A receiver front end capable of receiving and processing intraband non-contiguous carrier aggregate (CA) signals using multiple low noise amplifiers (LNAs) is disclosed herein. A cascode having a common source configured input FET and a common gate configured output FET can be turned on or off using the gate of the output FET. A first switch is provided that allows a connection to be either established or broken between the source terminal of the input FET of each LNA. Further switches used for switching degeneration inductors, gate capacitors and gate to ground caps for each legs can be used to further improve the matching performance of the invention.

A biased-transistor-module comprising: a module-input-terminal; a module-output-terminal; a reference-terminal; a module-supply-terminal configured to receive a supply voltage; a module-reference-voltage-terminal configured to receive a module reference voltage; a main-transistor having a main-control-terminal, a main-first-conduction-channel-terminal and a main-second-conduction-channel-terminal, wherein the main-first-conduction-channel-terminal is connected to the module-output-terminal, and the main-second-conduction-channel-terminal is connected to the reference-terminal, and the main-control-terminal is connected to an input-signal-node, wherein the input-signal-node is connected to the module-input-terminal; and a bias-circuit. The bias-circuit comprises: a first-bias-transistor; a first-bias-resistor; a second-bias-transistor; and a second-bias-resistor.

Methods and devices used in mobile receiver front end to support multiple paths and multiple frequency bands are described. The presented devices and methods provide benefits of scalability, frequency band agility, as well as size reduction by using one low noise amplifier per simultaneous outputs. Based on the disclosed teachings, variable gain amplification of multiband signals is also presented.

An amplifying circuit includes a first reconfigurable amplifier configured to selectively operate in a cascode mode or a non-cascode mode, wherein an input of the first reconfigurable amplifier is coupled to a first input of the amplifying circuit, and an output of the first reconfigurable amplifier is coupled to an output of the amplifying circuit. The amplifying circuit also includes a second reconfigurable amplifier configured to selectively operate in the cascode mode or the non-cascode mode, wherein an input of the second reconfigurable amplifier is coupled to a second input of the amplifying circuit, and an output of the second reconfigurable amplifier is coupled to the output of the amplifying circuit.

An amplifier includes a semiconductor substrate. A first conductive feature partially covers the bottom substrate surface to define a conductor-less region of the bottom substrate surface. A first current conducting terminal of a transistor is electrically coupled to the first conductive feature. Second and third conductive features may be coupled to other regions of the bottom substrate surface. A first filter circuit includes an inductor formed over a portion of the top substrate surface that is directly opposite the conductor-less region. The first filter circuit may be electrically coupled between a second current conducting terminal of the transistor and the second conductive feature. A second filter circuit may be electrically coupled between a control terminal of the transistor and the third conductive feature. Conductive leads may be coupled to the second and third conductive features, or the second and third conductive features may be coupled to a printed circuit board.

A multiple-stage RF amplifier and a packaged amplifier device include driver and final-stage transistors, each having a control terminal, a first current-carrying terminal, and a second current-carrying terminal. The control terminal of the final-stage transistor is electrically coupled to the first current-carrying terminal of the driver transistor. The amplifier further includes an inter-stage circuit coupled between the first current carrying terminal of the driver transistor and a voltage reference node. The inter-stage circuit includes a first inductance, a first capacitor, and a second capacitor. The first inductance and the first capacitor are coupled in series between the first current carrying terminal and the voltage reference node, with an intermediate node between the first inductance and the first capacitor. The second capacitor has a first terminal electrically coupled to the intermediate node and a second terminal electrically coupled to the voltage reference node.

An amplification device includes an amplification stage having a transconductance amplification transistor and an output terminal. A biasing circuit is configured to bias in common mode the output terminal to a bias potential obtained on the basis of a voltage present between the gate and the source of the amplification transistor, and to compensate for parasitic variations of the voltage present between the gate and the source of the amplification transistor.

Certain aspects of the present disclosure generally relate to a multi-output amplifier implemented using a capacitive attenuator. For example, the multi-output amplifier generally includes a first capacitive attenuator coupled to an input node of the multi-output amplifier. In certain aspects, the multi-output amplifier also includes a first amplification stage having an input coupled to a tap node of the first capacitive attenuator and an output coupled to a first output node of the multi-output amplifier, and a second amplification stage having an output coupled to a second output node of the multi-output amplifier. For certain aspects, the multi-output amplifier includes a second capacitive attenuator coupled to the input node of the multi-output amplifier, and the second amplification stage may have an input coupled to a tap node of the second capacitive attenuator.

Bias circuits and methods for silicon-based amplifier architectures that are tolerant of supply and bias voltage variations, bias current variations, and transistor stack height, and compensate for poor output resistance characteristics. Embodiments include power amplifiers and low-noise amplifiers that utilize a cascode reference circuit to bias the final stages of a cascode amplifier under the control of a closed loop bias control circuit. The closed loop bias control circuit ensures that the current in the cascode reference circuit is approximately equal to a selected multiple of a known current value by adjusting the gate bias voltage to the final stage of the cascode amplifier. The final current through the cascode amplifier is a multiple of the current in the cascode reference circuit, based on a device scaling factor representing the relative sizes of the transistor devices in the cascode amplifier and in the cascode reference circuit.

Certain aspects of the present disclosure generally relate to a multi-output amplifier implemented using a capacitive attenuator. For example, the multi-output amplifier generally includes a first capacitive attenuator coupled to an input node of the multi-output amplifier. In certain aspects, the multi-output amplifier also includes a first amplification stage having an input coupled to a tap node of the first capacitive attenuator and an output coupled to a first output node of the multi-output amplifier, and a second amplification stage having an output coupled to a second output node of the multi-output amplifier. For certain aspects, the multi-output amplifier includes a second capacitive attenuator coupled to the input node of the multi-output amplifier, and the second amplification stage may have an input coupled to a tap node of the second capacitive attenuator.