Electronic device including radio frequency front end device and operating method thereof

Abstract

According to an embodiment, a radio frequency front end (RFFE) device included in an electronic device in a communication system may comprise a power amplifier, and at least one antenna connected to the power amplifier. The power amplifier includes: a drive stage configured of a first common source amplifier in a differential mode; a main stage including the structure in which a first common gate amplifier is stacked on a second common source amplifier; and a stack stage including a second common gate amplifier stacked on an output stage of the power amplifier.

Description

Electronic device including a radio frequency front-end device and method of operation thereof

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an electronic device including a radio frequency front end (RFFE) device in a wireless communication system and a method of operating the same.

[0002] With the recent advancement of mobile communication technology leading to the widespread use of mobile terminals offering various functions, efforts are being made to develop 5G communication systems to meet the increasing demand for wireless data traffic. To achieve high data transmission rates and provide faster data transmission speeds, 5G communication systems are being considered for implementation in higher frequency bands (e.g., 25–60 GHz band) in addition to the frequency bands used in 3G and LTE (long term evolution) communication systems.

[0003] For example, to mitigate path loss and increase the transmission distance of radio waves in the mmWave band, beamforming, massive MIMO, full dimensional MIMO (FD-MIMO), array antenna, analog beamforming, and large-scale antenna technologies are being discussed in 5G communication systems.

[0004] In order to transmit a signal from an electronic device to a communication network (e.g., a base station), data generated from a processor or communication processor within the electronic device may be processed through RFIC (radio frequency integrated circuit) and RFFE (radio frequency front end) circuits and then transmitted to the outside of the electronic device through at least one antenna.

[0005] The information described above may be provided as related art for the purpose of aiding understanding of the present disclosure. No claim or determination is made as to whether any of the foregoing may be applied as prior art related to the present disclosure.

[0006] The present disclosure proposes a high-performance RFFE device for improving RF performance, and an electronic device including said RFFE device.

[0007] According to one embodiment, a radio frequency front end (RFFE) device included in an electronic device in a communication system may include: a power amplifier; and at least one antenna connected to the power amplifier. The power amplifier may include: a drive stage composed of a first common source amplifier in differential mode; a main stage having a structure for stacking a first common gate amplifier to a second common source amplifier; and a stack stage including a second common gate amplifier stacked at the output stage of the power amplifier.

[0008] According to one embodiment, an electronic device in a communication system may include a radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC); and a radio frequency front end (RFFE) device. The RFFE device may include a power amplifier and at least one antenna connected to the power amplifier. The power amplifier may include: a drive stage composed of a first common source amplifier in differential mode; a main stage having a structure for stacking a first common gate amplifier to a second common source amplifier; and a second common gate amplifier stacked at the output stage of the power amplifier.

[0009] An RFFE device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, and an electronic device including said RFFE device, can reduce losses occurring during Tx / Rx mode switching and improve the output power and gain of the power amplifier (PA) itself.

[0010] In relation to the description of the drawings, the same or similar reference numerals may be used for identical or similar components.

[0011] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an electronic device in a network environment according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0012] FIG. 2a is an example of a block diagram of an electronic device for supporting legacy network communication and 5G network communication according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0013] FIG. 2b is another example of a block diagram of an electronic device for supporting legacy network communication and 5G network communication according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0014] FIG. 3a is a drawing for illustrating an example of an operation to perform communication of an electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0015] FIG. 3b is a drawing illustrating an example of an RFFE device for communication of an electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0016] FIGS. 4a and FIGS. 4b show examples of an RF front end (RFFE) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0017] FIG. 5a illustrates a case where an RF front end (RFFE) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure operates in Tx mode.

[0018] FIG. 5b illustrates a case where an RF front end (RFFE) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure operates in Rx mode.

[0019] FIG. 6 shows an example of an RF front end (RFFE) using an AC stacked power amplifier according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0020] FIG. 7a illustrates a case where an RF front end (RFFE) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure operates in Tx mode.

[0021] FIG. 7b illustrates the case where an RF front end (RFFE) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure operates in Rx mode.

[0022] FIG. 8 shows a circuit of a power amplifier (PA) in which a common gate amplifier (CG amplifier) ​​is AC stacked according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0023] FIG. 9 shows the voltage swing per node of the power amplifier of FIG. 8 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0024] FIGS. 10a and FIGS. 10b are drawings for explaining the performance of an RF front-end (RFFE) including an AC stack structure according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0025] FIG. 11 illustrates an example of the structure of a multi-channel beamforming transceiver IC including an RF front-end (RFFE) structure according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0026] FIGS. 12a and FIGS. 12b show examples of an RF front-end (RFFE) including an N-stack structure according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0027] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure are described in detail with reference to the drawings so that those skilled in the art can easily practice them. However, the present disclosure may be embodied in various different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. In relation to the description of the drawings, the same or similar reference numerals may be used for identical or similar components. Furthermore, in the drawings and related descriptions, descriptions of well-known functions and configurations may be omitted for clarity and brevity.

[0028] The present disclosure describes embodiments using terms used in some communication standards (e.g., 3GPP (3rd Generation Partnership Project)), but this is merely illustrative. Various embodiments of the present disclosure can be easily modified and applied to other communication systems.

[0029] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an electronic device (101) in a network environment (100) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0030] Referring to FIG. 1, in a network environment (100), an electronic device (101) may communicate with an electronic device (102) through a first network (198) (e.g., a short-range wireless communication network) or with at least one of an electronic device (104) or a server (108) through a second network (199) (e.g., a long-range wireless communication network). According to one embodiment, the electronic device (101) may communicate with the electronic device (104) through a server (108). According to one embodiment, the electronic device (101) may include a processor (120), memory (130), input module (150), sound output module (155), display module (160), audio module (170), sensor module (176), interface (177), connection terminal (178), haptic module (179), camera module (180), power management module (188), battery (189), communication module (190), subscriber identification module (196), or antenna module (197). In some embodiments, at least one of these components (e.g., connection terminal (178)) may be omitted from the electronic device (101), or one or more other components may be added. In some embodiments, some of these components (e.g., sensor module (176), camera module (180), or antenna module (197)) may be integrated into a single component (e.g., display module (160)).

[0031] The processor (120) can control at least one other component (e.g., hardware or software component) of the electronic device (101) connected to the processor (120) by executing software (e.g., program (140)), for example, and can perform various data processing or operations. According to one embodiment, as at least part of the data processing or operations, the processor (120) can store commands or data received from other components (e.g., sensor module (176) or communication module (190)) in volatile memory (132), process the commands or data stored in volatile memory (132), and store the resulting data in non-volatile memory (134). According to one embodiment, the processor (120) may include a main processor (121) (e.g., central processing unit or application processor) or an auxiliary processor (123) that can operate independently or together with it (e.g., graphics processing unit, neural processing unit (NPU), image signal processor, sensor hub processor, or communication processor). For example, if the electronic device (101) includes a main processor (121) and an auxiliary processor (123), the auxiliary processor (123) may be configured to use lower power than the main processor (121) or to be specialized for a designated function. The auxiliary processor (123) may be implemented separately from the main processor (121) or as part thereof.

[0032] The auxiliary processor (123) may control at least some of the functions or states associated with at least one component of the electronic device (101) (e.g., display module (160), sensor module (176), or communication module (190)) on behalf of the main processor (121) while the main processor (121) is in an inactive (e.g., sleep) state, or together with the main processor (121) while the main processor (121) is in an active (e.g., application execution) state. According to one embodiment, the auxiliary processor (123) (e.g., image signal processor or communication processor) may be implemented as part of another functionally related component (e.g., camera module (180) or communication module (190)). According to one embodiment, the auxiliary processor (123) (e.g., neural network processing unit) may include a hardware structure specialized for processing an artificial intelligence model. The artificial intelligence model may be generated through machine learning. Such learning may be performed, for example, on the electronic device (101) itself where the artificial intelligence model is executed, or through a separate server (e.g., server (108)). The learning algorithm may include, for example, supervised learning, unsupervised learning, semi-supervised learning, or reinforcement learning, but is not limited to the examples described above. The artificial intelligence model may include a plurality of artificial neural network layers.An artificial neural network may be a deep neural network (DNN), a convolutional neural network (CNN), a recurrent neural network (RNN), a restricted Boltzmann machine (RBM), a deep belief network (DBN), a bidirectional recurrent deep neural network (BRDNN), a deep Q-network, or a combination of two or more of the above, but is not limited to the examples described above. In addition to the hardware structure, the artificial intelligence model may include a software structure, either additionally or substantially.

[0033] The memory (130) can store various data used by at least one component of the electronic device (101) (e.g., processor (120) or sensor module (176)). The data may include, for example, input data or output data for software (e.g., program (140)) and related commands. The memory (130) may include volatile memory (132) or non-volatile memory (134).

[0034] The program (140) may be stored as software in memory (130) and may include, for example, an operating system (142), middleware (144), or an application (146).

[0035] The input module (150) can receive commands or data to be used for a component of the electronic device (101) (e.g., processor (120)) from outside the electronic device (101) (e.g., user). The input module (150) may include, for example, a microphone, a mouse, a keyboard, a key (e.g., a button), or a digital pen (e.g., a stylus pen).

[0036] The sound output module (155) can output a sound signal to the outside of the electronic device (101). The sound output module (155) may include, for example, a speaker or a receiver. The speaker may be used for general purposes, such as multimedia playback or recording playback. The receiver may be used to receive incoming calls. According to one embodiment, the receiver may be implemented separately from the speaker or as part thereof.

[0037] The display module (160) can visually provide information to an external (e.g., user) of the electronic device (101). The display module (160) may include, for example, a display, a holographic device, or a projector and a control circuit for controlling said device. According to one embodiment, the display module (160) may include a touch sensor configured to detect a touch, or a pressure sensor configured to measure the intensity of the force generated by said touch.

[0038] The audio module (170) can convert sound into an electrical signal or, conversely, convert an electrical signal into sound. According to one embodiment, the audio module (170) can acquire sound through the input module (150) or output sound through the sound output module (155) or an external electronic device (e.g., electronic device (102)) (e.g., speaker or headphones) connected directly or wirelessly to the electronic device (101).

[0039] The sensor module (176) can detect the operating state of the electronic device (101) (e.g., power or temperature) or the external environmental state (e.g., user state) and generate an electrical signal or data value corresponding to the detected state. According to one embodiment, the sensor module (176) may include, for example, a gesture sensor, a gyroscope sensor, a barometric pressure sensor, a magnetic sensor, an accelerometer sensor, a grip sensor, a proximity sensor, a color sensor, an IR (infrared) sensor, a biosensor, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, or an illuminance sensor.

[0040] The interface (177) may support one or more specified protocols that can be used for the electronic device (101) to be connected directly or wirelessly to an external electronic device (e.g., electronic device (102)). According to one embodiment, the interface (177) may include, for example, a high definition multimedia interface (HDMI), a universal serial bus (USB) interface, an SD card interface, or an audio interface.

[0041] The connection terminal (178) may include a connector through which the electronic device (101) can be physically connected to an external electronic device (e.g., electronic device (102)). According to one embodiment, the connection terminal (178) may include, for example, an HDMI connector, a USB connector, an SD card connector, or an audio connector (e.g., a headphone connector).

[0042] The haptic module (179) can convert an electrical signal into a mechanical stimulus (e.g., vibration or movement) or an electrical stimulus that the user can perceive through tactile or kinesthetic senses. According to one embodiment, the haptic module (179) may include, for example, a motor, a piezoelectric element, or an electric stimulation device.

[0043] The camera module (180) can capture still images and video. According to one embodiment, the camera module (180) may include one or more lenses, image sensors, image signal processors, or flashes.

[0044] The power management module (188) can manage the power supplied to the electronic device (101). According to one embodiment, the power management module (188) can be implemented, for example, as at least part of a power management integrated circuit (PMIC).

[0045] The battery (189) can supply power to at least one component of the electronic device (101). According to one embodiment, the battery (189) may include, for example, a non-rechargeable primary battery, a rechargeable secondary battery, or a fuel cell.

[0046] The communication module (190) can support the establishment of a direct (e.g., wired) communication channel or a wireless communication channel between an electronic device (101) and an external electronic device (e.g., electronic device (102), electronic device (104), or server (108)), and the performance of communication through the established communication channel. The communication module (190) may include one or more communication processors that operate independently of the processor (120) (e.g., application processor) and support direct (e.g., wired) communication or wireless communication. According to one embodiment, the communication module (190) may include a wireless communication module (192) (e.g., cellular communication module, short-range wireless communication module, or GNSS (global navigation satellite system) communication module) or a wired communication module (194) (e.g., LAN (local area network) communication module, or power line communication module). The corresponding communication module among these communication modules can communicate with an external electronic device (104) through a first network (198) (e.g., a short-range communication network such as Bluetooth, WiFi (wireless fidelity) direct, or IrDA (infrared data association)) or a second network (199) (e.g., a legacy cellular network, a 5G network, a next-generation communication network, the Internet, or a computer network (e.g., a LAN or WAN)). These various types of communication modules may be integrated into a single component (e.g., a single chip) or implemented as multiple separate components (e.g., multiple chips). The wireless communication module (192) can identify or authenticate the electronic device (101) within a communication network such as the first network (198) or the second network (199) using subscriber information (e.g., International Mobile Subscriber Identifier (IMSI)) stored in the subscriber identification module (196).

[0047] The wireless communication module (192) can support 5G networks and next-generation communication technologies following 4G networks, for example, new radio access technology. NR access technology can support high-speed transmission of high-capacity data (enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB)), minimization of terminal power and connection of multiple terminals (massive machine type communications (mMTC)), or high reliability and low latency (ultra-reliable and low-latency communications (URLLC)). The wireless communication module (192) can support a high-frequency band (e.g., mmWave band) to achieve a high data transmission rate, for example. The wireless communication module (192) can support various technologies for securing performance in the high-frequency band, such as beamforming, massive MIMO (multiple-input and multiple-output), full-dimensional MIMO (FD-MIMO), array antenna, analog beam-forming, or large-scale antenna. The wireless communication module (192) can support various requirements specified in the electronic device (101), external electronic device (e.g., electronic device (104)), or network system (e.g., second network (199)). According to one embodiment, the wireless communication module (192) can support a Peak data rate (e.g., 20 Gbps or more) for realizing eMBB, loss coverage (e.g., 164 dB or less) for realizing mMTC, or U-plane latency (e.g., downlink (DL) and uplink (UL) each 0.5 ms or less, or round trip 1 ms or less) for realizing URLLC.

[0048] An antenna module (197) can transmit a signal or power to or from an external source (e.g., an external electronic device). According to one embodiment, the antenna module (197) may include an antenna comprising a radiator made of a conductor or a conductive pattern formed on a substrate (e.g., a PCB). According to one embodiment, the antenna module (197) may include a plurality of antennas (e.g., an array antenna). In this case, at least one antenna suitable for a communication method used in a communication network, such as a first network (198) or a second network (199), may be selected from the plurality of antennas, for example, by a communication module (190). A signal or power may be transmitted or received between the communication module (190) and an external electronic device through the selected at least one antenna. According to some embodiments, in addition to the radiator, other components (e.g., a radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC)) may be additionally formed as part of the antenna module (197).

[0049] According to various embodiments, the antenna module (197) may form a mmWave antenna module. According to one embodiment, the mmWave antenna module may include a printed circuit board, an RFIC disposed on or adjacent to a first surface (e.g., bottom surface) of the printed circuit board and capable of supporting a specified high frequency band (e.g., mmWave band), and a plurality of antennas (e.g., array antennas) disposed on or adjacent to a second surface (e.g., top surface or side surface) of the printed circuit board and capable of transmitting or receiving a signal of the specified high frequency band.

[0050] At least some of the above components can be connected to each other via a communication method between peripheral devices (e.g., bus, GPIO (general purpose input and output), SPI (serial peripheral interface), or MIPI (mobile industry processor interface)) and exchange signals (e.g., commands or data) with each other.

[0051] According to one embodiment, commands or data may be transmitted or received between the electronic device (101) and an external electronic device (104) through a server (108) connected to a second network (199). Each of the external electronic devices (102, or 104) may be the same or different type of device as the electronic device (101). According to one embodiment, all or part of the operations performed on the electronic device (101) may be performed on one or more of the external electronic devices (102, 104, or 108). For example, if the electronic device (101) needs to perform a function or service automatically or in response to a request from a user or another device, the electronic device (101) may request one or more external electronic devices to perform at least part of the function or service instead of performing the function or service itself or additionally. One or more external electronic devices that receive the above request may execute at least part of the requested function or service, or additional function or service related to the request, and transmit the result of the execution to the electronic device (101). The electronic device (101) may provide the result as is or additionally processed as at least part of the response to the request. For this purpose, for example, cloud computing, distributed computing, mobile edge computing (MEC), or client-server computing technology may be used. The electronic device (101) may provide ultra-low latency services using, for example, distributed computing or mobile edge computing. In another embodiment, the external electronic device (104) may include an Internet of Things (IoT) device. The server (108) may be an intelligent server using machine learning and / or neural networks. According to one embodiment, the external electronic device (104) or the server (108) may be included within a second network (199).The electronic device (101) can be applied to intelligent services (e.g., smart home, smart city, smart car, or healthcare) based on 5G communication technology and IoT-related technology.

[0052] FIG. 2a is an example (200) of a block diagram of an electronic device (101) for supporting legacy network communication and 5G network communication according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 2b is another example (200) of a block diagram of an electronic device for supporting legacy network communication and 5G network communication according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0053] Referring to FIG. 2a, the electronic device (101) may include a first communication processor (212), a second communication processor (214), a first radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC) (222), a second RFIC (224), a third RFIC (226), a fourth RFIC (228), a first radio frequency front end (RFFE) (232), a second RFFE (234), a first antenna module (242), a second antenna module (244), a third antenna module (246), and antennas (248). The electronic device (101) may further include a processor (120) and a memory (130). The second network (199) may include a first cellular network (292) and a second cellular network (294). According to another embodiment, the electronic device (101) may further include at least one of the components described in FIG. 1, and the second network (199) may further include at least one other network. According to one embodiment, the first communication processor (212), the second communication processor (214), the first RFIC (222), the second RFIC (224), the fourth RFIC (228), the first RFFE (232), and the second RFFE (234) may form at least a part of the wireless communication module (192). According to another embodiment, the fourth RFIC (228) may be omitted or included as part of the third RFIC (226).

[0054] The first communication processor (212) can establish a communication channel in a band to be used for wireless communication with the first cellular network (292), and support legacy network communication through the established communication channel. According to various embodiments, the first cellular network may be a legacy network including a second generation (2G), 3G, 4G, or long term evolution (LTE) network. The second communication processor (214) can establish a communication channel corresponding to a designated band (e.g., about 6 GHz to about 60 GHz) among the bands to be used for wireless communication with the second cellular network (294), and support 5G network communication through the established communication channel. According to one embodiment, the second cellular network (294) may be a 5G network as defined by 3GPP. According to one embodiment, the first communication processor (212) or the second communication processor (214) may support the establishment of a communication channel corresponding to another designated band (e.g., about 6 GHz or less) among the bands to be used for wireless communication with the second cellular network (294), and 5G network communication through the established communication channel.

[0055] The first communication processor (212) can transmit and receive data with the second communication processor (214). For example, data classified to be transmitted through the second cellular network (294) can be changed to be transmitted through the first cellular network (292). In this case, the first communication processor (212) can receive transmitted data from the second communication processor (214). For example, the first communication processor (212) can transmit and receive data with the second communication processor (214) through the inter-processor interface (213). The above inter-processor interface (213) may be implemented, for example, as a UART (universal asynchronous receiver / transmitter) interface (e.g., HS-UART (high speed-UART) or PCIe (peripheral component interconnect bus express), but there is no limitation on the type. Alternatively, the first communication processor (212) and the second communication processor (214) may exchange control information and packet data information, for example, using shared memory. The first communication processor (212) may transmit and receive various information, such as sensing information, information on output strength, and RB (resource block) allocation information, to and from the second communication processor (214).

[0056] Depending on the implementation, the first communication processor (212) may not be directly connected to the second communication processor (214). In this case, the first communication processor (212) may transmit and receive data to and from the second communication processor (214) through a processor (120) (e.g., application processor). For example, the first communication processor (212) and the second communication processor (214) may transmit and receive data to and from the processor (120) (e.g., application processor) through an HS-UART interface or a PCIe interface, but there is no restriction on the type of interface. Alternatively, the first communication processor (212) and the second communication processor (214) may exchange control information and packet data information with the processor (120) (e.g., application processor) using shared memory.

[0057] According to one embodiment, the first communication processor (212) and the second communication processor (214) may be implemented within a single chip or a single package. According to one embodiment, the first communication processor (212) or the second communication processor (214) may be formed within a single chip or a single package with the processor (120), the auxiliary processor (123), or the communication module (190). For example, as shown in FIG. 2b, the integrated communication processor (260) may support functions for communication with both the first cellular network (292) and the second cellular network (294).

[0058] The first RFIC (222) can convert a baseband signal generated by the first communication processor (212) during transmission into a radio frequency (RF) signal of about 700 MHz to about 3 GHz used in the first cellular network (292) (e.g., legacy network). During reception, the RF signal is acquired from the first network (292) (e.g., legacy network) through an antenna (e.g., first antenna module (242)) and can be preprocessed through an RFFE (e.g., first RFFE (232)). The first RFIC (222) can convert the preprocessed RF signal into a baseband signal so that it can be processed by the first communication processor (212).

[0059] The second RFIC (224) can convert a baseband signal generated by the first communication processor (212) or the second communication processor (214) into an RF signal of the Sub6 band (e.g., about 6 GHz or less) used in the second cellular network (294) (e.g., 5G network) (hereinafter, 5G Sub6 RF signal). When receiving, the 5G Sub6 RF signal is acquired from the second cellular network (294) (e.g., 5G network) through an antenna (e.g., the second antenna module (244)) and can be preprocessed through an RFFE (e.g., the second RFFE (234)). The second RFIC (224) can convert the preprocessed 5G Sub6 RF signal into a baseband signal so that it can be processed by the corresponding communication processor among the first communication processor (212) or the second communication processor (214).

[0060] The third RFIC (226) can convert a baseband signal generated by the second communication processor (214) into an RF signal of the 5G Above6 band (e.g., approximately 6 GHz to approximately 60 GHz) (hereinafter, 5G Above6 RF signal) to be used in the second cellular network (294) (e.g., 5G network). Upon reception, the 5G Above6 RF signal may be acquired from the second cellular network (294) (e.g., 5G network) through an antenna (e.g., antenna (248)) and preprocessed through the third RFFE (236). The third RFIC (226) can convert the preprocessed 5G Above6 RF signal into a baseband signal so that it can be processed by the second communication processor (214). According to one embodiment, the third RFFE (236) may be formed as part of the third RFIC (226).

[0061] According to one embodiment, the electronic device (101) may include a fourth RFIC (228) separately from or at least as part of the third RFIC (226). In this case, the fourth RFIC (228) may convert a baseband signal generated by the second communication processor (214) into an RF signal (hereinafter referred to as an IF signal) in an intermediate frequency band (e.g., about 9 GHz to about 11 GHz) and then transmit the IF signal to the third RFIC (226). The third RFIC (226) may convert the IF signal into a 5G Above6 RF signal. Upon reception, the 5G Above6 RF signal may be received from the second cellular network (294) (e.g., a 5G network) through an antenna (e.g., antenna (248)) and converted into an IF signal by the third RFIC (226). The fourth RFIC (228) can convert the IF signal into a baseband signal so that the second communication processor (214) can process it.

[0062] According to one embodiment, the first RFIC (222) and the second RFIC (224) may be implemented as at least part of a single chip or a single package. According to various embodiments, if the first RFIC (222) and the second RFIC (224) in FIG. 2a or FIG. 2b are implemented as a single chip or a single package, they may be implemented as an integrated RFIC. In this case, the integrated RFIC may be connected to the first RFFE (232) and the second RFFE (234) to convert a baseband signal into a signal in a band supported by the first RFFE (232) and / or the second RFFE (234), and transmit the converted signal to either the first RFFE (232) or the second RFFE (234). According to one embodiment, the first RFFE (232) and the second RFFE (234) may be implemented as at least part of a single chip or a single package. According to one embodiment, at least one of the first antenna module (242) or the second antenna module (244) may be omitted or combined with another antenna module to process RF signals of a plurality of corresponding bands.

[0063] According to one embodiment, the third RFIC (226) and the antenna (248) may be placed on the same substrate to form a third antenna module (246). For example, a wireless communication module (192) or a processor (120) may be placed on the first substrate (e.g., main PCB). In this case, the third RFIC (226) may be placed on a portion of a second substrate (e.g., sub PCB) separate from the first substrate (e.g., bottom surface), and the antenna (248) may be placed on another portion of a second substrate (e.g., top surface) to form the third antenna module (246). By placing the third RFIC (226) and the antenna (248) on the same substrate, it is possible to reduce the length of the transmission line between them. This can, for example, reduce the loss (e.g., attenuation) of signals in the high-frequency band (e.g., about 6 GHz to about 60 GHz) used for 5G network communication by the transmission line. As a result, the electronic device (101) can improve the quality or speed of communication with the second network (294) (e.g., 5G network).

[0064] According to one embodiment, the antenna (248) may be formed as an antenna array comprising a plurality of antenna elements that can be used for beamforming. In this case, the third RFIC (226) may include a plurality of phase shifters (238) corresponding to the plurality of antenna elements, for example, as part of the third RFFE (236). During transmission, each of the plurality of phase shifters (238) can change the phase of a 5G Above6 RF signal to be transmitted to the outside of the electronic device (101) (e.g., a base station of a 5G network) through the corresponding antenna element. During reception, each of the plurality of phase shifters (238) can change the phase of a 5G Above6 RF signal received from the outside through the corresponding antenna element to the same or substantially the same phase. This enables transmission or reception through beamforming between the electronic device (101) and the outside.

[0065] The second cellular network (294) (e.g., 5G network) may be operated independently of the first cellular network (292) (e.g., legacy network) (e.g., Stand-Alone (SA)) or connected (e.g., Non-Stand Alone (NSA)). For example, the 5G network may only have an access network (e.g., 5G radio access network (RAN) or next generation RAN (NG RAN)) and no core network (e.g., next generation core (NGC)). In this case, the electronic device (101) can access the access network of the 5G network and then access an external network (e.g., the Internet) under the control of the core network of the legacy network (e.g., evolved packed core (EPC)). Protocol information for communication with a legacy network (e.g., LTE protocol information) or protocol information for communication with a 5G network (e.g., New Radio (NR) protocol information) is stored in memory (230) and can be accessed by other parts (e.g., processor (120), first communication processor (212), or second communication processor (214)).

[0066] FIG. 3a is a drawing for explaining an example of an operation for performing communication of an electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, and FIG. 3b is a drawing for explaining an example of an RFFE device for communication of an electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0067] Referring to FIG. 3a, the electronic device (301) includes a plurality of antennas (300a, 300b) and can transmit and / or receive a signal (or RF signal) (303a, 303b) to a base station (302) (or network) through at least some of the plurality of antennas (300a, 300b). The transmission and / or reception of the signal (or RF signal) (303a, 303b) can be performed based on a plurality of frequency band groups (311, 312). For example, referring to 310 in FIG. 3a, each of the plurality of frequency band groups (311, 312) may correspond to a specific frequency range (or may be pre-specified).

[0068] Referring to FIGS. 3a and 3b, the electronic device (301) may include different types of RFFE devices (330a, 330b) depending on the types of antennas (300a, 300b). For example, the types of antennas may include an antenna for transmitting and / or receiving a signal (303a) of a single frequency band group (e.g., an antenna (300a) having a separate structure), and an antenna for transmitting and / or receiving signals (303b) of at least two frequency band groups (e.g., an antenna (300b) having a common structure). Based on RF signals having multiple frequency bands output through the antenna (300b) having a common structure, communication based on multiple frequency bands, such as EN-DC and carrier aggregation (CA), may be performed. An antenna (300b) having a common structure may also be used for communication (e.g., LAA) performed based on unlicensed bands and licensed bands, not limited to those described.

[0069] Referring to FIG. 3b, a first RFFE device (330a) corresponding to (or connected to) the antenna (300a) having the separation structure may include at least one circuit (e.g., a first circuit (331a), and a second circuit (333a)), each implemented to process a signal of a specific frequency band group, and at least one port (e.g., a first port (335a) and a second port (337a)) connected to the at least one circuit and the antenna (300a) having the separation structure. Meanwhile, without being limited to what is illustrated, the first RFFE device (330a) may have more configurations (e.g., configurations of the RFFE device (232, 234) described in FIG. 2a and 2b).

[0070] Referring to FIG. 3b, a second RFFE device (330b) corresponding to (or connected to) the antenna (300b) having the common structure may further include a diplexer (334b) compared to the first RFFE device (330a) corresponding to the antenna (300a) having the separated structure. For example, the second RFFE device (330b) may include a plurality of circuits (e.g., a first circuit (331b), and a second circuit (333b)) each implemented to process a signal of a specific frequency band group, a port (335b) connected to the antenna (300b) having the common structure, and a diplexer (334b) connected to each of the plurality of circuits and the port (335b).

[0071] According to one embodiment, an electronic device (301) can transmit and / or receive a signal based on a specific frequency band (e.g., O1 or O2) selected from a specific frequency band group among a plurality of frequency band groups (311, 312) through an antenna (300a) having a separation structure.

[0072] Referring to FIG. 3a, a communication processor (not shown) can select a specific frequency band included in a specific frequency band group among a plurality of frequency band groups (311, 312) and generate (or change, or convert) (e.g., up-scale) a base band signal into a selected specific frequency band signal through an RFIC (320). The specific frequency band signal generated by the RFIC (320) can be transmitted to a first RFFE device (330a) by control of the communication processor (not shown) (e.g., switch control (switching) for path connection to an antenna corresponding to the selected specific frequency band). Within the first RFFE device (330a), the received signal may be preprocessed (e.g., amplified, filtered) by a circuit (e.g., first circuit (331a) or second circuit (333a)), and the preprocessed signal may be transmitted to the antenna (300a) through the port (335a or 337a). From the antenna (300a), the signal may be generated into an RF signal having a specific frequency band (e.g., O1 or O2) and transmitted to the base station (302) (or network).

[0073] Conversely, an electronic device (301) (e.g., a communication processor (not shown)) may acquire a signal of a specific frequency band through an antenna (300a), an RFFE device (330a), and an RFIC (320) corresponding to the specific frequency band (O1 or O2). When an RF signal having a specific frequency band is received through the antenna (300a), the signal of the specific frequency band (O1 or O2) acquired based on the RF signal is amplified by the first RFFE device (330a), and the electronic device (301) (e.g., a communication processor (not shown)) may acquire the amplified signal through the RFIC (320). Since the operation of transmitting and / or receiving signals of the electronic device (301) described above is a well-known technique, a more detailed description is omitted.

[0074] According to one embodiment, an electronic device (301) can transmit and / or receive a signal based on frequency bands included in each of at least two of the plurality of frequency band groups (311, 312) through an antenna (300b) having a common structure. For example, referring to FIG. 3a, a communication processor (not shown) can select frequency bands (O1 and O2) included in each of at least two frequency band groups and generate (or change, or convert) (e.g., up-scale) a base band signal into signals of the selected frequency bands (O1 and O2) through an RFIC (320). Each of the signals of the frequency bands generated by the RFIC (320) can be transmitted to a second RFFE device (330b) by control of the communication processor (not shown) (e.g., switch control (switching) for path connection to an antenna corresponding to a selected specific frequency band). Within the second RFFE device (330b), each of the received signals is preprocessed (e.g., amplified, filtered) by circuits (e.g., first circuit (331b) and second circuit (333b)), and the preprocessed signals can be input to the diplexer (334b). By the diplexer (334b), the signals are synthesized (or, generated) into a signal having selected frequency bands, and the synthesized signal can be output through the diplexer and transmitted to the antenna (300b). From the antenna (300b), an RF signal having the plurality of frequency bands can be generated and transmitted to the base station (302) (or network).

[0075] Alternatively, an electronic device (301) (e.g., a communication processor (not shown)) may receive signals through an antenna (300b) corresponding to specific frequency bands, a second RFFE device (330b), and an RFIC (320). When an RF signal having specific frequency bands (e.g., O1 and O2) is received through the antenna (300b), signals of the specific frequency band obtained based on the RF signals are amplified by the diplexer (334b) of the first RFFE device (330a), and the electronic device (301) (e.g., a communication processor (not shown)) may obtain the amplified signals through the RFIC (320).

[0076] Meanwhile, as the development of mm-wave beamforming RFICs for 5G communication is underway, there is an increasing need for broadband, high-power, high-efficiency, and high-linearity CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) / Si-based high-frequency front-ends, which can have a significant impact on the link-budget and total power consumption of terminals and / or base stations. High-performance front-ends can be integrated into RFICs to improve the RF performance of mm-wave MIMO transceivers.

[0077] The present disclosure proposes a circuit structure of a power amplifier included in the front end (RFFE) of a transceiver integrated circuit for wireless communication (e.g., 5G communication) and a high-frequency switch (RF switch) that switches in Tx / Rx mode. The RF front end (RFFE) proposed in the present disclosure can maximize the gain and output power of the Tx path of the transceiver IC. In addition, the RF front end (RFFE) proposed in the present disclosure can increase the Effective Isotropic Radiated Power (EIRP) of the radio unit and increase the maximum output power of the terminal or base station.

[0078] FIGS. 4a and FIGS. 4b show examples of an RF front end (RFFE) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0079] As communication technology advances, operating frequency bands are becoming increasingly higher. For example, the 5G FR2 frequency band is the mm-wave band of 28 GHz or 39 GHz, presenting a challenge in designing transceivers at very high frequency bands. To transmit and receive using the Time Division Duplex (TDD) method, the RF front end (RFFE) may include a circuit (RF switch) for switching between Tx and Rx modes.

[0080] Referring to FIG. 4a, the RF front end (RFFE) may include a power amplifier (PA), a switching circuit (RF switch) connected to the power amplifier (PA), an antenna connected to the switching circuit (RF switch), and a low noise amplifier (LNA) connected to the switching circuit (RF switch). The power amplifier (PA) includes a drive stage, V DD,lowThe first transformer (transformer1; TF1) to which voltage is applied, the main stage, and V DD,high It may include a second transformer (TF2) to which voltage is applied. The switching circuit (RF switch) may include a serial switch for operating in the Tx path and a parallel switch for operating in the Rx path.

[0081] Referring to FIG. 4b, the RF front end (RFFE) may include a power amplifier (PA), a switching circuit (RF switch) connected to the power amplifier (PA), an antenna connected to the switching circuit (RF switch), and a low-noise amplifier (LNA) connected to the switching circuit (RF switch). The power amplifier (PA) includes a drive stage, V DD,low The first transformer (transformer1; TF1) to which voltage is applied, the main stage, and V DD,high It may include a second transformer (TF2) to which voltage is applied. The switching circuit (RF switch) may include a parallel switch for operating in the Rx path and may not include a series switch for operating in the Tx path. According to one embodiment, the switching circuit (RF switch) may be composed of an on / off switch and a transmission line (or inductor).

[0082] FIG. 5a shows a case where an RF front end (RFFE) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure operates in Tx mode, and FIG. 5b shows a case where an RF front end (RFFE) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure operates in Rx mode.

[0083] Referring to FIG. 5a, when the RF front end (RFFE) is in Tx mode, the serial switch (510) of the Tx path and the parallel switch (520) of the Rx path can both be turned on. At this time, the input node of the LNA is shorted to ground, and the impedance facing the Rx path from the antenna can be close to open. The signal of the Tx path amplified through the PA can be transmitted toward the antenna and radiated.

[0084] Referring to FIG. 5b, when the RF front end (RFFE) is in Rx mode, both the serial switch (512) of the Tx path and the parallel switch (522) of the Rx path can be turned off. At this time, the impedance facing the Tx side from the antenna becomes close to open, so that the signal received by the antenna is fully transmitted to the Rx path and input to the LNA.

[0085] Even in the case of Fig. 4b, where there is no serial switch in the Tx path, the output stage of the PA can be designed so that when the main stage of the PA is turned off, the impedance facing the Tx from the antenna approaches open. However, in this case, since it is difficult to create a perfect open impedance over a wide frequency range, the Tx leakage power in a specific band may increase in Rx mode. An RF front-end designed using this circuit structure can be integrated into a multi-channel structure for beamforming operation and designed as a single transceiver IC chip.

[0086] The output power requirements of power amplifiers (PAs) to improve the EIRP of beamforming phased arrays are becoming increasingly high. Design methods to improve the output power of the power amplifier itself have also continued to evolve.

[0087] As a first method to improve the output power of the power amplifier itself, one approach is to increase the size of the power cell and lower the load impedance. However, increasing the size of the power cell leads to a corresponding increase in parasitic activity, which can make broadband circuit design impossible in high-frequency circuits.

[0088] A second method to improve the output power of the power amplifier itself involves stacking power cells in the main stage of the power amplifier and increasing the supply voltage (VDD) to boost the output power. However, for a power cell stack, as the number of stacks increases, the higher the VDD... DD It requires voltage, and since the optimal load impedance also increases, it makes output impedance matching of the power amplifier difficult. Thus, it can be said that existing methods to increase output in CMOS processes have reached a certain limit.

[0089] In situations where it is difficult to further increase the output of the power amplifier, if the front end is configured using an RF switch with a structure like that shown in Fig. 4a, additional output power loss may occur. When a series switch is used for the power amplifier output, if the switch is implemented and integrated using a silicon-based transistor, there is insertion loss of the signal passing through the switch even when the switch is turned on (0.3 to 0.4 dB). This insertion loss leads to a reduction in the output power and gain of the power amplifier and can cause performance degradation of the front end's transmitter. Although continuous efforts have been made to maintain the output power and efficiency of the power amplifier to the maximum extent by minimizing switch losses, the fundamental switch losses inherent in CMOS process transistors are difficult to overcome; consequently, basic output power degradation of the transmitter for Tx / Rx switching operations may occur. As shown in Fig. 4b, when there is no series switch of Tx, the output power of the power amplifier is not degraded, but because the structure makes it difficult to make the impedance facing Tx completely open in all frequency bands during Rx mode operation, leakage power toward Tx increases in certain bands, and a problem may occur in which the Rx mode performance degrades.

[0090] The present disclosure proposes a PA circuit structure for increasing the output power and gain of a beamforming RFIC for 5G communication and an RF front-end structure utilizing the same. In the present disclosure, instead of increasing the output of the power amplifier, the output power and gain of the power amplifier can be increased by utilizing a structure in which a common gate amplifier is added to the final stage of the power amplifier via AC (Alternating Current) stacking. The term "AC stack" as used in the present disclosure may refer to a stacking method in which DC (Direct Current) voltage is separated and only AC voltage is stacked. The term "stack" as used in the present disclosure may be a "DC stack" or an "AC stack," and a "DC stack" may refer to a stacking method in which DC (Direct Current) voltage is stacked.

[0091] In addition, by configuring the front end using the power amplifier structure proposed in this disclosure, the output power can be improved by inserting a gain amplifier and AC stacking instead of the serial switch used for Tx / Rx mode switching. Furthermore, by configuring the front end using the power amplifier structure proposed in this disclosure, a relatively complete open impedance can be formed over a wide band by turning off the common gate amplifier in Rx mode, and leakage power to the Tx side can be minimized. Through this structure, the front end performance of a beamforming transceiver IC can be improved and the output power of the transmitting end can be enhanced.

[0092] FIG. 6 shows an example of an RF front end (RFFE) using an AC stacked power amplifier according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0093] Referring to FIG. 6, a common gate amplifier (CG amplifier) ​​may be configured as an AC stack at the final output stage of a power amplifier (PA) included in the RF front end (RFFE). The power amplifier (PA) may be composed of a drive stage, a main stage, and an AC stack stage. The drive stage and the AC stack stage are at a low supply voltage (V DD,low ..., for example, 0.8~1.2 V) can be shared and used. Since the Main stage itself is configured as a 2-stage or 3-stage stack, a high supply voltage (V DD,high For example, 2.4~3.6 V) can be used alone.

[0094] The first transformer (TF1) can match the impedance of the intermediate stage between the Drive stage and the Main stage, and the second transformer (TF2) can match the impedance between the AC stack stage and the Main stage. The supply voltage can be supplied to the center tap of the primary turn of each transformer. The supply voltage of the AC stack can be supplied through an additional parallel inductor.

[0095] The RF front end illustrated in FIG. 6 is equipped with an amplifier instead of a serial switch in the Tx path used in the RF switch, and the configuration on the antenna and Rx path side may be the same as the configuration of a conventional RF front end.

[0096] FIG. 7a shows a case where an RF front end (RFFE) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure operates in Tx mode, and FIG. 7b shows a case where an RF front end (RFFE) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure operates in Rx mode.

[0097] Referring to Fig. 7a, when the RF front end (RFFE) operates in Tx mode, the parallel switch of the Tx path is turned on, and the input node of the LNA can be shorted to ground. Consequently, the input impedance of the LAN becomes short, and the angle of the transmission line ( The impedance facing the Rx side from the antenna can be close to open due to an angle of 90° (typically 90°). The power output from the power amplifier (PA) can be fully delivered to the antenna without leaking out toward the Rx path.

[0098] Referring to Fig. 7b, when the RF front end (RFFE) operates in Rx mode, the AC stack stage of the power amplifier (PA) is turned off, allowing the impedance facing the Tx side from the antenna to be close to open over a wide band. The parallel switch on the LAN input side is opened, and the signal input to the antenna does not leak to the Tx side but is entirely transmitted to the Rx path and can be amplified through the LNA.

[0099] FIG. 8 shows a circuit of a power amplifier (PA) in which a common gate amplifier (CG amplifier) ​​is AC stacked according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0100] Referring to FIG. 8, a CMOS-based amplifier in the Mm-wave band can be configured in differential mode. The drive stage is configured as a common source amplifier in differential mode, and the main stage can be implemented with a structure in which a common gate amplifier is stacked on top of the common source amplifier for high output power. The main stage can be designed by stacking up to two or three stages, and FIG. 8 illustrates, for example, the case where three stages are stacked. Multiple capacitors (CCG1, CCG2) may be used to set the gate stage of the common gate amplifier close to the RF ground. The differential output signal of the main stage can be converted into a single-ended signal through a second transformer (TF2).

[0101] In FIG. 8, a common-gate amplifier (AC stack) with a single-ended signal as input can be additionally stacked. The gate node of the common-gate amplifier (AC stack) is capacitor C STK It is set close to the RF ground through, and resistor R STK The gate bias (V) of the amplifier is applied through STK Can supply ). V in Tx mode STK V of the transistor th It can be configured to operate as Class-AB by applying an amount higher than the voltage. Inductor L STK V, which is the drain bias, through DD,low It is supplied, and the source can be connected to ground through the secondary turn of the second transformer (TF2). The amplifier's supply DC current is through the inductor L STKIt is supplied and, after passing through the amplifier, can flow to ground through the secondary turn of the second transformer (TF2). A capacitor C is positioned between the final stage of the common gate amplifier (AC stack) and the antenna. DC The DC voltage can be separated from the rear stage through this.

[0102] FIG. 9 shows the voltage swing per node of the power amplifier of FIG. 8 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0103] Referring to FIGS. 8 and FIGS. 9, V DD,low in V D A voltage of is applied, and V DD,high at 3V D A voltage of can be applied. In the main stage, where three transistors are stacked, V per transistor D A DC voltage of that amount is divided and applied, and V for each stack S An RF voltage swing of that amount is amplified and applied. Accordingly, 3V is applied to each differential cell at the drain of the topmost stack. S A swing of that amount can occur. The corresponding voltage is combined through the transformer, and the transformer's output voltage swing is 6V. S It can be. The power amplifier can further increase the voltage swing by α through an AC stacked amplifier (6V S +α).

[0104] FIGS. 10a and FIGS. 10b are drawings for explaining the performance of an RF front-end (RFFE) including an AC stack structure according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0105] Referring to FIGS. 10a and 10b, "with AC stack" represents an RF front-end (RFFE) that includes an AC stack structure in which a CG amplifier is additionally AC stacked at the PA output terminal, and "without AC stack" represents an RF front-end (RFFE) that does not include the AC stack structure. Referring to FIG. 10a, it can be seen that the gain of the transmitting terminal of "with AC stack" increases compared to "without AC stack". Referring to FIG. 10b, it can be seen that the output power of "with AC stack" increases compared to "without AC stack".

[0106] FIG. 11 illustrates an example of the structure of a multi-channel beamforming transceiver IC including an RF front-end (RFFE) structure according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0107] Referring to FIG. 11, a multi-channel beamforming transceiver IC may include a plurality of RF front-ends (RFFEs) and a power driver. Each of the plurality of RF front-ends (RFFEs) may be implemented as an RFFE as illustrated in FIG. 6 to 9. Each of the plurality of RF front-ends (RFFEs) may include an AC stack structure in which a CG amplifier is additionally AC stacked at the PA output terminal. Each of the plurality of RF front-ends (RFFEs) may be mounted on a transceiver IC by applying the front-end structure and Tx / Rx mode switching method described in FIG. 6 to 9. For each of the plurality of RF front-ends (RFFEs), one antenna and one front-end terminal are included for each channel, and a phase shifter (PS) at the front end may adjust the phase of each channel to enable beamforming operation.

[0108] FIGS. 12a and FIGS. 12b show examples of an RF front-end (RFFE) including an N-stack structure according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0109] FIGS. 12a and 12b show an RFFE generalized by applying an N-stack structure to a power amplifier including an AC stack stage proposed in the present disclosure (where N is an integer greater than or equal to 1).

[0110] Referring to Fig. 12a, an N-stack structure can be used in the main stage of the RF front end (RFFE). In this case, the drive stage and the AC stack amplifier (AC stack) are V DD,low =V D It shares the power supply, and the main stage is V DD.high =N*V DThe power supply can be used exclusively.

[0111] Referring to FIG. 12b, both the main stage of the RF front end (RFFE) and the AC stack amplifier (AC stack) may include an N-stack structure. In this case, the drive stage is supplied with power V DD,low =V D Assuming it is used exclusively, the main stage and the AC stack amplifier are supplied with power V DD,high = N*V D It can be shared and used.

[0112] According to one embodiment, a radio frequency front end (RFFE) device included in an electronic device in a communication system may include: a power amplifier; and at least one antenna connected to the power amplifier. The power amplifier may include: a drive stage composed of a first common source amplifier in differential mode; a main stage having a structure for stacking a first common gate amplifier to a second common source amplifier; and a stack stage including a second common gate amplifier stacked at the output stage of the power amplifier.

[0113] According to one embodiment, the electronic device may be implemented as a base station, a UE (user equipment), or a communication device that supports beamforming.

[0114] According to one embodiment, the second common gate amplifier is AC (Alternating Current) stacked at the output terminal of the power amplifier, and the AC stack may be a stacking method that separates the DC (Direct Current) voltage and stacks only the AC voltage.

[0115] According to one embodiment, the power amplifier may further include: a first transformer (TF1) for impedance matching of an intermediate stage between the drive stage and the main stage; and a second transformer (TF2) for impedance matching between the main stage and the stack stage.

[0116] According to one embodiment, the RFFE device may further include: a switching circuit (RF switch) that can be connected to the at least one antenna and connected to ground; and a low noise amplifier that can be connected to the at least one antenna and receive a signal based on the operation of the switching circuit.

[0117] According to one embodiment, the RFFE device can operate in Tx mode by controlling the second common gate amplifier included in the stack stage to the ON state and connecting the switching circuit to the ground.

[0118] According to one embodiment, the RFFE device can operate in Rx mode by controlling the second common gate amplifier included in the stack stage to an off state and controlling the switching circuit to an off state.

[0119] According to one embodiment, at least one of the main stage and the stack stage may be configured as an N-stack structure (wherein N is an integer greater than or equal to 2).

[0120] According to one embodiment, the RFFE device may be included in a beamforming transceiver integrated circuit that supports multi-channel, together with at least one RFFE device having the same structure as the RFFE device.

[0121] According to one embodiment, a plurality of transistors are stacked in the main stage, a DC voltage is divided and applied to each of the plurality of transistors, and a constant RF voltage swing can be amplified and applied to each stack.

[0122] According to one embodiment, an electronic device in a communication system may include a radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC); and a radio frequency front end (RFFE) device. The RFFE device may include a power amplifier and at least one antenna connected to the power amplifier. The power amplifier may include: a drive stage composed of a first common source amplifier in differential mode; a main stage having a structure for stacking a first common gate amplifier to a second common source amplifier; and a second common gate amplifier stacked at the output stage of the power amplifier.

[0123] A method and apparatus according to one embodiment of the present disclosure can improve transmit output and gain compared to existing front-end structures by reducing losses occurring during Tx / Rx mode switching and increasing the output power and gain of the power amplifier (PA) itself. A method and apparatus according to one embodiment of the present disclosure can increase the RF transmit output power of a chip by applying an RF front-end (RFFE) including an AC stack structure to a beamforming transceiver IC, and can increase the output power of an RF terminal / base station using the same.

[0124] The embodiments of this document and the terms used therein are not intended to limit the technical features described in this document to specific embodiments, and should be understood to include various modifications, equivalents, or substitutions of said embodiments. In connection with the description of the drawings, similar reference numerals may be used for similar or related components. The singular form of a noun corresponding to an item may include one or more of said items unless the relevant context clearly indicates otherwise. In this document, phrases such as "A or B," "at least one of A and B," "at least one of A or B," "A, B or C," "at least one of A, B and C," and "at least one of A, B, or C" each may include any one of the items listed together in the corresponding phrase, or all possible combinations thereof. Terms such as "first," "second," or "first" or "second" may be used simply to distinguish said components from other said components and do not limit said components in any other aspect (e.g., importance or order). Where any (e.g., 1st) component is referred to as “coupled” or “connected” to another (e.g., 2nd) component, with or without the terms “functionally” or “communicationly,” it means that said any component may be connected to said other component directly (e.g., via a wire), wirelessly, or through a third component.

[0125] The term “module” as used in the embodiments of this document may include a unit implemented in hardware, software, or firmware, and may be used interchangeably with terms such as logic, logic block, component, or circuit, for example. A module may be a component formed integrally, or a minimum unit of said component or a part thereof that performs one or more functions. For example, according to one embodiment, a module may be implemented in the form of an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC).

[0126] One embodiment of the present document may be implemented as software (e.g., program (140)) comprising one or more instructions stored in a storage medium (e.g., internal memory (136) or external memory (138)) readable by a machine (e.g., electronic device (101)). For example, a processor (e.g., processor (120)) of the machine (e.g., electronic device (101)) may call at least one of the one or more instructions stored in the storage medium and execute it. This enables the machine to be operated to perform at least one function according to the at least one called instruction. The one or more instructions may include code generated by a compiler or code that can be executed by an interpreter. The storage medium readable by the machine may be provided in the form of a non-transitory storage medium. Here, 'non-temporary' simply means that the storage medium is a tangible device and does not contain a signal (e.g., electromagnetic waves), and the term does not distinguish between cases where data is stored semi-permanently and cases where it is stored temporarily.

[0127] According to one embodiment, the method according to the embodiments disclosed herein may be provided by being included in a computer program product. The computer program product may be traded between a seller and a buyer as a product. The computer program product may be distributed in the form of a device-readable storage medium (e.g., compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM)), or distributed online (e.g., download or upload) through an application store (e.g., Play Store™) or directly between two user devices (e.g., smartphones). In the case of online distribution, at least a portion of the computer program product may be temporarily stored or temporarily created on a device-readable storage medium, such as the memory of a manufacturer's server, an application store's server, or a relay server.

[0128] According to one embodiment, each component (e.g., module or program) of the components described above may include a singular or multiple entities, and some of the multiple entities may be separated and placed in other components. According to one embodiment, one or more of the components or operations of the aforementioned components may be omitted, or one or more other components or operations may be added. Generally or additionally, multiple components (e.g., module or program) may be integrated into a single component. In this case, the integrated component may perform one or more functions of each of the multiple components in the same or similar manner as those performed by the corresponding component among the multiple components prior to integration. According to one embodiment, operations performed by the module, program, or other components may be executed sequentially, in parallel, iteratively, or heuristically, or one or more of the operations may be executed in a different order, omitted, or one or more other operations may be added.

Claims

1. In a radio frequency front end (RFFE) device included in an electronic device in a communication system, power amplifier; and It includes at least one antenna connected to the power amplifier, The above power amplifier is: A drive stage composed of a first common source amplifier in differential mode; A main stage including a structure for stacking a first common gate amplifier to a second common source amplifier; and An RFFE device characterized by including a stack stage comprising a second common gate amplifier stacked at the output terminal of the above power amplifier.

2. In Paragraph 1, An RFFE device characterized by the above electronic device being implemented as a base station, UE (user equipment), or a communication device that supports beamforming.

3. In Paragraph 1, The second common gate amplifier is AC (Alternating Current) stacked at the output terminal of the power amplifier, and An RFFE device characterized by the above AC stack being a stacking method that separates DC (Direct current) voltage and stacks only AC voltage.

4. In paragraph 1, the power amplifier is: A first transformer (TF1) for impedance matching of an intermediate stage between the above drive stage (Drive) and the above main stage (Main); and An RFFE device characterized by further including a second transformer (TF2) for impedance matching between the main stage and the stack stage.

5. In Paragraph 1, A switching circuit (RF switch) that can be connected to at least one antenna and connected to ground; and An RFFE device characterized by further including a low-noise amplifier connected to at least one antenna to receive a signal based on the operation of the switching circuit.

6. In Paragraph 5, The RFFE device is characterized by controlling the second common gate amplifier included in the stack stage to the ON state and connecting the switching circuit to the ground to operate in Tx mode.

7. In Paragraph 5, The RFFE device is characterized by controlling the second common gate amplifier included in the stack stage to an off state and controlling the switching circuit to an off state to operate in Rx mode.

8. In Paragraph 1, An RFFE device characterized in that at least one of the main stage and the stack stage is configured as an N-stack structure (where N is an integer greater than or equal to 2).

9. In Paragraph 1, An RFFE device characterized by being included in a beamforming transceiver integrated circuit that supports multi-channel together with at least one RFFE device having the same structure as the RFFE device.

10. In Paragraph 1, An RFFE device characterized by having a plurality of transistors stacked in the main stage, a DC voltage divided and applied to each of the plurality of transistors, and a constant RF voltage swing amplified and applied to each stack.

11. In an electronic device in a communication system, radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC); and Includes an RFFE (radio frequency front end) device, The RFFE device comprises a power amplifier and at least one antenna connected to the power amplifier, and The above power amplifier is: A drive stage composed of a first common source amplifier in differential mode; A main stage including a structure for stacking a first common gate amplifier to a second common source amplifier; and An electronic device characterized by including a stack stage comprising a second common gate amplifier stacked at the output terminal of the above power amplifier.

12. In Paragraph 11, The electronic device is characterized by being implemented as a base station, UE (user equipment), or a communication device that supports beamforming.

13. In Paragraph 11, The second common gate amplifier is AC (Alternating Current) stacked at the output terminal of the power amplifier, and An electronic device characterized by the above AC stack being a stacking method that separates DC (Direct current) voltage and stacks only AC voltage.

14. In paragraph 11, the power amplifier is: A first transformer (TF1) for impedance matching of an intermediate stage between the above drive stage (Drive) and the above main stage (Main); and An electronic device characterized by further including a second transformer (TF2) for impedance matching between the main stage and the stack stage.

15. In paragraph 11, the RFFE device is: A switching circuit (RF switch) that can be connected to at least one antenna and connected to ground; and An electronic device characterized by further including a low-noise amplifier connected to at least one antenna to receive a signal based on the operation of the switching circuit.

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