Integrated circuit inductors
First Claim
1. An inductor comprising:
- a substrate;
a ferromagnetic layer in contact with the substrate; and
a highly conductive path interwoven with the substrate.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The invention relates to an inductor comprising a plurality of interconnected conductive segments interwoven with a substrate. The inductance of the inductor is increased through the use of coatings and films of ferromagnetic materials such as magnetic metals, alloys, and oxides. The inductor is compatible with integrated circuit manufacturing techniques and eliminates the need in many systems and circuits for large off chip inductors. A sense and measurement coil, which is fabricated on the same substrate as the inductor, provides the capability to measure the magnetic field or flux produced by the inductor. This on chip measurement capability supplies information that permits circuit engineers to design and fabricate on chip inductors to very tight tolerances.
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Citations
66 Claims
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1. An inductor comprising:
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a substrate;
a ferromagnetic layer in contact with the substrate; and
a highly conductive path interwoven with the substrate. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 12)
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5. An inductor comprising:
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a substrate; and
a highly conductive path having an inductance value, and the highly conductive path comprising a plurality of interconnected conductive segments interwoven with the substrate, wherein each of the plurality of interconnected conductive segments has a mid-segment cross section profile selected from the group consisting of circular and rectangular. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7)
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8. An inductor comprising:
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a semiconductor substrate having a crystalline structure and a plurality of perforations; and
a highly conductive metal path woven through the plurality of perforations of the semiconductor substrate, and at least partially diffused into the crystalline structure. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11)
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13. An inductor comprising:
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a substrate; and
a plurality of copper segments interconnected with and alternating with a plurality of conductive segments to form a highly conductive coil.
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14. An inductor comprising:
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a substrate;
an inductive structure having an inductance of at least 0.1 nanohenrys partially embedded in the substrate. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17)
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18. An inductor comprising:
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a perforated substrate; and
a triangular coil having an inductance of at least 0.3 nanohenrys interlaced with the perforated substrate. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21)
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22. An inductor comprising:
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a semiconductor substrate;
a conductive path through the semiconductor substrate and operable for creating a reinforcing magnetic flux within the semiconductor substrate. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. An inductor comprising:
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a substrate;
a pair of substantially parallel rows of conductive columns providing a conductive path through the substrate; and
a plurality of conductive segments interconnecting the pair of substantially parallel rows of conductive columns to form a coil. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. An inductor comprising:
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a perforated substrate; and
a conductive material interwoven with the perforated substrate and at least partially diffused into the perforated substrate. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34)
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35. An inductor comprising:
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a substrate having a plurality of substantially parallel holes, a plurality of substantially parallel surfaces, and a second plurality of substantially parallel surfaces approximately perpendicular to the plurality of substantially parallel surfaces;
a coil intersecting the plurality of substantially parallel surfaces and filling the plurality of substantially parallel holes; and
at least two leads operable for coupling to the coil from at least one of the second plurality of substantially parallel surfaces.
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36. An inductor comprising:
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a substrate having a plurality of holes and a plurality of surfaces;
a conductive material having a conductivity of at least copper and filling at least three of the plurality of holes to form a plurality of conductive segments; and
a plurality of conductive interconnects formed on at least one of the plurality of surfaces and coupling to the plurality of conductive segments to form a continuous conductive coil.
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37. An inductor comprising:
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a substrate having a plurality of perforations and a plurality of layers; and
a conductive material interwoven with the substrate through the plurality of perforations and operable for producing a reinforcing magnetic field in the plurality of layers. - View Dependent Claims (38, 39, 40)
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41. An inductor comprising:
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a coil having a core area; and
a partially coated substrate filling the core area.
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42. An inductor comprising:
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a coil operable for creating a magnetic flux; and
a substrate having a surface coating coupled to the magnetic flux. - View Dependent Claims (43, 44)
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45. An inductor comprising:
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a multilayer substrate; and
a coil interwoven with the multilayer substrate.
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46. An inductor comprising:
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a substrate having a plurality of surfaces where at least one of the plurality of surfaces is planarized and has a coating; and
a coil operable for generating a magnetic field that is substantially parallel to the planarized surface and that penetrates the coating, the coil is partially embedded in the substrate.
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47. An integrated circuit comprising:
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a perforated substrate having a circuit formed on the perforated substrate and having a plurality of surfaces where at least one of the plurality of surfaces has a coating; and
a coil located partially above the coating and the coil operably coupled to the circuit. - View Dependent Claims (48)
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49. An integrated circuit comprising:
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a coated substrate having a circuit formed on the coated substrate and having a plurality of substantially parallel perforations; and
a coil routed through the plurality of substantially parallel perforations, and the coil operably coupled to the circuit.
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50. An integrated circuit comprising:
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a partially magnetic substrate having a circuit formed thereon; and
a conductive material interwoven with the partially magnetic substrate and operable for generating a magnetic field in the partially magnetic substrate, and the conductive material operably coupled to the circuit.
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51. An integrated circuit comprising:
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a substrate having a coating;
a circuit formed on the substrate; and
a conductive path operable for creating a magnetic field in the coating, and coupled to the circuit.
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52. A memory system comprising:
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a substrate having a plurality of memory cells and a coating; and
a conductive path interwoven with the substrate and operable for creating a magnetic field in the coating but not above the coating.
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53. A memory system comprising:
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a coated substrate having a number of memory cells; and
an inductive structure having an inductance of at least 0.5 nanohenrys piercing the coated substrate and interlaced with the coated substrate and interconnected with at least one of the number of memory cells.
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54. A memory system comprising:
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a substrate having a plurality of holes and a plurality of memory circuits;
a magnetic film formed on the substrate; and
a conductive path interwoven with the substrate and the magnetic film by routing the conductive path through the plurality of holes.
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55. A computer system comprising:
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a processor;
an inductive element comprising;
a substrate having a pair of rows of a plurality of substantially parallel perforations;
a magnetic film on the substrate; and
a conductive path interlaced with the substrate through the plurality of substantially parallel perforations; and
an electronic device coupled to the inductive element and the processor.
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56. A computer system comprising:
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a processor;
an inductor comprising;
a substrate;
a magnetic film on the substrate; and
a conductive path operable for creating a reinforcing magnetic field within the magnetic film and within the substrate; and
an electronic circuit operably coupled to the processor and the inductor.
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57. An computer system comprising:
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a processor;
an inductor comprising;
a substrate;
a magnetic film on the substrate; and
a conductive path interwoven with the substrate and operable for creating a magnetic field in the magnetic film; and
a power supply circuit coupled to the inductor and the processor.
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58. A method comprising:
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boring a plurality of holes in a substratum; and
fabricating a conductive path linking the plurality of holes. - View Dependent Claims (59, 60)
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61. A method comprising;
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boring a number of substantially parallel holes in a substrate having a coating;
depositing a conductive path linking the number of holes and operable for inducing a magnetic flux in the coating. - View Dependent Claims (62)
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63. A method comprising:
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drilling a plurality of holes in a substrate;
filling the plurality of holes with a conductive material to form a plurality of conductive segments; and
interconnecting the plurality of conductive segments to form a coil.
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64. A method comprising:
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boring a plurality for substantially parallel perforations in a substrate having a pair of substantially parallel surfaces;
plugging the plurality of substantially parallel perforations with a highly conductive material to form a highly conductive segment; and
interconnecting the plurality of highly conductive segments to form a conductive path operable for producing a reinforcing magnetic field.
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65. A method comprising:
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drilling a plurality of substantially parallel holes in a substrate having a plurality of substantially parallel surfaces;
coating at least one of the substantially parallel surfaces with a magnetic material;
filling the plurality of substantially parallel holes with a conductor to form a conductive segment; and
interconnecting the plurality of conductive segments to form a coil operable for producing a magnetic field in the coating.
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66. A method comprising:
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piercing a substrate having a plurality of substantially parallel surfaces to form a plurality of substantially parallel perforations;
coating at least one of the substantially parallel surfaces with an insulating film;
coating the insulating film with a magnetic film;
coating the magnetic film with an insulating material;
depositing in at least two of the plurality of substantially parallel perforations a conductor to form a plurality of conductive segments; and
coupling the plurality of conductive segments with a conductive material to form a loop.
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Specification