A variable inductor which comprises a primary conductor, first and second secondary conductors and one or more switch. The primary conductor has a first node and a second node, wherein the first node is used to connect a first external component and the second node is used to connect a second external component. The first and second secondary conductors magnetically couple to the primary conductor. The one or more switch has two sides connected to the first or second secondary conductor, respectively. The first and second secondary conductors are formed a single-loop structure with two or more changeable current paths which are operated by the states of the one or more switch. An integrated circuit using the variable inductor is also introduced.

A tunable inductor arrangement includes a first winding part connected at one end to a first input of the inductor arrangement, a second winding part connected at one end to the other end of the first winding part, a third winding part connected at one end to a second input of the inductor arrangement, and a fourth winding part connected at one end to the other end of the third winding part. For tuning, the inductor arrangement includes a switch arrangement switchable between a first setting series-connecting the first and third winding parts between the inputs, and a second setting series-connecting the first, second, fourth and third winding parts between the inputs. The first and third winding parts are arranged on a chip or substrate with essentially common magnetic fields, and the second and fourth winding parts are arranged to cancel electro-magnetic coupling with the first and third winding parts.

A semiconductor device includes a first conductive winding over a first substrate. The semiconductor device further includes a second substrate bonded to the first substrate. The semiconductor device further includes a switch in the second substrate. The semiconductor device further includes an inter-level via (ILV) in the second substrate. The semiconductor device further includes a second conductive winding over the second substrate, wherein the second conductive winding includes a conductive line around a central opening, the switch is electrically connected to the second conductive winding on a first side of the opening, and the ILV is electrically connected to the second conductive winding on a second side of the opening opposite the first side.

A tunable inductor arrangeable on a chip or substrate comprises a first winding part connected at one end to a first input of the tunable inductor arrangement, a second winding part connected at one end to the other end of the first winding part, a third winding part connected at one end to a second input of the tunable inductor arrangement, a fourth winding part connected at one end to the other end of the third winding part, and a switch arrangement arranged. The switch arrangement tunes the tunable inductor by selectively connecting the first and fourth winding parts in parallel and the second and third winding parts in parallel, with the parallel couplings in series between the first and second inputs, or connecting the first, second, fourth and third winding parts in series between the first and second inputs. Corresponding transceivers, communication devices, methods and computer programs are disclosed.

A tunable inductor arrangement includes a first winding part connected at one end to a first input of the inductor arrangement, a second winding part connected at one end to the other end of the first winding part, a third winding part connected at one end to a second input of the inductor arrangement, and a fourth winding part connected at one end to the other end of the third winding part. For tuning, the inductor arrangement includes a switch arrangement switchable between a first setting series-connecting the first and third winding parts between the inputs, and a second setting series-connecting the first, second, fourth and third winding parts between the inputs. The first and third winding parts are arranged on a chip or substrate with essentially common magnetic fields, and the second and fourth winding parts are arranged to cancel electro-magnetic coupling with the first and third winding parts.

Directing an electrostatic discharge received via a conductive pad through a multi-tap inductor having a signal path connecting the conductive pad to a signal processing circuit, the multi-tap inductor having a sequence of taps located at positions along a signal path from the conductive pad to the signal processing circuit, distributing the electrostatic discharge as a plurality of currents through the sequence of taps, wherein magnitudes of the plurality of currents are controlled by current-distribution resistors connected to respective taps of the sequence of taps, and dissipating the plurality of currents using a plurality of electrostatic discharge (ESD) circuits connected to the plurality of current-distribution resistors.

The present disclosure describes aspects of a switchable inductor network for wideband circuits. In some aspects, the switchable inductor network provides selectable inductance. The switchable inductor network includes a first coil and a second coil that includes a first inductive segment and a second inductive segment. Connection points of the second coil connect the second coil across a portion of the first coil. The switchable inductor network also includes a switch connected between the first inductive segment and the second inductive segment of the second coil. The switch is configured to change the selectable inductance of the switchable inductor network by selectively coupling the first inductive segment to the second inductive segment of the second coil in response to a control signal.

An electrical device comprises a substrate, a first dielectric layer, a first die, an adjustable inductor and a second die. The substrate has a first surface. The first dielectric layer is disposed on the first surface of the substrate and has a first surface. The first die is surrounded by the first dielectric layer. The adjustable inductor is electrically connected to the first die. The adjustable inductor comprises a plurality of pillars surrounded by the first dielectric layer, a plurality of first metal strips disposed on the first surface of the first dielectric layer and electrically connected to the pillars, and a plurality of second metal strips disposed on the first surface of the first dielectric layer and electrically connected to the pillars. A width of at least one of the second metal strips is different than a width of at least one of the first metal strips. The second die is electrically connected to the adjustable inductor.

A transformer-based balun circuit is disclosed herein. The balun can be implemented using a spiral transformer, where primary and secondary transformer windings can be inductively coupled and can be implemented on the same metal layer (or different metal layers, e.g. vertically adjacent metal layers). The balun can further include a compensation capacitor and a digital frequency tuning circuit. The compensation capacitor can be introduced at one of the differential terminals to reduce or suppress the amplitude and phase imbalance. The digital frequency tuning circuit can be a switchable bank of capacitors, which allows for tuning the frequency of operation of the transformer-based balun.

An integrated circuit structure includes a substrate, an integrated inductor, multiple components, multiple metal interconnections, a first shielding structure, and a second shielding structure. The integrated inductor is substantially formed in a first layer of the integrated circuit structure. The metal interconnections are coupled to the integrated inductor and the components. The first shielding structure is formed between the first layer and the substrate and is substantially beneath the integrated inductor. The second shielding structure is formed between the first layer and the substrate, has substantially the same distribution as the metal interconnections, and is substantially beneath the metal interconnections. The first shielding structure and the second shielding structure are equipotential.