Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Comp. Ltd.

Yi-Hsuan Liu

Hsieh-Hung Hsieh

Chewn-Pu Jou

Fu-Lung Hsueh

Tzu-Jin Yeh

Kuang-Kai Yen

Tsung-Hsiung Li

Huan-Neng Chen

Wei-Li Chen

Yung-Hsu Chuang

Tsung-Hsiung Lee

Fan-ming Kuo

Chiao-Han Lee

Shih-Hung Lan

Shi-Hung Wang

A method using a phase locked loop (PLL) includes receiving a reference frequency. The method further includes generating a control signal based on the reference frequency. The method further includes adjusting an output signal based on the control signal. Adjusting the output signal includes operating a plurality of switches in response to the control signal, wherein operating the plurality of switches comprises selectively electrically connecting a first ground plane to a first floating plane, wherein the first floating plane is between the first ground plane and the signal line, and the first floating plane is a same distance from a substrate as the first ground plane.

Method of using varainductor having ground and floating planes

A varainductor includes a signal line over a substrate. The varainductor further includes a first ground plane over the substrate. The varainductor further includes a first floating plane over the substrate, wherein the first floating plane is between the first ground plane and the signal line, and the first floating plane is a same distance from the substrate as the first ground plane. The varainductor further includes a first transistor configured to selectively electrically connect the first ground plane to the first floating plane. The varainductor further includes a second transistor configured to selectively electrically connect the first ground plane to the first floating plane, wherein a gate of the first transistor is connected to a gate of the second transistor.

Varainductor having ground and floating planes and method of using

A varainductor includes a signal line, a ground plane, and a floating plane over a substrate. The ground plane is disposed on a side of the signal line, and the first floating plane is disposed between the ground plane and the signal line. An array of switches includes at least two switches configured to selectively electrically connect the ground plane to the floating plane.

Varainductor having ground and floating planes

A semiconductor wafer includes a plurality of dies and at least one test probe. Each of the plurality of dies includes a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag circuit. The at least one test probe includes a plurality of probe pads. The plurality of probe pads is configured to transmit power signals and data to each of the plurality of dies, and to receive test results from each of the plurality of dies. The data are transmitted to each of the plurality of dies in a serial manner. The test results of each of the plurality of dies are also transmitted to the plurality of probe pads in a serial manner.

Method and apparatus for RFID tag testing

A varainductor including a signal line disposed over a substrate. The varainductor further includes a first ground plane over the substrate, the first ground plane disposed on a first side of the signal line, and a second ground plane over the substrate, the second ground plane disposed on a second side of the signal line opposite the first side of the signal line. The varainductor further includes a first floating plane over the substrate, the first floating plane disposed between the first ground plane and the signal line, and a second floating plane over the substrate, the second floating plane disposed between the second ground plane and the signal line. The varainductor further includes an array of switches, the array of switches is configured to selectively connect the first ground plane to the first floating plane, and to selectively connect the second ground plane to the second floating plane.

Varainductor, voltage controlled oscillator including the varainductor, and phase locked loop including the varainductor

A low noise amplifier (LNA) includes a first transistor and a second transistor. A source of the second transistor is connected to a drain of the first transistor. The LNA further includes a feedback transformer. A gate of the first transistor is connected to a primary winding of the feedback transformer and a gate of the second transistor is connected to a secondary winding of the feedback transformer.

Low noise amplifier having transformer feedback and method of using the same

A varainductor includes a spiral inductor, a ground ring, and a floating ring. The floating ring is disposed between the ground ring and the spiral inductor and surrounds a ring portion of the spiral inductor. A switching element, controlled by a switch control signal, selectively electrically connects the ground ring to the floating ring. The switching element includes one or more switches. The one or more switches are controlled by one or more signals of the switch control signal to adjust the inductance level of the varainductor.

Varainductor and operation method thereof based on mutual capacitance

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.

Phase locked loop including a varainductor

The present disclosure relates to a FinFET varactor circuit having one or more control elements that control a relationship between capacitance and voltage of a FinFET MOS varactor without introducing changes to process parameters used in fabrication of the FinFET MOS varactor. In some embodiments, the FinFET varactor circuit has a FinFET MOS varactor with a first terminal connected to a gate terminal of the FinFET MOS varactor and a second terminal connected to connected source and drain terminals of the FinFET MOS varactor. One or more control elements are connected to the first or second terminals of the FinFET MOS varactor and vary one or more operating characteristics of the FinFET MOS varactor. Using the control elements to vary the operating characteristics of the FinFET MOS varactor, allows for the characteristics to be adjusted without making changes to process parameters used in the fabrication of the FinFET MOS varactor.

FinFET varactor

An integrated circuit includes a first chip and a second chip coupled to the first chip in a vertical stack. The first chip includes a radio frequency circuit and a first coil electrically coupled to the radio frequency circuit. The second chip includes a calibration circuit and a second coil electrically coupled to the calibration circuit. The calibration circuit is configured to calibrate the radio frequency circuit disposed on the first chip through inductive coupling between the first and second coils.

RF calibration through-chip inductive coupling

A semiconductor wafer includes a plurality of dies. Each of the plurality of dies includes a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag circuit and a coil. The RFID tag circuit includes a tag core, an RF front-end circuit, an ID decoder, a comparator and conductive line for a unique ID. The RF front-end circuit is configured to receive electromagnetic signals through the coil in each of the plurality of dies and to convert the received electromagnetic signals into commands. The ID decoder is configured to receive the commands and to generate an expect ID. The comparator is configured to compare the unique ID with the expect ID to generate a comparison result. The comparison result is arranged to decide if the tag core is configured to receive commands.

Method and apparatus of RFID tag contactless testing

A low-noise amplifier includes a first transistor having a gate configured to receive an oscillating input signal and a source coupled to ground. A second transistor has a source coupled to a drain of the first transistor, a gate coupled to a bias voltage, and a drain coupled to an output node. At least one of the first and second transistors includes a floating deep n-well that is coupled to an isolation circuit.

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Hualien, Taiwan

Yi-Hsuan Liu