An amplifier circuit includes an amplifier and an output transistor. The amplifier is coupled to an output node of the output transistor for providing an output voltage to a load device. The amplifier circuit also includes a slew-rate control circuit coupled to a gate node of the output transistor and configured to control voltage rise of the gate node of the output transistor during power-up to reduce output voltage overshoot.

An electronic device includes: an antenna, a PAM including a PA configured to amplify a transmitting signal and a protection circuit, a PMIC configured to supply voltage to the PA, and at least one processor is configured to: provide a first signal, to a NAND gate in the protection circuit, provide to a AND gate in the protection circuit, a second signal indicating a result of a logical operation between the first signal and a bias enable signal for the PA, provide to the AND gate, a third signal indicating whether the transmitting signal is input to the PAM, provide to a switching circuit, a fourth signal indicating a result of logical operation between the second signal and the third signal, identify whether to apply a bias voltage to the PA based on the fourth signal, and transmit the transmitting signal, to the external electronic device, via the antenna.

A power amplifier system is disclosed having an N number of transistors coupled together drain-to-source between a supply node and a fixed voltage node, wherein a first one of the N number of transistors coupled nearest to the fixed voltage node is configured to operate as an amplifying device in an ON-mode, and remaining ones of the N number of transistors are configured to operate as cascode devices in the ON-mode and to operate as turned-off switches in an OFF-mode. A controller is configured to place the N number of transistors in the first mode when a radio frequency (RF) signal is to be amplified by the first one of the N number of transistors and to place the N number of transistors in the second mode when the RF signal is not to be amplified by the first one of the N number of transistors.

In accordance with an embodiment, a method for operating a millimeter-wave power amplifier including an input transistor having an output node coupled to a load path of a cascode transistor includes: receiving a millimeter-wave transmit signal at a control node of the input transistor; amplifying the millimeter-wave transmit signal to form an output signal; providing the output signal to a load coupled to an output node of the cascode transistor; and adjusting a first DC bias current of the input transistor to form a substantially constant second DC bias current of the cascode transistor.

Charging and discharging circuits for assisting charge pumps are disclosed. In certain embodiments, a radio frequency (RF) switch system includes an RF switch that receives an RF signal and is controlled by a switch control signal received at an input, a first charge pump configured to generate a first charge pump voltage, a level shifter powered by the first charge pump voltage and that generates the switch control signal based on a switch enable signal, and a charge pump assistance switch coupled to the input of the radio frequency switch and that activates to assist the first charge pump in response to a transition of the switch enable signal from a first state to a second state.

A power amplifier module includes first and second amplifiers, a first bias circuit, and an adjusting circuit. The first amplifier amplifies a first signal. The second amplifier amplifies a second signal based on an output signal from the first amplifier. The first bias circuit supplies a bias current to the first amplifier via a current path on the basis of a bias drive signal. The adjusting circuit includes an adjusting transistor having first, second, and third terminals. A first voltage based on a power supply voltage is supplied to the first terminal. A second voltage based on the bias drive signal is supplied to the second terminal. The third terminal is connected to the current path. The adjusting circuit adjusts the bias current on the basis of the power supply voltage supplied to the first amplifier.

A semiconductor device includes input and output terminals, first and second power supply terminals, first and second transistors, and a first resistance element. In the first transistor, gate and source terminals are respectively connected to the input terminal and the first power supply terminal, a drain terminal is connected to the second power supply terminal in direct current and to the output terminal, and the gate and drain terminals are connected via the first resistance element. In the second transistor, a source terminal is connected to the first power supply terminal, and gate and drain terminals are short-circuited at a node connected to the gate terminal of the first transistor in direct current. In a lower frequency region, an impedance of the first resistance element is lower than impedances of parasitic capacitances in the first transistor between the gate and drain terminals and between the gate and source terminals.

Disclosed in the present invention are a radio frequency power amplifier, a radio frequency front-end module, and a communication terminal. The power amplifier includes a control unit, a power amplification unit, a detection and comparison unit, and a gain adjustment unit. According to a function relationship between the gain of the power amplification unit and the output power of the power amplification unit in different frequency bands and different power level modes, the control unit adjusts a function relationship between an adjustment current generated by the gain adjustment unit and a bias current of the power amplification unit; then the detection and comparison unit compares the bias current, of the power amplification unit with a reference current; according to the comparison result, the control unit controls whether the gain adjustment unit needs to generate an adjustment current and output the same to the power amplification unit.

A power amplifier arrangement (200) for amplifying an input signal to produce an output signal comprises a plurality N of amplifier sections (212, 213), a first input transmission line (221) comprising multiple segments and a first output transmission line (231) comprising multiple segments. Each amplifier section comprises one or more first transistors (T1) distributed along the first input transmission line (221) and the first output transmission line (231). Each amplifier section is configured to amplify a portion of the input signal to produce a portion of the output signal. A portion of the input signal is one of N portions of the input signal partitioned on any one or a combination of an amplitude basis and a time basis. The output signal is produced at an end of the first output transmission line (231) by building up N potions of the output signal from each amplifier section.

A power amplifier circuit includes first and second bias circuits to each apply a bias to first and second amplifiers in first and second modes, respectively. The first bias circuit includes: a first transistor having a collector connected to a power supply electric potential, an emitter connected to the first amplifier, and a base connected to a current source; and a second transistor and a third transistor being diode-connected and connected between the base of the first transistor and a reference electric potential. The second bias circuit includes: a fourth transistor having a collector connected to a power supply electric potential, an emitter connected to the second amplifier, and a base connected to a current source; and a fifth transistor having a base connected to the emitter of the fourth transistor, a collector connected to the base of the fourth transistor, and an emitter connected to a reference electric potential.