Qualcomm Incorporated

Sequoia Communications Corporation

Quintic Holdings

Babak Nejati

Nathan M Pletcher

Aristotele Hadjichristos

Yu Zhao

Bonhoon Koo

Daeik Daniel Kim

Daniel Daeik Kim

Guy Klemens

Thomas Myers

Norman L Frederick, Jr

Husnu Ahmet Masaracioglu

John B Groe

Puay Hoe See

Manuel Aldrete

Calogero Davide Presti

Shu Zhang

Gurkanwal Singh Sahota

Bhushan Shanti Asuri

Chiewcharn Narathong

Young Kyu Song

Chin-Kwan Kim

Ryan David Lane

Xiaonan Zhang

Jose Cabanillas

Marco Cassia

Michael Naone Farias

Damian Costa

Ravi Sridhara

Yunseo Park

Sankaran Aniruddhan

Aristotle Hadjichristos

Jie Fu

Xiaoming Chen

Chenqian Gan

Naone Farias

Marc Facchini

Thomas Hardin

Norman L Frederick

Thomas A Myers

A vertical inductor structure includes a first laminate substrate forming a first portion of the vertical inductor structure and a second laminate substrate forming a second portion. Each laminate substrate includes a plurality of first traces embedded in a layer of the laminate substrate, a plurality of first vertical columns, and a plurality of second vertical columns. Each first vertical columns is coupled to a first end of a respective first trace, and each second vertical column is coupled to a second end of a respective first trace. The second laminate substrate is mounted on the first laminate substrate such that each first vertical column of the first laminate substrate is coupled to a respective first vertical column of the second laminate substrate, and each second vertical column of the first laminate substrate is coupled to a respective second vertical column of the second laminate substrate.

Embedded vertical inductor in laminate stacked substrates

A spiral inductor includes a spiral trace and a plurality of first projections extending along a first edge of the spiral trace. The spiral inductor may further include a plurality of second projections extending along a second edge of the spiral trace, the second edge being opposite the first edge.

RF damping structure in inductive device

Some features pertain to a substrate, and a first inductor integrated into the substrate. The first inductor includes a plurality of first inductor windings in a first metal layer and a second metal layer. A second inductor is integrated into the substrate. The second inductor includes a first spiral in a third metal layer. The first spiral is located at least partially inside the plurality of first inductor windings, wherein the second inductor is perpendicular to the first inductor.

Perpendicular inductors integrated in a substrate

A laminate substrate inductor reduces insertion loss and improves isolation while reducing the area for integrating the laminate substrate inductor. The laminate substrate includes a spiral trace. The laminate substrate also includes a first capture pad at a first end of the spiral trace. The first end is located at a corner of the spiral trace. The first capture pad is substantially within a bounding box of the spiral trace. At least a portion of the first capture pad and an outer edge of the spiral trace have a same distance from a ground.

Inductor with embraced corner capture pad

An RF/EMI shield has a substrate, a plurality of solder balls on a first side of the substrate, and a plurality of wire-bonds on a periphery of the first side of the substrate to form a shield which can be soldered in a surface mount process directly around components needing shielding. Each of the plurality of wire-bonds has a width selected as a fraction of the wavelength of interest.

Conformal shielding for solder ball array

A multi-layer spiral inductive array includes a first multi-layer spiral inductor with a second layer matching a spiral pattern of a first layer. The multi-layer spiral inductive array also includes a second multi-layer spiral inductor with a third layer matching a spiral pattern of a fourth layer. The second multi-layer spiral inductor is coupled in series with the first multi-layer spiral inductor.

Low DC resistance and high RF resistance power amplifier choke inductor

In exemplary aspects of the disclosure, magnetic coupling problems in a power amplifier/antenna circuit may be address by using a self-shielded RF inductor mounted over the PA output match inductor embedded in the substrate to offer full RF isolation of both PA output match inductors (self-shielded and embedded) or using a self-shielded RF inductor mounted over the PA output match inductor embedded in the substrate along with a component level conformal shield around the self-shielded inductor on the assembly structure.

Power amplifier with RF structure

A stepped-width, co-spiral inductor structure includes a first exterior layer having a first exterior width. The stepped-width, co-spiral inductor structure also includes a first interior layer coupled to the first exterior layer. The first interior layer includes a first interior width that is wider than the first exterior width of the first exterior layer. The stepped-width, co-spiral inductor structure further includes a second exterior layer coupled to the first interior layer. The second exterior layer includes a second exterior width that is narrower than the first interior width of the first interior layer.

Stepped-width co-spiral inductor structure

A tunable loadline is disclosed. In an exemplary embodiment, an apparatus includes an amplifier configured to output an amplified signal having a selected power level and a first impedance network coupled to receive the amplified signal at an input terminal and generate a first output signal having a first power level at a first output terminal. The first impedance network being configured to load the amplified signal to convert the selected power level to the first power level. The apparatus also includes a second impedance network configured to selectively receive the first output signal and generate a second output signal having a second power level at a second output terminal. The second impedance network being configured to combine with the first impedance network to load the amplified signal to convert the selected power level to the second power level.

Tunable loadline

Some novel features pertain to a first example provides a semiconductor device that includes a printed circuit board (PCB), asset of solder balls and a die. The PCB includes a first metal layer. The set of solder balls is coupled to the PCB. The die is coupled to the PCB through the set of solder balls. The die includes a second metal layer and a third metal layer. The first metal layer of the PCB, the set of solder balls, the second and third metal layers of the die are configured to operate as an inductor in the semiconductor device. In some implementations, the die further includes a passivation layer. The passivation layer is positioned between the second metal layer and the third metal layer. In some implementations, the second metal layer is positioned between the passivation layer and the set of solder balls.

High quality factor inductor implemented in wafer level packaging (WLP)

A tunable inter-stage matching circuit that can improve performance is described. In an exemplary design, an apparatus comprises a driver amplifier and a power amplifier. The apparatus may further include an inter-stage matching circuit tunable in discrete steps for matching impedances between the driver amplifier and the power amplifier. The tunable inter-stage matching circuit may include a bank of capacitors, each capacitor of the bank coupled in series with a switch for coupling the capacitor to a ground voltage.

Digital tunable inter-stage matching circuit

A multi-mode multi-band power amplifier (PA) module is described. In an exemplary design, the PA module includes multiple power amplifiers, multiple matching circuits, and a set of switches. Each power amplifier provides power amplification for its input signal when selected. Each matching circuit provides impedance matching and filtering for its power amplifier and provides a respective output signal. The switches configure the power amplifiers to support multiple modes, with each mode being for a particular radio technology. Each power amplifier supports at least two modes. The PA module may further include a driver amplifier and an additional matching circuit. The driver amplifier amplifies an input signal and provides an amplified signal to the power amplifiers. The additional matching circuit combines the outputs of other matching circuits and provides an output signal with higher output power. The driver amplifier and the power amplifiers can support multiple output power levels.

Multi-mode multi-band power amplifier module

A compact integrated power amplifier is described herein. In an exemplary design, an apparatus includes (i) an integrated circuit (IC) die having at least one transistor for a power amplifier and (ii) an IC package having a load inductor for the power amplifier. The IC die is mounted on the IC package with the transistor(s) located over the load inductor. In an exemplary design, the IC die includes a transistor manifold that is placed over the load inductor on the IC package. The transistor(s) are fabricated in the transistor manifold, have a drain connection in the center of the transistor manifold, and have source connections on two sides of the transistor manifold. The IC die and the IC package may include one or more additional power amplifiers. The transistor(s) for each power amplifier may be located over the load inductor for that power amplifier.

Integrated power amplifier with load inductor located under IC die

An impedance matching circuit with at least one tunable notch filter for a power amplifier is disclosed. The power amplifier amplifies an input radio frequency (RF) signal and provides an amplified RF signal. The impedance matching circuit performs output impedance matching for the power amplifier and includes at least one tunable notch filter. Each tunable notch filter has a notch that can be varied in frequency to provide better attenuation of an undesired signal. The at least one tunable notch filter attenuates at least one undesired signal in the amplified RF signal. The at least one tunable notch filter may include (i) a first tunable notch filter to attenuate a first undesired signal at a second harmonic of the amplified RF signal and/or (ii) a second tunable notch filter to attenuate a second undesired signal at a third harmonic of the amplified RF signal.

Impedance matching circuit with tunable notch filters for power amplifier

Exemplary embodiments are directed to a transmitter with a power amplifier and a switched output matching circuit implementing a plurality of output paths for a plurality of operating modes is described. The power amplifier receives an input RF signal and provides an amplified RF signal. An output matching network performs impedance transformation from low impedance at the power amplifier output to higher impedance at the matching network output. The plurality of output paths are coupled to the output matching network. Each output path provides a different target output impedance for the power amplifier and routes the amplified RF signal from the power amplifier to an antenna when that output path is selected. Each output path may include a matching network coupled in series with a switch. The matching network provides the target output impedance for the power amplifier when the output path is selected. The switch couples or decouples the output path to/from the power amplifier.

Growing community of inventors

San Diego, CA, United States of America

Babak Nejati