Thin film capacitors

• US 9,406,444 B2
• Filed: 11/04/2011
• Issued: 08/02/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NXP USA, Inc. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Oakes, James, Martin, James, Horne, Edward Provo Wallis, McKinzie, William E.
• Primary Examiner(s): THOMAS, ERIC W
• Application Number:
  US13/289,194
• Publication Number:
  US 20120154975A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,733 Days
• Field of Search: 361/303, 361/301.4, 361328-330, 257/307, 257/309
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 4/33 Thin- or thick-film capacitors thin- or thick-film circuits H01L27/00; capacitors without a potential-jump or surface barrier specially adapted for integrated circuits, details thereof, multistep manufacturing processes therefor H01L28/40
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 4/38 Multiple capacitors, i.e. structural combinations of fixed capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 7/06 having a dielectric selected for the variation of its permittivity with applied voltage, i.e. ferroelectric capacitors electrets H01G7/02
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 2001/0014 Capacitor filters, i.e. capacitors whose parasitic inductance is of relevance to consider it as filter
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/0458 Arrangements for matching and coupling between power amplifier and antenna or between amplifying stages matching circuits in general H03H

Abstract

A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a first solid electrode, a second electrode separated into subsections, and a dielectric medium separating the subsections from the first solid electrode, where the subsections of the second electrode include a first group of subsections and a second group of subsections, where the first group of subsections are connectable with a first terminal for receiving an input signal, and where the second group of subsections is connectable with a second terminal for providing an output signal. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a first solid electrode;

a second electrode separated into subsections; and

a dielectric medium separating the subsections from the first solid electrode,

wherein the subsections of the second electrode comprise a first group of subsections and a second group of subsections, wherein the first group of subsections is separated into two or more first subsections, and wherein the second group of subsections is separated into two or more second subsections,

wherein the first group of subsections and the first solid electrode form a first group of capacitors, wherein the first group of subsections are arranged in a nested array configuration,

wherein the second group of subsections and the first solid electrode form a second group of capacitors, wherein the second group of subsections are arranged in a nested array configuration,

wherein each capacitor of the first group of capacitors is in parallel,

wherein each capacitor of the second group of capacitors is in parallel,

wherein the first group of capacitors is in series with the second group of capacitors,

wherein the first group of subsections is connectable with a first terminal for receiving an input signal, and

wherein the second group of subsections is connectable with a second terminal for providing an output signal.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the subsections has a cross shape.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the subsections have a rectangular shape and are parallel to each other, and wherein the first and second groups of capacitors are formed in an alternating pattern.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first and second terminals have a comb shape with a terminal body and terminal connectors extending from the terminal body, and wherein the terminal connectors are connected with the subsections of the second electrode using metal vias.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein at least a portion of the terminal connectors is non-orthogonal to the terminal body.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the subsections have a diamond shape, and wherein each adjacent subsection is separated by an equal gap.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second electrode separated into the subsections has a lower resistance than the first solid electrode.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the dielectric medium is a tunable dielectric medium comprising barium-strontium titanate.

9. An apparatus, comprising:

a first solid electrode separated into first subsections, wherein the first subsections are arranged in a nested array configuration;

a second electrode separated into second subsections, wherein the second subsections are arranged in a nested array configuration; and

a dielectric medium separating the first subsections from the second subsections,

wherein the first electrode is connectable with a first terminal for receiving an input signal,

wherein the second electrode is connectable with a second terminal for providing an output signal, and

wherein at least a portion of the first subsections and the second subsections comprise a cross shape.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein at least a portion the first subsections and second subsections have a rectangular shape and are parallel to each other.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the second subsections comprise a first group of subsections and a second group of subsections, wherein the first group of subsections is separated into two or more first subsections, and wherein the second group of subsections is separated into two or more second subsections, and

wherein the first group of subsections and the first solid electrode form a first group of capacitors, wherein the second group of subsections and the first solid electrode form a second group of capacitors, and wherein the first and second groups of capacitors are formed in an alternating pattern.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the first group of capacitors is in series with the second group of capacitors.

13. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the first and second terminals have a comb shape with a terminal body and terminal connectors extending from the terminal body, and wherein the terminal connectors are connected with the subsections of the second electrode using metal vias.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein at least a portion of the first subsections and the second subsections have a diamond shape, and

wherein at least a portion of the terminal connectors is non-orthogonal to the terminal body.