Patent Application
20140070911
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
1. Technical Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to radio communications and more particularly to liquid MEMS magnetic components that may be used in wireless communication devices.
2. Description of Related Art
Radio frequency (RF) communication devices are known to facilitate wireless communications in one or more frequency bands in accordance with one or more wireless communication protocols or standards. To accommodate multiple communication protocols, or standards, an RF communication device includes multiple versions (one for each protocol) of each section of the RF communication device (e.g., baseband processing, RF receiver, RF transmitter, antenna interface) and/or includes programmable sections. For example, an RF communication device may include a programmable baseband section, multiple RF receiver sections, multiple RF transmitter sections, and a programmable antenna interface.
To provide at least some of the programmable capabilities of a programmable section of an RF communication device, the section includes one or more programmable circuits, wherein the programmability is achieved via a switch-based bank of circuit elements (e.g., capacitors, inductors, resistors). For instance, selecting various combinations of a switch-based bank of capacitors and switch-based bank of inductors yields various resonant tank circuits that can be used in filters, as loads in amplifiers, etc. A recent advance in RF technology is to use integrated circuit (IC) micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) switches to provide the switches of a switch-based bank of circuit elements.
Issues with IC MEMS switches include minimal contact areas (which creates heat spots), bouncing of electrical contact (which limits use to cold switching), and a limited life cycle. In response to these issues, more recent advances in RF technology employ IC implemented liquid RF MEMS switches (which may also be referred to as electro-chemical wetting switches). As IC fabrication technologies continue to evolve and reduce the size of IC dies and components fabricated thereon, IC implemented liquid RF MEMS switches may have limited applications.
As shown, the liquid MEMS magnetic component 10 includes a board 12, a channel 14, one or more windings 16, a magnetizing doped droplet 18, and a droplet activating module 20. The board 12 may be a printed circuit board (PCB), an integrated circuit (IC) package substrate, or a redistribution layer (RDL) of a PCB or of an IC package substrate and it supports the channel 14 in one or more layers. For example, the channel 14 is fabricated in one or more layers of the board 12. As another example, the channel 14 is embedded into one or more layers of the board 12. Note that the channel 14 may have a variety of shapes. For example, the channel 14 may have a square-tubular shape, a cylinder shape, a non-linear square-tubular shape, or a non-linear cylinder shape, where non-linear refers to the axial shape of the channel being something other than a straight line (e.g., a meandering line, an arc, a circle, an ellipse, a polygon, or a portion thereof). In addition, the channel 14 may have its internal and/or external walls coated with an insulating layer, dielectric layer, a semiconductor layer, and/or a conductive layer.
The magnetizing-doped droplet 18 is contained in the channel 14 and the one or more windings 16 are proximally positioned to the channel 16 (e.g., on one or more surfaces of the channel). As shown in
As an example, magnetizing-doped droplet 18 is a solution that includes suspending ferrite particles (or magnetic particles) and its shape, size, and/or position changes in the presence of a force 22 (e.g., electric field, magnetic field, compression, actuation, heat, etc.). For example, with a minimal (or inactive) force applied, the droplet 18 is in a contracted shape, which provides a first core property for a liquid MEMS inductor or transformer (i.e., the droplet 18 has the first shape, size, and/or positioning with respect to the winding(s) 16). When a sufficiently large (or active) force 22 is applied, the shape, size, and/or position of the droplet 18 change, which changes the core properties of the inductor or transformer (e.g., changes an electromagnetic property of the liquid MEMS magnetic component). Note that for a solenoid inductor, inductance is L=μ0μrN2(A/l), where L is inductance, μ0 is the magnetic constant, μr is the relative permeability of the material within the solenoid, N is the number of turns, A is the cross-sectional area of the solenoid, and 1 is the length of the winding. As such, by changing the core properties of the magnetic component (e.g., changing the relative permeability within a range of an air core to an iron core by modifying the size, shape, and/or position of the droplet 18), its inductance is changed.
To further enhance the difference between the droplets, the liquid solution of each droplet may be different such that they react differently to the force. For example, the liquid solution of droplet 18-1 has a first density and the liquid solution of droplet 18-2 has a second density such that each reacts differently to an applied force (e.g., compression, heat, actuator, etc.).
While the droplets 18-1 and 18-2 are shown to be side-by-side in the channel, they may have a different orientation with respect to one another. For example, the droplets 18-1 and 18-2 may be stacked as opposed to side-by-side. As another example, a barrier physically separates the droplets 18-1 and 18-2 such that the droplets remain side-by-side or stacked. As yet another example, the densities of the droplets are different to maintain a physical separation.
As shown in
In an example of operation, the activating module 42, which may be an actuator or pump, injects the magnetizing-doped solution 46 from the reservoir 44 into a least a portion of one or more channels 48. For example, the activating module 42 may inject, or pump, the magnetizing-doped solution 46 into one channel 48 to partially fill it or to fully fill it. As another example, the activating module 42 may inject, or pump, the magnetizing-doped solution 46 into two channels 48 to partially fill each, to fully fill each, or to partially fill one and fully fill the other. As the droplet 18 fills one or more channels, it changes the relative permeability of the magnetic component, which changes one or more properties of the magnetic component (e.g., changes inductance, magnetic coupling, saturation level, etc.).
In an example of operation, one or more of the liquid MEMS switches 52 is activated to couple one or more of the winding segments 54 in series with one or more other winding segments 54 to produce a winding. The winding may be a winding of an inductor or a winding of a transformer. One or more of the winding segments 54 may be implemented as previously discussed to provide further programming capabilities or tuning of the magnetic component.
In an example of operation, one or more of the liquid MEMS switches 52 is activated to couple one or more of the winding segments 54 in series and/or in parallel with one or more other winding segments 54 to produce a winding. In this manner, the winding elements 54 are coupled together to produce a desired shape, a desired thickness, a desired number of turns, and/or a desired length of a winding. The winding may be a winding of an inductor or a winding of a transformer. One or more of the winding segments 54 may be implemented as previously discussed to provide further programming capabilities or tuning of the magnetic component.
In another example of operation, the liquid MEMS switches 52 are activated to couple the winding segments 54 in series and/or in parallel to produce two windings. In this manner, the winding elements 54 are coupled together to produce a desired shape, a desired thickness, a desired number of turns, and/or a desired length for each of the windings.
In an alternate embodiment, the switch 52 is a single pole single throw switch, which may be used for the switches of
While the liquid MEMS magnetic component 10 has been discussed as being implemented on a board 16, it could be implemented on an integrated circuit (IC) die. A liquid MEMS magnetic component 10 implemented on a board versus an IC die may be tens, hundreds, or thousands of times larger allowing for larger inductors and/or transformers to be implemented on a board versus the IC die. Nevertheless, there may certain applications where implementing the liquid MEMS magnetic component on one or more IC dies is more desirable than implementing the magnetic component on a board. In other applications, it may be desirable to implement a primary winding of transformer on a board and one or more secondary windings on one or more IC dies.
As may be used herein, the terms “substantially” and “approximately” provides an industry-accepted tolerance for its corresponding term and/or relativity between items. Such an industry-accepted tolerance ranges from less than one percent to fifty percent and corresponds to, but is not limited to, component values, integrated circuit process variations, temperature variations, rise and fall times, and/or thermal noise. Such relativity between items ranges from a difference of a few percent to magnitude differences. As may also be used herein, the term(s) “operably coupled to”, “coupled to”, and/or “coupling” includes direct coupling between items and/or indirect coupling between items via an intervening item (e.g., an item includes, but is not limited to, a component, an element, a circuit, and/or a module) where, for indirect coupling, the intervening item does not modify the information of a signal but may adjust its current level, voltage level, and/or power level. As may further be used herein, inferred coupling (i.e., where one element is coupled to another element by inference) includes direct and indirect coupling between two items in the same manner as “coupled to”. As may even further be used herein, the term “operable to” or “operably coupled to” indicates that an item includes one or more of power connections, input(s), output(s), etc., to perform, when activated, one or more its corresponding functions and may further include inferred coupling to one or more other items. As may still further be used herein, the term “associated with”, includes direct and/or indirect coupling of separate items and/or one item being embedded within another item. As may be used herein, the term “compares favorably”, indicates that a comparison between two or more items, signals, etc., provides a desired relationship. For example, when the desired relationship is that signal 1 has a greater magnitude than signal 2, a favorable comparison may be achieved when the magnitude of signal 1 is greater than that of signal 2 or when the magnitude of signal 2 is less than that of signal 1.
As may also be used herein, the terms “processing module”, “processing circuit”, and/or “processing unit” may be a single processing device or a plurality of processing devices. Such a processing device may be a microprocessor, micro-controller, digital signal processor, microcomputer, central processing unit, field programmable gate array, programmable logic device, state machine, logic circuitry, analog circuitry, digital circuitry, and/or any device that manipulates signals (analog and/or digital) based on hard coding of the circuitry and/or operational instructions. The processing module, module, processing circuit, and/or processing unit may be, or further include, memory and/or an integrated memory element, which may be a single memory device, a plurality of memory devices, and/or embedded circuitry of another processing module, module, processing circuit, and/or processing unit. Such a memory device may be a read-only memory, random access memory, volatile memory, non-volatile memory, static memory, dynamic memory, flash memory, cache memory, and/or any device that stores digital information. Note that if the processing module, module, processing circuit, and/or processing unit includes more than one processing device, the processing devices may be centrally located (e.g., directly coupled together via a wired and/or wireless bus structure) or may be distributedly located (e.g., cloud computing via indirect coupling via a local area network and/or a wide area network). Further note that if the processing module, module, processing circuit, and/or processing unit implements one or more of its functions via a state machine, analog circuitry, digital circuitry, and/or logic circuitry, the memory and/or memory element storing the corresponding operational instructions may be embedded within, or external to, the circuitry comprising the state machine, analog circuitry, digital circuitry, and/or logic circuitry. Still further note that, the memory element may store, and the processing module, module, processing circuit, and/or processing unit executes, hard coded and/or operational instructions corresponding to at least some of the steps and/or functions illustrated in one or more of the Figures. Such a memory device or memory element can be included in an article of manufacture.
The present invention has been described above with the aid of method steps illustrating the performance of specified functions and relationships thereof. The boundaries and sequence of these functional building blocks and method steps have been arbitrarily defined herein for convenience of description. Alternate boundaries and sequences can be defined so long as the specified functions and relationships are appropriately performed. Any such alternate boundaries or sequences are thus within the scope and spirit of the claimed invention. Further, the boundaries of these functional building blocks have been arbitrarily defined for convenience of description. Alternate boundaries could be defined as long as the certain significant functions are appropriately performed. Similarly, flow diagram blocks may also have been arbitrarily defined herein to illustrate certain significant functionality. To the extent used, the flow diagram block boundaries and sequence could have been defined otherwise and still perform the certain significant functionality. Such alternate definitions of both functional building blocks and flow diagram blocks and sequences are thus within the scope and spirit of the claimed invention. One of average skill in the art will also recognize that the functional building blocks, and other illustrative blocks, modules and components herein, can be implemented as illustrated or by discrete components, application specific integrated circuits, processors executing appropriate software and the like or any combination thereof.
The present invention may have also been described, at least in part, in terms of one or more embodiments. An embodiment of the present invention is used herein to illustrate the present invention, an aspect thereof, a feature thereof, a concept thereof, and/or an example thereof. A physical embodiment of an apparatus, an article of manufacture, a machine, and/or of a process that embodies the present invention may include one or more of the aspects, features, concepts, examples, etc. described with reference to one or more of the embodiments discussed herein. Further, from figure to figure, the embodiments may incorporate the same or similarly named functions, steps, modules, etc. that may use the same or different reference numbers and, as such, the functions, steps, modules, etc. may be the same or similar functions, steps, modules, etc. or different ones.
While the transistors in the above described figure(s) is/are shown as field effect transistors (FETs), as one of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate, the transistors may be implemented using any type of transistor structure including, but not limited to, bipolar, metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistors (MOSFET), N-well transistors, P-well transistors, enhancement mode, depletion mode, and zero voltage threshold (VT) transistors.
Unless specifically stated to the contra, signals to, from, and/or between elements in a figure of any of the figures presented herein may be analog or digital, continuous time or discrete time, and single-ended or differential. For instance, if a signal path is shown as a single-ended path, it also represents a differential signal path. Similarly, if a signal path is shown as a differential path, it also represents a single-ended signal path. While one or more particular architectures are described herein, other architectures can likewise be implemented that use one or more data buses not expressly shown, direct connectivity between elements, and/or indirect coupling between other elements as recognized by one of average skill in the art.
The term “module” is used in the description of the various embodiments of the present invention. A module includes a processing module, a functional block, hardware, and/or software stored on memory for performing one or more functions as may be described herein. Note that, if the module is implemented via hardware, the hardware may operate independently and/or in conjunction software and/or firmware. As used herein, a module may contain one or more sub-modules, each of which may be one or more modules.
While particular combinations of various functions and features of the present invention have been expressly described herein, other combinations of these features and functions are likewise possible. The present invention is not limited by the particular examples disclosed herein and expressly incorporates these other combinations.
The present U.S. Utility Patent Application claims priority pursuant to 35 U.S.C. §119(e) to U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/699,183, entitled “Liquid Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) Devices and Applications,” filed Sep. 10, 2012, pending, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety and made part of the present U.S. Utility Patent Application for all purposes.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61699183 | Sep 2012 | US |
