Power amplifiers with injection-locked oscillator

Abstract

Power amplifiers with injection-locked oscillator are provided. In certain configurations, a packaged module includes a package substrate, a semiconductor die attached to the package substrate and having a power amplifier formed thereon, and an output matching network attached to the package substrate and operable to provide output impedance matching to an output of the power amplifier. The power amplifier includes two or more stages electrically coupled between the input and an output, and the two or more stages include an injection-locked oscillator stage that receives a radio frequency input signal and generates an injection-locked radio frequency signal.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A packaged module comprising:
 a package substrate;   a semiconductor die attached to the package substrate, the semiconductor die including a power amplifier having two or more stages electrically coupled between an input and an output, the two or more stages including an injection-locked oscillator stage configured to receive a radio frequency input signal and to generate an injection-locked radio frequency signal; and   an output matching network attached to the package substrate, the output matching network configured to provide output impedance matching to the output of the power amplifier.   
     
     
         2 . The packaged module of  claim 1  wherein the two or more stages further includes an output stage configured to amplify the injection-locked radio frequency signal to generate a radio frequency output signal at the output of the power amplifier. 
     
     
         3 . The packaged module of  claim 2  wherein the power amplifier further includes an interstage matching network, the output stage configured to receive the injection-locked radio frequency signal from the injection-locked oscillator stage via the interstage matching network. 
     
     
         4 . The packaged module of  claim 2  wherein the radio frequency input signal is single-ended, the injection-locked oscillator stage further including a balun configured to convert the radio frequency input signal to a differential signal, the balun further configured to provide input impedance matching. 
     
     
         5 . The packaged module of  claim 1  wherein the output matching network includes one or more surface mount devices mounted to the package substrate. 
     
     
         6 . The packaged module of  claim 1  wherein the output matching network includes an integrated passive device attached to the package substrate. 
     
     
         7 . The packaged module of  claim 1  wherein the semiconductor die further includes a switch and a low noise amplifier, the switch electrically connected to an output of the low noise amplifier and to the input of the power amplifier. 
     
     
         8 . The packaged module of  claim 1  wherein the injection-locked oscillator stage includes a negative transconductance circuit electrically connected to an inductor-capacitor tank, the negative transconductance circuit configured to provide energy to the inductor-capacitor tank to maintain oscillations. 
     
     
         9 . The packaged module of  claim 1  wherein the injection-locked oscillator stage further includes a signal injecting circuit configured to provide signal injection to the inductor-capacitor tank based on the radio frequency input signal. 
     
     
         10 . The packaged module of  claim 1  wherein the semiconductor die is a silicon-on-insulator die. 
     
     
         11 . A phone board assembly for a wireless device, the phone board assembly comprising:
 a phone board;   a packaged module attached to the phone board and including a semiconductor die therein, the semiconductor die including a power amplifier having two or more stages electrically coupled between an input and an output, the two or more stages including an injection-locked oscillator stage configured to receive a radio frequency input signal and to generate an injection-locked radio frequency signal; and   an output matching network attached to the phone board, the output matching network configured to provide output impedance matching to the output of the power amplifier.   
     
     
         12 . The phone board assembly of  claim 11  wherein the two or more stages further includes an output stage configured to amplify the injection-locked radio frequency signal to generate a radio frequency output signal at the output of the power amplifier. 
     
     
         13 . The phone board assembly of  claim 12  wherein the power amplifier further includes an interstage matching network, the output stage configured to receive the injection-locked radio frequency signal from the injection-locked oscillator stage via the interstage matching network. 
     
     
         14 . The phone board assembly of  claim 12  wherein the radio frequency input signal is single-ended, the injection-locked oscillator stage further including a balun configured to convert the radio frequency input signal to a differential signal, the balun further configured to provide input impedance matching. 
     
     
         15 . The phone board assembly of  claim 11  wherein the semiconductor die further includes a switch and a low noise amplifier, the switch electrically connected to an output of the low noise amplifier and to the input of the power amplifier. 
     
     
         16 . The phone board assembly of  claim 11  wherein the injection-locked oscillator stage includes a negative transconductance circuit electrically connected to an inductor-capacitor tank, the negative transconductance circuit configured to provide energy to the inductor-capacitor tank to maintain oscillations. 
     
     
         17 . The phone board assembly of  claim 11  wherein the injection-locked oscillator stage further includes a signal injecting circuit configured to provide signal injection to the inductor-capacitor tank based on the radio frequency input signal. 
     
     
         18 . The phone board assembly of  claim 11  wherein the semiconductor die is a silicon-on-insulator die. 
     
     
         19 . A method of radio frequency amplification, the method comprising:
 receiving a radio frequency signal at an input of a multi-stage power amplifier, the multi-stage power amplifier formed on a semiconductor die that is attached to a package substrate;   generating an injection-locked radio frequency signal from the radio frequency input signal using an injection-locked oscillator stage of the multi-stage power amplifier; and   providing output impedance matching to an output of the multi-stage amplifier using an output matching network that is attached to the package substrate.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19  further comprising amplifying the injection-locked radio frequency signal to generate a radio frequency output signal using an output stage of the multi-stage power amplifier, and providing the radio frequency output signal to the output of the multi-stage power amplifier.