Compact vertical inductors extending in vertical planes
First Claim
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1. An inductor comprising:
- a first spiral feature in a first plane over a substrate;
a second spiral feature in a second plane over the substrate; and
a third spiral feature in a third plane over the substrate, each of the first plane, the second plane, and the third plane being perpendicular to a major surface of the substrate, wherein each of the first spiral feature and the second spiral feature comprises a first metal line and a second metal line disconnected from the first metal line, the first metal line extending continuously between adjacent spiral features of the first spiral feature, the second spiral feature, and the third spiral feature, the first metal line forming a part of each of adjacent spiral features, wherein a gap in the first plane between the first metal line and the second metal line is in a different location than a gap in the second plane between the first metal line and the second metal line such that a length of the first metal line in the first plane is different than a length of the first metal line in the second plane, wherein the first metal line and the second metal line in each of the first spiral feature, the second spiral feature, and the third spiral feature are in a same metallization layer.
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Abstract
A device includes a substrate, and a vertical inductor over the substrate. The vertical inductor includes a plurality of parts formed of metal, wherein each of the parts extends in one of a plurality of planes perpendicular to a major surface of the substrate. Metal lines interconnect neighboring ones of the plurality of parts of the vertical inductor.
12 Citations
20 Claims
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1. An inductor comprising:
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a first spiral feature in a first plane over a substrate; a second spiral feature in a second plane over the substrate; and a third spiral feature in a third plane over the substrate, each of the first plane, the second plane, and the third plane being perpendicular to a major surface of the substrate, wherein each of the first spiral feature and the second spiral feature comprises a first metal line and a second metal line disconnected from the first metal line, the first metal line extending continuously between adjacent spiral features of the first spiral feature, the second spiral feature, and the third spiral feature, the first metal line forming a part of each of adjacent spiral features, wherein a gap in the first plane between the first metal line and the second metal line is in a different location than a gap in the second plane between the first metal line and the second metal line such that a length of the first metal line in the first plane is different than a length of the first metal line in the second plane, wherein the first metal line and the second metal line in each of the first spiral feature, the second spiral feature, and the third spiral feature are in a same metallization layer. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A inductor comprising:
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a first spiral feature in a first plane over a substrate; a second spiral feature in a second plane over the substrate; and a third spiral feature in a third plane over the substrate, each of the first plane, the second plane, and the third plane being perpendicular to a major surface of the substrate; wherein the first spiral feature and the second spiral feature comprise a first metal line, the first metal line extending in the first plane from a first via and in the second plane to a second via, the first metal line comprising a first interconnect segment extending from the first plane to the second plane; and wherein the second spiral feature and the third spiral feature comprise a second metal line, the second metal line extending in the second plane from a third via and in the third plane to a fourth via, the second metal line comprising a second interconnect segment extending from the second plane to the third plane, the first interconnect segment being positioned at a different location in the first plane than the second interconnect segment is positioned in the second plane such that an axis perpendicular to the first plane intersects the first interconnect segment but not the second interconnect segment, wherein the first metal line and the second metal line are in a same metallization layer. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. An inductor comprising:
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a first spiral feature in a first plane over a substrate, the first spiral feature comprising a first lower line and a first upper line electrically coupled by a first conductive column; a second spiral feature in a second plane over the substrate, the second spiral feature comprising a second lower line and a second upper line electrically coupled by a second conductive column; and a third spiral feature in a third plane over the substrate, the third spiral feature comprising a third lower line and a third upper line electrically coupled by a third conductive column, each of the first plane, the second plane, and the third plane being perpendicular to a major surface of the substrate; wherein the first upper line extends along the first plane and the second plane, the second upper line extends along the second plane and the third plane; wherein the first upper line is coupled to the second lower line by a fourth conductive column; wherein the second upper line is coupled to the third lower line by a fifth conductive column; and wherein a location of a gap in the second plane between the first upper line and the second upper line is at a different relative location than a location of a gap between the second upper line and the third upper line in the third plane such that an axis perpendicular to the first plane intersects the gap in the second plane but not the gap in the third plane. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification