# US 2018/0323765 A1 · Compact scalable on-chip inductor-capacitor (lc) resonator using conformally distributed capacitors > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2018/0323765 A1 - Document ID: US20180323765A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/585,810 - Filed: 2017-05-03 - Published: 2018-11-08 - Earliest claimed: 2017-05-03 - Assignees: QUALCOMM Incorporated - Applicants: QUALCOMM Incorporated - Inventors: Miena Armanious; Lan Nan; Mina Iskander - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20180323765A1 ## CPC - H03H 7/0115: {comprising only inductors and capacitors (H03H7/075, H03H7/09, H03H7/12, H03H7/13 take precedence)} - H01P 7/08: Strip line resonators - H03H 1/00: Constructional details of impedance networks whose electrical mode of operation is not specified or applicable to more than one type of network (constructional details of electromechanical transducers H03H9/00) - H03H 3/00: Apparatus or processes specially adapted for the manufacture of impedance networks, resonating circuits, resonators - H01F 2017/0026: {Multilayer LC-filter} - H01P 1/2007: {Filtering devices for biasing networks or DC returns} - H01P 1/20381: {Special shape resonators} - H03H 7/1741: {Comprising typical LC combinations, irrespective of presence and location of additional resistors (when resistors are present, also classify in H03H7/06 - H03H7/07)} - H03H 2001/0021: {Constructional details} - H03H 2001/0085: {Multilayer, e.g. LTCC, HTCC, green sheets} - H03H: IMPEDANCE NETWORKS, e.g. RESONANT CIRCUITS; RESONATORS (waveguides, resonators, lines or other devices of the waveguide type H01P) - H01P: WAVEGUIDES; RESONATORS, LINES, OR OTHER DEVICES OF THE WAVEGUIDE TYPE (operating at optical frequencies G02B) - H01F: MAGNETS; INDUCTANCES; TRANSFORMERS; SELECTION OF MATERIALS FOR THEIR MAGNETIC PROPERTIES ## Abstract Aspects of the disclosure are directed to an inductor-capacitor (LC) resonator. In accordance with one aspect, the LC resonator architecture includes a lower metal plate, the lower metal plate is of an open configuration; an upper metal plate, the upper metal plate is stacked vertically above the lower metal plate and is vertically aligned to the lower metal plate; a first ultra thick metal (UTM) plate, the first UTM plate is stacked vertically above the upper metal plate and is vertically aligned to both the upper metal plate and the lower metal plate; and an electrical coupling to couple the first UTM plate to the upper metal plate, wherein a current on the first UTM plate flows through to the upper metal plate through the electrical coupling, the current flows in a direction on the first UTM plate and in the same direction on the upper metal plate. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An inductor-capacitor (LC) resonator architecture, comprising: a lower metal plate, wherein the lower metal plate is of an open configuration; an upper metal plate, wherein the upper metal plate is stacked vertically above the lower metal plate and is vertically aligned to the lower metal plate; a first ultra thick metal (UTM) plate, wherein the first UTM plate is stacked vertically above the upper metal plate and is vertically aligned to both the upper metal plate and the lower metal plate; and an electrical coupling to couple the first UTM plate to the upper metal plate, wherein a current on the first UTM plate flows through to the upper metal plate through the electrical coupling, the current flows in a direction on the first UTM plate and in the same direction on the upper metal plate. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The inductor-capacitor (LC) resonator architecture of claim 1, further comprising a second ultra thick metal (UTM) plate, the second UTM plate electrically coupled to the upper metal plate. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The inductor-capacitor (LC) resonator architecture of claim 2, further comprising a circuit input terminal, wherein the circuit input terminal is electrically coupled to the first UTM plate. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The inductor-capacitor (LC) resonator architecture of claim 3, further comprising a circuit output terminal, wherein the circuit output terminal is electrically coupled to one or more of the following: the second UTM plate or the upper metal plate. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The inductor-capacitor (LC) resonator architecture of claim 1, wherein the lower metal plate has a first planar shape and the open configuration is a first center hole on the first planar shape. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The inductor-capacitor (LC) resonator architecture of claim 5, wherein the upper metal plate has a second planar shape and the second planar shape has a second center hole. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The inductor-capacitor (LC) resonator architecture of claim 6, wherein the first UTM plate has a third planar shape and the third planar shape has a third center hole. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The inductor-capacitor (LC) resonator architecture of claim 7, wherein the first center hole, the second center hole and the third center hole are of the same shape and are each vertically aligned to one another along an axis. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The inductor-capacitor (LC) resonator architecture of claim 1, wherein the electrical coupling is a via. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The inductor-capacitor (LC) resonator architecture of claim 1, wherein the first UTM plate and the upper metal plate are constituents of an inductor. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The inductor-capacitor (LC) resonator architecture of claim 10, wherein the lower metal plate and the upper metal plate are constituents of a capacitor. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The inductor-capacitor (LC) resonator architecture of claim 11, wherein the inductor and the capacitor are electrically coupled in series. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The inductor-capacitor (LC) resonator architecture of claim 11, wherein the inductor and the capacitor are electrically coupled in parallel. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The inductor-capacitor (LC) resonator architecture of claim 11, wherein the capacitor is either a metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) capacitor or a metal insulator metal (MIM) capacitor. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The inductor-capacitor (LC) resonator architecture of claim 1, wherein the first ultra thick metal (UTM) plate includes a plurality of metal plates, the plurality of metal plates being constituents for at least two or more inductors. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The inductor-capacitor (LC) resonator architecture of claim 15, wherein the at least two or more inductors are electrically coupled in parallel. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The inductor-capacitor (LC) resonator architecture of claim 15, wherein the at least two or more inductors are electrically coupled in series. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The inductor-capacitor (LC) resonator architecture of claim 1, wherein the lower metal plate includes a plurality of discrete metal plates, the plurality of discrete metal plates being constituents for at least two or more capacitors. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The inductor-capacitor (LC) resonator architecture of claim 18, wherein the at least two or more capacitors are electrically coupled in parallel. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The inductor-capacitor (LC) resonator architecture of claim 18, wherein the at least two or more capacitors are electrically coupled in series. ### Claim 21 A method for implementing a scalable on-chip inductor-capacitor (LC) resonator using one or more conformally distributed capacitors comprising: providing a lower metal plate, wherein the lower metal plate is of an open configuration; providing an upper metal plate, wherein the upper metal plate is stacked vertically above the lower metal plate and is vertically aligned to the lower metal plate; providing a first ultra thick metal (UTM) plate, wherein the first UTM plate is stacked vertically above the upper metal plate and is vertically aligned to both the upper metal plate and the lower metal plate; and placing an electrical coupling to couple the first UTM plate to the upper metal plate, wherein a current on the first UTM plate flows through to the upper metal plate through the electrical coupling, the current flows in a direction on the first UTM plate and in the same direction on the upper metal plate. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The method of claim 21, further comprising electrically coupling a second ultra thick metal (UTM) plate to the upper metal plate. ### Claim 23 (depends on 21) The method of claim 21, wherein the lower metal plate has a first planar shape and further comprising implementing a first center hole on the first planar shape. ### Claim 24 (depends on 23) The method of claim 23, wherein the upper metal plate has a second planar shape and further comprising implementing a second center hole on the second planar shape. ### Claim 25 (depends on 24) The method of claim 24, wherein the first UTM plate has a third planar shape and further comprising implementing a third center hole on the third planar shape. ### Claim 26 (depends on 25) The method of claim 25, further comprising vertically aligning the first center hole, the second center hole and the third center hole to each other along an axis. ### Claim 27 An apparatus for implementing a scalable on-chip inductor-capacitor (LC) resonator using one or more conformally distributed capacitors, the apparatus comprising: means for providing a lower metal plate, wherein the lower metal plate is of an open configuration; means for providing an upper metal plate, wherein the upper metal plate is stacked vertically above the lower metal plate and is vertically aligned to the lower metal plate; means for providing a first ultra thick metal (UTM) plate, wherein the first UTM plate is stacked vertically above the upper metal plate and is vertically aligned to both the upper metal plate and the lower metal plate; and means for placing an electrical coupling to couple the first UTM plate to the upper metal plate, wherein a current on the first UTM plate flows through to the upper metal plate through the electrical coupling, the current flows in a direction on the first UTM plate and in the same direction on the upper metal plate. ### Claim 28 (depends on 27) The apparatus of claim 27, further comprising means for electrically coupling a second ultra thick metal (UTM) plate to the upper metal plate. ### Claim 29 A computer-readable medium storing computer executable code, operable on a device comprising at least one processor and at least one memory coupled to the at least one processor, wherein the at least one processor is configured to implement a scalable on-chip inductor-capacitor (LC) resonator using one or more conformally distributed capacitors, the computer executable code comprising: instructions for causing a computer to provide a lower metal plate, wherein the lower metal plate is of an open configuration; instructions for causing the computer to provide an upper metal plate, wherein the upper metal plate is stacked vertically above the lower metal plate and is vertically aligned to the lower metal plate; instructions for causing the computer to provide a first ultra thick metal (UTM) plate, wherein the first UTM plate is stacked vertically above the upper metal plate and is vertically aligned to both the upper metal plate and the lower metal plate; and instructions for causing the computer to place an electrical coupling to couple the first UTM plate to the upper metal plate, wherein a current on the first UTM plate flows through to the upper metal plate through the electrical coupling, the current flows in a direction on the first UTM plate and in the same direction on the upper metal plate. ### Claim 30 (depends on 30) The computer-readable medium of claim 30, further comprising instructions for causing the computer to electrically couple a second ultra thick metal (UTM) plate to the upper metal plate.