Selectable capacitance circuit
First Claim
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1. An apparatus having a selectable amount of capacitance, the apparatus comprising:
- at least two electrodes at least one of which is controllably movable with respect to the other to provide adjustability of a gap defined between the at least two electrodes, wherein at least one of the electrodes carries an RF signal; and
a plurality of posts disposed between the at least two electrodes, wherein the plurality of posts are configured to tension at least one of the electrodes.
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Abstract
A voltage-controlled capacitor and methods for forming the same are described. A mechanical conductor membrane of the voltage-controlled capacitor is movable to and from a first position and a second position. An amount of capacitance can vary with the movement of the mechanical conductor membrane. A microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) voltage-controlled capacitor can be used in a variety of applications, such as, but not limited to, RF switches and RF attenuators.
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Citations
37 Claims
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1. An apparatus having a selectable amount of capacitance, the apparatus comprising:
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at least two electrodes at least one of which is controllably movable with respect to the other to provide adjustability of a gap defined between the at least two electrodes, wherein at least one of the electrodes carries an RF signal; and
a plurality of posts disposed between the at least two electrodes, wherein the plurality of posts are configured to tension at least one of the electrodes. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A capacitor having a selectable amount of capacitance, the capacitor comprising:
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means for carrying an RF signal, the carrying means having a controllably adjustable gap; and
means for tensioning at least part of the carrying means. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A method of selecting capacitance, the method comprising:
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adjusting a gap between at least two electrodes, wherein at least one of the electrodes carries an RF signal; and
tensioning at least one of the electrodes. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
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21. A method of manufacturing a capacitor having a selectable capacitance, the method comprising:
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forming a first electrode;
forming a second electrode such that it is movable with respect to the first electrode to provide adjustability of a gap defined between the first electrode and the second electrode; and
forming a plurality of posts configured to tension at least the second electrode, wherein the posts are disposed between the electrodes. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23)
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24. An RF device, comprising:
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a first conductor for carrying an RF signal; and
a deformable membrane spaced apart from the first conductor, the deformable membrane configured to selectively filter the RF signal, the deformable membrane having at least three discrete actuatable positions for selectively filtering the RF signal. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26)
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27. An RF device, comprising:
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means for carrying an RF signal; and
means for filtering the RF signal, the filtering means being deformable to at least one of three discrete actuatable positions to selectively filter the RF signal. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30)
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31. A method of filtering an RF signal, the method comprising:
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carrying the RF signal in a conductive line; and
selectively filtering the RF signal using a deformable membrane having at least three discrete actuatable positions for selectively filtering the RF signal, wherein the deformable membrane is adjacent to the conductive line. - View Dependent Claims (32)
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33. A method of manufacturing an RF device having a selectable capacitance, the method comprising:
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forming a first conductor for carrying an RF signal; and
forming a deformable membrane spaced apart from the first conductor, the deformable membrane configured to selectively filter the RF signal, the deformable membrane having at least three discrete actuatable positions for selectively filtering the RF signal. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 36, 37)
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Specification