Abstract:
Methods and apparatus are described for a differential active inductor load for inductive peaking in which cross-coupled capacitive elements are used to cancel out, or at least reduce, the limiting effect of the gate-to-drain capacitance (Cgd) of transistors in the active inductor load. The cross-coupled capacitive elements extend the range over which the active inductor load behaves inductively and increase the quality factor (Q) of each active inductor. Therefore, the achievable inductive peaking of the load is significantly increased, which leads to providing larger signal swing across the load for a given power or, alternatively, lower power for a given signal swing.
Abstract:
An inductor structure implemented within a semiconductor integrated circuit includes a coil of conductive material including at least one turn and a current return encompassing the coil. The current return is formed of a plurality of interconnected metal layers of the semiconductor integrated circuit.
Abstract:
An interdigitated capacitor having digits of varying width is disclosed. One embodiment of a capacitor (100) includes a first plurality of conductive digits (110) and a second plurality of conductive digits (110) positioned in an interlocking manner with the first plurality of conductive digits (110), such that an interdigitated structure is formed. The first plurality of conductive digits (110) and the second plurality of conductive digits (110) collectively form a set of digits, where the width of a first digit in the set of digits (110) is non-uniform with respect to a second digit in the set of digits.
Abstract:
An inductor structure (105, 500, 900) implemented within a semiconductor integrated circuit (IC) can include a coil (205, 505, 905) of conductive material that includes a center terminal (140, 510, 910) located at a midpoint of a length of the coil. The coil can be symmetrical with respect to a centerline (225, 535, 935) bisecting the center terminal. The coil can include a first differential terminal (210, 515, 915) and a second differential terminal (215, 520, 920). The inductor structure can include a return line (155, 560, 960) of conductive material positioned on the center line. The inductor structure can include an isolation ring (220, 525, 945) surrounding the coil. The inductor structure can include a patterned ground shield comprising a plurality of fingers (935, 1035) implemented within an IC process layer located between the coil (905) and a substrate (955) of the IC. The inductor structure can include an isolation wall (1 150) comprising a high conductive material formed to encompass the coil and the patterned ground shield. The isolation wall can be coupled to one end of each finger of the patterned ground shield.
Abstract:
A symmetrical inductor includes pairs of half-loops (e.g., 312, 314, 316, 318), first and second terminal electrodes (e.g., 302, 304), and a center-tap electrode (e.g., 310). The half-loop pairs are in respective conductive layers (e.g., 101, 201 ) of an integrated circuit. Each half-loop pair includes a first (e.g., 312, 316) and second half-loop (e.g., 314, 318) in the respective conductive layer. The first and second terminal electrodes are in a first conductive layer, and the center-tap electrode is in a second conductive layer. The first terminal electrode and the center-tap electrode are coupled through a first series combination that includes the first half-loop of each half-loop pair. The second terminal electrode and the center-tap electrode are coupled through a second series combination that includes the second half-loop of each half-loop pair.