Boosting varactor capacitance ratio
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorsMark A. Ferriss, Daniel J. Friedman, Bodhisatwa Sadhu, Alberto Valdes-Garcia
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Abstract
A voltage controlled oscillator comprises a negative resistance, a first inductor, a fixed capacitor, and a frequency control component. The frequency control component comprises at least one varactor and at least a second inductor connected in series with the at least one varactor. A magnitude of an inductance of the second inductor is selected such that the frequency control component has an effective capacitance range larger than a capacitance range of the at least one varactor.
Claims19
An apparatus comprising:
- a frequency control component comprising:
- two or more varactors;
- a first inductor connected in series with a first one of the two or more varactors;
- at least a second inductor connected in series with a second one of the two or more varactors;
- and
- two or more negative resistance elements distributed within respective distances of the two or more varactors;
- wherein magnitudes of inductance of the first inductor and the second inductor are selected such that the frequency control component has an effective capacitance range larger than a capacitance range of the two or more varactors;
- wherein the magnitudes of inductance of the first inductor and the second inductor are selected based at least in part on quality factors of the first varactor and the second varactor, respectively;
- wherein the first varactor comprises a first switched capacitor having a first switch size;
- wherein the second varactor comprises a second switched capacitor having a second switch size, the second switch size being larger than the first switch size;
- and
- wherein the magnitude of inductance of the first inductor connected in series with the first varactor is greater than the magnitude of inductance of the second inductor connected in series with the second varactor.
A voltage controlled oscillator comprising:
- a negative resistance;
- a first inductor;
- a fixed capacitor;
- and
- a frequency control component;
- the frequency control component comprising:
- two or more varactors;
- a second inductor connected in series with a first one of the two or more varactors;
- at least a third inductor connected in series with a second one of the two or more varactors;
- and
- two or more negative resistance elements distributed within respective distances of the two or more varactors;
- wherein magnitudes of inductance of the second inductor and the third inductor are selected such that the frequency control component has an effective capacitance range larger than a capacitance range of the two or more varactors;
- and
- wherein the magnitudes of inductance of the second inductor and the third inductor are selected based at least in part on quality factors of the first varactor and the second varactor, respectively;
- wherein the first varactor comprises a first switched capacitor having a first switch size;
- wherein the second varactor comprises a second switched capacitor having a second switch size, the second switch size being larger than the first switch size;
- and
- wherein the magnitude of inductance of the second inductor connected in series with the first varactor is greater than the magnitude of inductance of the third inductor connected in series with the second varactor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.