# US 9,520,220 B2 · Parameter-variable device, variable inductor and device having the variable inductor

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- Number: US 9,520,220 B2
- Document ID: US9520220B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 14/505,812
- Filed: 2014-10-03
- Published: 2015-12-03
- Granted: 2016-12-13
- Earliest claimed: 2014-06-03
- Assignees: Realtek Semiconductor Corp.
- Applicants: Realtek Semiconductor Corp.
- Inventors: Hsiao-Tsung Yen; Yuh-Sheng Jean; Ta-Hsun Yeh
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9520220B2

## CPC

- H01F 21/12: discontinuously variable, e.g. tapped
- H01F 27/32: Insulating of coils, windings, or parts thereof
- H01F 2021/125: {Printed variable inductor with taps, e.g. for VCO}
- H01F: MAGNETS; INDUCTANCES; TRANSFORMERS; SELECTION OF MATERIALS FOR THEIR MAGNETIC PROPERTIES

## Abstract

A device having a variable inductor includes an inductor having an inductance, a first conductor having a first grounding property, and a second conductor having a second grounding property. The device further includes a first single-mesh structure including a first grid. The first grid includes a first conducting wire electrically connected to the first conductor, and a second conducting wire electrically connected to the first conducting wire and the first conductor, wherein the first conducting wire, the second conducting wire and the first conductor are configured to form a first loop corresponding to the inductor for tuning the inductance. The first single-mesh structure further includes a second grid. The second grid includes a third conducting wire electrically connected to the first conducting wire and the second conductor, and a fourth conducting wire electrically connected to the third conducting wire and the second conductor, wherein the third conducting wire, the fourth conducting wire and the second conductor are configured to form a second loop corresponding to the inductor for tuning the inductance.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A device having a variable inductor, comprising:
an inductor having an inductance;
a first conductor having a first grounding property;
a second conductor having a second grounding property; and
a first single-mesh structure including:
a first grid including:
a first conducting wire electrically connected to the first conductor; and
a second conducting wire electrically connected to the first conducting wire and the first conductor, wherein the first conducting wire, the second conducting wire and the first conductor are configured to form a first loop corresponding to the inductor for tuning the inductance; and
a second grid including:
a third conducting wire electrically connected to the first conducting wire and the second conductor; and
a fourth conducting wire electrically connected to the third conducting wire and the second conductor, wherein the third conducting wire, the fourth conducting wire and the second conductor are configured to form a second loop corresponding to the inductor for tuning the inductance.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first grid further includes a control element electrically connected between the first conducting wire and the first conductor, and the control element is one selected from a group consisting of a transistor, a complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor field effect transistor, a variable capacitor, a diode, and any combination thereof.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the third conducting wire and the second conducting wire are the same conducting wire, and the first conductor and the second conductor are commonly grounded.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein:
the inductor includes:
at least one coil enclosing a closed area and defining an xy-plane, wherein the xy-plane is spaced and parallel with the closed area and has a center; and
a z-axis passing through the center and perpendicular to the xy-plane;
the first grid further includes:
an inclined plane defined by the first conducting wire and the second conducting wire; and
an inclined axis perpendicular to the inclined plane and deviating from a positive end of the z-axis toward the xy-plane so as to form an inclined axis angle θi between the inclined axis and the z-axis, wherein θi ranges from −90° to 90°.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein:
the inductor includes:
at least one coil enclosing a closed area and defining an xy-plane, wherein the xy-plane is spaced and parallel with the closed area and has a center;
an x-axis passing through the center and located on the xy-plane; and
a y-axis passing through the center, located on the xy-plane and perpendicular to the x-axis; and
the first grid further includes:
a first vertical straight conducting wire deviating from a positive end of the y-axis toward a negative end of the x-axis so as to form a first vertical angle θv1 between the first vertical straight conducting wire and the y-axis, and having a first grid point and a second grid point;
the first conducting wire is a first horizontal straight conducting wire deviating from a positive end of the x-axis toward the positive end of the y-axis so as to form a first horizontal angle θh1 between the first horizontal straight conducting wire and the x-axis, extending from the first grid point and electrically connected to the first conductor; and
the second conducting wire is a second horizontal straight conducting wire deviating from the positive end of the x-axis toward the positive end of the y-axis so as to form a second horizontal angle θh2 between the second horizontal straight conducting wire and the x-axis, extending from the second grid point and electrically connected to the first conductor; and
the second grid further includes:
the first vertical straight conducting wire, wherein,
the third conducting wire is a third horizontal straight conducting wire deviating from the negative end of the x-axis toward a negative end of the y-axis so as to form a third horizontal angle θh3 between the third horizontal straight conducting wire and the x-axis, extending from the first grid point and electrically connected to the second conductor; and
the fourth conducting wire is a fourth horizontal straight conducting wire deviating from the negative end of the x-axis toward the negative end of the y-axis so as to form the fourth horizontal angle θh4 between the fourth horizontal straight conducting wire and the x-axis, extending from the second grid point and electrically connected to the second conductor, wherein each of θv1, θh1, θh2, θh3, and θh4 ranges from −90° to 90°.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the first grid and the second grid are located on the xy-plane, and θv1, θh1, θh2, θh3, and θh4 are all 0°.

### Claim 7 (depends on 5)

The device as claimed in claim 5, wherein:
the first single-mesh structure further includes a second vertical straight conducting wire located on the xy-plane, spaced and parallel with the first vertical conducting wire, and intersecting the third horizontal straight conducting line and the fourth horizontal straight conducting wire at a third grid point and a fourth grid point respectively.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:
a second single-mesh structure having a structure identical to the first single-mesh structure and spaced and parallel therewith so that the inductor is located between the first single-mesh structure and the second single-mesh structure.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein:
the inductor has at least one coil enclosing an inductor interior area and defining an inductor exterior area;
the first conductor and the second conductor are located in the inductor exterior area; and
each of the first conducting wire, the second conducting wire, the third conducting wire, and the fourth conducting wire is a straight conducting wire extending from the inductor interior area to the inductor exterior area;
the inductor interior area includes non-overlapping cross section areas projected by the first grid and the second grid on the inductor interior area.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The device as claimed in claim 9, wherein:
the inductor includes a central axis symmetrically partitioning the inductor interior area into a left area and a right area;
the first single-mesh structure further includes a mesh conducting wire aligned with and parallel to the central axis; and
each of the first conducting wire and the second conducting wire extends, in a direction perpendicular to the mesh conducting wire, from the mesh conducting wire, through the right area, to the inductor exterior area; and
each of the third conducting wire and the fourth conducting wire extends, in a direction perpendicular to the mesh conducting wire, from the mesh conducting wire, through the left area, to the inductor exterior area.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:
a first metal layer acting as a redistribution layer; and
a second metal layer located below and adjacent to the first metal layer, wherein:
the first single-mesh structure is formed in the first metal layer; and
the inductor is formed in the second metal layer.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:
a metal layer including the inductor;
a ground layer located below the metal layer and including the first conductor and the second conductor; and
a first guard ring located between the metal layer and the ground layer and electrically connected to the ground layer, the first conducting wire and the second conducting wire.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The device as claimed in claim 12, wherein the metal layer further includes a second guard ring surrounding the inductor.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the device is a voltage-controlled oscillator, and further comprises:
a first metal layer;
a second metal layer located below the first metal layer; and
an inductor-capacitor tank including:
the inductor located in the first metal layer; and
a capacitor located in the second metal layer and electrically connected to the inductor, wherein the capacitor is selected from a group consisting of a fixed capacitor, a variable capacitor, and any combination thereof.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The device as claimed in claim 14, wherein the inductor-capacitor tank consists of the inductor and the fixed capacitor electrically connected to the inductor.