SUBSTRATE COMPRISING AN EMBEDDED INDUCTOR AND A THIN FILM MAGNETIC CORE

• US 20170062120A1
• Filed: 08/31/2015
• Published: 03/02/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2015
• Status: Active Application

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Yun, Changhan Hobie, Velez, Mario Francisco, Zuo, Chengjie, Kim, Daeik Daniel, Berdy, David Francis, Lan, Je-Hsiung Jeffrey, Kim, Jonghae, Mudakatte, Niranjan Sunil, Mikulka, Robert Paul
• Granted Patent: US 10,290,414 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 41/042 by thin film techniques
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 41/046 structurally combined with ferromagnetic material
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 41/32 for applying conductive, insulating or magnetic material on a magnetic film , specially adapted for a thin magnetic film
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/16225 the item being non-metallic, e.g. insulating substrate with or without metallisation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/645 Inductive arrangements H01L23/647, H01L23/66 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00012 Relevant to the scope of the group, the symbol of which is combined with the symbol of this group
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/15311 being a ball array, e.g. BGA
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/181 Encapsulation
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/165 incorporating printed inductors

Abstract

A substrate includes a first dielectric layer, a magnetic core at least partially in the first dielectric layer, where the magnetic core comprises a first non-horizontal thin film magnetic (TFM) layer. The substrate also includes a first inductor that includes a plurality of first interconnects, where the first inductor is positioned in the substrate to at least partially surround the magnetic core. The magnetic core may further include a second non-horizontal thin film magnetic (TFM) layer. The magnetic core may further include a core layer. The magnetic core may further include a third thin film magnetic (TFM) layer, and a fourth thin film magnetic (TFM) layer that is substantially parallel to the third thin film magnetic (TFM) layer.

Claims

1. A substrate comprising:

a first dielectric layer;

a magnetic core at least partially in the first dielectric layer, wherein the magnetic core comprises a first non-horizontal thin film magnetic (TFM) layer; and

a first inductor comprising a plurality of first interconnects, wherein the first inductor is positioned in the substrate to at least partially surround the magnetic core.

2. The substrate of claim 1, wherein the magnetic core further comprises a second non-horizontal thin film magnetic (TFM) layer.

3. The substrate of claim 2, wherein one or more of the first non-horizontal thin film magnetic (TFM) layer and the second non-horizontal thin film magnetic (TFM) layer has a thickness of about 3 (μ

m) microns or less.

4. The substrate of claim 2, wherein the magnetic core further comprises:

a third thin film magnetic (TFM) layer; and

a fourth thin film magnetic (TFM) layer being substantially parallel to the third thin film magnetic (TFM) layer.

5. The substrate of claim 4, wherein one or more of the first non-horizontal thin film magnetic (TFM) layer, the second non-horizontal thin film magnetic (TFM) layer, the third thin film magnetic (TFM) layer, and the fourth thin film magnetic (TFM) layer is patterned to at least partially follow the shape of at least one interconnect from the plurality of first interconnects of the first inductor.

6. The substrate of claim 4, wherein the first non-horizontal thin film magnetic (TFM) layer, the second non-horizontal thin film magnetic (TFM) layer, the third thin film magnetic (TFM) layer, and the fourth thin film magnetic (TFM) layer are patterned in a shape of a spiral.

7. The substrate of claim 6, wherein the shape of the spiral formed by the first non-horizontal thin film magnetic (TFM) layer, the second non-horizontal thin film magnetic (TFM) layer, the third thin film magnetic (TFM) layer, and the fourth thin film magnetic (TFM) layer, at least partially follows a shape of the first inductor.

8. The substrate of claim 1, wherein the magnetic core further comprises a core layer.

9. The substrate of claim 1, wherein the first inductor comprises a solenoid inductor.

10. The substrate of claim 1, wherein the first non-horizontal thin film magnetic (TFM) layer comprises a metallic material or a non-metallic material.

11. The substrate of claim 1, wherein the magnetic core is surrounded by the first dielectric layer.

12. The substrate of claim 1, further comprising a second dielectric layer, wherein the magnetic core is at least partially surrounded by the first dielectric layer and at least partially surrounded by the second dielectric layer.

13. The substrate of claim 1, further comprising a second inductor comprising a plurality of second interconnects.

14. The substrate of claim 13, wherein the first inductor and the second inductor are configured to operate as a coupled inductor or a transformer.

15. The substrate of claim 1, wherein the plurality of first interconnects comprises a trace, a via, and/or a pad.

16. The substrate of claim 1, wherein the substrate comprises a package substrate or an interposer.

17. The substrate of claim 1, wherein the substrate is implemented in an integrated circuit (IC) package comprising a die, such that the substrate is coupled to the die.

18. The substrate of claim 1, wherein the plurality of first interconnects comprises a trace, a via, and/or a pad.

19. The substrate of claim 1, wherein the substrate is incorporated into a device selected from the group consisting of a music player, a video player, an entertainment unit, a navigation device, a communications device, a mobile device, a mobile phone, a smartphone, a personal digital assistant, a fixed location terminal, a tablet computer, a computer, a wearable device, a laptop computer, a server, and a device in a automotive vehicle, and further including the device.

20. A method for fabricating a substrate, comprising:

forming a first dielectric layer;

forming a first non-horizontal thin film magnetic (TFM) layer in the first dielectric layer, to form a magnetic core that is at least partially in the first dielectric layer; and

forming a plurality of first interconnects in at least the first dielectric layer to form a first inductor that at least partially surrounds the magnetic core.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising forming a second non-horizontal thin film magnetic (TFM) layer in the first dielectric layer, to form the magnetic core that is at least partially in the first dielectric layer.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

forming a third thin film magnetic (TFM) layer; and

forming a fourth thin film magnetic (TFM) layer that is substantially parallel to the third thin film magnetic (TFM) layer.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein forming the first non-horizontal thin film magnetic (TFM) layer, forming the second non-horizontal thin film magnetic (TFM) layer, forming the third thin film magnetic (TFM) layer, and forming the fourth thin film magnetic (TFM) layer comprises forming at least one thin film magnetic (TFM) layer that is patterned to at least partially follow the shape of at least one interconnect from the plurality of first interconnects of the first inductor.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein forming the first non-horizontal thin film magnetic (TFM) layer, forming the second non-horizontal thin film magnetic (TFM) layer, forming the third thin film magnetic (TFM) layer, and forming the fourth thin film magnetic (TFM) layer comprises forming a plurality of thin film magnetic (TFM) layers in a shape of a spiral.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein forming the first non-horizontal thin film magnetic (TFM) layer, forming the second non-horizontal thin film magnetic (TFM) layer, forming the third thin film magnetic (TFM) layer, and forming the fourth thin film magnetic (TFM) layer comprises forming a plurality of thin film magnetic (TFM) layers in a shape of a spiral that at least partially follows a shape of the first inductor.

26. The method of claim 20, wherein forming the first non-horizontal thin film magnetic (TFM) layer in the first dielectric layer comprises forming the first non-horizontal thin film magnetic (TFM) layer comprising a thickness of about 3 (μ

m) microns or less.

27. The method of claim 20, further comprising providing a core layer to form the magnetic core.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein forming the first non-horizontal thin film magnetic (TFM) layer in the first dielectric layer comprises forming the first non-horizontal thin film magnetic (TFM) layer on the core layer.

29. The method of claim 20, further comprising forming a plurality of second interconnects in at least the first dielectric layer to form a second inductor.

30. The method of claim 20, wherein the substrate is incorporated into a device selected from the group consisting of a music player, a video player, an entertainment unit, a navigation device, a communications device, a mobile device, a mobile phone, a smartphone, a personal digital assistant, a fixed location terminal, a tablet computer, a computer, a wearable device, a laptop computer, a server, and a device in a automotive vehicle, and further including the device.