Radio frequency power amplifier and radio frequency front-end module

Abstract

The embodiment of the utility model provides a radio frequency power amplifier and a radio frequency front-end module. The radio frequency power amplifier comprises a substrate, a first chip and a second chip. The first chip is arranged on the substrate, and the first chip is provided with a power amplification circuit; the second chip is an integrated passive device chip, the second chip is arranged on the substrate, the second chip is provided with a matching circuit, the matching circuit at least comprises a transformer and a first capacitor, the transformer comprises a first winding and a second winding, and the second winding and the first winding are mutually coupled; the first winding comprises a first primary coil and a second primary coil, and the first capacitor is connected between the first primary coil and the second primary coil in series. The transformer and the first capacitor in the matching circuit are arranged on the integrated passive device chip, so that the miniaturization design of the radio frequency power amplifier and the radio frequency front-end module is realized; the impedance matching characteristic of the matching circuit can be improved, and the performance of the radio frequency power amplifier and the radio frequency front-end module can be improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of radio frequency technology, and in particular, to a radio frequency power amplifier and a radio frequency front-end module. Background Art

[0002] With the rapid development of the new generation of information technology, the technologies in various sub-fields are constantly updated and advanced, and higher requirements are also faced for the performance indicators of radio frequency power amplifiers and radio frequency front-end modules. Related technologies usually set the matching circuit on the substrate or integrate the matching circuit and the power amplifier in the same chip. These two methods either lead to too large occupied area and are not conducive to the miniaturization of radio frequency power amplifiers and radio frequency front-end modules; or limit the performance of the matching circuit. In view of this, how to balance area and performance has become an urgent problem to be solved at present. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This application provides a radio frequency power amplifier, which can not only reduce the occupied area of the matching circuit of the radio frequency power amplifier, but also improve the impedance matching characteristics of the radio frequency power amplifier and enhance the performance of the radio frequency power amplifier.

[0004] In a first aspect, an embodiment of this application provides a radio frequency power amplifier, which includes:

[0005] A substrate;

[0006] A first chip, which is disposed on the substrate, and the first chip is provided with a power amplification circuit;

[0007] A second chip, which is an integrated passive device chip, the second chip is disposed on the substrate, the second chip is provided with a matching circuit, the matching circuit at least includes a transformer and a first capacitor, the transformer includes a first winding and a second winding, the second winding is mutually coupled with the first winding, the power amplification circuit is used to input a radio frequency signal to the first winding, and the second winding is used to output the radio frequency signal coupled from the first winding; the first winding includes a first primary coil and a second primary coil, and the first capacitor is connected in series between the first primary coil and the second primary coil.

[0008] In a second aspect, an embodiment of this application provides a radio frequency front-end module, which includes the foregoing radio frequency power amplifier.

[0009] The radio frequency power amplifier and radio frequency front-end module provided by the embodiments of the present application. The radio frequency power amplifier includes a substrate, a first chip, and a second chip. The first chip is disposed on the substrate, and a power amplification circuit is provided on the first chip; the second chip is an integrated passive device chip, the second chip is disposed on the substrate, and a matching circuit is provided on the second chip. The matching circuit includes at least a transformer and a first capacitor. The transformer includes a first winding and a second winding, and the second winding is coupled to the first winding. The power amplification circuit is configured to input a radio frequency signal to the first winding, and the second winding is configured to output a radio frequency signal coupled from the first winding; the first winding includes a first primary coil and a second primary coil, and the first capacitor is connected in series between the first primary coil and the second primary coil. By disposing the power amplification circuit on the first chip and disposing the transformer and the first capacitor in the matching circuit on the integrated passive device chip; compared with the method of disposing the transformer of the matching circuit on the substrate, not only can the occupied area and cost of the matching circuit in the radio frequency power amplifier be reduced, the compact layout of the radio frequency power amplifier can be realized, the cost of the radio frequency power amplifier can be reduced, and the miniaturization design of the radio frequency power amplifier can be optimized; and by connecting the first capacitor of the matching circuit in series between the first primary coil and the second primary coil of the first winding, impedance matching can be achieved through one capacitor, the impedance matching characteristic of the radio frequency power amplifier can be improved, the performance of the radio frequency power amplifier can be improved, and the number of components can be reduced and the cost can be reduced.

[0010] It should be understood that the above general description and the following detailed description are only exemplary and explanatory, and cannot limit the disclosure of the embodiments of the present application. Description of the Drawings

[0011] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, the drawings required for the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are some embodiments of the present application. For those of ordinary skill in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative efforts.

[0012] Figure 1 It is a schematic block diagram of a radio frequency power amplifier provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0013] Figure 2 It is a schematic block diagram of a radio frequency power amplifier in an embodiment of the present application;

[0014] Figure 3 It is a schematic structural diagram of a second chip in an embodiment of the present application;

[0015] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of the second chip disposed on the substrate in an embodiment of the present application;

[0016] Figure 5 is a schematic block diagram of a radio frequency front - end module provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0017] Figure 6 is a schematic block diagram of a radio frequency front - end module in an embodiment of the present application.

[0018] Explanation of reference numerals:

[0019] 10. Substrate; 11. Ground terminal; 12. Power supply terminal;

[0020] 20. First chip; 200. Power amplification circuit; 210. First amplifier; 220. Second amplifier; 230. Metal trace; 231. First metal trace segment; 232. Second metal trace segment; 233. Third metal trace segment;

[0021] 30. Second chip; 300. Matching circuit; 310. Transformer; 311. First winding; 3111. First primary coil; 3112. Second primary coil; 312. Second winding; 3121. Third sub - winding; 3122. Fourth sub - winding; C1. First capacitor; 321. First metal plate; 322. Second metal plate; C2. Second capacitor; C3. Third capacitor; C4. Fourth capacitor; C5. Fifth capacitor;

[0022] L1. First bonding wire; L2. Second bonding wire. Detailed implementation manners

[0023] Next, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are part of the embodiments of the present application, rather than all the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative efforts shall fall within the protection scope of the present application.

[0024] It should be understood that the present application can be implemented in different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments presented here. On the contrary, providing these embodiments will make the disclosure thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the present application to those skilled in the art. In the drawings, for clarity, the dimensions and relative dimensions of layers and regions may be exaggerated. The same reference numerals denote the same elements throughout.

[0025] To thoroughly understand the present application, detailed structures and steps will be presented in the following description to explain the technical solutions proposed by the present application. The preferred embodiments of the present application are described in detail below. However, in addition to these detailed descriptions, the present application can also have other implementation manners.

[0026] The following will describe in detail some embodiments of the present application in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Without conflict, the following embodiments and the features in the embodiments may be combined with each other.

[0027] Please refer to Figure 1 , Figure 1 which is a schematic block diagram of a radio frequency power amplifier of a power amplifier provided by an embodiment of the present application.

[0028] As Figure 1 and Figure 2 shown, the radio frequency power amplifier includes: a substrate 10, a first chip 20, and a second chip 30.

[0029] The first chip 20 is disposed on the substrate 10, and the second chip 30 is disposed on the substrate 10.

[0030] The first chip 20 is provided with a power amplifier circuit 200. As Figure 1 shown, the power amplifier circuit 200 may be a differential amplifier circuit; as Figure 2 shown, the power amplifier circuit 200 may be a single-ended amplifier circuit.

[0031] In some embodiments, the first chip 20 is an HBT (Heterojunction bipolar transistor) chip.

[0032] The second chip 30 is provided with a matching circuit 300. Exemplarily, the matching circuit 300 is connected to the output end of the power amplifier circuit 200 to perform output impedance matching on the output end of the power amplifier circuit 200.

[0033] As Figure 1 and Figure 2 shown, the matching circuit 300 at least includes a transformer 310 and a first capacitor C1. Wherein, the transformer 310 includes a first winding 311 and a second winding 312, and the second winding 312 is mutually coupled with the first winding 311. The power amplifier circuit 200 is used to input a radio frequency signal to the first winding 311, and the second winding 312 is used to output the radio frequency signal coupled from the first winding 311.

[0034] Specifically, the first winding 311 includes a first primary coil 3111 and a second primary coil 3112, and the first capacitor C1 is connected in series between the first primary coil 3111 and the second primary coil 3112. By connecting the first capacitor C1 in series between the first primary coil 3111 and the second primary coil 3112, the two capacitors that are usually required to be provided at the first output end and the second output end of the power amplifier circuit 200 are combined into one, saving the chip occupied area and reducing the insertion loss. For example, compared with the method of connecting capacitors in series between the first output end of the power amplifier circuit and the first end of the first winding, and between the second output end of the power amplifier circuit and the second end of the first winding to achieve impedance matching, the embodiment of the present application can achieve impedance matching through one capacitor.

[0035] In some embodiments, the second chip 30 is an Integrated Passive Device (IPD) chip. The second chip 30 can be made by using a silicon-based or gallium arsenide process.

[0036] By arranging the transformer 310 and the first capacitor C1 in the matching circuit 300 on the integrated passive device chip, the advantage of high integration of the integrated passive device can be utilized, so that the size of the transformer 310 can be made smaller, the occupied area and cost of the matching circuit 300 in the radio frequency power amplifier can be reduced, the compact layout of the radio frequency power amplifier can be realized, and the miniaturization design of the radio frequency power amplifier can be optimized.

[0037] Moreover, compared with the method of arranging the transformer of the matching circuit on the substrate, the spacing between the metal layers on the integrated passive device chip can be made smaller, and the etching accuracy is higher, so that the radio frequency power amplifier and the radio frequency front-end module can obtain better performance.

[0038] In addition, the second chip 30 is made by the IPD process, which has lower cost and higher integration than the HBT process. Therefore, not only can the cost and area of the radio frequency power amplifier be reduced, but also the performance of the radio frequency power amplifier can be improved.

[0039] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 3, the first capacitor C1 includes a first metal plate 321 and a second metal plate 322. The second chip 30 includes at least a first metal layer and a second metal layer; the first metal plate 321 is formed on the first metal layer, the second metal plate 322 is formed on the second metal layer, and the projection of the first metal plate 321 on the second metal layer at least partially overlaps with the second metal plate 322. It can be understood that a capacitor formed by two metal plates on different metal layers can be called a stacked capacitor. By forming the first capacitor C1 on the metal layer of the second chip 30, not only the process can be simpler, but also it performs more stably and reliably in high-frequency applications, and has better anti-interference performance.

[0040] Optionally, as Figure 3 shown, the line width of the first metal plate 321, the line width of the second metal plate 322 are the same as the line width of the first winding 311. By setting the widths of the metal plates of the capacitor to be the same as the widths of the windings of the transformer 310, it is not only beneficial to the integrated design of the transformer 310 and the capacitor, but also can ensure the performance of the matching circuit.

[0041] In at least one embodiment, when the second winding 312 is coupled to the first winding 311 on the same layer, the coupling distance S between the second winding 312 and the first winding 311 is smaller. For example, the coupling distance S between the first winding 311 and the second winding 312 is less than or equal to 5 microns. For example: the coupling distance S between the first winding 311 and the second winding 312 is 3 microns, 4 microns, or even 2 microns or narrower. By reducing the coupling distance S between the first winding 311 and the second winding 312, the coupling coefficient of the transformer 310 can be increased, thereby reducing the insertion loss of the transformer 310.

[0042] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 1 and see Figure 3 , the power amplifier circuit 200 includes a first amplifier 210 and a second amplifier 220; the first amplifier 210 is connected to the first end of the first primary coil 3111, the second end of the first primary coil 3111 is connected to the first metal plate 321, the second amplifier 220 is connected to the first end of the second primary coil 3112, and the second end of the second primary coil 3112 is connected to the second metal plate 322. The first capacitor C1 can be connected in series between the first primary coil 3111 and the second primary coil 3112. Combining the two capacitors that are usually required to be provided at the first output end and the second output end of the power amplifier circuit 200 into one not only saves the chip occupation area but also reduces the insertion loss. Moreover, it can also improve the impedance matching characteristics of the matching circuit, improve the performance of the RF power amplifier, reduce components and costs; and further meet the requirements of high performance and small size of the RF power amplifier and the RF front-end module.

[0043] In some other embodiments, such as Figure 2 shown, the power amplifier circuit 200 is a single-ended amplifier circuit. The output end of the single-ended amplifier circuit is connected to the first end of the first winding 311, and the second end of the first winding 311 is grounded. Please refer to Figure 2 for reference Figure 3 . The output end of the single-ended amplifier circuit is connected to the first end of the first primary coil 3111. The second end of the first primary coil 3111 is connected to the first metal plate 321. The second end of the second primary coil 3112 is connected to the second metal plate 322. The first end of the second primary coil 3112 is grounded. A first capacitor C1 can be connected in series between the first primary coil 3111 and the second primary coil 3112. Combining the two capacitors that are usually required to be provided at the first output end and the second output end of the power amplifier circuit 200 into one not only saves the chip occupation area but also reduces the insertion loss. Moreover, it can improve the impedance matching characteristics of the matching circuit, improve the performance of the RF power amplifier, reduce components and costs; thus, it can meet the requirements of high performance and small size of the RF power amplifier and the RF front-end module

[0044] Optionally, when the first metal plate 321 is formed on the first metal layer and the second metal plate 322 is formed on the second metal layer, and when the first primary coil 3111 and the second primary coil 3112 are both formed on the first metal layer of the substrate 10, the second metal plate 322 can be connected to the second primary coil 3112 through a metal via. For example, the first primary coil 3111 can be integrally provided with the first metal plate 321 or can be connected by a bonding wire. The second metal plate 322 is provided at a position corresponding to the first metal plate 321 on the second metal layer, and the second metal plate 322 is connected to the second primary coil 3112 through a metal via.

[0045] Optionally, when the first metal plate 321 is formed on the first metal layer and the second metal plate 322 is formed on the second metal layer, and when the first primary coil 3111 and the second primary coil 3112 are both formed on the second metal layer, the first metal plate 321 can be connected to the first primary coil 3111 through a metal via. For example, the second primary coil 3112 can be integrally provided with the second metal plate 322 or can be connected by a bonding wire. The first metal plate 321 is provided at a position corresponding to the second metal plate 322 on the first metal layer, and the first metal plate 321 is connected to the first primary coil 3111 through a metal via.

[0046] Optionally, the second chip 30 further includes a third metal layer; the first primary coil 3111 and the second primary coil 3112 are formed on the third metal layer, that is, the two metal plates of the first capacitor C1 and the two primary coils of the first winding 311 are disposed on different metal layers; the first primary coil 3111 can be connected to the first metal plate 321 through a metal via, and the second primary coil 3112 can be connected to the second metal plate 322 through a metal via.

[0047] In some embodiments, referring to Figure 3 , the second winding 312 is coupled to the first winding 311 formed on the same metal layer of the second chip 30. For example, the second winding 312 and the first winding 311 are both formed on the uppermost metal layer of the second chip 30. Of course, this is not limited thereto. For example, they can be both disposed on the first metal layer of the second chip 30, or both disposed on the second metal layer of the second chip 30, or both disposed on the third metal layer of the second chip 30. The first winding 311 and the second winding 312 are coupled on the same layer. For example, it can reduce the parasitic capacitance generated by the stacked coupling of the first winding 311 and the second winding 312.

[0048] Exemplarily, as Figure 3 shown, the second winding 312 includes a third sub-winding 3121 and a fourth sub-winding 3122. The third sub-winding 3121 and the fourth sub-winding 3122 are formed on the same metal layer of the second chip 30 as the first winding 311. Among them, the third sub-winding 3121 is disposed within the region wound by the first winding 311, and the fourth sub-winding 3122 is disposed outside the first winding 311. By respectively disposing the third sub-winding 3121 and the fourth sub-winding 3122 to wind inside and outside the first winding 311, the quality factor of the second winding 312 and the first winding 311 can be improved. Moreover, sub-windings of the second winding 312 are provided on both the inner and outer sides of the first winding 311, which can strengthen the coupling degree between the first winding 311 and the second winding 312, thereby improving the coupling coefficient of the balun and further reducing the insertion loss of the transformer 310. Of course, this is not limited thereto. For example, the second winding 312 can be integrally disposed within the region wound by the first winding 311, or the second winding 312 can be integrally disposed outside the region wound by the first winding 311; by reducing the coupling distance S between the second winding 312 and the second winding 312, the coupling coefficient of the transformer 310 can also be improved, thereby reducing the insertion loss of the transformer 310.

[0049] In some other embodiments, the second winding 312 and the first winding 311 are formed on different metal layers of the second chip 30 and are coupled, and the projections of the second winding 312 and the first winding 311 in the longitudinal direction at least partially overlap. The first winding 311 and the second winding 312 can be coupled in an upper and lower layer. For example, the first winding 311 is formed on the first metal layer of the second chip 30, and the second winding 312 is formed on the second metal layer of the second chip 30. Of course, this is not limited thereto. By arranging the first winding 311 and the second winding 312 to be coupled on different metal layers, the area occupied by the transformer 310 can be reduced, which is beneficial to reducing the size of the second chip 30.

[0050] For example, when the first winding 311 is formed on the first metal layer of the second chip 30 and the second winding 312 is formed on the second metal layer of the second chip 30, the first metal plate 321 of the first capacitor C1 can be arranged on the first metal layer, and the second electrode plate can be arranged on a metal layer other than the first metal layer and the second metal layer; when the second electrode plate is arranged on a metal layer other than the first metal layer and the second metal layer, the projections of the second winding 312 and the first winding 311 in the longitudinal direction can completely overlap; of course, this is not limited thereto. For example, when the first winding 311 is formed on the first metal layer of the second chip 30 and the second winding 312 is formed on the second metal layer of the second chip 30, the second metal plate 322 of the first capacitor C1 can also be arranged on the second metal layer. As long as the projections of the second winding 312 and the first winding 311 in the longitudinal direction at least partially overlap, the coupling between the second winding 312 and the first winding 311 can be achieved.

[0051] In some other embodiments, the second chip 30 includes at least two metal layers, and each metal layer includes the first winding 311 and the second winding 312 that are coupled to each other as shown in Figure 3 The first windings 311 on the at least two metal layers are connected in parallel, and the second windings 312 on the at least two metal layers are connected in parallel. The parallel connection of multiple first windings 311 and the parallel connection of multiple second windings 312 are equivalent to increasing the line width and thickness of the first winding 311 and the second winding 312 in the transformer 310, which can improve the quality factor of the first winding 311 and the second winding 312. Moreover, sub-windings of the second winding 312 are provided on both the inner and outer sides of the first winding 311, which can strengthen the coupling degree between the first winding 311 and the second winding 312, thereby improving the coupling coefficient of the transformer 310 and further reducing the insertion loss of the transformer 310.

[0052] In some embodiments, as shown in Figures 1 to 3As shown, the matching circuit 300 further includes a second capacitor C2, and the second capacitor C2 is connected in series with the second winding 312. By also disposing the second capacitor C2 corresponding to the second winding 312 on the second chip 30, the integration degree of the second chip 30 can be improved, making the layout of the radio frequency power amplifier more compact.

[0053] As an example, the second capacitor C2 includes a third metal plate and a fourth metal plate, the third metal plate and the fourth metal plate are formed on different metal layers of the second chip 30, and the projections of the third metal plate and the fourth metal plate in the longitudinal direction at least partially overlap. The second capacitor C2 can also be implemented by a stacked capacitor. By forming the second capacitor C2 on the metal layer of the second chip 30, not only can the process be simpler, but it also performs more stably and reliably in high-frequency applications, and has better anti-interference performance.

[0054] In some embodiments, as Figure 2 shown, the power amplification circuit 200 is a single-ended amplification circuit, the second chip 30 includes a first port p1, the matching circuit 300 further includes a third capacitor C3, a first end of the third capacitor C3 is connected to a radio frequency signal input end of the first winding 311, and a second end of the third capacitor C3 is connected to the first port p1; the first port p1 is connected to a ground terminal 11 of the substrate 10 through a bonding wire L0. By also disposing the third capacitor C3 on the second chip 30, the integration degree of the second chip 30 can be improved, making the layout of the radio frequency power amplifier more compact and reasonable; the bonding wire L0 can be equivalent to an inductor, and the LC circuit obtained by the inductor equivalent to the bonding wire L0 in series with the third capacitor C3 can achieve impedance matching or harmonic suppression, thereby improving the impedance matching characteristic of the matching circuit 300.

[0055] In some other embodiments, please refer to Figure 1, the power amplifier circuit 200 is a differential amplifier circuit. The second chip 30 includes a first port p1 and a second port p2. The matching circuit 300 further includes a fourth capacitor C4 and a fifth capacitor C5. The first end of the fourth capacitor C4 is connected to the first input end of the first winding 311, and the second end of the fourth capacitor C4 is connected to the first port p1. The first end of the fifth capacitor C5 is connected to the second input end of the first winding 311, and the second end of the fifth capacitor C5 is connected to the second port p2. The first port p1 is connected to the ground terminal 11 of the substrate 10 through a first bonding wire L1, and the second port p2 is connected to the ground terminal 11 of the substrate 10 through a second bonding wire. By also arranging the fourth capacitor C4 and the fifth capacitor C5 on the second chip 30, the integration degree of the second chip 30 can be improved, making the layout of the RF power amplifier more compact and reasonable. The first bonding wire L1 and the second bonding wire can be equivalent to inductors. The equivalent inductors are connected in series with the corresponding capacitors to obtain an LC circuit, which can achieve impedance matching or harmonic suppression, thereby improving the impedance matching characteristics of the matching circuit 300.

[0056] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 1 or Figure 2 refer to Figure 4 , the RF power amplifier further includes a metal trace 230 formed on the substrate 10. The RF signal output end of the power amplifier circuit 200 is connected to the power supply terminal 12 of the substrate 10 through the metal trace 230. The power supply terminal 12 can supply power to the power amplifier circuit 200 through this metal trace 230. This metal trace 230 can also serve as a power supply inductor to prevent the current supplied to the power amplifier circuit 200 from being too large.

[0057] Due to the good insulation of the IPD chip, the distance between this metal trace 230 and the IPD chip can be very small. For example, the substrate 10 includes multiple metal layers, and the second chip 30 is disposed on the substrate 10. The metal trace 230 can be formed on the first metal layer of the substrate 10, where the first metal layer is disposed adjacent to the second chip, facilitating the miniaturized design of the RF power amplifier. Of course, it is not limited to this. For example, the metal layer forming the metal trace 230 is spaced from the second chip 30, that is, there is at least one metal layer between the metal layer forming the metal trace and the second chip.

[0058] By disposing the transformer 310 in the second chip 30 fabricated by the IPD process, the coupling coefficient between windings in the transformer 310 can be increased, and the insertion loss of the transformer 310 can be reduced. As a result, the range of the turns ratio and impedance ratio of the transformer 310 can be made wider, enabling the radio frequency power amplifier according to the embodiments of the present application to have a wider application range. For example, better output impedance matching can be achieved for power amplifier circuits with different output impedances. Exemplarily, the turns ratio of the first winding 311 to the second winding 312 in the transformer 310 is in the following range: [1:1.5, 1:2.5]; the corresponding impedance ratio is in the following range: [1:2.25, 1:6.25].

[0059] Exemplarily, please refer to Figure 1 for reference Figure 4 , the power amplifier circuit 200 is a differential amplifier circuit. The radio frequency power amplifier further includes a first metal trace, a second metal trace, and a third metal trace formed on the substrate 10. The first output terminal of the power amplifier circuit 200 is connected to the first end of the third metal trace through the first metal trace, and the second output terminal of the power amplifier circuit 200 is connected to the first end of the third metal trace through the second metal trace. The third metal trace is connected to the power supply terminal 12 of the substrate 10. The power supply terminal 12 can supply power to the first amplifier 210 through the third metal trace and the first metal trace and supply power to the second amplifier 220 through the third metal trace and the second metal trace.

[0060] Exemplarily, at least a part of the metal trace 230 is disposed in the projection area corresponding to the second chip 30 on the substrate 10; and / or at least a part of the metal trace 230 is at least partially wound around the outside of the projection area corresponding to the second chip 30 on the substrate 10.

[0061] For example, as Figure 4 shown, at least a part of the first metal trace and the second metal trace are disposed in the projection area corresponding to the second chip 30 on the substrate 10; disposing at least a part of the first metal trace and the second metal trace in the projection area corresponding to the second chip 30 on the substrate 10 can save the area below the second chip 30 and save the area occupied by the first metal trace and the second metal trace on the substrate 10.

[0062] For example, as Figure 4 shown, the first metal trace and the second metal trace are respectively wound around both sides of the second chip 30 on the substrate 10; winding the first metal trace and the second metal trace around both sides of the second chip 30 respectively can reduce the interference to the second chip 30.

[0063] For example, asFigure 4 As shown, at least a part of the first metal trace segment and the second metal trace segment are disposed in the projection area corresponding to the second chip 30 on the substrate 10; and the first metal trace segment and the second metal trace segment are respectively wound around two sides of the second chip 30 on the substrate 10, which can not only save the area occupied by the substrate 10, but also reduce the signal interference to the second chip 30.

[0064] The radio frequency power amplifier provided by the embodiment of the present application includes a substrate 10, a first chip 20 and a second chip 30. The first chip 20 is disposed on the substrate 10, and the first chip 20 is provided with a power amplification circuit 200; the second chip 30 is an integrated passive device chip, the second chip 30 is disposed on the substrate 10, the second chip 30 is provided with a matching circuit 300, the matching circuit 300 at least includes a transformer 310 and a first capacitor C1, the transformer 310 includes a first winding 311 and a second winding 312, the second winding 312 is coupled with the first winding 311, the power amplification circuit 200 is used to input a radio frequency signal to the first winding 311, and the second winding 312 is used to output the radio frequency signal coupled from the first winding 311; the first winding 311 includes a first primary coil 3111 and a second primary coil 3112, and the first capacitor C1 is connected in series between the first primary coil 3111 and the second primary coil 3112. By disposing the power amplification circuit on the first chip and disposing the transformer and the first capacitor in the matching circuit on the integrated passive device chip; compared with the way of disposing the transformer of the matching circuit on the substrate, not only can the occupied area and cost of the matching circuit in the radio frequency power amplifier be reduced, the compact layout of the radio frequency power amplifier be realized, the cost of the radio frequency power amplifier be reduced, and the miniaturization design of the radio frequency power amplifier be optimized; and by connecting the first capacitor of the matching circuit in series between the first primary coil and the second primary coil of the first winding, the two capacitors that usually need to be disposed at the first output end and the second output end of the power amplification circuit 200 are combined into one, which not only saves the chip occupied area but also reduces the insertion loss. And it can also improve the impedance matching characteristic of the matching circuit, improve the performance of the radio frequency power amplifier, reduce components and reduce costs; thereby meeting the requirements of high performance and small size of the radio frequency power amplifier and the radio frequency front-end module.

[0065] Please refer to the foregoing embodiments in conjunction with Figure 5 , as Figure 5 shown is a schematic block diagram of a radio frequency front-end module provided by an embodiment of the present application; the radio frequency front-end module includes the foregoing radio frequency power amplifier.

[0066] The radio frequency front-end module sets the power amplifier circuit on the first chip and sets the transformer and the first capacitor in the matching circuit on the integrated passive device chip. Compared with the method of setting the transformer of the matching circuit on the substrate, it can not only reduce the occupied area and cost of the matching circuit in the radio frequency front-end module, realize the compact layout of the radio frequency front-end module, reduce the cost of the radio frequency power amplifier, and optimize the miniaturized design of the radio frequency front-end module. Moreover, by connecting the first capacitor of the matching circuit in series between the first primary coil and the second primary coil of the first winding, the two capacitors that usually need to be set at the first output end and the second output end of the power amplifier circuit 200 are combined into one, which not only saves the chip occupied area but also reduces the insertion loss. It can also improve the impedance matching characteristics of the matching circuit, improve the performance of the radio frequency power amplifier, reduce components and costs. Furthermore, it can meet the requirements of high performance and small size of the radio frequency power amplifier and the radio frequency front-end module.

[0067] In some embodiments, the radio frequency front-end module may further include a radio frequency switch, a low-noise amplifier, a filter, a duplexer, etc., which can be integrated into a module, thereby improving the integration and performance and miniaturizing the volume.

[0068] In some embodiments, as Figure 6 shown, the radio frequency front-end module includes a substrate and a radio frequency front-end circuit arranged on the substrate. The radio frequency front-end circuit may include a switch circuit, a filter, a radio frequency power amplifier, a low-noise amplifier, etc. between the radio frequency receiving port RX, the radio frequency transmitting port TX of the radio frequency transceiver chip and the antenna link module. A radio frequency signal transmission path is formed through the above radio frequency devices. The baseband chip is used to perform digital baseband signal processing and encode and decode digital baseband signals; the radio frequency transceiver chip is used to perform the conversion between digital baseband and analog radio frequency signals, process the digital baseband signal sent by the baseband chip into a radio frequency analog signal and then send it to the radio frequency front-end circuit, or receive the radio frequency analog signal transmitted by the radio frequency front-end circuit, convert it into a digital baseband signal and send it to the baseband chip; the radio frequency front-end circuit selects to send the radio frequency analog signal to the antenna link module or receive the radio frequency analog signal from the antenna link module to realize the amplification, filtering and other processing of the radio frequency analog signal. The antenna link module includes an external antenna to realize the reception or transmission of radio frequency analog signals.

[0069] The specific principle and implementation method of the radio frequency front-end module provided by the embodiments of the present application are similar to those of the radio frequency power amplifier in the foregoing embodiments, and will not be elaborated here.

[0070] It should be understood that the terms used in this application are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit this application.

[0071] It should be understood that when an element or layer is referred to as being "on", "adjacent to", "connected to", or "coupled to" another element or layer, it can be directly on, adjacent to, connected or coupled to the other element or layer, or intervening elements or layers may be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being "directly on", "directly adjacent to", "directly connected to", or "directly coupled to" another element or layer, there are no intervening elements or layers. It should be understood that although the terms first, second, third, etc. may be used to describe various elements, components, regions, layers, and / or parts, these elements, components, regions, layers, and / or parts should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element, component, region, layer, or part from another element, component, region, layer, or part. Thus, a first element, component, region, layer, or part discussed below may be denoted as a second element, component, region, layer, or part without departing from the teachings of the present application.

[0072] Spatial relationship terms such as "under", "below", "lower", "beneath", "above", "upper", etc. are used herein for convenience in describing the relationship of one element or feature shown in the figures to other elements or features. It should be understood that, in addition to the orientation shown in the figures, spatial relationship terms are intended to also include different orientations of the device in use and operation. For example, if the device in the figures is flipped, then an element or feature described as "under" or "beneath" or "below" another element or feature will be oriented "on" the other element or feature. Thus, the exemplary terms "under" and "beneath" can include both an upper and a lower orientation. The device may be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degrees or other orientations) and the spatial descriptors used herein are to be interpreted accordingly.

[0073] The purpose of the terms used herein is only to describe specific embodiments and is not a limitation of the present application. As used herein, the singular forms "a", "an", and "the" are also intended to include the plural forms unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. It should also be understood that the terms "comprising" and / or "including", when used in this specification, specify the presence of the stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and / or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups. As used herein, the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of the associated listed items.

[0074] The above are only specific embodiments of the present application, but the protection scope of the present application is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed by the present application can easily think of various equivalent modifications or substitutions, and these modifications or substitutions should all be covered within the protection scope of the present application. Therefore, the protection scope of the present application should be subject to the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A radio frequency power amplifier, characterized in that: The radio frequency power amplifier comprises: substrate; A first chip, wherein the first chip is disposed on the substrate and is provided with a power amplifier circuit; The second chip is an integrated passive device chip, the second chip is arranged on the substrate, the second chip is provided with a matching circuit, the matching circuit at least includes a transformer and a first capacitor, the transformer includes a first winding and a second winding, the second winding is coupled to the first winding, the power amplifier circuit is used to input a radio frequency signal to the first winding, and the second winding is used to output a radio frequency signal coupled from the first winding; the first winding includes a first primary coil and a second primary coil, and the first capacitor is connected in series between the first primary coil and the second primary coil.

2. The radio frequency power amplifier according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first chip is a HBT chip.

3. The radio frequency power amplifier according to claim 1, characterized in that: The second chip includes at least a first metal layer and a second metal layer; the first capacitor includes a first metal plate and a second metal plate, the first metal plate is formed on the first metal layer, the second metal plate is formed on the second metal layer, and the projection of the first metal plate on the second metal layer at least partially overlaps with the second metal plate.

4. The radio frequency power amplifier according to claim 3, characterized in that: The power amplifier circuit includes a first amplifier and a second amplifier; the first amplifier is connected to the first end of the first primary coil, the second end of the first primary coil is connected to the first metal plate, the second amplifier is connected to the first end of the second primary coil, and the second end of the second primary coil is connected to the second metal plate.

5. The radio frequency power amplifier according to claim 3, characterized in that: The power amplifier circuit is a single-ended amplifier circuit, the output end of the single-ended amplifier circuit is connected to the first end of the first primary coil, the second end of the first primary coil is connected to the first metal plate, the second end of the second primary coil is connected to the second metal plate, and the first end of the second primary coil is grounded.

6. The radio frequency power amplifier according to claim 3, characterized in that: The first primary coil and the second primary coil are both formed on the first metal layer, and the second metal plate is connected to the second primary coil via a metal through hole; or The first primary coil and the second primary coil are both formed on the second metal layer, and the first metal plate is connected to the first primary coil through a metal through-hole.

7. The radio frequency power amplifier according to claim 3, characterized in that: The second chip further includes a third metal layer; The first primary coil and the second primary coil are formed in the third metal layer. The first primary coil is connected to the first metal plate through a metal through hole, and the second primary coil is connected to the second metal plate through a metal through hole.

8. The radio frequency power amplifier according to claim 3, characterized in that: The line width of the first metal plate, the line width of the second metal plate and the line width of the first winding are the same.

9. The radio frequency power amplifier according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that: The second winding is coupled with the first winding formed on the same metal layer of the second chip; or The second winding is coupled to the first winding formed on a different metal layer of the second chip, and projections of the second winding and the first winding in a longitudinal direction at least partially overlap.

10. The radio frequency power amplifier according to claim 9, characterized in that: When the second winding and the first winding are formed on the same metal layer of the second chip: The second winding is arranged in the area where the first winding is wound; or The second winding is arranged outside the first winding; or The second winding includes a third sub-winding and a fourth sub-winding, and the third sub-winding and the fourth sub-winding are formed on the same metal layer of the second chip as the first winding, wherein the third sub-winding is arranged in the area where the first winding is wound, and the fourth sub-winding is arranged outside the first winding.

11. The radio frequency power amplifier according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that: The second chip includes at least two metal layers, each metal layer includes the first winding and the second winding coupled to each other, the first windings on the at least two metal layers are connected in parallel, and the second windings on the at least two metal layers are connected in parallel.

12. The radio frequency power amplifier according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that: The matching circuit further includes a second capacitor, which is connected in series with the second winding; The second capacitor includes a third metal plate and a fourth metal plate, wherein the third metal plate and the fourth metal plate are formed on different metal layers of the second chip, and projections of the third metal plate and the fourth metal plate in a longitudinal direction at least partially overlap.

13. The radio frequency power amplifier according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that: The power amplifier circuit is a single-ended amplifier circuit, the second chip includes a first port, the matching circuit further includes a third capacitor, a first end of the third capacitor is connected to the RF signal input end of the first winding, and a second end of the third capacitor is connected to the first port; the first port is connected to the ground terminal of the substrate through a bonding wire; Alternatively, the power amplifier circuit is a differential amplifier circuit, the second chip includes a first port and a second port, the matching circuit also includes a fourth capacitor and a fifth capacitor, the first end of the fourth capacitor is connected to the first input end of the first winding, and the second end of the fourth capacitor is connected to the first port; the first end of the fifth capacitor is connected to the second input end of the first winding, and the second end of the fifth capacitor is connected to the second port, the first port is connected to the ground terminal of the substrate through a first bonding wire, and the second port is connected to the ground terminal of the substrate through a second bonding wire.

14. The radio frequency power amplifier according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that: The radio frequency power amplifier further includes a metal trace formed on the substrate, and the radio frequency signal output end of the power amplifier circuit is connected to the power supply terminal of the substrate through the metal trace.

15. The radio frequency power amplifier according to claim 14, characterized in that: The metal wiring is at least partially disposed in a projection area corresponding to the second chip on the substrate; and / or The metal trace is at least partially arranged around the outside of a projection area corresponding to the second chip on the substrate.

16. The radio frequency power amplifier according to claim 1, characterized in that: The power amplifier circuit is a differential amplifier circuit, and the RF power amplifier also includes a first metal routing segment, a second metal routing segment and a third metal routing segment formed on the substrate. The first output end of the power amplifier circuit is connected to the first end of the third metal routing segment through the first metal routing segment, and the second output end of the power amplifier circuit is connected to the first end of the third metal routing segment through the second metal routing segment, and the third metal routing segment is connected to the power supply terminal of the substrate.

17. The radio frequency power amplifier according to claim 16, characterized in that: The first metal routing segment and the second metal routing segment are at least partially disposed in a projection area corresponding to the second chip on the substrate; and / or the first metal routing segment and the second metal routing segment are respectively disposed around two sides of the second chip on the substrate.

18. The radio frequency power amplifier according to claim 14, characterized in that: The substrate comprises a plurality of metal layers, and the second chip is arranged on the substrate; The metal traces are formed on a first metal layer of the substrate, wherein the first metal layer is disposed adjacent to the second chip; or There is at least one metal layer between the metal layer forming the metal routing and the second chip.

19. The radio frequency power amplifier according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that: The turns ratio of the first winding and the second winding in the transformer is in the following range: [1:1.5, 1:2.5].

20. The radio frequency power amplifier according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that: A coupling spacing between the first winding and the second winding is less than or equal to 5 micrometers.

21. A radio frequency front-end module, characterized in that: The RF front-end module includes a RF power amplifier as described in any one of claims 1 to 20.

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