# US 10,121,845 B2 · Inductor layout, and a voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,121,845 B2 - Document ID: US10121845B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/041,108 - Filed: 2016-02-11 - Published: 2016-07-14 - Granted: 2018-11-06 - Earliest claimed: 2012-04-03 - Assignees: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (publ) - Applicants: Telefonaktiebolaget L M Ericsson (publ) - Inventors: Thomas Mattsson; Pietro Andreani - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10121845B2 ## CPC - H10D 1/20: Inductors - H01F 17/0006: {Printed inductances (printed coils for dynamo-electric machines H02K3/26; printed circuits H05K)} - H01F 27/2804: {Printed windings} - H03B 5/02: Details - H03B 5/12: active element in amplifier being semiconductor device (H03B5/14 takes precedence) - H04B 1/40: Circuits - H01F 27/346: {Preventing or reducing leakage fields (using magnetic shields H01F27/36; using auxiliary windings H01F27/38)} - H01F 2017/0073: {with a special conductive pattern, e.g. flat spiral} - H03B 2201/0216: the means being an element with a variable inductance - H10D: INORGANIC ELECTRIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES - H01F: MAGNETS; INDUCTANCES; TRANSFORMERS; SELECTION OF MATERIALS FOR THEIR MAGNETIC PROPERTIES - H03B: GENERATION OF OSCILLATIONS, DIRECTLY OR BY FREQUENCY-CHANGING, BY CIRCUITS EMPLOYING ACTIVE ELEMENTS WHICH OPERATE IN A NON-SWITCHING MANNER; GENERATION OF NOISE BY SUCH CIRCUITS (generators adapted for electrophonic musical instruments G10H; masers or lasers H01S; generation of oscillations in plasma H05H) - H04B: TRANSMISSION ## Abstract An inductor layout comprising a first inductor and a second inductor. The first and second inductors are electrically and magnetically independent inductors concentrically arranged on an integrated circuit. At least one of the first and second inductors is a multi-loop inductor with a first axis of symmetry. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An inductor layout comprising: a first inductor; and a second inductor; wherein the first and second inductors are concentrically arranged on an integrated circuit; and wherein at least one of the first and second inductors comprises a first multi-loop inductor with a first axis of symmetry; wherein the first inductor and the second inductor show no or low electromagnetic interaction with each other; and wherein the first and second inductors have an electro-magnetic coupling coefficient k less than 0.1. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The inductor layout of claim 1, wherein the multi-loop inductor comprises an even number of inductor loops arranged in a plane of the multi-loop inductor such that magnetic fields emanating from the inductor loops substantially cancel each other. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The inductor layout of claim 2, wherein the other one of the at least one of the first and second inductors comprises a second multi-loop inductor having a second axis of symmetry, and wherein the first and second inductors are rotated relative to each other such that they have an electro-magnetic coupling coefficient k that is substantially minimized. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The inductor layout of claim 3, wherein: each of the first and second inductors comprises two inductor loops; each of the first and second inductors is substantially figure 8-shaped; and the first and second inductors are rotated relative to each other such that an angle between the first axis of symmetry of the first inductor and the second axis of symmetry of the second inductor is about 90 degrees. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The inductor layout of claim 3, wherein: each of the first and second inductors comprises four inductor loops; each of the first and second inductors is substantially four-leaf clover-shaped; and the first and second inductors are rotated relative to each other such that an angle between the first axis of symmetry of the first inductor and the second axis of symmetry of the second inductor is about 45 degrees. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The inductor layout of claim 1, further comprising at least a third inductor concentrically arranged with the first and second inductors on the integrated circuit. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The inductor layout of claim 6, wherein at least one of the first inductor, the second inductor, and the at least third inductor comprises a multi-turn inductor comprising at least one multi-turn inductor loop. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The inductor layout of claim 1, wherein only one of the inductors is configured to be activated at each point in time. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The inductor layout of claim 1, wherein the first and second inductors are not the same size. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The inductor layout of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first inductor and the second inductor comprises a multi-turn inductor comprising at least one multi-turn inductor loop. ### Claim 11 A Voltage-Controlled Oscillator (VCO) system for frequency generation in an integrated circuit, the VCO system comprising: an inductor layout comprising: a first inductor; and a second inductor; wherein the first and second inductors are concentrically arranged on an integrated circuit; and wherein at least one of the first and second inductors comprises a multi-loop inductor with a first axis of symmetry; wherein the first inductor and the second inductor show no or low electromagnetic interaction with each other; and wherein the first and second inductors have an electro-magnetic coupling coefficient k less than 0.1. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The VCO system of claim 11, wherein the multi-loop inductor comprises an even number of inductor loops arranged in a plane of the multi-loop inductor such that magnetic fields emanating from the inductor loops substantially cancel each other. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The VCO system of claim 11, further comprising at least a third inductor concentrically arranged with the first and second inductors on the integrated circuit. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The VCO system of claim 11, wherein: a first VCO comprises the first inductor; a second VCO comprises the second inductor; and a size of one of the first and second inductors is smaller than a size of the other one of the first and second inductors, whereby the oscillation frequency of the VCO comprising the smaller inductor is higher than the oscillation frequency of the VCO comprising the larger inductor. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The VCO system of claim 14, wherein the first and second VCOs comprise respective capacitor banks, and wherein the first and second VCOs are configured to share bias and control blocks. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The VCO system of claim 11, wherein at least one of the first inductor and the second inductor comprises a multi-turn inductor comprising at least one multi-turn inductor loop. ### Claim 17 An integrated RF transceiver circuit comprising: a Voltage-Controlled Oscillator (VCO) system for frequency generation in an integrated circuit, the VCO system comprising: an inductor layout comprising a first inductor; and a second inductor; wherein the first and second inductors are concentrically arranged on an integrated circuit; and wherein at least one of the first and second inductors comprises a multi-loop inductor with a first axis of symmetry; wherein the first inductor and the second inductor show no or low electromagnetic interaction with each other; and wherein the first and second inductors have an electro-magnetic coupling coefficient k less than 0.1. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The integrated RF transceiver circuit of claim 17, wherein at least one of the first inductor and the second inductor comprises a multi-turn inductor comprising at least one multi-turn inductor loop. ### Claim 19 An integrated circuit comprising a Voltage-Controlled Oscillator (VCO) system for frequency generation in an integrated circuit, the VCO system comprising: an inductor layout comprising a first inductor; and a second inductor; and control logic operatively coupled to the VCO system and configured to implement frequency tuning in the integrated circuit; wherein the first and second inductors are concentrically arranged on an integrated circuit; and wherein at least one of the first and second inductors comprises a multi-loop inductor with a first axis of symmetry; wherein the first inductor and the second inductor show no or low electromagnetic interaction with each other; and wherein the first and second inductors have an electro-magnetic coupling coefficient k less than 0.1. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The integrated circuit of claim 19, wherein at least one of the first inductor and the second inductor comprises a multi-turn inductor comprising at least one multi-turn inductor loop. ### Claim 21 A communication device in a wireless network, the communication device comprising: an integrated RF transceiver circuit comprising a Voltage-Controlled Oscillator (VCO) system for frequency generation in an integrated circuit, the VCO system comprising: an inductor layout comprising a first inductor; and a second inductor; wherein the first and second inductors are concentrically arranged on an integrated circuit; and wherein at least one of the first and second inductors comprises a multi-loop inductor with a first axis of symmetry; wherein the first inductor and the second inductor show no or low electromagnetic interaction with each other; and wherein the first and second inductors have an electro-magnetic coupling coefficient k less than 0.1. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The communication device of claim 21 wherein the communication device comprises at least one of a base station, a network node, and a relay station. ### Claim 23 (depends on 21) The communication device of claim 21 wherein the communication device comprises a user equipment. ### Claim 24 (depends on 21) The communication device of claim 21, wherein at least one of the first inductor and the second inductor comprises a multi-turn inductor comprising at least one multi-turn inductor loop. ### Claim 25 An inductor layout comprising: a first inductor; and a second inductor; wherein the first and second inductors are concentrically arranged on an integrated circuit; wherein at least one of the first and second inductors comprises a first multi-loop inductor with a first axis of symmetry; wherein the other one of the at least one of the first and second inductors comprises a second multi-loop inductor having a second axis of symmetry; and wherein the first and second inductors are rotated relative to each other such that they have an electro-magnetic coupling coefficient that is substantially minimized. ### Claim 26 (depends on 25) The inductor layout of claim 25, wherein at least one of the first inductor and the second inductor comprises a multi-turn inductor comprising at least one multi-turn inductor loop.