Variable capacitor comprised of first and second comb structures having first and second sets of switchably connected fingers, a reflection phase shifter, and a semiconductor device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12057818-B2
Application number	US-202217652536-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 25, 2022
Priority date	Aug 30, 2019
Publication date	Aug 6, 2024
Grant date	Aug 6, 2024

Abstract

This application discloses a variable capacitor, a reflection-type phase shifter, and a semiconductor device, which relate to the technical field of electronics, so as to resolve the problem that a capacitance value of a variable capacitor is sensitive to changes in PVT. The variable capacitor includes: a first comb structure and a first set of fingers, where the first comb structure includes a plurality of comb teeth, the first set of fingers includes at least one finger, and the finger in the first set of fingers is disposed between at least two comb teeth of the first comb structure, without electrical contact; a second comb structure and a second set of fingers, where the second comb structure includes a plurality of comb teeth.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A variable capacitor, comprising:
a first comb structure and a first set of fingers, wherein the first comb structure comprises a first plurality of comb teeth, the first set of fingers comprises at least one first finger, the at least one first finger in the first set of fingers is disposed between at least two comb teeth of the first comb structure, and the at least one first finger in the first set of fingers has no electrical contact with the first plurality of comb teeth of the first comb structure;
a second comb structure and a second set of fingers, wherein the second comb structure comprises a second plurality of comb teeth, the second set of fingers comprises at least one second finger, the at least one second finger in the second set of fingers is disposed between at least two comb teeth of the second comb structure, and the at least one second finger in the second set of fingers has no electrical contact with the second plurality of comb teeth of the second comb structure; and
a switch, configured to control whether there is electrical contact between the at least one first finger in the first set of fingers and the at least one second finger in the second set of fingers, wherein the first comb structure, the first set of fingers, the second comb structure, and the second set of fingers all comprise electrically conductive materials.

2. The variable capacitor according to claim 1 , wherein:
the first comb structure and the second comb structure each comprise N+1 comb teeth, and the first set of fingers and the second set of fingers each comprise N fingers; and
for each integer value of n from 1 to N, an n th finger in the first set of fingers is located between an n th comb tooth and an (n+1) th comb tooth of the first comb structure, and an n th finger in the second set of fingers is located between an n th comb tooth and an (n+1) th comb tooth of the second comb structure, wherein n and N are both positive integers.

3. The variable capacitor according to claim 2 , wherein N switches are connected between the first set of fingers and the second set of fingers, wherein a first terminal of an n th switch in the N switches is connected to the n th finger in the first set of fingers, and a second terminal of the n th switch in the N switches is connected to the n th finger in the second set of fingers.

4. The variable capacitor according to claim 1 , wherein:
the first set of fingers comprises a first plurality of sequentially arranged fingers, each of the first set of fingers having a first equal length; and
the second set of fingers comprises a second plurality of sequentially arranged fingers, each of the second set of fingers having a second equal length.

5. The variable capacitor according to claim 1 , wherein:
the first set of fingers comprises a first plurality of sequentially arranged fingers, each of the first set of fingers having an increasing or decreasing length in a sequence of arrangement; and
the second set of fingers comprises a second plurality of sequentially arranged fingers, each of the second set of fingers having an increasing or decreasing length in a sequence of arrangement.

6. The variable capacitor according to claim 5 , wherein a length ratio of adjacent fingers in the first set of fingers is in a range of 1.02 times to 1.1 times, and a length ratio of adjacent fingers in the second set of fingers is in a range of 1.02 times to 1.1 times.

7. The variable capacitor according to claim 1 , wherein the switch is a metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) switch.

8. The variable capacitor according to claim 1 , wherein the switch is controlled to be turned off or on by a set of digital switch codewords.

9. A reflection-type phase shifter, comprising:
a positive input port, a positive output port, a negative input port, a negative output port, a first hybrid quadrature coupler, a second hybrid quadrature coupler, a first inductor, a second inductor, a third inductor, a fourth inductor, a first variable capacitor, and a second variable capacitor, wherein the first variable capacitor comprises:
a first comb structure and a first set of fingers, wherein the first comb structure comprises a first plurality of comb teeth, the first set of fingers comprises at least one first finger, the at least one first finger in the first set of fingers is disposed between at least two comb teeth of the first comb structure, and the at least one first finger in the first set of fingers has no electrical contact with the first plurality of comb teeth of the first comb structure;
a second comb structure and a second set of fingers, wherein the second comb structure comprises a second plurality of comb teeth, the second set of fingers comprises at least one second finger, the at least one second finger in the second set of fingers is disposed between at least two comb teeth of the second comb structure, and the at least one second finger in the second set of fingers has no electrical contact with the second plurality of comb teeth of the second comb structure; and
a first switch, configured to control whether there is electrical contact between the at least one first finger in the first set of fingers and the at least one second finger in the second set of fingers, wherein the first comb structure, the first set of fingers, the second comb structure, and the second set of fingers all comprise electrically conductive materials;

wherein the second variable capacitor comprises:
a third comb structure and a third set of fingers, wherein the third comb structure comprises a third plurality of comb teeth, the third set of fingers comprises at least one third finger, the at least one third finger in the third set of fingers is disposed between at least two comb teeth of the third comb structure, and the at least one third finger in the third set of fingers has no electrical contact with the third plurality of comb teeth of the third comb structure;
a fourth comb structure and a fourth set of fingers, wherein the fourth comb structure comprises a fourth plurality of comb teeth, the fourth set of fingers comprises at least one fourth finger, the at least one fourth finger in the fourth set of fingers is disposed between at least two comb teeth of the fourth comb structure, and the at least one fourth finger in the fourth set of fingers has no electrical contact with the fourth plurality of comb teeth of the fourth comb structure; and
a second switch, configured to control whether there is electrical contact between the at least one third finger in the first set of fingers and the at least one fourth finger in the fourth set of fingers, wherein the third comb structure, the third set of fingers, the fourth comb structure, and the fourth set of fingers all comprise electrically conductive materials;

wherein the positive input port is connected to an input port of the first hybrid quadrature coupler, the positive output port is connected to an isolated port of the first hybrid quadrature coupler, a coupled port of the first hybrid quadrature coupler is connected to a first connection terminal of the first variable capacitor via the first inductor, and a through port of the first hybrid quadrature coupler is connected to a first connection terminal of the second variable capacitor via the second inductor; and
wherein the negative input port is connected to an input port of the second hybrid quadrature coupler, the negative output port is connected to an isolated port of the second hybrid quadrature coupler, a coupled port of the second hybrid quadrature coupler is connected to a second connection terminal of the first variable capacitor via the third inductor, and a through port of the second hybrid quadrature

Assignees

• Huawei Tech Co Ltd

Inventors

• Wang Shuo
• Peng Rong

Classifications

• H01P1/15

  by semiconductor devices · CPC title

• H01P1/18

  Phase-shifters (H01P1/165 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H03C2200/0008

  Variable capacitors, e.g. a varicap, a varactor or a variable capacitance of a diode or transistor · CPC title

• H03C7/025

  using semiconductor devices · CPC title

• H03H7/20 Primary

  Two-port phase shifters providing an adjustable phase shift · CPC title