Article comprising a variable inductor

• US 6,184,755 B1
• Filed: 07/16/1999
• Issued: 02/06/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Bell Semiconductor, LLC (Hilco Inc. (d/b/a Hilco Global))
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Barber, Bradley P., Gammel, Peter L., Lubecke, Victor M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pascal, Robert
• Assistant Examiner(s): Choe, Henry
• Application Number:
  US09/354,711
• Time in Patent Office: 571 Days
• Field of Search: 331/181, 334/71, 334/65, 336/130, 336/20, 336/122, 336/123
• US Class Current: 331/181
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 17/0006 Printed inductances printed coils for dynamo-electric machines H02K3/26; printed circuits H05K
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 21/04 by relative movement of turns or parts of windings
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 21/06 by movement of core or part of core relative to the windings as a whole

Abstract

A micromechanical variable/tunable inductor is disclosed. The present inductor comprises at least two elements capable of supporting spatial electromagnetic coupling and means for varying a geometrical relationship thereof. Varying the geometrical relationship between such elements varies the inductance of the inductor. In some embodiments, the geometrical relationship that is varied is the spacing between the two elements. The spacing is varied by creating a differential movement between such elements. In further embodiments, the present invention comprises resonant circuits incorporating such variable inductors, and oscillators including such resonant circuits.

Claims

1. An article comprising a tunable inductor, the tunable inductor having:

a first planar loop comprising a first material that supports spatial electromagnetic coupling;

a second element comprising a second material that supports spatial electromagnetic coupling, at least a portion of which second element is spaced from said first loop; and

an actuator operable to vary the space between said first loop and said second element.

2. The article of claim 1, wherein said second element is a ground plane.

3. The article of claim 1 wherein:

at least a portion of said first planar loop is fixed to a support;

at least a portion of said second element is fixed to said support; and

at least one of either said first planar loop and said second element is rotatable about the fixed portion thereof.

4. The article of claim 2, wherein said ground plane is magnetic.

5. The article of claim 1, wherein said actuator is operable to move said first loop.

6. The article of claim 5, wherein said second element is a second planar loop.

7. The article of claim 6, wherein said actuator is operable to move said first loop between a first and a second position, wherein:

in said first position, said first and second loops are co-planar; and

in said second position, said first and second loops are not co-planar.

8. The article of claim 7, wherein said second loop is immovable.

9. The article of claim 6, wherein a direction in which current travels in said first loop is the same direction that current travels in said second loop.

10. The article of claim 6, wherein a direction in which current travels in said first loop is the opposite direction that current travels in said second loop.

11. The article of claim 7, wherein:

said first loop comprises a first metal having a first thickness; and

said second loop comprises a second metal having a second thickness.

12. The article of claim 11, wherein said first and second thicknesses are different.

13. The article of claim 11, wherein said first and second metals are different.

14. The article of claim 7, wherein said first loop is corrugated.

15. The article of claim 1, wherein said actuator comprises means for applying DC bias to said first loop.

16. The article of claim 1, wherein said actuator comprises means for DC. electrostatic control.

17. The article of claim 1, wherein said actuator comprises a mechanical linkage.

18. The article of claim 17, wherein said actuator further comprises an electromechanical device that is operatively connected, via said mechanical linkage, to said first loop.

19. The article of claim 1, wherein said article comprises a LC circuit having a signal generator and a capacitor that is electrically connected to said tunable inductor.

20. The article of claim 19, wherein the article comprises a variable-frequency oscillator, said variable-frequency oscillator including a negative-resistance device that is electrically connected to a resonant structure comprising said LC circuit.

21. An article comprising:

a first planar loop suitable for supporting spatial electromagnetic coupling, wherein a first portion of said first loop is attached to a substrate;

a second element suitable for supporting spatial electromagnetic coupling, wherein said second element is spaced from said first planar loop, and further wherein a first portion of said second element is attached to said substrate; and

an actuator operable to vary the space between said first loop and said second element.

22. An article comprising:

a first element suitable for supporting spatial electromagnetic coupling;

a second element suitable for supporting spatial electromagnetic coupling; and

an actuator operable to vary a spacing between said first and second elements;

wherein;

said first element and said second element are suitably disposed relative to one another to support spatial electromagnetic coupling therebetween; and

at least one of said first element and said second element is rotatable about a fixed end thereof.

23. An article comprising:

a first planar loop suitable for supporting spatial electromagnetic coupling, wherein a first portion of said first loop is attached to a substrate;

a second element suitable for supporting spatial electromagnetic coupling, wherein;

said second element is spaced from said first planar loop;

said second element is not parallel with respect to said first planar loop; and

a first portion of said second element is attached to said substrate; and

an actuator operable to vary the space between said first loop and said second element.