RECONFIGURABLE MULTI-STACK INDUCTOR

• US 20150084733A1
• Filed: 09/26/2013
• Published: 03/26/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Sun, Pinping, Pei, Chengwen, Xu, Zheng
• Granted Patent: US 9,218,903 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 336/84.C
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 17/0013 with stacked layers
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 2017/008 Electric or magnetic shielding of printed inductances
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 2027/2809 on stacked layers
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 27/2804 Printed windings
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 27/2871 Pancake coils
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 27/289 with auxiliary windings for pancake coils H01F27/2871
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 27/36 Electric or magnetic shields or screens movable for varying inductance H01F21/10
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 27/363 made of electrically conductive material
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 41/041 Printed circuit coils apparatus or processes for manufacturing printed circuits in general H05K3/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/60 Protection against electrostatic charges or discharges, e.g. Faraday shields
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/645 Inductive arrangements H01L23/647, H01L23/66 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/0002 Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4902 Electromagnet, transformer or inductor

Abstract

A reconfigurable multi-stack inductor formed within a semiconductor structure may include a first inductor structure located within a first metal layer of the semiconductor structure, a first ground shielding structure located within the first metal layer that is electrically isolated from and circumferentially bounds the first inductor structure, and a second inductor structure located within a second metal layer of the semiconductor structure, whereby the second inductor structure is electrically coupled to the first inductor structure. A second ground shielding structure located within the second metal layer is electrically isolated from and circumferentially bounds the second inductor structure, whereby the first and second inductor generate a first inductance value based on the first ground shielding structure and second ground shielding structure being coupled to ground, and the first and second inductor generate a second inductance value based on the first ground shielding structure and second ground shielding structure electrically floating.

Claims

1. A reconfigurable multi-stack inductor structure formed within a semiconductor structure, comprising:

a first inductor structure located within a first metal layer of the semiconductor structure;

a first ground shielding structure located within the first metal layer that is electrically isolated from and circumferentially bounds the first inductor structure;

a second inductor structure located within a second metal layer of the semiconductor structure, the second inductor structure electrically coupled to the first inductor structure; and

a second ground shielding structure located within the second metal layer that is electrically isolated from and circumferentially bounds the second inductor structure;

wherein the first and the second inductor generate a first inductance value based on the first ground shielding structure and the second ground shielding structure being coupled to a ground reference, and wherein the first and the second inductor structure generate a second inductance value based on the first and the second ground shielding structure electrically floating.

2. The structure of claim 1, further comprising:

a ground plane located within a third metal layer of the semiconductor structure; and

a first switch coupled between the ground plane and the first and the second ground shielding structure, wherein upon actuation of the first switch to a closed position, the first ground shielding structure and the second ground shielding structure are coupled to the ground reference provided by the ground plane to generate the first inductance value, and wherein upon actuation of the first switch to an open position, the first ground shielding structure and the second ground shielding structure are electrically isolated from the ground reference provided by the ground plane to generate the second inductance value.

3. The structure of claim 2, further comprising:

a third ground shielding structure located within the first metal layer that is electrically isolated from and circumferentially bounds the first ground shielding structure;

a fourth ground shielding structure located within the second metal layer that is electrically isolated from and circumferentially bounds the second ground shielding structure;

at least one first electrical connection electrically coupling the first and the second ground shielding structure;

at least one second electrical connection electrically coupling the third and the fourth ground shielding structure; and

a second switch that electrically connects the first ground shielding structure and the third ground shielding structure, wherein upon actuation of the second switch to a closed position, each of the first, the second, the third, and the fourth ground shielding structure are electrically coupled, and wherein upon actuation of the second switch to an open position, the first and the second ground shielding structure are electrically isolated from the third and the fourth ground shielding structure.

4. The structure of claim 1, further comprising:

at least one electrical connection that electrically couples the first and the second ground shielding structure.

5. The structure of claim 1, wherein the first inductor structure comprises a first electrically conductive spiral track structure having a first outer track.

6. The structure of claim 5, wherein the first ground shielding structure comprises a first spiral electrically conductive track located adjacent the first outer track, the first spiral electrically conductive track and adjacent first outer track electrically isolated by a dielectric material located therebetween.

7. The structure of claim 1, wherein the second inductor structure comprises a second electrically conductive spiral track structure having a second outer track.

8. The structure of claim 7, wherein the second ground shielding structure comprises a second spiral electrically conductive track located adjacent the second outer track, the second spiral electrically conductive track and adjacent second outer track electrically isolated by a dielectric material located therebetween.

9. The structure of claim 5, wherein the first and the second electrically conductive spiral track structure comprise a track width of about 1-4 μ

m.

10. The structure of claim 1, wherein the first and the second metal layer comprise a thickness of about 3 μ

m.

11. A method of forming a reconfigurable multi-stack inductor structure within a semiconductor structure having a first and a second metal layer, the method comprising:

forming, within the first metal layer, a first inductor structure;

forming, within the first metal layer, a first ground shielding structure that is electrically isolated from and circumferentially bounds the first inductor structure;

forming, within the second metal layer, a second inductor structure;

electrically coupling the first inductor structure and second inductor structure;

forming, within the second metal layer, a second ground shielding structure that is electrically isolated from and circumferentially bounds the second inductor structure;

electrically grounding the first and the second ground shielding structure to generate a first inductance value; and

electrically floating the first and the second ground shielding structure to generate a second inductance value.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising;

forming, within a third metal layer of the semiconductor structure, a ground plane; and

forming a first switch for electrically coupling the first and the second ground shielding structure to the ground plane.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein:

closing the first switch electrically grounds the first and the second ground shielding structure to generate the first inductance value; and

opening the first switch electrically floats the first and the second ground shielding structure to generate the second inductance value.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

forming, within the first metal layer, a third ground shielding structure that is electrically isolated from and circumferentially bounds the first ground shielding structure;

forming, within the second metal layer, a fourth ground shielding structure that is electrically isolated from and circumferentially bounds the second ground shielding structure;

electrically coupling the first and the second ground shielding structure;

electrically coupling the third and the fourth ground shielding structure; and

forming a second switch for coupling the first and the third ground shielding structure.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein:

closing the first switch electrically grounds the first and the second ground shielding structure; and

closing the second switch electrically couples the first, the second, the third, and fourth ground shielding structure, the closing of the first and the second switch generating a third inductance value.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein:

the first inductor structure comprises a first electrically conductive spiral track structure having a first outer track; and

the second inductor structure comprises a second electrically conductive spiral track structure having a second outer track.

17. The structure of claim 16, wherein:

the first ground shielding structure comprises a first spiral electrically conductive track located adjacent the first outer track, the first spiral electrically conductive track and adjacent first outer track electrically isolated by a dielectric material located therebetween; and

the second ground shielding structure comprises a second spiral electrically conductive track located adjacent the second outer track, the second spiral electrically conductive track and adjacent second outer track electrically isolated by a dielectric material located therebetween.

18. A design structure tangibly embodied in a machine readable medium for designing, manufacturing, or testing an integrated circuit, the design structure comprising:

a first inductor structure located within a first metal layer of the semiconductor structure;

a first ground shielding structure located within the first metal layer that is electrically isolated from and circumferentially bounds the first inductor structure;

a second inductor structure located within a second metal layer of the semiconductor structure, the second inductor structure electrically coupled to the first inductor structure; and

a second ground shielding structure located within the second metal layer that is electrically isolated from and circumferentially bounds the second inductor structure;

wherein the first and the second inductor generate a first inductance value based on the first ground shielding structure and the second ground shielding structure being coupled to a ground reference, and wherein the first and the second inductor structure generate a second inductance value based on the first ground shielding structure and the second ground shielding structure electrically floating.

19. The design structure of claim 18, further comprising:

a ground plane located within a third metal layer of the semiconductor structure; and

a first switch coupled between the ground plane and the first and the second ground shielding structure, wherein upon actuation of the first switch to a closed position, the first ground shielding structure and the second ground shielding structure are coupled to the ground reference provided by the ground plane to generate the first inductance value, and wherein upon actuation of the first switch to an open position, the first ground shielding structure and the second ground shielding structure are electrically isolated from the ground reference provided by the ground plane to generate the second inductance value.

20. The design structure of claim 19, further comprising:

a third ground shielding structure located within the first metal layer that is electrically isolated from and circumferentially bounds the first ground shielding structure;

a fourth ground shielding structure located within the second metal layer that is electrically isolated from and circumferentially bounds the second ground shielding structure;

at least one first electrical connection electrically coupling the first and the second ground shielding structure;

at least one second electrical connection electrically coupling the third and the fourth ground shielding structure; and

a second switch coupled between the first ground shielding structure and the third ground shielding structure, wherein upon actuation of the second switch to a closed position, each of the first, the second, the third, and the fourth ground shielding structure are electrically coupled, and wherein upon actuation of the second switch to an open position, the first and the second ground shielding structure are electrically isolated from the third and the fourth ground shielding structure.