073] For example, the inductance values ​​adapted by the SMD components include 1nH, 2nH, 3nH, 4nH, and 5nH. If the matching inductor 30 is implemented using an SMD component, only one of 1nH, 2nH, 3nH, 4nH, and 5nH can be selected.

[0074] The transmission line is implemented by winding on the surface of the substrate 300, and the shape of the winding can be adjusted as needed. The winding shape is related to the inductance value of the matching inductor. Therefore, if the matching inductor 30 is implemented by a transmission line, the inductance value corresponding to the matching inductor 30 can be adjusted by adjusting the winding shape on the substrate 300. Therefore, the inductance value of the matching inductor 30 implemented in the form of winding can be set as needed. For example, when the matching inductor 30 is set in the form of winding, theoretically the inductance value corresponding to the matching inductor 30 can be any value between 5nH-10nH. Further, if the matching inductor 30 is implemented in the form of winding, the area size of the matching inductor can be adjusted by adjusting the size of the winding area.

[0075] like Figure 4 As shown, in some embodiments, the branch inductor 50 includes a first branch inductor 501 and a second branch inductor 502, the first end of the first branch inductor 501 is connected to a signal input port 10, and the second end of the first branch inductor 501 is connected to a branch switch of the multi-way selection switch 20; the first end of the second branch inductor 502 is connected to another signal input port 10, and the second end of the second branch inductor 502 is connected to another branch switch of the multi-way selection switch 20.

[0076] In some embodiments, when the frequency of the RF input signal corresponding to the signal input port 10 connected to the first branch inductor 501 is higher than 2.4 GHz, the first branch inductor 501 is a transmission line disposed on the surface of the substrate 300. When the frequency of the RF input signal corresponding to the signal input port 10 connected to the second branch inductor 502 is lower than 2.4 GHz, the second branch inductor 502 is an SMD component mounted on the surface of the substrate 300. In addition, the inductance value of the matching inductor 30 is greater than or equal to 5 nH, and is implemented by a transmission line disposed on the surface of the substrate 400, such as Figure 7 shown.

[0077] Optionally, when the frequency of the radio frequency input signal corresponding to the signal input port 10 connected to the first branch inductor 501 is higher than 2.4 GHz, the first branch inductor 501 is a transmission line disposed on the surface of the substrate 300 .

[0078] When the frequency of the RF input signal corresponding to the signal input port 10 connected to the second branch inductor 502 is lower than 2.4 GHz, the second branch inductor 502 is integrated into the chip 400, and the inductance value of the matching inductor 30 is greater than or equal to 5 nH, and is realized by a transmission line arranged on the surface of the substrate 400, such as Figure 8 shown.

[0079] Further, the inductance of the matching inductor 30 in the low noise amplifier 100 provided by the present application can be fixed, and the matching inductance value requirements of different input ports can be realized by combining with different branch inductors, without adding additional switches to adjust the value of the matching inductor 30. Therefore, the low noise amplifier 100 provided by the present application only needs to realize the connection between the corresponding matching branch and the signal input port through a multi-way selection switch, and there is no need to set a switch for adjusting the matching inductor 30, so that the loss caused by the RF input signal passing through multiple switches can be effectively avoided, and the influence of multiple switches on the RF input signal can be reduced. In addition, since the switch is integrated in the chip, it is necessary to connect the branch inductors or matching inductors on the substrate through the passivation layer opening (pad) and the bonding wire, and the pad and the lead will introduce noise, reducing the performance of the low noise amplifier 100. The embodiment of the present application reduces the number of switches, and can also reduce the number of pads and bonding wires, thereby effectively avoiding the noise introduced by the pad and the lead, and improving the performance of the low noise amplifier 100.

[0080] In the related art, a low-noise amplifier needs to use multiple switches to enable different signal input ports to access different inductances. Each switch has at least two wiring ports, and each port needs to be connected to other components through bonding wires, which makes the coupling parameter of the low-noise amplifier larger, resulting in larger noise in the low-noise amplifier.

[0081] For example, Figure 5 As shown, in the related art, the matching inductance value required by the first input port IN1 is the inductance value of L1. When L1 is connected to the LNA, at least the switch K11 needs to be closed, and at the same time, the switch K1 needs to be disconnected and the switches K2-Kn need to be closed to short-circuit the inductor L2-Ln, so that only the branch where L1 is located in the matching branch is connected to the low noise amplifier.

[0082] Similarly, the matching inductance value required by the second input port IN2 is the sum of the inductance values ​​of L1 and L2. When L1 and L2 are connected to the LNA, at least K12 needs to be closed, and K1 and K2 need to be disconnected, and K3-Kn need to be closed, so that only the branches where the inductance L1 and the inductance L2 are located in the matching branches are connected to the low noise amplifier.

[0083] If the inductors L1-LN are set on the substrate and the switches K1-Kn are integrated into the chip, 2n pads, bonding wires and solder bumps need to be added. However, the interconnection hardware such as pads, bonding wires and solder bumps will deteriorate the noise factor, gain and matching degree of the low noise amplifier, thereby reducing the performance of the low noise amplifier.

[0084] If the inductors L1-LN and switches K1-Kn are integrated into the chip, the Q value of the inductors L1-LN will be reduced, which will also affect the performance of the low noise amplifier and increase the cost. The larger the Q value, the smaller the ratio of the energy loss to the storage capacity of the inductor element, that is, the smaller the energy loss is under the same storage capacity. Under the same other conditions, the lower the Q value of the inductor, the worse the noise coefficient of the low noise amplifier 100.

[0085] In addition, taking the first input port IN1 as an example, after the RF input signal reaches the inductor L1 through the closed switch K11, it needs to pass through multiple closed switches K2-Kn to reach the amplifier circuit. Multiple switches K2-Kn will cause loss of the RF input signal.

[0086] Therefore, in the related art, when the low noise amplifier is working, multiple switches are required to achieve electrical connection between the matching branch and the signal input port, thereby deteriorating the noise factor, gain and matching degree of the low noise amplifier.

[0087] In contrast, the present application reduces the number of switches, which can not only reduce the loss caused by the RF signal passing through the switch, but also reduce the number of pads, bonding wires, and solder bumps, thereby effectively reducing the deterioration of the noise coefficient, gain, and matching degree caused by the pads and bonding wires / solder bumps, thereby improving the performance of the low noise amplifier 100.

[0088] In some embodiments, the RF front-end module may include multiple matching inductors, at least one of which may be connected to multiple signal input ports via a multi-way selection switch. Optionally, some matching inductors may also be directly connected to one signal input port.

[0089] For example, see Figure 6 In some embodiments, the low noise amplifier 100 includes the above-mentioned matching inductor 30, the multi-way selection switch 20, and a plurality of signal input terminals IN1 to IN3 connected to the multi-way selection switch. In addition, the low noise amplifier 100 also includes another matching inductor 60 and a signal input port IN4, and the signal input port IN4 is connected to the input terminal of the amplifier circuit 40 through the matching inductor 60. That is, the matching inductance value of the input branch formed by the signal input port IN4 and the matching inductor 60 is fixed and does not need to be switched.

[0090] It can be understood that, in addition to the input matching circuit 20 and the amplifying circuit 30, the low noise amplifier 100 of the embodiment of the present application may also include at least one other circuit module, such as an output matching circuit, a bias circuit, a gain adjustment circuit, etc., which can be specifically configured according to requirements and is not limited in the present application.

[0091] Exemplarily, the low noise amplifier 100 may further include an output matching circuit (not shown), and the output matching circuit is used to achieve impedance matching between the signal output end corresponding to the low noise amplifier 100 and the signal receiving module 600 .

[0092] In some implementations, the amplifier circuit 40 includes at least one transistor, and the transistor may be a MOS transistor or a BJT transistor, which is not limited herein.

[0093] Optionally, at least one transistor of the amplifier circuit 40 may form a common source amplifier, a common gate amplifier, a common drain amplifier (source follower, also called a source follower) or a common source and common gate amplifier, which is not limited here.

[0094] See also Fig. 9 , Fig. 9 A block diagram schematic diagram of a communication device provided in this application.

[0095] like Fig. 9 As shown, the communication device 1 includes a mainboard 800 and a radio frequency front-end module 200, wherein the radio frequency front-end module 200 is arranged on the mainboard 800. The radio frequency front-end module 200 can refer to the previous embodiment and will not be described here.

[0096] For example, the RF front-end module 200 includes a substrate 300, a chip 400 disposed on the substrate 300, and a low noise amplifier 100, wherein the low noise amplifier 100 includes at least two signal input ports 10, a multi-way selection switch 20, a matching inductor 30, and an amplifier circuit 40. Among them, the multi-way selection switch 20 includes a common output terminal and at least two input terminals, each input terminal is arranged corresponding to a signal input port 10 and is used to receive a RF input signal, the common output terminal is connected to the first end of the matching inductor 30, the second end of the matching inductor 30 is connected to the input end of the amplifier circuit 40, and the amplifier circuit 40 is used to amplify the RF input signal, obtain and output the RF output signal. At least two signal input ports 10 are arranged on the mainboard 800, the matching inductor 30 is arranged on the substrate 300, and the multi-way selection switch 20 and the amplifier circuit 40 are integrated in the chip 400.

[0097] Optionally, the RF front-end module 200 further includes at least one branch inductor 50 , a first end of the branch inductor 50 is correspondingly connected to a signal input port 10 , and a second end of the branch inductor 50 is correspondingly connected to an input end of the multi-way selection switch 20 .

[0098] Optionally, at least one branch inductor 50 is arranged on the mainboard 800, and the branch inductor 50 is realized by an SMD component mounted on the surface of the mainboard 800, or by a transmission line arranged on the surface of the mainboard 800. By setting the branch inductor 50 on the mainboard 800, the production cost of the RF front-end module 200 can be reduced.

[0099] It should also be understood that the term “and / or” used in the specification and appended claims refers to any and all possible combinations of one or more of the associated listed items, and includes these combinations.

[0100] The above is only a specific implementation of the present application, but the protection scope of the present application is not limited thereto. Any technician familiar with the technical field can easily think of various equivalent modifications or replacements within the technical scope disclosed in the present application, and these modifications or replacements should be included in the protection scope of the present application. Therefore, the protection scope of the present application shall be based on the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A radio frequency front-end module, It is characterized in that include: A substrate, a chip disposed on the substrate, and a low-noise amplifier, wherein the low-noise amplifier comprises at least two signal input ports, a multi-way selection switch, a matching inductor, and an amplification circuit; The multi-way selection switch includes a common output terminal and at least two input terminals, each of the input terminals is arranged corresponding to one of the signal input ports and is used to receive a radio frequency input signal, the common output terminal is connected to the first terminal of the matching inductor, the second terminal of the matching inductor is connected to the input terminal of the amplifier circuit, and the amplifier circuit is used to amplify the radio frequency input signal to obtain and output a radio frequency output signal; Wherein, the matching inductor is arranged on the substrate, and the multi-way selection switch and the amplifying circuit are integrated into the chip.

2. The RF front-end module according to claim 1, It is characterized in that The matching inductor is realized by an SMD component mounted on the surface of the substrate, or by a transmission line arranged on the surface of the substrate.

3. The RF front-end module according to claim 2, It is characterized in that The inductance value of the matching inductor is greater than or equal to 5 nH.

4. The RF front-end module according to claim 1, It is characterized in that The low noise amplifier further comprises at least one branch inductor, a first end of the branch inductor is correspondingly connected to one of the signal input ports, and a second end of the branch inductor is correspondingly connected to an input end of the multi-way selection switch.

5. The RF front-end module according to claim 4, It is characterized in that The branch inductor is realized by an SMD component mounted on the surface of the substrate, or by a transmission line arranged on the surface of the substrate; or, the branch inductor is integrated into the chip.

6. The RF front-end module according to claim 5, It is characterized in that The inductance value of the branch inductor is less than or equal to 7nH.

7. The RF front-end module according to claim 4, It is characterized in that The inductance value of the matching inductor is greater than or equal to 5nH, and is realized by a transmission line arranged on the surface of the substrate; The at least one branch inductor comprises a first branch inductor and a second branch inductor; The frequency of the radio frequency input signal corresponding to the signal input port connected to the first branch inductor is higher than 2.4 GHz, and the first branch inductor is a transmission line arranged on the surface of the substrate; The frequency of the radio frequency input signal corresponding to the signal input port connected to the second branch inductor is lower than 2.4 GHz, and the second branch inductor is an SMD component mounted on the surface of the substrate.

8. The RF front-end module according to claim 4, It is characterized in that The inductance value of the matching inductor is greater than or equal to 5nH, and is realized by a transmission line arranged on the surface of the substrate; The at least one branch inductor comprises a first branch inductor and a second branch inductor; The frequency of the radio frequency input signal corresponding to the signal input port connected to the first branch inductor is higher than 2.4 GHz, and the first branch inductor is a transmission line arranged on the surface of the substrate; The frequency of the radio frequency input signal corresponding to the signal input port connected to the second branch inductor is lower than 2.4 GHz, and the second branch inductor is integrated in the chip.

9. The RF front-end module according to claim 1, It is characterized in that A pad is provided on the surface of the substrate, and the chip is bonded to the pad by wire bonding; Alternatively, the chip is arranged on the first surface of the substrate through flip-down packaging.

10. The radio frequency front-end module according to claim 9, It is characterized in that The chip is arranged on the first surface of the substrate through flip-down packaging, and the matching inductor is arranged on the first surface or the second surface of the substrate, wherein the first surface and the second surface are two opposite surfaces.

11. A communication device, It is characterized in that The communication device comprises: a mainboard and a radio frequency front-end module, wherein the radio frequency front-end module is arranged on the mainboard, the radio frequency front-end module comprises a substrate, a chip arranged on the substrate and a low noise amplifier, and the low noise amplifier comprises at least two signal input ports, a multi-way selection switch, a matching inductor, and an amplification circuit; The multi-way selection switch includes a common output terminal and at least two input terminals, each of the input terminals is arranged corresponding to one of the signal input ports and is used to receive a radio frequency input signal, the common output terminal is connected to the first terminal of the matching inductor, the second terminal of the matching inductor is connected to the input terminal of the amplifier circuit, and the amplifier circuit is used to amplify the radio frequency input signal to obtain and output a radio frequency output signal; The matching inductor is arranged on the substrate, and the multi-way selection switch and the amplifier circuit are integrated into the chip.

12. The communication device according to claim 11, It is characterized in that The RF front-end module also includes at least one branch inductor, a first end of the branch inductor is correspondingly connected to one of the signal input ports, and a second end of the branch inductor is correspondingly connected to an input end of the multi-way selection switch.

13. The communication device according to claim 12, It is characterized in that At least one branch inductor is arranged on the mainboard, and the branch inductor is realized by an SMD component mounted on the surface of the mainboard, or by a transmission line arranged on the surface of the mainboard.

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