3D RF L-C FILTERS USING THROUGH GLASS VIAS

• US 20130207745A1
• Filed: 03/14/2012
• Published: 08/15/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Yun, Changhan, Zuo, Chengjie, Lo, Chi Shun, Kim, Jonghae, Velez, Mario F.
• Application Number:
  US13/419,876
• Publication Number:
  US 20130207745A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 333/185
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 17/0013 with stacked layers
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 17/0033 with the coil helically wound around a magnetic core
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 2017/0026 Multilayer LC-filter
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 2017/004 with the coil helically wound around an axis without a core
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 2001/0085 Multilayer, e.g. LTCC, HTCC, green sheets inside PCB filters H05K
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 7/0115 comprising only inductors and capacitors H03H7/075, H03H7/09, H03H7/12, H03H7/13 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 7/09 Filters comprising mutual inductance
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 7/1708 Comprising bridging elements, i.e. elements in a series path without own reference to ground and spanning branching nodes of another series path H03H7/07 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 7/1766 Parallel LC in series path H03H7/1783 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 7/1775 Parallel LC in shunt or branch path H03H7/1791 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 7/1783 Combined LC in series path
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4913 Assembling to base an electrical component, e.g., capacitor, etc.

Abstract

Three-dimensional (3D) Radio Frequency (RF) inductor-capacitor (LC) band pass filters having through-glass-vias (TGVs). One such L-C filter circuit includes a glass substrate, a first portion of a first inductor formed on a first surface of the glass substrate, a second portion of the first inductor formed on a second surface of the glass substrate, and a first set of TGVs configured to connect the first and second portions of the first inductor. Additionally the L-C filter circuit can include a second inductor similar to the first inductor, and a metal-insulator-metal (MIM) capacitor formed between the first and second inductor, such that the first and second inductor are coupled through the MIM capacitor.

Claims

1. A method of forming an L-C filter circuit on a glass substrate comprising:

forming a first portion of a first inductor on a first surface of the glass substrate;

forming a second portion of the first inductor on a second surface of the glass substrate; and

connecting the first and second portions of the first inductor via through-glass-vias (TGVs).

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the second portion is formed at an angle relative to the first portion to allow for overlapping connection points of the TGVs.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

forming a third portion of a second inductor on the first surface of the glass substrate;

forming a fourth portion of the second inductor on the second surface of the glass substrate;

connecting the third and fourth portions via TGVs; and

positioning the first and second inductors to align their respective magnetic fields to provide a mutual inductance coupling.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

forming a MIM (metal-insulator-metal) capacitor between the first and second inductor; and

coupling the first and second inductor through the MIM capacitor.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing a magnetic material between the first portion and the second portion, to form a magnetic core of the first inductor.

6. An L-C filter circuit comprising:

a glass substrate;

a first portion of a first inductor formed on a first surface of the glass substrate;

a second portion of the first inductor formed on a second surface of the glass substrate; and

a first set of through-glass-vias (TGVs) configured to connect the first and second portions of the first inductor.

7. The L-C filter circuit of claim 6, wherein the second portion is formed at an angle relative to the first portion to allow for overlapping connection points of the TGVs.

8. The L-C filter circuit of claim 6, further comprising:

a third portion of a second inductor formed on the first surface of the glass substrate;

a fourth portion of the second inductor formed on the second surface of the glass substrate; and

a second set of TGVs configured to connect the third and fourth portions, wherein the first and second inductors are positioned such that their magnetic fields are aligned to provide a mutual inductance coupling.

9. The L-C filter circuit of claim 8, further comprising:

a metal-insulator-metal (MIM) capacitor formed between the first and second inductor, such that the first and second inductor are coupled through the MIM capacitor.

10. The LC filter circuit of claim 6, further comprising:

a magnetic material positioned between the first portion and the second portion, such that the magnetic material forms a magnetic core of the first inductor.

11. The L-C filter circuit of claim 6 integrated in a semiconductor die.

12. The L-C filter circuit of claim 6, integrated into a device selected from the group consisting of a set top box, music player, video player, entertainment unit, navigation device, communications device, personal digital assistant (PDA), fixed location data unit, and a computer.

13. A method of forming an L-C filter circuit on a glass substrate comprising:

step for forming a first portion of a first inductor on a first surface of the glass substrate;

step for forming a second portion of the first inductor on a second surface of the glass substrate; and

step for connecting the first and second portions of the first inductor via through-glass-vias (TGVs).

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the second portion is formed at an angle relative to the first portion to allow for overlapping connection points of the TGVs.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

step for forming a third portion of a second inductor on the first surface of the glass substrate;

step for forming a fourth portion of the second inductor on the second surface of the glass substrate;

step for connecting the third and fourth portions via TGVs; and

step for positioning the first and second inductors to align their respective magnetic fields to provide a mutual inductance coupling.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

step for forming a metal-insulator-metal (MIM) capacitor between the first and second inductor; and

step for coupling the first and second inductor through the MIM capacitor.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

step for providing a magnetic material between the first portion and the second portion, to form a magnetic core of the first inductor.

18. An L-C filter circuit comprising:

a substrate means formed of glass;

a first portion of a first inductance means formed on a first surface of the substrate means;

a second portion of the first inductance means formed on a second surface of the substrate means; and

a first set of through-glass-vias (TGVs) configured to connect the first and second portions of the first inductance means.

19. An L-C filter circuit comprising:

a first L-C tank comprising a first inductor and a first capacitor coupled between a high voltage supply and ground;

a second L-C tank comprising a second inductor and a second capacitor coupled between the high voltage supply and ground; and

an L-C filter means coupling the first L-C tank and the second L-C tank,

wherein the first and second inductors are three-dimensional solenoid inductors formed on a first and second surface of a glass substrate using through-glass-vias (TGVs), and

wherein the first capacitor is formed as a metal-insulator-metal (MIM) capacitor between the first inductor and the second inductor on the first surface of the glass substrate, and the second capacitor is formed as a MIM capacitor between the second inductor and the L-C filter means on the first surface of the glass substrate.

20. The L-C filter circuit of claim 19, wherein the L-C filter means comprises:

a third L-C tank comprising a third inductor and a third capacitor coupled between a high voltage supply and ground;

a fourth L-C tank comprising a fourth inductor and a fourth capacitor coupled between the high voltage supply and ground, and

wherein the third capacitor is formed as a MIM capacitor between the first inductor and the third inductor on the first surface of the glass substrate, and the fourth capacitor is formed as a MIM capacitor between the fourth inductor and the second inductor on the first surface of the glass substrate.

21. The L-C filter circuit of claim 19, wherein the L-C filter means comprises a fifth inductor formed as a three-dimensional solenoid inductor formed on the first and second surface of the glass substrate using TGVs.

22. The L-C filter circuit of claim 19, wherein the L-C filter means comprises a fifth capacitor formed as a MIM capacitor between the first inductor and the second inductor on the first surface of the glass substrate.

23. The L-C filter circuit of claim 19, wherein the L-C filter means comprises:

a sixth L-C tank comprising a sixth inductor and a sixth capacitor coupled between a high voltage supply and ground;

a seventh capacitor coupling the first L-C tank and the sixth L-C tank; and

an eighth capacitor coupling the sixth L-C tank and the second L-C tank,

wherein the sixth inductor is three-dimensional solenoid inductors formed on the first and second surface of a glass substrate using TGVs, and

wherein the sixth, seventh, and eighth capacitors are formed as MIM capacitors.

24. The L-C filter circuit of claim 19, wherein the L-C filter means comprises:

a ninth capacitor coupled between high voltage supply and the first L-C tank;

a tenth capacitor coupled between the second L-C tank and high voltage supply; and

an eleventh capacitor coupled to the ninth and tenth capacitors,

wherein the ninth, tenth, and eleventh capacitors are formed as MIM capacitors.

25. The L-C filter circuit of claim 19 integrated in a semiconductor die.

26. The L-C filter circuit of claim 19, integrated into a device selected from the group consisting of a set top box, music player, video player, entertainment unit, navigation device, communications device, personal digital assistant (PDA), fixed location data unit, and a computer.