Integrated circuit inductors

• US 20020095768A1
• Filed: 03/18/2002
• Published: 07/25/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
• Inventors: Ahn, Kie Y., Forbes, Leonard
• Granted Patent: US 6,976,300 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 29/604
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 17/0033 with the coil helically wound around a magnetic core
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 27/2804 Printed windings
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 37/00 Fixed inductances not covered by group H01F17/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/08 including only semiconductor components of a single kind
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 257/924 with passive device, e.g. capacitor, or battery, as integral part of housing or housing element, e.g. cap
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4902 Electromagnet, transformer or inductor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49037 Using reference point/surface to facilitate measuring
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49069 Data storage inductor or core
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49071 by winding or coiling
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49073 by assembling coil and core
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49075 including permanent magnet or core

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.

Claims

1. An integrated circuit comprising:

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.

2. The integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein the coil has a length and less than about twenty percent of the length of the coil is located above the coating.

3. The integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein the coating comprises a magnetic film.

4. The integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein the coil is partially embedded in the substrate.

5. The integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein the substrate is a silicon wafer.

6. The integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein the coil is formed from a single conductive material.

7. The integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein the coil is formed from two or more conductive materials.

8. The integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein the coil comprises first conductive segments that pass through the substrate and second conductive segments outside of the substrate that connect to the first conductive segments to form the coil.

9. An integrated circuit comprising:

a substrate with perforations and a plurality of coated surfaces;

a circuit formed on the substrate; and

a coil that includes conductive sections formed within the substrate perforations, the coil being located partially above the coating and operatively coupled to the circuit.

10. The integrated circuit of claim 9, wherein the coil is formed from a single conductive material.

11. The integrated circuit of claim 9, wherein the coil is formed from two or more conductive materials, with the first conductive material constituting the conductive sections formed in the perforations.

12. The integrated circuit of claim 11, further including second conductive sections of a second conductive material that connect to the first conductive sections to form the coil.

13. The integrated circuit of claim 9, wherein the coil has a length, and less than about twenty percent of the length is located above the coating.

14. The integrated circuit of claim 9, wherein the coating comprises a magnetic film.

16. The integrated circuit of claim 15, wherein the coating comprises a magnetic material.

17. The integrated circuit of claim 16, further including an insulating layer covering the second conductive sections.

18. The integrated circuit of claim 15, wherein the coil has a triangular cross-section.

19. The integrated circuit of claim 15, wherein the coil has a rectangular cross-section.

20. The integrated circuit of claim 15, wherein the coil is formed from a conductor from the group of conductors comprising:

copper, aluminum and gold.

15. An integrated circuit comprising:

a substrate having first and second regions, the second region having a plurality of perforations connecting first and second parallel sides of the substrate and having a coating;

a circuit formed in the first region;

a coil formed in the second region, the coil comprising first conductive sections formed in the perforations and second conductive sections located partially above the coating; and

wherein the circuit is operatively connected to the coil.

21. An integrated circuit comprising:

a substrate having a plurality of perforations and a coating on one of a plurality of surfaces;

a conductive path that passes through the perforations and that partially extends beyond the coating, the conductive path encompassing a portion of the substrate; and

a circuit operatively connected to the conductive path.

22. The integrated circuit of claim 21, wherein the conductive path comprises a coil formed from one or more conductive metals.

23. The integrated circuit of claim 22, wherein the coil has an inductance and the coating comprises a magnetic material designed to increase the inductance.

24. The integrated circuit of claim 21, wherein the coating comprises a ferromagnetic material.

25. The integrated circuit of claim 21, further including an insulating layer covering the portion of the coil extending beyond the coating.

27. The integrated circuit of claim 26, further including an insulating layer covering the portion of the coil.

28. The integrated circuit of claim 26, wherein the coating includes a magnetic film.

29. The integrated circuit of claim 26, wherein the substrate is a semiconductor.

26. An integrated circuit comprising:

a substrate having a perforated surface;

a coil formed in the substrate by passing a conductor through the perforations and over first and second surfaces of the substrate;

a coating formed atop the substrate so as to be surrounded by a portion of the coil; and

a circuit electrically coupled to the coil.

30. An integrated circuit comprising:

a substrate having a plurality of surfaces;

a coating formed on at least one of the surfaces;

perforations formed in the coating so as to connect first and second surfaces of the plurality of surfaces;

first conductive segments formed in the perforations;

second conductive segments formed adjacent the first and second surfaces to connect the first conductive segments to form a coil, the second conductive segments being partially above the coating; and

a circuit formed on the substrate and operatively connected to the coil.

31. The integrated circuit of claim 30, wherein the coating includes a magnetic film.

32. The integrated circuit of claim 31, wherein the magnetic film and second conductive segments are enclosed in an insulating layer.

33. The integrated circuit of claim 30, further including a sense inductor formed on the substrate and magnetically coupled to the coil.

35. The integrated circuit of claim 34, wherein the coating includes a magnetic film.

36. The integrated circuit of claim 35, wherein the magnetic film is surrounded by an insulating layer.

34. An integrated circuit comprising:

a semiconductor substrate having two planarized surfaces each having a coating and connected by a plurality of perforations formed over a first region of the substrate;

a conductive path formed in the substrate first region, the conductive path comprising first conductive elements formed in the perforations and second conductive elements connected to the first conductive elements and residing above the coatings on the first and second surfaces; and

a circuit connected to the conductive path.