Frequency adjustment techniques in coupled LC tank circuits

• US 7,508,280 B2
• Filed: 07/19/2005
• Issued: 03/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intellectual Ventures Holding 81 LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: LC Tank LLC
• Inventors: Gabara, Thaddeus John
• Primary Examiner(s): Pascal, Robert
• Assistant Examiner(s): Goodley, James E
• Application Number:
  US11/184,428
• Publication Number:
  US 20070018739A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,344 Days
• Field of Search: 331/117.FE, 331/181, 331/36.L, 331/46, 331/55, 331/117.R, 331/167
• US Class Current: 331/181
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/10 Distribution of clock signals , e.g. skew
• CPC Class Codes: H03B 2200/0076 Power combination of several oscillators oscillating at the same frequency
• CPC Class Codes: H03B 27/00 Generation of oscillations providing a plurality of outputs of the same frequency but differing in phase, other than merely two anti-phase outputs
• 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

Abstract

CMOS LC tank circuits and flux linkage between inductors can be used to distribute and propagate clock signals over the surface of a VLSI chip or μprocessor. The tank circuit offers an adiabatic behavior that recycles the energy between the reactive elements and minimizes losses in a conventional sense. Flux linkage can be used to orchestrate a number of seemingly individual and distributed CMOS LC tank circuits to behave as one unit. Several frequency-adjusting techniques are presented which can be used in an distributed clock network environment which includes an array of oscillators. A passive flux linkage, mechanical, and finite state machine technique of frequency adjustment of oscillators are described.

Claims

1. An oscillator frequency adjustment apparatus comprising;

a first output and a second output,

one or more transformers where each transformer comprises at least two coils,

an oscillator circuit comprising;

at least one coil from the transformer,

at least one capacitor,

at least one regenerative circuit, and

a means of coupling the coils, capacitors and regenerative circuits to form the oscillator circuit,

the oscillator circuit is coupled to the first and second output,

at least one adjustable tank circuit comprising;

the second coil of the transformer, and

at least one adjustable capacitor,

the oscillator circuit is fabricated on a first substrate,

the adjustable tank circuit is fabricated on a second substrate,

the second coil of the adjustable tank circuit is placed over the coil of the oscillator circuit,

wherein

the first and second substrates form part of a MCM,

at least one coil from the oscillator circuit has a flux linkage with the second coil from the

adjustable tank circuit, and

adjusting the one adjustable capacitor changes the frequency of operation of the apparatus.

2. An oscillator frequency adjustment apparatus comprising;

a first output and a second output,

an oscillator circuit comprising;

two or more coils connected in parallel,

at least one capacitor,

at least one regenerative circuit, and

a means of coupling the coils, capacitors and regenerative circuits to form the oscillator circuit,

the oscillator circuit is coupled to the first and second output,

at least one tank circuit comprising;

at least one additional coil, and

at least one capacitor, wherein

at least one coil from the oscillator circuit has an adjustable flux linkage with the additional coil from the tank circuit, and

the adjustable flux linkage is formed by a mechanical movement between the two coils, thereby adjusting the frequency of operation of the apparatus.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 further comprising;

the oscillator circuit coil is fabricated on a first substrate,

the additional tank circuit coil is fabricated on a second substrate, and

the oscillator circuit coil is placed over the additional tank circuit coil, wherein

the mechanical movement comprises;

a parallel displacement of the second substrate with respect to the first substrate.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 further comprising;

the oscillator circuit coil is fabricated on a first substrate,

the additional tank circuit coil is fabricated on a second substrate, and

the placement of the oscillator circuit coil over the additional tank circuit coil, wherein

the mechanical movement comprises;

a vertical displacement of the second substrate with respect to the first substrate.

5. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the mechanical movement occurs within a MEMS.

6. An oscillator frequency adjustment apparatus comprising;

a first output and a second output,

one or more transformers where each transformer comprises at least two coils,

an oscillator circuit comprising;

at least one coil from the transformer,

at least one capacitor,

at least one regenerative circuit, and

a means of coupling the coils, capacitors and regenerative circuits to form the oscillator circuit,

the oscillator circuit is coupled to the first and second output,

at least one tank circuit comprising;

the second coil of the transformer, and

at least one capacitor,

the first coil from the oscillator circuit has an adjustable flux linkage with at least one coil from

the tank circuit,

the adjustable flux linkage is formed by a mechanical movement between the two coils, and

the mechanical movement that occurs within a MCM can adjust the frequency of operation of the apparatus.

7. An oscillator frequency adjustment apparatus comprising;

a first and second coil;

a first tank circuit comprising;

at least one coil, and

at least one capacitor,

an additional tank circuit comprising;

at least one coil, and

at least one capacitor,

at least one coil from the first tank circuit has a flux linkage with at least one coil from the additional tank circuit,

the first tank circuit is fabricated on a first substrate,

the additional tank circuit is fabricated on a second substrate, and

the coil of the additional tank circuit is placed over the coil of the first tank circuit, wherein

the first and second substrates form part of a MCM, and

at least one capacitor from the additional tank circuit can be adjusted, thereby

to change the frequency of operation of the apparatus.

8. An oscillator frequency adjustment apparatus comprising;

at least two tank circuits, wherein

each tank circuit comprising;

at least one coil, and

at least one capacitor, wherein

at least one coil from the first tank circuit has an adjustable flux linkage with at least one coil from the second tank circuit, wherein

the adjustable flux linkage is formed by a mechanical movement between the two coils, thereby adjusting the frequency of operation of the apparatus.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 further comprising;

the first coil is fabricated on a first substrate,

the second coil is fabricated on a second substrate, and

the first coil is placed over the second coil, wherein

the mechanical movement comprises;

a parallel displacement of the second substrate with respect to the first substrate.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 further comprising;

the first coil is fabricated on a first substrate,

the second coil is fabricated on a second substrate, and

the first coil is placed over the second coil, wherein

the mechanical movement comprises;

a vertical displacement of the second substrate with respect to the first substrate.

11. An oscillator frequency adjustment apparatus comprising:

a first output and a second output,

one or more transformers where each transformer comprises at least a first and second coil,

an oscillator circuit comprising;

the first coil of the transformer, and

at least one regenerative circuit, wherein

the oscillator circuit is coupled to the first and second outputs,

a first circuit comprising;

the second coil of the transformer, and

a first capacitor,

a first substrate comprising the oscillator circuit,

a second substrate comprising the first circuit,

the first coil of the first transformer is placed over the second coil of the first transformer, wherein an MCM is formed by the first and second substrates, and

a flux linkage is formed between the first coil and the second coil of the transformer, wherein the first capacitor can be adjusted to change the frequency of operation of the apparatus.

12. An oscillator frequency adjustment apparatus comprising;

an oscillator circuit comprising;

a first and second coil connected in parallel, and

a regenerative circuit, wherein

the oscillator circuit is coupled to a first and a second output,

a first circuit comprising a third coil, and

a flux linkage formed between the first coil of the oscillator circuit and the third coil of the first circuit, and

a mechanical movement between the first and third coils which adjusts the flux linkage, whereby the frequency of operation of the apparatus is adjusted.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 further comprising;

a first substrate comprising the first and second coils, and

a second substrate comprising the third coil, wherein

the mechanical movement is caused by a parallel displacement of the first substrate with respect to the second substrate.

14. The apparatus of claim 12 further comprising;

a first substrate comprising the first and second coils, and

a second substrate comprising the third coil, wherein

the mechanical movement is caused by a vertical displacement of the first substrate with respect to the second substrate.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the mechanical movement occurs within a MEMS.

16. An oscillator frequency adjustment apparatus comprising;

one or more transformers where each transformer comprises at least a first and a second coil, an oscillator circuit comprising;

the first coil from the transformer, and

a regenerative circuit, wherein

the oscillator circuit is coupled to a first and a second output,

a first circuit comprising;

the second coil of the transformer,

a flux linkage formed between the first coil of the oscillator circuit and the second coil of the first circuit, and

a mechanical movement between the first and second coils changes the flux linkage, whereby the frequency of operation of the apparatus is adjusted.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 further comprising;

a first substrate comprising the first coil, and

a second substrate comprising the second coil, wherein

the mechanical movement is caused by a parallel displacement of the first substrate with respect to the second substrate.

18. The apparatus of claim 16 further comprising;

a first substrate comprising the first and second coils connected in parallel, and

a second substrate comprising the third coil, wherein

the mechanical movement is caused by a vertical displacement of the first substrate with respect to the second substrate.

19. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the mechanical movement occurs within a MEMS.

20. An oscillator frequency adjustment apparatus comprising;

a first substrate comprising;

a first circuit comprising;

a first and second output,

a plurality of coils each having a first and second lead, and

the first and second leads of the plurality of coils directly connected respectively to the first and second outputs,

a second substrate comprising;

a second circuit comprising;

a second coil,

a first coil from the plurality of coils having a flux linkage with the second coil from the second circuit, and

a mechanical movement between the first and second substrates adjusting the flux linkage,

whereby

the frequency of operation of the apparatus is adjusted.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein

the mechanical movement is caused by a parallel displacement of the first substrate with respect to the second substrate.

22. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein

the mechanical movement is caused by a vertical displacement of the first substrate with respect to the second substrate.

23. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the mechanical movement occurs within a MEMS.