An amplifier circuit configuration capable of processing non-contiguous intra-band carrier aggregate (CA) signals using amplifiers is disclosed herein. In some cases, each of a plurality of amplifiers is an amplifier configured as a cascode (i.e., a two-stage amplifier having two transistors, the first configured as a common source input transistor, e.g., input field effect transistor (FET), and the second configured in a common gate configuration as a cascode output transistor, (e.g. cascode output FET). In other embodiments, the amplifier may have additional transistors (i.e., more than two stages and/or stacked transistors). The amplifier circuit configuration can be operated in either single mode or split mode. A switchable coupling is placed between the drain of the input FETs of each amplifier within the amplifier circuit configuration. During split mode, the coupling is added to the circuit to allow some of the signal present at the drain of each input FET to be coupled to the drain of the other input FET.

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.

In accordance with an embodiment, a circuit includes: a replica input transistor, a first replica cascode transistor, an active current source, and an active cascode biasing circuit. The active current source is configured to set a current flowing through the first replica cascode transistor and the replica input transistor to a predetermined value by adjusting a voltage of a control node of the replica input transistor; and an active cascode biasing circuit including a first output coupled to the control node of the first replica cascode transistor, and the active cascode biasing circuit configured to set a drain voltage of the replica input transistor to a predetermined voltage by adjusting a voltage of the control node of the first replica cascode transistor.

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 input stage and a common gate output stage can be turned on or off using the gate of the output stage. A first switch is provided that allows a connection to be either established or broken between the source terminal of the input stage of each cascode. Further switches used for switching degeneration inductors, gate/sources caps and gate to ground caps for each legs can be used to further improve the matching performance of the invention.

A radio frequency amplifier comprises a transistor, a transformer and a variable capacitor. The transistor has an input terminal, an output terminal and a control terminal. The transformer has a first coil conductor and a second coil conductor. The first coil conductor magnetically couples to the second coil conductor. The second coil conductor connects to the control terminal. The first coil conductor connects to the input terminal. The variable capacitor connects in parallel with the second coil conductor. The radio frequency amplifier is configured to be an input or output stage of an integrated circuit. An integrated circuit using the radio frequency amplifier is also introduced.

In accordance with an embodiment, a circuit includes: a replica input transistor, a first replica cascode transistor, an active current source, and an active cascode biasing circuit. The active current source is configured to set a current flowing through the first replica cascode transistor and the replica input transistor to a predetermined value by adjusting a voltage of a control node of the replica input transistor; and an active cascode biasing circuit including a first output coupled to the control node of the first replica cascode transistor, and the active cascode biasing circuit configured to set a drain voltage of the replica input transistor to a predetermined voltage by adjusting a voltage of the control node of the first replica cascode transistor.

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.

A radio frequency low noise amplifier circuit with a receive signal input, a receive signal output, and a voltage source include a low noise amplifier and a coupled inductor circuit with a primary inductive chain connected to the output of the low noise amplifier and to the voltage source. The coupled inductor circuit further includes a secondary inductive chain with a first inductor electromagnetically coupled to the primary inductive chain, and a second inductor in series with the first inductor and magnetically coupled to the primary inductive chain. The second inductor is connected to a feedback node of the low noise amplifier. There is an output matching network connected to the first inductor of the secondary inductive chain and to the receive signal output.

A low-noise amplifier device includes an inductive input element, an amplifier circuit, an inductive output element and an inductive degeneration element. The amplifier device is formed in and on a semiconductor substrate. The semiconductor substrate supports metallization levels of a back end of line structure. The metal lines of the inductive input element, inductive output element and inductive degeneration element are formed within one or more of the metallization levels. The inductive input element has a spiral shape and the an amplifier circuit, an inductive output element and an inductive degeneration element are located within the spiral shape.

According to one embodiment, a semiconductor circuit includes: an amplifier including an input terminal; an output circuit including a first node connected to the amplifier, and first and second output terminals, the output circuit performing a first output mode using one of the first and second output terminals or a second output mode using the first and second output terminals; and a bypass circuit between the input terminal and the first node. The output circuit includes a first switch between a second node and the first output terminal, a second switch between a third node and the second output terminal, a third switch between the second and third nodes, a first passive circuit connected to the second node, a second passive circuit connected to the third node, and a third passive circuit between the second and third nodes.