Semiconductor device and method

• US 10,658,975 B2
• Filed: 04/05/2019
• Issued: 05/19/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited
• Inventors: Cho, Lan-Chou, Chen, Huan-Neng, Jou, Chewn-Pu, Kuo, Feng Wei
• Primary Examiner(s): Gannon, Levi
• Application Number:
  US16/376,519
• Publication Number:
  US 20190229677A1
• Time in Patent Office: 410 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 19/04 Transformers or mutual inductances suitable for handling frequencies considerably beyond the audio range resonant circuits H03H
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 27/2804 Printed windings
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 27/2871 Pancake coils
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 27/288 Shielding
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 38/14 Inductive couplings for wireless supply or distribution of electric power using inductive coupling H02J50/10
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 5/04 Arrangements of electric connections to coils, e.g. leads
• CPC Class Codes: H03B 5/1212 the amplifier comprising a pair of transistors, wherein an output terminal of each being connected to an input terminal of the other, e.g. a cross coupled pair
• CPC Class Codes: H03B 5/1228 the amplifier comprising one or more field effect transistors
• CPC Class Codes: H03B 5/1243 the means comprising voltage variable capacitance diodes
• CPC Class Codes: H03B 5/1256 the means comprising a variable inductance
• CPC Class Codes: H03B 5/1265 switched capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: H03B 5/1296 the feedback circuit comprising a transformer
• CPC Class Codes: H03J 2200/10 Tuning of a resonator by means of digitally controlled capacitor bank
• CPC Class Codes: H03L 7/00 Automatic control of frequency or phase; Synchronisation
• CPC Class Codes: H03L 7/099 concerning mainly the controlled oscillator of the loop
• CPC Class Codes: H03L 7/0995 the oscillator comprising a ring oscillator

Abstract

A circuit includes a first digital controlled oscillator and a second digital controlled oscillator coupled to the first digital controlled oscillator. A skew detector is connected to determine a skew between outputs of the first digital controlled oscillator and the second digital controlled oscillator, and a decoder is utilized to output a control signal, based on the skew, to modify a frequency of the first digital controlled oscillator using a switched capacitor array to reduce or eliminate the skew.

Claims

1. An integrated circuit device comprising:

a first digital controlled oscillator, wherein the first digital controlled oscillator comprises;

a first set of inductors, each one of the first set of inductors having a first inductance;

a second set of inductors, each one of the second set of inductors having a second inductance different from the first inductance, wherein individual ones of the first set of inductors are in series with individual ones of the second set of inductors;

a switched capacitor array connected between the first set of inductors and the second set of inductors;

a first active feedback device connected to the first set of inductors;

a second active feedback device connected to the first set of inductors; and

a capacitor connected between a first inductor of the first set of inductors and a second inductor of the first set of inductors, the capacitor having a constant capacitance; and

a second digital controlled oscillator coupled to the first digital controlled oscillator.

2. The integrated circuit device of claim 1, wherein the first active feedback device is connected between a ground and the first set of inductors.

3. The integrated circuit device of claim 1, wherein the first active feedback device is connected between a power and the first set of inductors.

4. The integrated circuit device of claim 1, wherein the first active feedback device is connected to power and the second active feedback device is connected to ground.

5. The integrated circuit device of claim 4, wherein the first active feedback device comprises PMOS devices and the second active feedback device comprises NMOS devices.

6. The integrated circuit device of claim 1, wherein the first active feedback device comprises PMOS devices.

7. The integrated circuit device of claim 1, wherein first the active feedback device comprises NMOS devices.

8. An integrated circuit device comprising:

a first digital controlled oscillator, the first digital controlled oscillator comprising;

a first set of inductors, each inductor of the first set of inductors having a first inductance;

a second set of inductors, each inductor of the second set of inductors having a second inductance different from the first inductance;

a switched capacitor array connected between the first set of inductors and the second set of inductors;

a first active feedback device connected between one of the first set of inductors or the second set of inductors and a ground node, the first active feedback device comprising NMOS devices, wherein a connection between the first active feedback device and the one of the first set of inductors or the second set of inductors has a constant capacitance; and

a second active feedback device connected between the one of the first set of inductors or the second set of inductors and a power node;

a second digital controlled oscillator coupled to the first digital controlled oscillator.

9. The integrated circuit device of claim 8, wherein

individual inductors of the first set of inductors are in series with individual inductors of the second set of inductors.

10. The integrated circuit device of claim 8, wherein each inductor of the one of the first set of inductors or the second set of inductors is connected in parallel, and wherein each inductor of the other of the first set of inductors or the second set of inductors is connected in series.

11. The integrated circuit device of claim 8, wherein the switched capacitor array comprises a switched capacitor, the switched capacitor comprising:

a first line comprising a first switch, a first resistor, and a second switch in series;

a second line comprising a third switch, a second resistor, and a fourth switch, the second line in parallel with the first line;

a fifth switch connected to the first line at a first node and connected to the second line at a second node;

a first capacitor connected to the first node; and

a second capacitor connected to the second node.

12. The integrated circuit device of claim 11, wherein the first switch, the second switch, the third switch, the fourth switch, and the fifth switch each have a gate electrically connected to a control voltage.

13. The integrated circuit device of claim 8, wherein the first digital controlled oscillator is coupled to the second digital controlled oscillator through a magnetic field.

14. The integrated circuit device of claim 8, wherein the second active feedback device comprises PMOS devices.

15. An integrated circuit device comprising:

a first digital controlled oscillator comprising;

a first inductor;

a second inductor having a different inductance than the first inductor;

a switched capacitor array coupled between the first inductor and the second inductor;

a first active feedback device, wherein the first inductor is coupled between the switched capacitor array and the first active feedback device;

a second active feedback device, wherein the first inductor is coupled between the switched capacitor array and the second active feedback device; and

a fixed capacitor, wherein the first inductor is coupled between the switched capacitor array and the fixed capacitor.

16. The integrated circuit device of claim 15, wherein the switched capacitor array comprises a plurality of switched capacitors, each one of the plurality of switched capacitors comprising:

a first line comprising a first switch, a first resistor, and a second switch in series;

a second line comprising a third switch, a second resistor, and a fourth switch, the second line in parallel with the first line;

a fifth switch connected to the first line at a first node and connected to the second line at a second node;

a first capacitor connected to the first node; and

a second capacitor connected to the second node.

17. The integrated circuit device of claim 15, further comprising a third inductor coupled to the second inductor in series, the third inductor having a same inductance as the second inductor.

18. The integrated circuit device of claim 17, further comprising a fourth inductor coupled to the first inductor in parallel, the fourth inductor having a same inductance as the first inductor.

19. The integrated circuit device of claim 15, wherein one of the first active feedback device or the second active feedback device is connected to ground and the other of the first active feedback device or the second active feedback device is connected to power.

20. The integrated circuit device of claim 15, wherein one of the first active feedback device or the second active feedback device comprises PMOS transistors and the other of the first active feedback device or the second active feedback device comprises NMOS transistors.