THIN FILM STRUCTURES WITH NEGATIVE INDUCTANCE AND METHODS FOR FABRICATING INDUCTORS COMPRISING THE SAME
First Claim
1. An inductor comprising a substrate and a planar conductor structure on a surface of the substrate, the planar conductor structure defining a total thickness and comprisinga vertical stack of three or more multilayer films, each multilayer film comprisinga first layer of a first metal, the first layer defining a first vertical thickness, the first metal defining a first composition, the first composition being substantially the same in all multilayer films of the vertical stack;
- anda second layer of a second metal, the second layer covering the first layer and defining a second vertical thickness, the second metal defining a second composition not equal to the first composition, the second composition being substantially the same in all multilayer films of the vertical stack, the ratio of the first vertical thickness to the second vertical thickness being substantially the same in all multilayer films of the vertical stack;
a first contact point; and
a second contact point, wherein the number of multilayers, the first composition, the first vertical thickness, the second composition, and the second vertical thickness all are chosen such that the inductor exhibits a negative electrical self-inductance when an electric signal is transmitted from the first contact point to the second contact point.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An inductor structure comprising a substrate and a planar conductor structure on a surface of the substrate, and methods for fabricating an inductor structure. The planar conductor structure may comprise a vertical stack of three or more multilayer films. Each multilayer film may comprise a first layer of a first metal, defining a first vertical thickness, and a second layer of a second metal, defining a second vertical thickness. The metals and thicknesses are chosen such that the inductor exhibits a negative electrical self-inductance when an electrical signal is transmitted from a first contact point to a second contact point.
-
Citations
20 Claims
-
1. An inductor comprising a substrate and a planar conductor structure on a surface of the substrate, the planar conductor structure defining a total thickness and comprising
a vertical stack of three or more multilayer films, each multilayer film comprising a first layer of a first metal, the first layer defining a first vertical thickness, the first metal defining a first composition, the first composition being substantially the same in all multilayer films of the vertical stack; - and
a second layer of a second metal, the second layer covering the first layer and defining a second vertical thickness, the second metal defining a second composition not equal to the first composition, the second composition being substantially the same in all multilayer films of the vertical stack, the ratio of the first vertical thickness to the second vertical thickness being substantially the same in all multilayer films of the vertical stack; a first contact point; and a second contact point, wherein the number of multilayers, the first composition, the first vertical thickness, the second composition, and the second vertical thickness all are chosen such that the inductor exhibits a negative electrical self-inductance when an electric signal is transmitted from the first contact point to the second contact point. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 20)
- and
-
16. A method for fabricating an inductor, the method comprising:
-
(a) providing a substrate; (b) providing an insulating layer on a top surface of the substrate; (c) depositing a lift-off resist on the insulating layer; (d) soft-baking the substrate, the insulating layer, and the lift-off resist; (e) coating a photoresist onto the lift-off resist; (f) soft-baking the substrate, the insulating layer, the lift-off resist, and the photoresist; (g) exposing the photoresist to ultraviolet light through an inductor pattern; (h) developing the photoresist and the lift-off resist; (i) forming a first multilayer film by depositing a first layer of a first metal until the first layer defines a first predetermined thickness, and depositing on the first layer a second layer of second metal until the second layer defines a second predetermined thickness, the second metal having a composition different from that of the first metal, and the metals and thicknesses being chosen such that the inductor will exhibit negative electrical self-inductance when an electric signal is transmitted through the inductor; (j) forming two or more additional multilayer films on the first multilayer film or on the most recently-formed additional multilayer film by repeating step (i) N times (N≧
2) with the same metals used in the first multilayer film to result in a vertical stack of N+1 multilayer films; and(k) removing any remaining photoresist and lift-off resist. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19)
-
Specification