Method and Apparatus for use in Digitally Tuning a Capacitor in an Integrated Circuit Device

• Main Author: Ranta, Tero Tapio
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 11.08.2022
• Subjects: BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS; BASIC ELECTRONIC CIRCUITRY; CAPACITORS; CAPACITORS, RECTIFIERS, DETECTORS, SWITCHING DEVICES ORLIGHT-SENSITIVE DEVICES, OF THE ELECTROLYTIC TYPE; CODE CONVERSION IN GENERAL; CODING; DECODING; ELECTRIC SOLID STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; ELECTRICITY; IMPEDANCE NETWORKS, e.g. RESONANT CIRCUITS; INDUCTANCES; MAGNETS; PULSE TECHNIQUE; RESONATORS; SELECTING RESONANT CIRCUITS; SELECTION OF MATERIALS FOR THEIR MAGNETIC PROPERTIES; SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; TRANSFORMERS; TUNING RESONANT CIRCUITS

A method and apparatus for use in a digitally tuning a capacitor in an integrated circuit device is described. A Digitally Tuned Capacitor DTC is described which facilitates digitally controlling capacitance applied between a first and second terminal. In some embodiments, the first terminal comprises an RF+ terminal and the second terminal comprises an RF− terminal. In accordance with some embodiments, the DTCs comprise a plurality of sub-circuits ordered in significance from least significant bit (LSB) to most significant bit (MSB) sub-circuits, wherein the plurality of significant bit sub-circuits are coupled together in parallel, and wherein each sub-circuit has a first node coupled to the first RF terminal, and a second node coupled to the second RF terminal. The DTCs further include an input means for receiving a digital control word, wherein the digital control word comprises bits that are similarly ordered in significance from an LSB to an MSB.