Method and apparatus capable of mitigating third order inter-modulation distortion in electronic circuits

1. A method of mitigating third order inter-modulation distortion in electronic circuits, comprising:

estimating an IP3 of said 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 said factors such that the third order inter-modulation distortion is mitigated.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein IP3o is related to the second and higher order derivatives of a C=f(V) function of a Varactor such that when these derivatives are reduced or tend towards zero, IP3o is increased or tends to infinity thereby optimizing IP3o.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the magnitude of said derivatives are reduced by stretching said C=f(V) function over a wider voltage range by increasing a gap between electrodes of said varactor thereby making the Varactor less tunable.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the magnitude of said derivatives are reduced by stretching said C=f(V) function over a wider voltage range by altering the composition of the tunable dielectric material of said varactor thereby making the Varactor less tunable.

5. The method of claim 2 , wherein the magnitude of said derivatives are reduced by stretching said C=f(V) function over a wider voltage range by applying a DC bias electric field vector in a direction not parallel to an RF electric field within tunable dielectric material in said varactor.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising additional terminals for said DC bias such that said RF fields are not affected by their presence by making them thin and perpendicular to said RF electric field and/or making them of high resistance material.

7. The method of claim 2 , wherein the magnitude of said derivatives are reduced by operating the varactor at a bias condition where the C=f(V) function has an inflection point.

8. The method of claim 2 , wherein the magnitude of said derivatives are reduced by Operating MEMS voltage tunable capacitors at RF voltage swings smaller than the magnitude of the bias voltage changes required to overcome the mechanical stiction of the moving parts of the MEMS voltage tunable capacitors.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein said optimizing one or more of said factors is done by minimizing 20 log Q by minimizing the reactive component of impedances in the area of the Varactor in the Circuit.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein said optimizing one or more of said factors is done by maximizing 10 log F by designing a frequency plan of a system such that the intermediate frequency at which voltage tuning is to be implemented is chosen to be as high as possible.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein said optimizing one or more of said factors is done by maximizing 10 log C by one or more of the following methods:

designing the circuit for large C value Varactors, each varactor having a high capacitance, C by scaling the impedances in the Circuit to low levels and arranging for the appropriate impedance matching at the RF port(s); or

designing the circuit for large C value, with a high C value obtained by connecting two or more Varactors in parallel by scaling the impedances in the Circuit to low levels and arranging for the appropriate impedance matching at the RF port(s); or

designing the Circuit for low capacitance value, with a high C value obtained by connecting two or more Varactors in series by scaling the impedances in the Circuit to high levels and arranging for the appropriate impedance matching at the RF port(s); or

designing the circuit for medium capacitance value, with a high C value obtained by connecting three or more Varactors in a series/parallel combination.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein said optimizing one or more of said factors is done by minimizing 17.3 log k by one or more of the following methods:

coupling said varactor lightly into a resonator if a resonator is present in said circuit thereby yielding a low k value; or

connecting a non-tuning capacitor in series with said varactor; or

connecting a non-tuning capacitor in parallel with the varactor.

13. An apparatus, comprising:

at least one electronic circuit, said electronic circuit potentially including third order inter-modulation distortion, wherein said apparatus is capable of mitigating said inter-modulation distortion by:

estimating an IP3 of said at least one circuit 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 said factors such that the third order inter-modulation distortion is mitigated.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein IP3o is related to the second and higher order derivatives of a C=f(V) function of a Varactor such that when these derivatives are reduced or tend towards zero, IP3o is increased or tends to infinity thereby optimizing IP3o.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the magnitude of said derivatives are reduced by stretching said C=f(V) function over a wider voltage range by increasing a gap between electrodes of said varactor thereby making the Varactor less tunable.

16. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the magnitude of said derivatives are reduced by stretching said C=f(V) function over a wider voltage range by altering the composition of the tunable dieleciric material of said varactor thereby making the Varactor less tunable.

17. The apparatus of 14 , wherein the magnitude of said derivatives are reduced by stretching said C=f(V) function over a wider voltage range by applying a DC bias electric field in a direction perpendicular to an RF electric field within tunable dielectric material in said varactor.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 , further comprising additional terminals for said DC bias such that said RF fields are not affected by their presence by making them thin and perpendicular to said RF electric field and/or making them of high resistance material.

19. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the magnitude of said derivatives are reduced by operating the varactor at a bias condition where the C=f(V) function has an inflection point.

20. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the magnitude of said derivatives are reduced by Operating MEMS voltage tunable capacitors at RF voltage swings smaller than the magnitude of the bias voltage changes required to overcome the mechanical stiction of the moving parts of the MEMS voltage tunable capacitors.

21. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein said optimizing one or more of said factors is done by minimizing 20 log Q by minimizing the reactive component of impedances in the area of the Varactor in the Circuit.

22. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein said optimizing one or more of said factors is done by maximizing 10 log F by designing a frequency plan of a system such that the intermediate frequency at which voltage tuning is to be implemented is chosen to be as high as possible.

23. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein said optimizing one or more of said factors is done by maximizing 10 log C by one of the following methods:

designing the circuit for large C value Varactors, each varactor having a high capacitance, C by scaling the impedances in the Circuit to low levels and arranging for the appropriate impedance matching at the RF port(s); or

designing the circuit for large C value, with a high C value obtained by connecting two or more Varactors in parallel by scaling the impedances in the Circuit to low levels and arranging for the appropriate impedance matching at the RF port(s); or

designing the Circuit for low capacitance value, with a high C value obtained by connecting two or more Varactors in series by scaling the impedances in the Circuit to high levels and arranging for the appropriate impedance matching at the RF port(s); or

designing the circuit for medium capacitance value, with a high C value obtained by connecting three or more Varactors in a series/parallel combination.

24. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein said optimizing one or more of said factors is done by minimizing 17.3 log k by one or more of the following methods:

coupling said varactor lightly into a resonator if a resonator is present in said circuit thereby yielding a low k value; or

connecting a non-tuning capacitor in series with said varactor; or

connecting a non-tuning capacitor in parallel with the varactor.