Nested through glass via transformer

• US 10,049,815 B2
• Filed: 05/27/2016
• Issued: 08/14/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2014
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Kim, Daeik Daniel, Kim, Jonghae, Zuo, Chengjie, Velez, Mario Francisco, Yun, Changhan Hobie
• Primary Examiner(s): Zhu, Sheng
• Application Number:
  US15/167,782
• Publication Number:
  US 20160276101A1
• Time in Patent Office: 809 Days
• Field of Search: 257686, 336200, 336232, 336223, 36167931
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 2017/002 Details of via holes for interconnecting the layers
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 2017/0086 on semiconductor substrate inductors for integrated circuits H01L28/10
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 2027/2809 on stacked layers
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 27/2804 Printed windings
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 41/00 Apparatus or processes specially adapted for manufacturing or assembling magnets, inductances or transformers; Apparatus or processes specially adapted for manufacturing materials characterised by their magnetic properties
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 41/041 Printed circuit coils apparatus or processes for manufacturing printed circuits in general H05K3/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/0002 Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4902 Electromagnet, transformer or inductor

Abstract

A 3D nested transformer includes a substrate having a set of through substrate vias daisy chained together with a set of traces. At least some of the through substrate vias have first and second conductive regions. The set of traces also includes a first set of traces coupling together at least some of the first conductive regions of the through substrate vias, and a second set of traces coupling together at least some of the second conductive regions of the through substrate vias.

Claims

1. A method of fabricating a 3D nested transformer, comprising:

forming a plurality of through substrate vias in a substrate having a first surface and an opposite second surface; and

daisy chaining the through substrate vias together with a plurality of traces, at least some of the plurality of through substrate vias having first and second conductive regions, in which the first conductive regions comprise inner cores of the plurality of through substrate vias and the second conductive regions comprise outer shells of the plurality of through substrate vias, the daisy chaining performed by;

coupling, on the first surface and the second surface of the substrate, a first trace of a first set of traces corresponding to a primary winding to an inner core of a first through substrate via of the plurality of through substrate vias and to an inner core of a second through substrate via of the plurality of through substrate vias,

coupling, on each of the first surface and the second surface of the substrate, a second trace of a second set of traces corresponding to a secondary winding to an outer shell of the first through substrate via and to an outer shell of the second through substrate via, and

removing an isolation material deposited between the inner core and the outer shell of the first through substrate via and between the inner core and the outer shell of the second through substrate via.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising arranging the plurality of through substrate vias in a solenoid manner.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising positioning at least three connections inside at least one of the plurality of through substrate vias.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising coupling the first set of traces and the second set of traces by the plurality of through substrate vias in a serpentine manner.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

arranging the first set of traces on the opposing first and second surfaces of the substrate; and

arranging the second set of traces on the first set of traces.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising depositing a dielectric layer between the first set of traces and the second set of traces.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising arranging the first set of traces and the first conductive regions of the plurality of through substrate vias as a first 3D solenoid inductor.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising arranging the second set of traces and the second conductive regions of the through substrate vias as a second 3D solenoid inductor nested with the first 3D solenoid inductor to operate as the 3D nested transformer.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising integrating the 3D nested transformer into a mobile phone, a set top box, a music player, a video player, an entertainment unit, a navigation device, a computer, a hand-held personal communication systems (PCS) unit, a portable data unit, and/or a fixed location data unit.

10. A method of fabricating a 3D nested transformer, comprising:

the step for forming a plurality of through substrate vias in a substrate having a first surface and an opposite second surface; and

the step for daisy chaining the through substrate vias together with a plurality of traces, at least some of the plurality of through substrate vias having first and second conductive regions, in which the first conductive regions comprise inner cores of the plurality of through substrate vias and the second conductive regions comprise outer shells of the plurality of through substrate vias, the daisy chaining performed by;

the step for coupling, on each of the first surface and the second surface of the substrate, a first trace of a first set of traces corresponding to a primary winding to an inner core of a first through substrate via of the plurality of through substrate vias and to an inner core of a second through substrate via of the plurality of through substrate vias,

the step for coupling, on each of the first surface and the second surface of the substrate, a second trace of a second set of traces corresponding to a secondary winding to an outer shell of the first through substrate via and to an outer shell of the second through substrate via, and

the step for removing an isolation material deposited between the inner core and the outer shell of the first through substrate via and between the inner core and the outer shell of the second through substrate via.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step for arranging the plurality of through substrate vias in a solenoid manner.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step for positioning at least three connections inside at least one of the plurality of through substrate vias.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step for coupling the first set of traces and the second set of traces by the plurality of through substrate vias in a serpentine manner.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

the step for arranging the first set of traces on the opposing first and second surfaces of the substrate; and

the step for arranging the second set of traces on the first set of traces.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step for depositing a dielectric layer between the first set of traces and the second set of traces.

16. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step for arranging the first set of traces and the first conductive regions of the plurality of through substrate vias as a first 3D solenoid inductor.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising the step for arranging the second set of traces and the second conductive regions of the through substrate vias as a second 3D solenoid inductor nested with the first 3D solenoid inductor to operate as the 3D nested transformer.

18. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of integrating the 3D nested transformer into a mobile phone, a set top box, a music player, a video player, an entertainment unit, a navigation device, a computer, a hand-held personal communication systems (PCS) unit, a portable data unit, and/or a fixed location data unit.

19. A method of fabricating a 3D nested transformer, the method comprising:

forming a cavity in a substrate having a first surface and an opposite second surface;

depositing and patterning a first photoresist layer on the substrate as a patterned first photoresist layer;

plating the substrate and sidewalls of the cavity with a first conductive layer along the patterned first photoresist layer;

stripping the patterned first photoresist layer;

depositing an isolation layer on the plated first conductive layer in the cavity;

etching the deposited isolation layer to provide a core cavity;

depositing and patterning a second photoresist layer on the etched isolation layer as a patterned second photoresist layer;

plating the core cavity and the etched isolation layer with a second conductive layer along the patterned second photoresist layer, in which the first conductive layer comprises an inner core of a first through substrate via and the second conductive layer comprises an outer shell of the first through substrate via;

fabricating a first trace corresponding to a primary winding on the substrate, the first trace coupled, on each of the first surface and the second surface of the substrate, to the outer shell of the first through substrate via and to an outer shell of a second through substrate via;

fabricating a second trace corresponding to a secondary winding on the substrate, the second trace coupled to the inner core of the first through substrate via and an inner core of the second through substrate via; and

removing the etched isolation layer between the inner core and the outer shell of the first through substrate via and between the inner core and the outer shell of the second through substrate via.

20. The method of claim 19, in which depositing the first trace further comprises:

depositing a dielectric material on the first trace; and

depositing and patterning a conductive material on the dielectric material as the second trace.

21. The method of claim 19, further comprising integrating the 3D nested transformer into a mobile phone, a set top box, a music player, a video player, an entertainment unit, a navigation device, a computer, a hand-held personal communication systems (PCS) unit, a portable data unit, and/or a fixed location data unit.