Oscillators – Solid state active element oscillator – Transistors
Reexamination Certificate
1999-04-13
2001-02-13
Mis, David (Department: 2817)
Oscillators
Solid state active element oscillator
Transistors
C331S096000, C331S1170FE, C331S17700V, C331S179000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06188295
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to the configuration and method of manufacturing an electronic device. More particularly, this invention relates to a new configuration and method of manufacturing a miniaturized voltage control oscillator by multiple-layered micro-strips wherein simple manufacture steps can be employed to increase or decrease the frequency without impacting other electrical performance characteristics.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Once an electronic device is manufactured with all the circuit elements connected according to certain design with specific predefined configuration, there is generally very little flexibility to change the performance characteristics by changing the interconnected circuit elements. Difficulties often arise when fine-tuning of the performance characteristics is still necessary to satisfy the design specification. The results of the performance tests conducted on the “finished product” of the device may not entirely conform to the requirements demanded by the specification. Furthermore, performance characteristics are often altered as the results of variations of size, dimensions, statistical variations of functional parameters of the circuit elements or due to changes of the conditions of the manufacture processes. The demand for fining tuning and adjustment is necessary to overcome these uncertainty and unpredictability in the manufacture processes. One specific adjustment is related to the fine-tuning of the frequency of a voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO). Simple and convenient methods without significant alternation to the configuration of the oscillator is required to provide voltage control oscillator (VCO) at reasonably low production cost while maintaining high degree of reliability for a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) manufactured with improved miniaturized configurations.
In a co-pending patent application filed by the Applicants of this invention, an improved circuit configuration is disclosed to miniaturize a voltage-controlled oscillator. In order to reduce the size of an oscillator an improved inductor must be provided. An inductor incorporated in an oscillator by applying a surface mounted device (SMD) technology provides the advantage of size-reduction. However, the manufacture process implemented with a SMD technology is more expensive and causes the production of the oscillator to increase. Therefore, a new configuration with multiple layers of conductive micro-strips is disclosed in the co-pending Application to provide an inductor employed in the VCO. Thus, the new VCO significantly reduces the size, the thickness and the weight of the electronic device. Meanwhile, an oscillator produced with simplified manufacturing processes with high reliability at low cost is disclosed in the co-pending application Ser. No. 09/089,269 filed on Jun. 2, 1998. However, after completion of the manufacturing processes, a fine tuning to adjust the oscillator's frequency is still required due to variations of circuit parameters as discussed above.
Therefore, an improved device configuration and manufacturing process is still required to simplify the process of fine-tuning for frequency adjustment operations. This simplified frequency adjustment process must be provided without significantly change the configuration of the circuit connections of the oscillator. It is further desirable that the simplified frequency adjustment processes can be carried out without requiring expensive equipment or complicated test procedures such that the production processes can be conveniently carried out using significantly less time to further reduce the production cost of the assembled systems.
SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a novel frequency tuning configuration for manufacturing a voltage control oscillator with reduced size and simplified manufacturing such that the aforementioned limitations and difficulties encountered in the prior art can be overcome.
Specifically, it is an object of the present invention to provide a novel configuration for manufacturing and assembling an electronic device by overlapping multiple layers of conductive foils with insulation layer provided with through holes filled with conductive materials to interconnect circuits distributed over several layers. The frequency fining tuning is achieved by cutting open conductive segments to function as capacitors or by partially cutting a conductive strips to function as inductors thus decreasing or increasing the frequency.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a novel configuration and assembling process for interconnecting circuit elements disposed in a multi-layer assembly connected with patterned conductive foils as micro-strips. The size, height and weight of the electronic assembly are reduced and cost savings are achieved with simplified manufacturing processes.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a novel configuration and assembling process for interconnecting circuit elements disposed in a multi-layer assembly connected with patterned conductive foils as micro-strips. The processes for fine tuning the performance characteristics are simplified by making minor variation to the size and shapes of the micro strips. The variations may include cutting transmission lines into separate segments to decrease the capacitance of cutting partially into the transmission lines to increase the inductance.
According to the present invention, a compact oscillator device is disclosed that includes at least an inductor, a resistor, a transistor and a capacitor interconnected for providing an oscillation function. The oscillator device is formed with a first conductive layer patterned as transmission strips to interconnect the circuit elements of capacitor, resistor and transistor. The oscillator device then includes a second conductive layer patterned as inductive circuit The oscillator device further includes a first ground layer for electrically connecting to the first and the second conductive layers for providing a ground voltage. There are insulation layers placed between the conductive layers and the ground layers. The insulation layers are formed with through holes filled with conductive fillers to serve as via-connection between circuit elements provided on several layers. The insulation layers may be formed with FR4 insulating material.
Briefly, in a preferred embodiment, the present invention discloses an electronic device formed by interconnecting a plurality of circuit elements. The electronic device includes a first patterned conductive layer constituting micro-strips for interconnecting the plurality of circuit elements. And, one of the micro-strips constituting an open-transmission line having a first end connected to a capacitor and a second end as an open-end, wherein the open transmission line is cut into separate segments for adjusting capacitance of the electronic device.
In another preferred embodiment, this invention discloses an electronic device formed by interconnecting a plurality of circuit elements. The electronic device includes a first patterned conductive layer constituting micro-strips for interconnecting the plurality of circuit elements. And, one of the micro-strips constituting a capacitor-connection line for interconnecting two capacitors wherein the capacitor connection line is cut partially for providing a serially connected inductance coupling to the capacitors.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will no doubt become obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art after having read the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment which is illustrated in the various drawing figures.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4758922 (1988-07-01), Ishigaki et al.
patent: 5227739 (1993-07-01), Mandai et al.
patent: 5852388 (1998-12-01), Nakai et al.
Delta Electronics , Inc.
Lin Bo-In
Mis David
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