Phase locked loop including a varainductor

• US 9,478,344 B2
• Filed: 12/18/2013
• Issued: 10/25/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited
• Inventors: Liu, Yi-Hsuan, Hsieh, Hsieh-Hung, Jou, Chewn-Pu, Hsueh, Fu-Lung
• Primary Examiner(s): JAGER, RYAN C
• Application Number:
  US14/132,301
• Publication Number:
  US 20150170816A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,042 Days
• Field of Search: 327/157
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 2021/125 Printed variable inductor with taps, e.g. for VCO
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 21/12 discontinuously variable, e.g. tapped
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 27/2804 Printed windings
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 27/40 Structural association with built-in electric component, e.g. fuse
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 27/42 Circuits specially adapted for the purpose of modifying, or compensating for, electric characteristics of transformers, reactors, or choke coils circuits for controlling transformers, reactors or choke coils, for the purpose of obtaining a desired output H02P13/00; impedance networks H03H
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 29/02 with tappings on coil or winding; with provision for rearrangement or interconnection of windings
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/5226 Via connections in a multilevel interconnection structure
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/5227 Inductive arrangements or effects of, or between, wiring layers other inductive arrangements H01L23/645
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/528 Geometry or layout of the interconnection structure H01L27/0207 takes precedence; algorithms G06F30/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/585 comprising conductive layers or plates or strips or rods or rings H01L23/60, H01L23/62, H01L23/64, H01L23/66 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/0688 Integrated circuits having a three-dimensional layout
• CPC Class Codes: H03B 2201/0216 the means being an element with a variable inductance
• 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 5/1256 the means comprising a variable inductance
• CPC Class Codes: H03L 7/099 concerning mainly the controlled oscillator of the loop

Abstract

A varainductor includes a spiral inductor over a substrate, the spiral inductor comprising a ring portion. The varainductor further includes a ground ring over the substrate, the ground ring surrounding at least the ring portion of the spiral inductor and a floating ring over the substrate, the floating ring disposed between the ground ring and the spiral inductor. The varainductor further includes an array of switches, the array of switches is configured to selectively connect the ground ring to the floating ring.

Claims

1. A phase locked loop (PLL) comprising:

a phase frequency detector (PFD) configured to receive a reference frequency and a feedback frequency, the PFD configured to generate a first control signal;

a charge pump (CP) configured to receive the first control signal and generate an analog voltage signal;

a low pass filter (LPF) configured to receive the analog voltage signal and generate a second control signal;

an oscillator circuit configured to receive the second control signal and generate an output signal, the oscillator circuit comprising;

a first varainductor configured to receive an operating voltage;

a second varainductor configured to receive the operating voltage, wherein the second varainductor is electrically connected in parallel with the first varainductor;

a first transistor electrically connected to the first varainductor; and

a second transistor electrically connected to the second varainductor,

wherein the first varainductor comprises;

a spiral inductor having a spiral inductor first terminal and a spiral inductor second terminal, wherein the spiral inductor first terminal is an input terminal of the first varainductor, and the spiral inductor second terminal is an output terminal of the first varainductor,

a ground ring surrounding at least a ring portion of the spiral inductor, and

a floating ring disposed between the ground ring and the spiral inductor,

wherein an inductance level of the first varainductor is based on a mutual capacitance between the spiral inductor and the floating ring and a mutual capacitance between the floating ring and the ground ring; and

a frequency divider (FD) configured to receive the output signal and generate the feedback frequency.

2. The PLL of claim 1 further comprising an array of switches, the array of switches is configured to selectively electrically connect the ground ring to the floating ring.

3. The PLL of claim 2, wherein the floating ring is located in a first tier of a monolithic three-dimensional integrated circuit (3DIC), the ground ring is located in a second tier of the monolithic 3DIC different from the first tier, and the floating ring is configured to be selectively electrically connected to the ground ring through at least one inter-tier via.

4. The PLL of claim 2 wherein the array of switches is configured to receive bit control signals and selectively electrically connect the ground ring to the floating ring based on the bit control signals.

5. The PLL of claim 4 wherein each switch of the array of switches receives a respective bit control signal.

6. The PLL of claim 1 further comprising a substrate, wherein the ground ring and the floating ring are disposed over the substrate.

7. A phase locked loop (PLL) comprising:

a phase frequency detector (PFD);

a charge pump (CP) electrically connected to the PFD;

a low pass filter (LPF) electrically connected to the CP and configured to generate a control signal; and

an oscillator circuit electrically connected to the LPF and configured to receive the control signal and generate an output signal, the oscillator circuit comprising;

a first varainductor,

a second varainductor electrically connected in parallel with the first varainductor, wherein the first varainductor comprises;

a spiral inductor having a spiral inductor first terminal and a spiral inductor second terminal, wherein the spiral inductor first terminal is an input terminal of the first varainductor, and the spiral inductor second terminal is an output terminal of the first varainductor, and wherein the output terminal of the first varainductor is an input terminal of the oscillator circuit, and

a floating ring surrounding at least a ring portion of the spiral inductor, and

a monolithic three-dimensional integrated circuit (3DIC) comprising;

a ground ring disposed in a first tier, and

a second tier, wherein the spiral inductor first terminal and the spiral inductor second terminal are disposed in the second tier, the floating ring is disposed in the second tier and is configured to be selectively electrically connected to the ground ring through at least one inter-tier via, wherein an inductance level of the first varainductor is based on a mutual capacitance between the spiral inductor and the floating ring and a mutual capacitance between the floating ring and the ground ring.

8. The PLL of claim 7 further comprising an array of switches, the array of switches configured to selectively electrically connect the ground ring to the floating ring.

9. The PLL of claim 8 wherein each switch of the array of switches receives a respective bit control signal and selectively electrically connects the ground ring to the floating ring based on the respective bit control signal.

10. The PLL of claim 9 wherein the array of switches is configured to gradually adjust electrical connectivity between the ground ring and the floating ring.

11. The PLL of claim 7 further comprising a frequency divider electrically connected to an input terminal of the PFD and configured to receive the output signal and output a feedback frequency to the input terminal of the PFD.

12. The PLL of claim 11 wherein the PFD is configured to receive a reference frequency and the feedback frequency and generate a first control signal.

13. A phase locked loop (PLL) comprising:

a frequency divider configured to receive a PLL output signal and generate a feedback frequency;

a phase frequency detector configured to receive the feedback frequency; and

an oscillator circuit comprising a varainductor, the oscillator circuit electrically connected to the phase frequency detector and configured to generate the PLL output signal, wherein

the varainductor comprises;

a spiral inductor over a substrate, the spiral inductor comprising a ring portion, and wherein an output terminal of the varainductor is an output terminal of the spiral inductor, and wherein the output terminal of the varainductor is electrically connected to an input terminal of the oscillator circuit,

a ground ring over the substrate, the ground ring surrounding at least the ring portion of the spiral inductor,

a floating ring over the substrate, the floating ring disposed between the ground ring and the spiral inductor, and

an array of switches, the array of switches configured to selectively electrically connect the ground ring to the floating ring, wherein

an inductance level of the varainductor is based on a mutual capacitance between the spiral inductor and the floating ring and a mutual capacitance between the floating ring and the ground ring.

14. The PLL of claim 13, wherein each switch of the array of switches is configured to receive a same switch control signal.

15. The PLL of claim 13, wherein at least one switch of the array of switches is configured to receive a different switch control signal from at least another switch of the array of switches.

16. The PLL of claim 13 wherein the floating ring is located in a first tier of a monolithic three-dimensional integrated circuit (3DIC), the ground ring is located in a second tier of the monolithic 3DIC different from the first tier, and the floating ring is configured to be selectively electrically connected to the ground ring through at least one inter-tier via.

17. The PLL of claim 13, wherein the spiral inductor includes a first portion located a first distance from a top surface of the substrate, and a second portion located a second distance from the top surface of the substrate, and the first distance is different from the second distance.

18. The PLL of claim 13, wherein at least one portion of the spiral inductor is located in a first tier of a monolithic three-dimensional integrated circuit (3DIC), and at least one of the floating ring or the ground ring is located in a second tier of the monolithic 3DIC different from the first tier.

19. The PLL of claim 13, wherein the array of switches includes at least one transistor, the at least one transistor configured to selectively electrically connect the floating ring located in a first tier of a monolithic three-dimensional integrated circuit (3DIC) to the ground ring located in a second tier of the monolithic 3DIC different from the first tier, and the at least one transistor is configured to selectively electrically connect the floating ring to the ground ring through an inter-tier via.