Abstract: In an embodiment of the present invention is provided a varactor comprising a substrate, a plurality of bottom electrodes positioned on a surface of the substrate separated to form a gap therein, a tunable dielectric material positioned on the surface of the substrate and within the gap, the tunable dielectric at least partially overlaying the plurality of electrodes, and a top electrode in contact with the tunable dielectric.

Abstract: In an embodiment of the present invention is provided a varactor comprising a substrate, a plurality of bottom electrodes positioned on a surface of the substrate separated to form a gap therein, a tunable dielectric material positioned on the surface of the substrate and within the gap, the tunable dielectric at least partially overlaying the plurality of electrodes, and a top electrode in contact with the tunable dielectric.

Abstract: An embodiment of the present invention provides a method of modeling electrostrictive effects and acoustic resonances in a tunable capacitor, comprising adjusting empirically the characteristic impedances and complex propagation constants to account for actual process variations in manufacturing of the tunable capacitor; adjusting empirically the characteristic impedances and complex propagation constants to account for end-effects in the directions transversal to the wave direction; and modeling the electrostrictive effect by dividing a BST layer of the tunable capacitor into thin layers or slices with each slice's thickness representing a small fraction of an acoustic wavelength and injecting at each junction between slices, an acoustic current proportional to the electrical current through the voltage tunable capacitor.

Abstract: An embodiment of the present invention provides a method of mitigating third order inter-modulation distortion in electronic circuits, comprising estimating an IP3 of the circuits using an empirical equation which includes at least one or more of the factors IP3˜IP3o?20 log Q+10 log F+10 log C?17.3 log k dBm and optimizing one or more of the factors such that the third order inter-modulation distortion is mitigated.

Abstract: An embodiment of the present invention provides a method of modeling electrostrictive effects and acoustic resonances in a tunable capacitor, comprising adjusting empirically the characteristic impedances and complex propagation constants to account for actual process variations in manufacturing of said tunable capacitor; adjusting empirically the characteristic impedances and complex propagation constants to account for end-effects in the directions transversal to the wave direction; and modeling the electrostrictive effect by dividing a BST layer of said tunable capacitor into thin layers or slices with each slice's thickness representing a small fraction of an acoustic wavelength and injecting at each junction between slices, an acoustic “current” proportional to the electrical current through said voltage tunable capacitor.

Abstract: An embodiment of the present invention provides a method of mitigating third order inter-modulation distortion in electronic circuits, comprising estimating an IP3 of the circuits using an empirical equation which includes at least one or more of the factors IP3˜IP3o?20 log Q+10 log F+10 log C?17.3 log k dBm and optimizing one or more of the factors such that the third order inter-modulation distortion is mitigated.

Abstract: An embodiment of the present invention provides an RFID tag reading system, comprising an antenna system associated with a portal through which said RFID tag may pass, said antenna system comprising: a plurality of non-uniformly spaced antenna elements arranged substantially linearly; a power divider for dividing transmit power thereby coupling signals to said plurality of antenna elements; and a beamforming network capable of phase shifting the signals between the power divider and the plurality of antenna elements such that radiated signals from each antenna element add coherently such that the radiated electromagnetic energy is focused at a focal point in the near field region or in the Fresnel region of said antenna system.

Abstract: An apparatus capable of tracking a target, comprising at least one near-field focused antenna comprising an array of elements and a phase shifter to form multiple fixed beams in the near-field, a sensor capable of sensing the location of the target, and a controller capable of accepting position information and capable of activating the proper fixed beam along a course so as to enable the near-field focused beams to track the target. The array of elements may be substantially linear and the sensor may be optical, mechanical, thermal, or sonic position detection subsystems.

Abstract: An embodiment of the present invention provides an apparatus, comprising a voltage tunable capacitor including a substrate, wherein a surface of the substrate opposite the voltage tunable capacitor is made physically rough such that reflections off a surface internal to the substrate are scattered and dissipated. The surface of the substrate opposite the voltage tunable capacitor may be made physically rough by using abrasion or other mechanical techniques or may be made physically rough by creating a rough surface through deposition of a material on the surface in a non-uniform manner such as evaporating a rough metal or dielectric. Further, the surface of the substrate opposite the voltage tunable capacitor may be made physically rough by plating metals under what would otherwise be considered a poor plating condition leading to a rough surface.

Abstract: An embodiment of the present invention provides an apparatus, comprising a tunable filter with a plurality of bond wires connecting voltage tunable dielectric capacitors to an RF ground and serving as inductors, wherein inductive coupling between the plurality of bond wires serve as coupling between resonators within the tunable filter. The voltage tunable dielectric capacitors may be integrated onto a single MgO chip thereby providing a complete set of tunable capacitors for a filter circuit in a low cost, compact package.

Abstract: An embodiment of the present invention provides an apparatus, comprising a software controllable phased-array antenna with voltage tunable dielectric materials embodied therein enabling the concentration of RF energy from a transmitting wireless station (STA) into the direction of a receiving STA. An embodiment of the present invention my further comprise controlling software embodied within a Medium Access Control layer (MAC) of a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) system with which the apparatus is a part of, wherein the controlling software may control the concentration of RF energy from a transmitting STA into the direction of a receiving STA, thereby allowing higher data rates and higher data throughput to be achieved by the WLAN system.

Abstract: An embodiment of the present invention provides an RFID tag reading system, comprising an antenna system associated with a portal through which said RFID tag may pass, said antenna system comprising: a plurality of non-uniformly spaced antenna elements arranged substantially linearly; a power divider for dividing transmit power thereby coupling signals to said plurality of antenna elements; and a beamforming network capable of phase shifting the signals between the power divider and the plurality of antenna elements such that radiated signals from each antenna element add coherently such that the radiated electromagnetic energy is focused at a focal point in the near field region or in the Fresnel region of said antenna system.

Abstract: A packaged semiconductor chip comprising a first semiconductor chip 120 having an upwardly-facing front face 145, a downwardly-facing rear face 155, edges 160 bounding the faces and contacts 150 exposed at the front surface 145, the first semiconductor chip 120 including active components. The packaged semiconductor chip 100 further includes a connecting element 105 which may include passive components, the connecting element 105 may be electrically connected to at least some of the contacts 150, the connecting element 105 overlying the front face 145 of the first chip 120 and projecting outwardly beyond the edges 160 of the first chip 120.