Patent ID: 8803631

Claim:
A tunable capacitor, comprising: a decoder for generating a plurality of control signals; an array of tunable switched capacitors comprising a plurality of fixed capacitors coupled to a plurality of switches; wherein the plurality of switches are controlled by the plurality of control signals to manage a tunable range of reactance of the array of tunable switched capacitors, wherein the array of tunable switched capacitors is adapted to have non-uniform quality (Q) factors, wherein each of the switches are adapted to have a parasitic resistance which results in the non-uniform Q factors of the array of tunable switched capacitors, wherein at least one of the switches comprises one of a plurality of semiconductor switches or a plurality of micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) switches, and wherein a scaling factor of the plurality of semiconductor switches or the plurality of MEMS switches results in the non-uniform Q factors of the array of tunable switched capacitors.