Doherty Amplifier Bond Wire Inductance and Inshin Network
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Solution Overview
Problem
Integrated Doherty amplifiers face challenges in frequency range compatibility beyond 2 GHz due to limitations in high-quality inductance creation on highly-doped silicon substrates, leading to signal losses and electromagnetic coupling issues, which affect gain and efficiency, and require precise design and tuning, increasing production costs.
Innovation Solution
Modifying the Doherty amplifier design by relocating components to other substrates, using bond wires as inductances, and implementing an inshin network with shunt inductance and capacitance to compensate for output impedance changes and reduce electromagnetic coupling, allowing for wider frequency tunability and improved performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If integrated Doherty amplifier is designed on highly-doped silicon substrate, then integration and mass production are enabled, but signal losses and electromagnetic coupling increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an inshin network as an intermediary component between the power amplifier devices and the output network. This network includes series inductors and shunt capacitors that act as mediators to control impedance transformation and reduce harmful electromagnetic coupling while maintaining signal integrity on the silicon substrate
Solution Approach 2:
The output network is segmented into multiple functional sections: the inshin network with series inductors and shunt capacitors, followed by additional matching networks. This segmentation allows each section to independently optimize for specific functions such as impedance transformation, coupling reduction, and signal matching, thereby reducing overall signal loss
2Reliability
If precise design and tuning is performed to reduce parameter spread, then amplifier performance consistency is improved, but production time and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs parameter changes by carefully selecting and optimizing the values of inductors and capacitors in the inshin network to compensate for substrate parasitics and achieve desired impedance transformation. This parameter optimization reduces sensitivity to manufacturing variations, improving performance consistency without requiring extensive post-production tuning
Solution Approach 2:
The inshin network is designed with preliminary compensation for known substrate parasitic effects and impedance transformations. By pre-correcting for these effects in the design stage through calculated component values, the amplifier achieves better performance consistency without requiring time-consuming production-line tuning
3Object-affected harmful factors
If bond wires are used instead of integrated inductors, then electromagnetic coupling is reduced, but device complexity and production steps increase
Solution Approach 1:
Bond wires are used as intermediary elements to connect different circuit nodes while minimizing electromagnetic coupling. The wires are strategically routed and positioned to act as controlled impedance elements rather than unwanted parasitics, reducing harmful coupling between adjacent circuit elements on the substrate
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The modified design achieves higher reliability, efficiency, and linearity, with reduced power losses and electromagnetic interference, enabling operation across a broader frequency range with improved power dissipation and reduced production costs.
Implementation Method 1
reduced power losses and electromagnetic interference
Implementation Method 2
using bond wires as inductances
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to an integrated Doherty amplifier with an input network connecting the input to the main stage and to the peak stage, and with an output network connecting the main stage and the peak stage to the output. The output network has a shunt capacitor to signal-ground in parallel to a parasitic capacitance of the main stage, and has a shunt inductor between the main stage and signal ground. The shunt configuration enables to use the MMIC Doherty amplifier in a wide frequency range. At least some of the inductors of the input network and/or output network are implemented using bond wires. Their orientations and locations provide minimal mutual electromagnetic coupling between the wires and the return RF current paths.