Patent ID: 7532067

Claim:
An amplifier device comprising: a radio frequency power amplifier; a voltage supply device that supplies an operating voltage for the radio frequency power amplifier; said voltage supply device comprising a voltage divider chain having an input side connected to ground and to a base potential; said voltage divider chain comprising a plurality of Zener diodes connected in series and at least one capacitor connected in parallel with the series-connected Zener diodes, adjacent series-connected Zener diodes having a node therebetween and, at each node, a voltage tap allowing an intermediate voltage to be tapped between the adjacent Zener diodes; said radio frequency power amplifier having a first supply input connected to said base potential; a switching device connected between said voltage divider chain and said radio frequency power amplifier, said switching device comprising a plurality of switching elements connected in parallel, said switching elements being connected at an output side with a second supply input of the radio frequency power amplifier, the switching elements being respectively connected at an input side to ground or one of said intermediate voltages; and a control device that individually controls said switching elements to open and close the respective switching elements to cause the second supply input to be selectively connected to any of ground or said intermediate voltages by respective switching devices.