Wide Tuning Range LC-VCO Using Variable Inductor for Reconfigurable RF Circuit

Yoshihara, Yoshinobu; Sugawara, Hirotaka; Ito, Hiroyuki; Okada, Kei; Masu, Kazuya

doi:10.1093/ietfec/e88-a.2.507

Cited by 21 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 12 publications

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“…Tunable inductors are important building blocks in many radio-frequency (RF) applications such as voltage-con-trolled-oscillators, tunable filters and antennas, and adaptative impedance matching circuits (Yoshihara et al 2005;Ito et al 2005;Lucyszun and Robertson 1994). Most of these applications required a high quality factor and wide tuning range.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

RF MEMS continuous reversible variable inductor based on a microfluidic network

et al. 2013

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In this work, RF MEMS continuous reversible variable inductor has been fabricated by using microelec-tronic technology and lamination process. We review, evaluate and compare this variable inductor with other work. The proposed inductor is a dual circular coil and has an inductance of few nH. The fundamental idea is to place a liquid droplet between the metal turns of a coil in order to modify the capacitive/resistive coupling between metal tracks and hence to change the stored magnetic energy. The SU-8 resin was used to realize the microfluidic channels and Au as metallic tracks. To prove the reversibility of the inductor, two cases were studied: filling and emptying of channels. The tuning range of the inductance is approxi-mately 107 % at 1.6 GHz, making these devices very suitable as building blocks in many RF applications.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

RF MEMS continuous reversible variable inductor based on a microfluidic network

et al. 2013

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“…In order to obtain inductors with a high ratio of inductance values and also a continuum of their variations at microwave frequency (of about GHz), we have decided to study the influence of embedded channels when they are filled by liquid. High Q passive devices, especially inductors, are desirable in order to reduce the phase noise in voltage controlled oscillators (VCOs), to reduce the losses in filter and tuning matching networks (TMN) and to reduce the power consumption in oscillator and power amplifier circuits (PA) [14][15][16]. Table 2 shows how the main circuit figures of merit scale as a function of the inductor quality factor (supposing that all the other parameters are kept constant).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fabrication and evaluation of an on-chip liquid micro-variable inductor

Gmati¹,

Calmon²,

Boukabache³

et al. 2011

J. Micromech. Microeng.

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We propose a new type of on-chip micro-variable inductor fabricated by using microelectronic technology and lamination process. The proposed inductor is a dual circular coil and has an inductance of few nH. The fundamental idea is to place a liquid droplet between the metal turns of a coil in order to modify the capacitive/resistive coupling between metal tracks and hence to change the stored magnetic energy. In this study salt water has been used to fill partly or totally the channels constituting these three-dimensional coils. The numerical modeling allows us to obtain inductance values according to the liquid position, which can rise from zero to 100% of the total length of channels. The SU-8 resin was used to realize the microfluidic channels and Au as metallic tracks. The measured electrical characteristics show that these devices can be used up to 1.6 GHz frequency. The relationship between the inductance and the liquid position indicates that the tuning range of the inductance is approximately 107% (from 5.4 to 2.6 nH at a frequency of 1.6 GHz). Without liquid, the peak quality factor is 12, and the self-resonance frequency is 4 GHz; when the channels are completely full, these parameters become respectively 6 and 4.3 GHz.

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