Optimizing the Design of Tunable Spiral Inductors for On-Chip Wireless Applications

In this paper, we develop an optimization methodology for tunable spiral inductors in fully integrated wireless systems. The methodology simultaneously maximizes the inductor´s performance for multiple inductance values and operating frequencies. We utilize multi-level optimization techniques to efficiently design the geometry of the tunable inductor structure. The methodology can produce designs with significantly better quality factors than those obtained by optimizing the inductor design for a single inductance value and operating frequency. The methodology will enable the realization of high quality tunable inductors for fully integrated multi-band and wideband wireless systems