Patent Grant
7636654
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to amplifier technology, and more particularly to a differential amplifier which is thermally stable by adopting a ballast resistor to a differential structure of a unit transistor pair, such that the differential amplifier prevents heat effect phenomena, such as performance deterioration and device destruction by heating, and, at the same time, improves or maintains other performance traits, thereby achieving high gain, high efficiency, high linearity, and wide bandwidth characteristics, and a method for generating a computer simulation model of the differential amplifier.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, an amplifier is designed to obtain high output power and high efficiency. When high output power is an objective, a large amount of heat is inevitably generated inside an amplifier, such that the heat causes performance deterioration or destruction of unit transistors.
Especially, since bipolar transistors have a thermal characteristic of positive feedback, in a power amplifier designed by connecting a plurality of transistors, a large amount of heat is generated at the middle portion, in which transistors are more tightly packed, than at the edge. Also, since turn-on voltage at a relatively high temperature is lowered due to positive feedback and larger currents are generated in the middle of the power amplifier, a large amount of heat is generated therein.
As such a feedback is repeated, temperature of the transistors in the middle of the power amplifier is increased, and a large amount of current flows therethrough, such that the power amplifier suffers complete failure, finally resulting in complete destruction of the transistors.
In order to prevent such an outcome, each unit transistor forming an amplifier employs a ballast resistor to have negative feedback characteristics, such that thermal equilibrium can be maintained among unit cells, thereby protecting the transistors from destruction.
However, since such a ballast resistor 14, employed in each cell to form thermally negative feedback, forms electrically negative feedback as well as thermally negative feedback, gain and efficiency of the amplifier are decreased.
However, the prior art amplifier has disadvantages in that frequency bandwidth of the amplifier is decreased by such a capacitor, which is serially connected to the base to separate the RF signal path from the DC bias path, and also, its size is enlarged due to the capacitors.
Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a differential amplifier which is thermally stable by adopting a ballast resistor to a differential structure of a unit transistor pair, such that the differential amplifier prevents heat effect phenomena, such as performance deterioration and device destruction, and, at the same time, improves or maintains other performances, thereby achieving high gain, high efficiency, high linearity, and wide bandwidth characteristics, and a method for generating a computer simulation model of the differential amplifier.
In accordance with the present invention, the above and other objects can be accomplished by the provision of a differential amplifier comprising a plurality of unit cells which are connected to each other in parallel, wherein each unit cell includes a unit transistor pair, which is formed as a differential structure, and a ballast resistor which is connected to common emitter of the unit transistor pair.
Preferably, the device inputs differential inputs and outputs differential outputs.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for generating a computer simulation model of a differential amplifier comprising a plurality of unit cells which are connected to each other in parallel, wherein the unit cell includes a unit transistor pair, which is formed as a differential structure, and a ballast resistor which is connected to common emitter of the unit transistor pair. The method comprising the steps of: extracting DC characteristics and thermal characteristics based on a common mode pattern which is formed through interconnection of bases of the unit cells and interconnection of collectors of the unit cells; extracting electrical characteristics by a half amplifier pattern which is formed as one side differential transistors of unit cells and emitter ballast resistors are connected to each other in parallel; extracting emitter resistance and parasitic components by common emitter ballast resistor pattern which is formed as emitter ballast resistors of the unit cells are connected to each other in parallel; and modeling a differential amplifier as a single unit cell based on the extracted values which are obtained through the common mode pattern, the half amplifier pattern, and the common emitter ballast resistor pattern.
Preferably, the unit common emitter ballast resistance of the unit cell is extracted from the unit common emitter ballast resistor pattern, and the total common emitter ballast resistance is derived by dividing the unit common emitter ballast resistor by the number of unit cells.
The present invention, constructed as mentioned above, is thermally stable by adoption of a ballast resistor to a differential structure of a unit transistor pair, such that the differential amplifier prevents heat effect phenomena, such as performance deterioration and device destruction by heating, and, at the same time, improves or maintains other performances, thereby achieving high gain, high efficiency, high linearity, and wide bandwidth characteristics. Also, the present invention provides a computer simulation model enabling precise design of the differential amplifier.
The above and other objects, features and other advantages of the present invention will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
Referring to attached drawings, preferred embodiments of the present invention are described in detail. The embodiments of the present invention do not limit the scope of the present invention but are directed to explanation of the present invention.
As shown in
When the differential amplifier is operated in a differential mode, since the common emitter ballast resistors (R1˜Rn) 37 do not affect the RF signal, gain of the amplifier is not decreased. Rather, since the ballast resistors 37 assist in common mode rejection, linearity is improved by removing even harmonics.
Also, regarding heat effect by DC current, since each cell 38 includes the ballast resistors (R1˜Rn) 37 each of which is connected to the common emitter, thermal equilibrium is maintained among cells, thereby preventing performance deterioration and device destruction by heating.
As such, the differential amplifier according to the present invention has advantages in that gain and efficiency are maintained in thermal equilibrium, and linearity is improved. Also, since a capacitor or other electrical components are not required, the entire circuit size is relatively small, and frequency bandwidth can be extended.
Now, a method for generating a computer simulation model, which is capable of estimating precise result value, is described, in order to apply the value to design of the differential amplifier according to the present invention.
As shown in
However, such a model does not take into account parasitic components. Therefore, when the model is applied to real-world devices, other parasitic components are added thereto.
As shown in
For modeling, as shown in
After that, as shown in
Here, a method for extracting resistance of the emitter ballast resistor, as shown in
As such, through the common mode pattern, the half amplifier pattern, and common emitter ballast resistor patterns, transistor parameters, emitter resistance and parasitic components are extracted. After that, a differential amplifier is modeled on the basis of the extracted value, and then computer simulation is performed based on the model, thereby obtaining a precise value.
As apparent from the above description, the present invention provides a differential amplifier having advantages in that it is thermally stable through adoption of a ballast resistor to a differential structure of a unit transistor pair, such that the differential amplifier prevents heat effect phenomena, such as performance deterioration and device destruction by heating, and, at the same time, improves or maintains other performances, thereby achieving high gain, high efficiency, high linearity, and wide bandwidth characteristics, and a method for generating a computer simulation model of the differential amplifier.
Since the ballast resistors assist in common mode rejection, linearity is improved by removing even harmonics. Also, the differential amplifier can be easily designed as undesired effects from parasitic resistance of emitter or via or bonding wire, etc. are reduced in a differential mode.
Furthermore, overall size of the differential amplifier is relatively small, compared with prior art amplifiers. On the other hand, frequency bandwidth of the differential amplifier is extended.
Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been disclosed for illustrative purposes, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications, additions and substitutions are possible, without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as disclosed in the accompanying claims.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-2005-0028505 | Apr 2005 | KR | national |
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4504794 | Fenk | Mar 1985 | A |
| 4714896 | Addis | Dec 1987 | A |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20060226906 A1 | Oct 2006 | US |
