We disclose apparatus which may provide power amplification in millimeter-wave devices with reduced size and reduced power consumption, and methods of using such apparatus. One such apparatus comprises an input transformer; a first differential pair of injection transistors comprising a first transistor and a second transistor; a first back gate voltage source configured to provide a first back gate voltage to the first transistor; a second back gate voltage source configured to provide a second back gate voltage to the second transistor; a second differential pair of oscillator core transistors comprising a third transistor and a fourth transistor, wherein the third transistor and the fourth transistor are cross-coupled; a third back gate voltage source configured to provide a third back gate voltage to the third transistor; a fourth back gate voltage source configured to provide a fourth back gate voltage to the fourth transistor; and an output transformer.

We disclose apparatus which may provide power amplification in millimeter-wave devices with reduced size and reduced power consumption, and methods of using such apparatus. One such apparatus comprises an input transformer; a first differential pair of injection transistors comprising a first transistor and a second transistor; a first back gate voltage source configured to provide a first back gate voltage to the first transistor; a second back gate voltage source configured to provide a second back gate voltage to the second transistor; a second differential pair of oscillator core transistors comprising a third transistor and a fourth transistor, wherein the third transistor and the fourth transistor are cross-coupled; a third back gate voltage source configured to provide a third back gate voltage to the third transistor; a fourth back gate voltage source configured to provide a fourth back gate voltage to the fourth transistor; and an output transformer.

An area efficient amplifier that amplifies a continuous-time continuous-amplitude signal and converts it to a discrete-time discrete-amplitude signal. The amplifier includes a first oscillator having an input and a plurality of N outputs and a second oscillator having an input and N outputs. The amplifier includes N phase detectors, each phase detector has a first input, a second input, a first output, and a second output, where each first input of each phase detector is coupled to respective one of the N outputs of the first oscillator, where each second input of each phase detector is coupled to respective one of the N outputs of the second oscillator. The amplifier includes N quantizers, each quantizer has a data input, a clock input, and an output, where each data input of each quantizer is coupled to respective one first output or one second output of the N phase detectors.

An area efficient amplifier that amplifies a continuous-time continuous-amplitude signal and converts it to a discrete-time discrete-amplitude signal. The amplifier includes a first oscillator having an input and a plurality of N outputs and a second oscillator having an input and N outputs. The amplifier includes N phase detectors, each phase detector has a first input, a second input, a first output, and a second output, where each first input of each phase detector is coupled to respective one of the N outputs of the first oscillator, where each second input of each phase detector is coupled to respective one of the N outputs of the second oscillator. The amplifier includes N quantizers, each quantizer has a data input, a clock input, and an output, where each data input of each quantizer is coupled to respective one first output or one second output of the N phase detectors.

Biasing circuitry for RF and microwave integrated circuits keeps the quiescent current of a power amplifier integrated circuit constant when operated with a time-varying DC supply voltage. A dynamic gate bias circuit includes an on-chip sense transistor and control circuitry to keep current of the sense transistor substantially constant by varying sense transistor bias voltage to compensate for variation in the time-varying supply voltage signal. The varying bias voltage is then applied to the amplifying transistors of the power amplifier, resulting in their quiescent current being substantially independent of the time-varying supply voltage.

Biasing circuitry for RF and microwave integrated circuits keeps the quiescent current of a power amplifier integrated circuit constant when operated with a time-varying DC supply voltage. A dynamic gate bias circuit includes an on-chip sense transistor and control circuitry to keep current of the sense transistor substantially constant by varying sense transistor bias voltage to compensate for variation in the time-varying supply voltage signal. The varying bias voltage is then applied to the amplifying transistors of the power amplifier, resulting in their quiescent current being substantially independent of the time-varying supply voltage.

A power amplifier circuit for broadband data communication over a path in a communication network can reduce or avoid gain compression, provide low distortion amplification performance, and can accommodate a wider input signal amplitude range. A dynamic variable bias current circuit can be coupled to a differential pair of transistors to provide a dynamic variable bias current thereto as a function of input signal amplitude. Bias current is increased when input signal amplitude exceeds a threshold voltage established by an offset or level-shifting circuit. The frequency response of the bias current circuit can track the full frequency content of the input signal, rather than its envelope. Gain degeneration can be modulated in concert with the bias current modulation to stabilize amplifier gain.

A power amplifier circuit for broadband data communication over a path in a communication network can reduce or avoid gain compression, provide low distortion amplification performance, and can accommodate a wider input signal amplitude range. A dynamic variable bias current circuit can be coupled to a differential pair of transistors to provide a dynamic variable bias current thereto as a function of input signal amplitude. Bias current is increased when input signal amplitude exceeds a threshold voltage established by an offset or level-shifting circuit. The frequency response of the bias current circuit can track the full frequency content of the input signal, rather than its envelope. Gain degeneration can be modulated in concert with the bias current modulation to stabilize amplifier gain.

This invention eliminates the need for capacitor coupling or transformer coupling, and the associated undesirable parasitic capacitance and inductance associated with these coupling techniques when designing high frequency (60 GHz) circuits. At this frequency, the distance between two adjacent stages needs to be minimized. A resonant circuit in series with the power or ground leads is used to isolate a biasing signal from a high frequency signal. The introduction of this resonant circuit allows a first stage to be directly coupled to a next stage using a metallic trace. The direct coupling technique passes both the high frequency signal and the biasing voltage to the next stage. The direct coupling approach overcomes the large die area usage when compared to either the AC coupling or transformer coupling approach since neither capacitors nor transformers are required to transfer the high frequency signals between stages.

The present invention relates to a novel and inventive compound device structure for a low noise current amplifier or trans-impedance amplifier. The trans-impedance amplifier includes an amplifier portion, which converts current input into voltage using a complimentary pair of novel n-type and p-type current field-effect transistors (NiFET and PiFET) and a bias generation portion using another complimentary pair of NiFET and PiFET. Trans-impedance of NiFET and PiFET and its gain may be configured and programmed by a ratio of width (W) over length (L) of source channel over the width (W) over length (L) of drain channel (W/L of source channel/W/L of drain channel).