Patents by Inventor George Maxim

George Maxim has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11043921
    Abstract: A Doherty amplifier system is disclosed. A main amplifier is configured to receive a first portion of a radio frequency (RF) signal at a main input and provide an amplified copy of the first portion of the RF signal at a main output. A peaking amplifier is configured to be controllably activated to receive a second portion of the RF signal at a peak input and provide an amplified copy of the second portion of the RF signal at a peak output. A saturation detector has a detector input coupled to the main output of the main amplifier and a first detector control output, wherein the saturation detector is configured to detect saturation of the main amplifier and activate the peaking amplifier as saturation of the main amplifier is detected and deactivate the peaking amplifier when saturation of the main amplifier is not detected by the saturation detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2021
    Assignee: Qorvo US, Inc.
    Inventors: Baker Scott, George Maxim, Dirk Robert Walter Leipold
  • Patent number: 11043439
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a thermally enhanced package, which includes a carrier, a thinned die over the carrier, a mold compound, and a heat extractor. The thinned die includes a device layer over the carrier and a dielectric layer over the device layer. The mold compound resides over the carrier, surrounds the thinned die, and extends beyond a top surface of the thinned die to define an opening within the mold compound and over the thinned die. The top surface of the thinned die is at a bottom of the opening. At least a portion of the heat extractor is inserted into the opening and in thermal contact with the thinned die. Herein the heat extractor is formed of a metal or an alloy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2021
    Assignee: Qorvo US, Inc.
    Inventors: Julio C. Costa, George Maxim
  • Patent number: 11038472
    Abstract: A power amplifier system having a power amplifier with a signal input and a signal output and bias circuitry is disclosed. The bias circuitry includes a bandgap reference circuit coupled between a reference node and a fixed voltage node. A bias generator has a bias input coupled to the reference node and a bias output coupled to the signal input. Also included is a first digital-to-analog converter having a first converter output coupled to the reference node, a first voltage input, and a first digital input, wherein the first digital-to-analog converter is configured to adjust a reference voltage at the reference node in response to a first digital setting received at the first digital input. The first digital setting correlates with an indication of temperature of the power amplifier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2021
    Assignee: Qorvo US, Inc.
    Inventors: Baker Scott, George Maxim, Toshiaki Moriuchi, Dirk Robert Walter Leipold
  • Patent number: 11018702
    Abstract: A multi-radio access technology (RAT) circuit is provided. The multi-RAT circuit includes a radio frequency (RF) circuit(s) coupled to an interconnect medium(s). The RF circuit(s) includes a power head circuit configured to receive a local oscillation (LO) pilot and an RF signal via the interconnect medium(s). The power head circuit generates an LO signal based on the LO pilot without requiring a synthesizer. Accordingly, the power head circuit modulates the RF signal to a carrier band based on the LO signal for transmission in a millimeter wave (mmWave) spectrum. By generating the LO signal and modulating the RF signal to the carrier band in the power head circuit, it may be possible to minimize attenuation and/or interference to the RF signal. Further, it may also be possible to share the interconnect medium(s) with existing RATs, thus helping to reduce size, power, and cost impacts associated with supporting an mmWave RAT.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Assignee: Qorvo US, Inc.
    Inventors: George Maxim, Dirk Robert Walter Leipold, Alexander Wayne Hietala, Baker Scott
  • Patent number: 11011498
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a microelectronics package with vertically stacked flip-chip dies, and a process for making the same. The disclosed microelectronics package includes a module board, a first thinned flip-chip die with a through-die via, a second flip-chip die with a package contact at the bottom, and a mold compound. Herein, a top portion of the through-die via is exposed at top of the first thinned flip-chip die. The first thinned flip-chip die and the mold compound reside over the module substrate. The mold compound surrounds the first thinned flip-chip die and extends above the first thinned flip-chip die to define an opening. The second flip-chip die, which has a smaller plane size than the first thinned flip-chip die, resides within the opening and is stacked with the first thinned flip-chip die by coupling the package contact to the exposed top portion of the through-die via.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2021
    Assignee: Qorvo US, Inc.
    Inventors: Julio C. Costa, Robert Aigner, Gernot Fattinger, Dirk Robert Walter Leipold, George Maxim, Baker Scott, Merrill Albert Hatcher, Jr., Jon Chadwick
  • Patent number: 11005181
    Abstract: A multi-layer antenna assembly and related antenna array are provided. In one aspect, a multi-layer antenna assembly includes a first radiating layer(s) and a second radiating layer(s). The second radiating layer(s) is provided below and in parallel to the first radiating layer(s). The second radiating layer(s) overlaps at least partially with the first radiating layer(s). In this regard, an electromagnetic wave radiated vertically from the second radiating layer(s) is horizontally guided by an overlapping portion of the first radiating layer(s). In another aspect, an antenna array can be configured to include a number of multi-layer antenna assemblies to enable radio frequency (RF) beamforming. By employing the multi-layer antenna assemblies in the antenna array, it may be possible to flexibly and naturally steer an RF beam in a desired direction(s) without causing oversized side lobes, thus helping to improve power efficiency and performance of the antenna array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2021
    Assignee: Qorvo US, Inc.
    Inventors: Dirk Robert Walter Leipold, George Maxim, Nadim Khlat, Baker Scott
  • Patent number: 11004853
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a bulk complementary-metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) device including a device substrate, a thinned device die with a device region over the device substrate, a first mold compound, and a second mold compound. The device region includes a back-end-of-line (BEOL) portion and a front-end-of-line (FEOL) portion over the BEOL portion. The first mold compound resides over the device substrate, surrounds the thinned device die, and extends vertically beyond the thinned device die to define an opening over the thinned device die and within the first mold compound. The second mold compound fills the opening and directly connects the thinned device die. Herein, a silicon material with a resistivity between 5 Ohm-cm and 30000 Ohm-cm does not exist between the second mold compound and the thinned device die.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2021
    Assignee: Qorvo US, Inc.
    Inventors: Julio C. Costa, Michael Carroll, Dirk Robert Walter Leipold, George Maxim, Baker Scott
  • Patent number: 10998900
    Abstract: A radio frequency switch having an N number of switch cells coupled in series is disclosed. Each of the switch cells includes a field-effect transistor (FET), wherein a source of switch cell 1 is coupled to a first port, a drain of switch cell N is coupled to a second port, and a drain of switch cell X is coupled to a source of switch cell X+1 for switch cell 1 through switch cell N. A first diode stack has a first anode coupled to the body of switch cell X and a first cathode coupled to a drain of switch cell X+1 for switch cell 1 through switch cell N?1, and a second diode stack has a second anode coupled to the body of switch cell X and a second cathode coupled to the source of switch cell X?1 for switch cell 2 through switch cell N.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2021
    Assignee: Qorvo US, Inc.
    Inventors: Baker Scott, George Maxim, Hideya Oshima, Dirk Robert Walter Leipold
  • Patent number: 10985033
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a semiconductor package with reduced parasitic coupling effects, and a process for making the same. The disclosed semiconductor package includes a thinned flip-chip die and a first mold compound component with a dielectric constant no more than 7. The thinned flip-chip die includes a back-end-of-line (BEOL) layer with an upper surface that includes a first surface portion and a second surface portion surrounding the first surface portion, a device layer over the upper surface of the BEOL layer, and a buried oxide (BOX) layer over the device layer. The BEOL layer includes a first passive device and a second passive device, which are underlying the first surface portion and not underlying the second surface portion. Herein, the first mold compound component extends through the BOX layer and the device layer to the first surface portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2021
    Assignee: Qorvo US, Inc.
    Inventors: Julio C. Costa, George Maxim, Dirk Robert Walter Leipold, Baker Scott
  • Patent number: 10978999
    Abstract: Doherty radio frequency (RF) amplifier circuitry includes an input node, an output node, a main amplifier path, and a peaking amplifier path. The main amplifier path is coupled between the input node and the output node and includes a main amplifier. The peaking amplifier path is coupled in parallel with the main amplifier path between the input node and the output node, and includes a peaking amplifier and a peaking variable gain preamplifier between the input node and the peaking amplifier. The peaking variable gain preamplifier is configured to adjust a current provided to the peaking amplifier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2021
    Assignee: Qorvo US, Inc.
    Inventors: Baker Scott, George Maxim, Dirk Robert Walter Leipold
  • Patent number: 10965258
    Abstract: RF communications circuitry, which includes a first tunable RF filter and a first RF low noise amplifier (LNA) is disclosed. The first tunable RF filter includes a pair of weakly coupled resonators, and receives and filters a first upstream RF signal to provide a first filtered RF signal. The first RF LNA is coupled to the first tunable RF filter, and receives and amplifies an RF input signal to provide an RF output signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2021
    Assignee: Qorvo US, Inc.
    Inventors: George Maxim, Dirk Robert Walter Leipold, Baker Scott
  • Patent number: 10964672
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a microelectronics package with vertically stacked flip-chip dies, and a process for making the same. The disclosed microelectronics package includes a module board, a first thinned flip-chip die with a through-die via, a second flip-chip die with a package contact at the bottom, and a mold compound. Herein, a top portion of the through-die via is exposed at top of the first thinned flip-chip die. The first thinned flip-chip die and the mold compound reside over the module substrate. The mold compound surrounds the first thinned flip-chip die and extends above the first thinned flip-chip die to define an opening. The second flip-chip die, which has a smaller plane size than the first thinned flip-chip die, resides within the opening and is stacked with the first thinned flip-chip die by coupling the package contact to the exposed top portion of the through-die via.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2021
    Assignee: Qorvo US, Inc.
    Inventors: Julio C. Costa, Robert Aigner, Gernot Fattinger, Dirk Robert Walter Leipold, George Maxim, Baker Scott, Merrill Albert Hatcher, Jr., Jon Chadwick
  • Patent number: 10951183
    Abstract: Power amplifier (PA) output memory neutralization is disclosed, using baseband input/output (I/O) capacitance current compensation. Radio frequency (RF) PAs experience I/O memory effects when used with envelope tracking supply modulation schemes. Envelope tracking supply modulation results in a nonlinear variation of the I/O capacitance. Traditional approaches compensate for such effects with a current provided by a bias circuit which is band-limited. This results in memory effects which distort the amplified signal, becoming more significant as the modulation bandwidth increases. An RF communications system according to embodiments disclosed herein mitigates such memory effects by compensating for the non-linear effect of the I/O capacitance in an RF PA.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Assignee: Qorvo US, Inc.
    Inventors: George Maxim, Baker Scott, Dirk Robert Walter Leipold, Nadim Khlat
  • Patent number: 10943797
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a semiconductor package with reduced parasitic coupling effects, and a process for making the same. The disclosed semiconductor package includes a thinned flip-chip die and a first mold compound component with a dielectric constant no more than 7. The thinned flip-chip die includes a back-end-of-line (BEOL) layer with an upper surface that includes a first surface portion and a second surface portion surrounding the first surface portion, a device layer over the upper surface of the BEOL layer, and a buried oxide (BOX) layer over the device layer. The BEOL layer includes a first passive device and a second passive device, which are underlying the first surface portion and not underlying the second surface portion. Herein, the first mold compound component extends through the BOX layer and the device layer to the first surface portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2021
    Assignee: Qorvo US, Inc.
    Inventors: Julio C. Costa, George Maxim, Dirk Robert Walter Leipold, Baker Scott
  • Patent number: 10943905
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a bulk complementary-metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) device including a device substrate, a thinned device die with a device region over the device substrate, a first mold compound, and a second mold compound. The device region includes a back-end-of-line (BEOL) portion and a front-end-of-line (FEOL) portion over the BEOL portion. The first mold compound resides over the device substrate, surrounds the thinned device die, and extends vertically beyond the thinned device die to define an opening over the thinned device die and within the first mold compound. The second mold compound fills the opening and directly connects the thinned device die. Herein, a silicon material with a resistivity between 5 Ohm-cm and 30000 Ohm-cm does not exist between the second mold compound and the thinned device die.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2021
    Assignee: Qorvo US, Inc.
    Inventors: Julio C. Costa, Michael Carroll, Dirk Robert Walter Leipold, George Maxim, Baker Scott
  • Patent number: 10917145
    Abstract: A radio frequency (RF) transmitter includes transceiver circuitry coupled to front end circuitry via an interconnect signal path. The transceiver circuitry is configured to generate a number of frequency-shifted RF beamforming signals such that each one of the frequency-shifted RF beamforming signals has a different frequency, and multiplex the frequency-shifted RF beamforming signals to provide a multiplexed interconnect signal. The front-end circuitry is configured to receive the multiplexed interconnect signal from the transceiver circuitry via the interconnect signal path, demultiplex the multiplexed interconnect signal to isolate each of the frequency-shifted RF beamforming signals, shift a frequency of each one of the frequency-shifted RF beamforming signals to provide a number of RF beamforming signals, and transmit each of the RF beamforming signals from a different antenna.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2021
    Assignee: Qorvo US, Inc.
    Inventors: Dirk Robert Walter Leipold, George Maxim, Baker Scott
  • Patent number: 10903800
    Abstract: A power amplifier system having a power amplifier with a signal input and a signal output, bias circuitry coupled to the signal input, and a radio frequency (RF) peak detector having an input coupled to the signal output is disclosed. The RF peak detector is configured to generate a peak voltage signal. Temperature-compensated overvoltage protection circuitry coupled between an output of the RF peak detector and a control input of the bias circuitry is configured to respond to the peak voltage signal crossing over a predetermined peak voltage threshold and to provide an overvoltage protection control signal to cause the bias circuitry to adjust biasing for the power amplifier to reduce an overvoltage condition at the RF peak detector input.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2021
    Assignee: Qorvo US, Inc.
    Inventors: George Maxim, Stephen James Franck, Michael F. Zybura, Baker Scott
  • Patent number: 10896908
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a bulk complementary-metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) device including a device substrate, a thinned device die with a device region over the device substrate, a first mold compound, and a second mold compound. The device region includes a back-end-of-line (BEOL) portion and a front-end-of-line (FEOL) portion over the BEOL portion. The first mold compound resides over the device substrate, surrounds the thinned device die, and extends vertically beyond the thinned device die to define an opening over the thinned device die and within the first mold compound. The second mold compound fills the opening and directly connects the thinned device die. Herein, a silicon material with a resistivity between 5 Ohm-cm and 30000 Ohm-cm does not exist between the second mold compound and the thinned device die.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2021
    Assignee: Qorvo US, Inc.
    Inventors: Julio C. Costa, Michael Carroll, Dirk Robert Walter Leipold, George Maxim, Baker Scott
  • Patent number: 10897246
    Abstract: RF switching circuitry includes a plurality of FETs coupled between an input node, an output node, and a gate drive node. When a positive power supply voltage is provided at the gate drive node, the plurality of FETs turn on and provide a low impedance path between the input node and the output node. When a negative power supply voltage is provided at the gate drive node, the plurality of FETs turn off and provide a high impedance path between the input node and the output node. Switch acceleration circuitry in the RF switching circuitry includes a bypass FET and multi-level driver circuitry. The bypass FET selectively bypasses the common resistor in response to a multi-level drive signal. The multi-level driver circuitry uses a built-in gate to capacitance of the bypass FET to provide the multi-level drive signal at an overvoltage that is above the positive power supply voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2021
    Assignee: Qorvo US, Inc.
    Inventors: Baker Scott, George Maxim, Padmmasini Desikan, Dirk Robert Walter Leipold
  • Patent number: 10886148
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a semiconductor package with reduced parasitic coupling effects, and a process for making the same. The disclosed semiconductor package includes a thinned flip-chip die and a first mold compound component with a dielectric constant no more than 7. The thinned flip-chip die includes a back-end-of-line (BEOL) layer with an upper surface that includes a first surface portion and a second surface portion surrounding the first surface portion, a device layer over the upper surface of the BEOL layer, and a buried oxide (BOX) layer over the device layer. The BEOL layer includes a first passive device and a second passive device, which are underlying the first surface portion and not underlying the second surface portion. Herein, the first mold compound component extends through the BOX layer and the device layer to the first surface portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2021
    Assignee: Qorvo US, Inc.
    Inventors: Julio C. Costa, George Maxim, Dirk Robert Walter Leipold, Baker Scott