Capacitor, MEMS device, and method of manufacturing the MEMS device

• US 9,548,162 B2
• Filed: 10/10/2012
• Issued: 01/17/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Innotek Company Limited (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Innotek Company Limited (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Ji, Chil Young
• Primary Examiner(s): Sinclair, David M
• Application Number:
  US14/367,767
• Publication Number:
  US 20140347781A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,560 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 5/16 using variation of distance between electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 5/38 Multiple capacitors, e.g. ganged
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/016 Thin-film circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 28/40 Capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/43 Electric condenser making

Abstract

Disclosed is a capacitor. The capacitor includes a plurality of capacitor units connected to each other in parallel. The capacitor unit includes a first capacitor, a second capacitor connected to the first capacitor in parallel, and a switch selectively connected to the first capacitor or the second capacitor.

Claims

1. A variable capacitor comprising

an input terminal;

an output terminal;

a plurality of capacitor units interposed between the input terminal and the output terminal, and connected to each other in parallel; and

a plurality of on/off switches connected to the capacitor units, respectively, and connecting the capacitor units to the output terminal,

wherein each of the capacitor units comprises;

a first capacitor;

a second capacitor connected to the first capacitor in parallel; and

a selection switch connecting the first capacitor to the output terminal in a first state and connecting the second capacitor to the output terminal in a second state.

2. The variable capacitor of claim 1, wherein each of the first and second capacitors has a capacitance in a range of 50 fF to 150 fF.

3. The variable capacitor of claim 1, wherein a capacitance of the first capacitor is different from a capacitance of the second capacitor.

4. The variable capacitor of claim 1, wherein each capacitor unit comprises:

a substrate;

a movable electrode on the substrate; and

a driving electrode to drive the movable electrode.

5. The variable capacitor of claim 4, wherein the movable electrode has a ball shape.

6. The variable capacitor of claim 4, wherein each capacitor unit comprises:

a first capacitor electrode forming a first capacitance together with the movable electrode; and

a second capacitor electrode forming a second capacitance together with the movable electrode.

7. The variable capacitor of claim 6, wherein the capacitor unit further comprises a connection electrode connected to the movable electrode.

8. A capacitor comprising:

a substrate;

a third capacitor electrode on the substrate;

a first capacitor electrode provided on the substrate while being spaced apart from the third capacitor electrode;

a second capacitor electrode opposite to the first capacitor electrode while being spaced apart from the first capacitor electrode and the third capacitor electrode;

a movable electrode between the first and second capacitor electrodes;

a driving electrode to move the movable electrode; and

an insulating layer on the substrate,

wherein the insulating layer is provided therein with a receiving groove to expose the third capacitor electrode, and the movable electrode is received in the receiving groove.

9. The capacitor of claim 8, further comprising:

a first dielectric member between the first capacitor electrode and the movable electrode; and

a second dielectric member between the first capacitor electrode and the movable electrode.

10. The capacitor of claim 9, wherein a thickness of the first dielectric member is different from a thickness of the second dielectric member.

11. The capacitor of claim 8, wherein the driving electrode comprises:

a first driving electrode adjacent to the first capacitor electrode; and

a second driving electrode adjacent to the second capacitor electrode.

12. The capacitor of claim 8, wherein the driving electrode is aligned in line with the third capacitor electrode.

13. The capacitor of claim 8, further comprising:

a first dielectric part provided at one lateral side of the first capacitor electrode,

a second dielectric part provided at one lateral side of the second capacitor electrode, and

a third dielectric part provided on the third capacitor electrode.

14. The capacitor of claim 13, wherein surfaces of the first to third dielectric part are exposed through the receiving groove.

15. The capacitor of claim 13, wherein the third capacitor electrode comprises a first sub-electrode part and a second sub-electrode part, and

wherein the first sub-electrode part has a thickness thinner than that of the second sub-electrode part.

16. The capacitor of claim 15, wherein the third dielectric part comprises a first sub dielectric part and a second sub-dielectric part,

wherein the first sub-dielectric part is directly provided on a top surface of the first sub electrode part, and

wherein the second sub-dielectric part is directly provided on a top surface of the second sub electrode part.