Tunable inductors
AssigneeNXP USA, Inc.
InventorsKun-Hin To, David Gareth Morgan, Jay Paul John, James Albert Kirchgessner
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Abstract
A technique for tuning a ladder-shaped inductor that achieves a finer tuning resolution by severing one or more shorts, skipping the severing of one or more shorts, and severing one or more subsequent shorts within the ladder-shaped inductor. This technique can be applied to a voltage-controlled oscillator using a differential or single-ended ladder-shaped inductor as part of the resonant circuit. Within an oscillator, such a technique provides for a more precise modulation of the effective inductance of the ladder-shaped inductor, which enables an improved tuning resolution of the operating frequency of the oscillator.
Claims20
A method for tuning an oscillator that comprises a ladder-shaped inductor, wherein the ladder-shaped inductor comprises a pair of conductive strips and a plurality of conductive severable shorts disposed between adjacent sections of the pair of conductive strips, the method comprising:
- severing a first set of one or more of the conductive severable shorts;
- not severing a second set of one or more of the conductive severable shorts that lie physically adjacent to the first set of one or more of the conductive severable shorts;
- and
- severing a third set of one or more of the conductive severable shorts that lie physically adjacent to the second set of one or more of the conductive severable shorts.
A method for adjusting an effective inductance of a ladder-shaped inductor, wherein the ladder-shaped inductor comprises a pair of conductive strips and a plurality of conductive severable shorts disposed between adjacent sections of the pair of conductive strips, the method comprising:
- severing a first set of one or more of the conductive severable shorts;
- not severing a second set of one or more of the conductive severable shorts that lie physically adjacent to the first set of one or more of the conductive severable shorts;
- and
- severing a third set of one or more of the conductive severable shorts that lie physically adjacent to the second set of one or more of the conductive severable shorts.
An oscillator comprising a tunable inductor, wherein the tunable inductor comprises a plurality of conductive shorts coupled to and arranged in parallel between adjacent portions of a pair of conductive strips in which:
- a first set of one or more of the conductive shorts are severed;
- a second set of one or more of the conductive shorts are not severed;
- and
- a third set of one or more of the conductive shorts are severed, wherein the second set is positioned between the first set and the third set.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.