Variable capacitor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10129837-B2
Application number	US-201615379475-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 14, 2016
Priority date	Dec 14, 2015
Publication date	Nov 13, 2018
Grant date	Nov 13, 2018

Abstract

A variable capacitor is disclosed, having a variable capacitance between a first node and a second node. The variable capacitor comprises a switch having a first terminal and a second terminal, the impedance between the first terminal and the second terminal being controllable via a control node. The variable capacitor further includes a first capacitor coupled between the first terminal and the first node, and a second capacitor coupled between the second terminal and the second node.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A variable capacitor having a variable capacitance between a first node and a second node, the variable capacitor comprising:
a switch having a first terminal and a second terminal, an impedance between the first terminal and the second terminal being controllable via a first control node, the switch including two or more transistors;
a first capacitor coupled between the first terminal and the first node; and
a second capacitor coupled between the second terminal and the second node.

2. The variable capacitor of claim 1 wherein the switch includes a first transistor having a source coupled to the first terminal and a drain coupled to a source of a second transistor of the switch, the second transistor having a drain coupled to the second terminal.

3. The variable capacitor of claim 2 wherein the control node is coupled to a gate of the first transistor.

4. The variable capacitor of claim 3 wherein the control node is coupled to the gate via a first resistor.

5. The variable capacitor of claim 3 wherein the control node is coupled to the source and the drain of the first transistor via an inverter.

6. The variable capacitor of claim 5 wherein the control node is coupled to the source of the first transistor via a second resistor and is coupled to the drain of the first transistor via a third resistor.

7. The variable capacitor of claim 2 wherein the first transistor includes a field-effect transistor (FET).

8. The variable capacitor of claim 1 wherein a maximum capacitance of the variable capacitor is at least six times a minimum capacitance of the variable capacitor.

9. The variable capacitor of claim 1 wherein a first capacitance of the first capacitor is substantially equal to a second capacitance of the second capacitor.

10. The variable capacitor of claim 1 further comprising an offset capacitor coupled between the first node and the second node.

11. The variable capacitor of claim 1 further comprising:
a second switch having a third terminal and a fourth terminal, an impedance between the third terminal and the fourth terminal being controllable via a second control node;
a third capacitor coupled between the third terminal and the first node; and
a fourth capacitor coupled between the fourth terminal and the second node.

12. The variable capacitor of claim 11 wherein the variable capacitance is a substantially linear function of a control word applied to the first control node and second control node.

13. The variable capacitor of claim 1 wherein the switch has a first impedance in an on state in response to a high voltage at the control node and a second impedance in an off state in response to a low voltage at the control node, the first impedance being substantially resistive and the second impedance being substantially a parasitic capacitance.

14. The variable capacitor of claim 1 wherein the switch, first capacitor, and second capacitor are implemented on a single die.

15. A variable capacitor module comprising:
a packaging substrate configured to receive a plurality of components; and
a variable capacitor implemented on the packaging substrate, the variable capacitor having a variable capacitance between a first node and a second node, the variable capacitor including a switch having a first terminal and a second terminal, the switch including two or more transistors, an impedance between the first terminal and the second terminal being controllable via a first control node, the variable capacitor further including a first capacitor coupled between the first terminal and the first node and a second capacitor coupled between the second terminal and the second node.

16. The variable capacitor module of claim 15 wherein the variable capacitor module is a symmetric module with respect to the first node and the second node.

17. The variable capacitor module of claim 15 wherein the variable capacitance is a substantially linear function of a control word applied to the control node.

18. The variable capacitor module of claim 15 wherein the variable capacity further comprises a supply node configured to receive a supply voltage.

19. A wireless device comprising:
a transceiver configured to generate a radio-frequency (RF) signal;
a front-end module (FEM) in communication with the transceiver, the FEM including a packaging substrate configured to receive a plurality of components, the FEM further including a variable capacitor implemented on the packaging substrate, the variable capacitor having a variable capacitance between a first node and a second node, the variable capacitor including a switch having a first terminal and a second terminal, the switch including two or more transistors, an impedance between the first terminal and the second terminal being controllable via a first control node, the variable capacitor further including a first capacitor coupled between the first terminal and the first node and a second capacitor coupled between the second terminal and the second node; and
an antenna in communication with the FEM, the antenna configured to transmit an amplified version of the RF signal received from a transmitter system.

20. The wireless device of claim 19 further comprising a controller configured to control the switch.

Assignees

• Skyworks Solutions Inc

Inventors

• Cook Mackenzie Brian
• Rogers John William Mitchell

Classifications

• H04W52/52 Primary

  using AGC [Automatic Gain Control] circuits or amplifiers · CPC title

• H01G4/40

  Structural combinations of fixed capacitors with other electric elements, the structure mainly consisting of a capacitor, e.g. RC combinations · CPC title

• H01G5/38 Primary

  Multiple capacitors, e.g. ganged · CPC title

• H01L27/24

  Electricity · mapped topic