Variable capacitance circuit, circuit device, and oscillator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11587925-B2
Application number	US-202217590840-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 2, 2022
Priority date	Feb 3, 2021
Publication date	Feb 21, 2023
Grant date	Feb 21, 2023

Abstract

A variable capacitance circuit includes a capacitor array having a first capacitor in which a plurality of MIM capacitors are coupled in parallel and a second capacitor in which a plurality of MIM capacitors are coupled in series, and a switch array having a first switch and a second switch. A shape pattern of at least one of a first electrode of the first capacitor, a first ground shield, a second electrode of the second capacitor, and a second ground shield is set so that a first capacitance difference per 1 LSB between first capacitance values of the first capacitor when the first switch is turned on and off and a second capacitance difference per 1 LSB between second capacitance values of the second capacitor when the second switch is turned on and off are close to each other.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A variable capacitance circuit whose capacitance value is variably controlled based on control data, the variable capacitance circuit comprising:
a capacitor array including a plurality of capacitors; and
a switch array having a plurality of switches that are turned on or off based on the control data and provided in series with the capacitor array between a first node and a ground node, wherein
the capacitor array includes a first capacitor in which a plurality of metal-insulator-metal (MIM) capacitors are coupled in parallel, and a second capacitor in which a plurality of MIM capacitors are coupled in series,
the switch array includes a first switch coupled in series with the first capacitor between the first node and the ground node and a second switch coupled in series with the second capacitor between the first node and the ground node, and
when a capacitance value between the first node and the ground node due to the first capacitor and a parasitic capacitance of the first capacitor is defined as a first capacitance value, and a capacitance value between the first node and the ground node due to the second capacitor and a parasitic capacitance of the second capacitor is defined as a second capacitance value,
in plan view, a shape pattern of at least one of a first electrode that is an electrode of the first capacitor, a first ground shield surrounding the first capacitor, a second electrode that is an electrode of the second capacitor, and a second ground shield surrounding the second capacitor is set
so that a first capacitance difference per 1 LSB of the control data between the first capacitance value when the first switch is turned on and the first capacitance value when the first switch is turned off and a second capacitance difference per 1 LSB of the control data between the second capacitance value when the second switch is turned on and the second capacitance value when the second switch is turned off are close to each other.

2. The variable capacitance circuit according to claim 1 , wherein
at least one of a first disposition relationship between the first electrode and the first ground shield and a second disposition relationship between the second electrode and the second ground shield is set

so that the first capacitance difference and the second capacitance difference are close to each other.

3. The variable capacitance circuit according to claim 1 , wherein
in the plan view, when a distance in a first direction between the first electrode and the first ground shield is defined as LA 1 and a distance in the first direction between the second electrode and the second ground shield is defined as LA 2 ,
LA 2 >LA 1 .

4. A variable capacitance circuit whose capacitance value is variably controlled based on control data, the variable capacitance circuit comprising:
a capacitor array including a plurality of capacitors; and
a switch array having a plurality of switches that are turned on or off based on the control data and provided in series with the capacitor array between a first node and a ground node, wherein
the capacitor array includes a first capacitor in which a plurality of MIM capacitors are coupled in parallel, and a second capacitor in which a plurality of MIM capacitors are coupled in series,
the switch array includes a first switch coupled in series with the first capacitor between the first node and the ground node and a second switch coupled in series with the second capacitor between the first node and the ground node, and
in plan view, when a distance in a first direction between a first electrode of the first capacitor and a first ground shield surrounding the first capacitor is defined as LA 1 and a distance in the first direction between a second electrode of the second capacitor and a second ground shield surrounding the second capacitor is defined as LA 2 ,
LA 2 >LA 1 .

5. The variable capacitance circuit according to claim 3 , wherein
when a direction orthogonal to the first direction is defined as a second direction, and in the plan view, when a distance in the second direction between the first electrode and the first ground shield is defined as LB 1 and a distance in the second direction between the second electrode and the second ground shield is defined as LB 2 ,
LB 2 >LB 1 .

6. The variable capacitance circuit according to claim 1 , wherein
the first electrode has a first portion having a convex shape in the plan view and a second portion having a convex shape in the plan view, and
the first ground shield has a third portion having a side surface facing a side surface of the first portion and having a concave shape in the plan view and a fourth portion having a side surface facing a side surface of the second portion and having a concave shape in the plan view.

7. The variable capacitance circuit according to claim 1 , wherein
the first electrode is an electrode coupled to one end of the first switch whose other end is coupled to the ground node.

8. The variable capacitance circuit according to claim 7 , wherein
the second electrode is an electrode coupled to one end of the first switch whose other end is coupled to the ground node.

9. The variable capacitance circuit according to claim 7 , wherein
the second electrode is an electrode coupled to an intermediate coupling node of the plurality of MIM capacitors coupled in series.

10. The variable capacitance circuit according to claim 1 , wherein
the first capacitor includes a first MIM capacitor and a second MIM capacitor stacked and coupled in parallel in a direction in the plan view, and
the second capacitor includes a third MIM capacitor and a fourth MIM capacitor stacked and coupled in series in the direction in the plan view.

11. The variable capacitance circuit according to claim 10 , wherein
the first ground shield surrounds the first MIM capacitor and the second MIM capacitor in the plan view, and
the second ground shield surrounds the third MIM capacitor and the fourth MIM capacitor in the plan view.

12. The variable capacitance circuit according to claim 1 , wherein
capacitance values of the plurality of capacitors in the capacitor array are weighted in binary.

13. A circuit device comprising:
an oscillation circuit having the variable capacitance circuit according to claim 1 , wherein
an oscillation frequency of the oscillation circuit is controlled by the capacitance value of the variable capacitance circuit, and
the first node is an oscillation node of the oscillation circuit.

14. An oscillator comprising:
the circuit device according to claim 13 ; and
a resonator that oscillates by being driven by the oscillation circuit.

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

• Tanaka Atsushi
• Higuchi Teppei

Classifications

• H10D84/813

  Combinations of field-effect devices and capacitor only · CPC title

• H10D1/692 Primary

  Electrodes · CPC title

• H10D84/811 Primary

  Combinations of field-effect devices and one or more diodes, capacitors or resistors · CPC title

• H03H9/19

  consisting of quartz · CPC title

• H03B5/1246 Primary

  the means comprising transistors used to provide a variable capacitance · CPC title