A dc coupled amplifier includes a pre-driver, and amplifier and a bias control circuit. The pre-driver is configured to receive one or more input signals and amplify the one or more input signals to create one or more pre-amplified signals. The amplifier has cascode configured transistors configured to receive and amplify the one or more pre-amplified signals to create one or more amplified signals, the amplifier further having an output driver termination element. The bias control circuit is connected between the pre-driver and the amplifier, the bias control circuit receiving at least one bias current from the output driver termination element of the amplifier, wherein the pre-driver, the amplifier and the bias control circuit are all formed on a same die.

Systems, methods and apparatus for practical realization of an integrated circuit comprising a stack of transistors operating as an RF amplifier are described. As stack height is increased, capacitance values of gate capacitors used to provide a desired distribution of an RF voltage at the output of the amplifier across the stack may decrease to values approaching parasitic/stray capacitance values present in the integrated circuit which may render the practical realization of the integrated circuit difficult. Coupling of an RF gate voltage at the gate of one transistor of the stack to a gate of a different transistor of the stack can allow for an increase in the capacitance value of the gate capacitor of the different transistor for obtaining an RF voltage at the gate of the different transistor according to the desired distribution.

An RF amplifier comprises a first ‘transconductance’ transistor (N.sub.CS) arranged to receive an RF input voltage (RFIN) at its gate terminal. A second ‘cascode’ transistor (N.sub.CG) has its source terminal connected to the drain terminal of the first transistor (N.sub.CS) at a node (MID). A feedback circuit portion is configured to measure a node voltage at the node (MID), to determine an average of the node voltage, to compare said average node voltage to a predetermined reference voltage (V.sub.BCG), and to generate a control voltage (CGGATE) dependent on the difference between the average node voltage and the predetermined reference voltage (V.sub.BCG). The feedback circuit portion applies the control voltage (CGGATE) to the gate terminal of the second transistor (N.sub.CG).

An RF amplifier comprises a first ‘transconductance’ transistor (N.sub.CS) arranged to receive an RF input voltage (RFIN) at its gate terminal. A second ‘cascode’ transistor (N.sub.CG) has its source terminal connected to the drain terminal of the first transistor (N.sub.CS) at a node (MID). A feedback circuit portion is configured to measure a node voltage at the node (MID), to determine an average of the node voltage, to compare said average node voltage to a predetermined reference voltage (V.sub.BCG), and to generate a control voltage (CGGATE) dependent on the difference between the average node voltage and the predetermined reference voltage (V.sub.BCG). The feedback circuit portion applies the control voltage (CGGATE) to the gate terminal of the second transistor (N.sub.CG).

A monolithic integrated circuit (IC), and method of manufacturing same, that includes all RF front end or transceiver elements for a portable communication device, including a power amplifier (PA), a matching, coupling and filtering network, and an antenna switch to couple the conditioned PA signal to an antenna. An output signal sensor senses at least a voltage amplitude of the signal switched by the antenna switch, and signals a PA control circuit to limit PA output power in response to excessive values of sensed output. Stacks of multiple FETs in series to operate as a switching device may be used for implementation of the RF front end, and the method and apparatus of such stacks are claimed as subcombinations. An iClass PA architecture is described that dissipatively terminates unwanted harmonics of the PA output signal. A preferred embodiment of the RF transceiver IC includes two distinct PA circuits, two distinct receive signal amplifier circuits, and a four-way antenna switch to selectably couple a single antenna connection to any one of the four circuits.

A receiver front end capable of receiving and processing intraband non-contiguous carrier aggregate (CA) signals using multiple low noise amplifiers (LNAs). Cascode circuits, each having a “common source” configured input FET and a “common gate” configured output FET, serve as the LNAs. An amplifier-branch control switch, configured to withstand relatively high voltage differentials by means of a relatively thick gate oxide layer and coupled between a terminal of the output FET and a power supply, controls the ON and OFF state of each LNA while enabling use of a relatively thin gate oxide layer for the output FETs, thus improving LNA performance. Some embodiments may include a split cascode amplifier and/or a power amplifier.

Provided is an amplifier that includes a first transistor including a gate terminal to which an applied input signal is input, where a current depending on the applied input signal flows through the first transistor. A gate terminal of a second transistor is connected to a load section, and a current depending on a change in a voltage of the drain terminal of the first transistor flows through the second transistor. A source terminal of the first transistor and a drain terminal of the second transistor are connected in common to a first resistance, and the current from the first transistor and the current from the second transistor flow through the first resistance. A third transistor supplies a current approximately equal to the current of the second transistor. The current supplied by the third transistor is output from an output end.

An input signal is input to a main power amplifier and an auxiliary power amplifier. A combiner is connected to an output of the main power amplifier and an output of the auxiliary power amplifier. The combiner includes an impedance converter, first and second lumped elements. The impedance converter is connected to a combining point. The first lumped element is connected between the output of the main power amplifier and the combining point. The second lumped element is connected between the output of the auxiliary power amplifier and the combining point. A line length between the output of the main power amplifier and the combining point is the same as that between a line length between the output of the auxiliary power amplifier and the combining point.

Front end systems and related devices, integrated circuits, modules, and methods are disclosed. One such front end system includes a low noise amplifier in a receive path and a multi-mode power amplifier circuit in a transmit path. An overload protection circuit can adjust an impedance of a switch coupled to the low noise amplifier based on a signal level of the low noise amplifier. The multi-mode power amplifier circuit includes a stacked output stage including a transistor stack of two or more transistors. The multi-mode power amplifier circuit also includes a bias circuit configured to control a bias of at least one transistor of the transistor stack based on a mode of the multi-mode power amplifier circuit. Other embodiments of front end systems are disclosed, along with related devices, integrated circuits, modules, methods, and components thereof.

An apparatus comprising: a cascode arrangement comprising two or more transistors, the cascode arrangement coupled between a supply voltage terminal for receiving a supply voltage from a battery and a ground terminal, and a bias voltage generator configured to provide a bias voltage to at least one of the two or more transistors of the cascode arrangement to bias the cascode arrangement, the bias voltage generator further configured to increase the bias voltage with increasing supply voltage at a first rate over a first supply voltage range and increase the bias voltage with increasing supply voltage at a second rate, greater than the first rate, over a second supply voltage range, wherein the second supply voltage range comprises a range of voltages greater than the first supply voltage range.