Inductor with cobalt/nickel core for integrated circuit structure with high inductance and high Q-factor

• US 6,166,422 A
• Filed: 05/13/1998
• Issued: 12/26/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Bell Semiconductor, LLC (Hilco Inc. (d/b/a Hilco Global))
• Original Assignee: LSI Logic Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Yeh, Wen-Chin Stanley, Qian, Linggian
• Primary Examiner(s): Hardy, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fenty, Jesse A.
• Application Number:
  US09/079,413
• Time in Patent Office: 958 Days
• Field of Search: 257/531
• US Class Current: 257/531
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 17/0033 with the coil helically wound around a magnetic core
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 41/046 structurally combined with ferromagnetic material
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/5227 Inductive arrangements or effects of, or between, wiring layers other inductive arrangements H01L23/645
• 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

Abstract

An integrated circuit structure is provided with an inductor formed therein which comprises a metal coil on an insulated surface over a semiconductor substrate, and a high magnetic susceptibility cobalt/nickel metal core located adjacent said metal coil, but spaced therefrom by one or more insulation layers. In one embodiment, the high magnetic susceptibility cobalt/nickel metal core is placed between lower and upper portions of the metal coil which are interconnected together by filled vias. In another embodiment, the metal coil is formed in a serpentine shape in one plane on an insulated surface over the semiconductor substrate, and the high magnetic susceptibility cobalt/nickel metal core is formed over the serpentine coil, but spaced from the serpentine coil by another insulation layer.

Claims

1. An integrated circuit structure comprising an inductor formed therein which includes a metal coil on one or more insulated surfaces over a semiconductor substrate, and a high magnetic susceptibility cobalt/nickel metal core located adjacent said metal coil, but spaced therefrom by one or more insulation layers.

2. The integrated circuit structure of claim 1 wherein said high magnetic susceptibility cobalt/nickel metal core is selected from the group consisting of cobalt metal, nickel metal, and an alloy of said two metals.

3. The integrated circuit structure of claim 1 wherein said high magnetic susceptibility cobalt/nickel metal core is located between lower and upper portions of said metal coil, and metal filled vias in said integrated circuit structure connect said lower and upper portions of said metal coil to form a continuous coil surrounding said high magnetic susceptibility cobalt/nickel metal core.

4. The integrated circuit structure of claim 1 wherein said metal coil is formed in a serpentine shape in one plane on the insulated surface over the semiconductor substrate, and the high magnetic susceptibility cobalt/nickel metal core is formed over and between turns of the serpentine coil, but spaced from said serpentine coil by another insulation layer.

5. An integrated circuit structure comprising an inductor formed therein which includes a metal coil on one or more insulated surfaced over a semiconductor substrate, and a high magnetic susceptibility cobalt metal core located within said metal coil, but spaced therefrom by one or more insulation layers.

6. An integrated circuit structure comprising an inductor formed therein which includes a metal coil on one or more insulated surfaces over a semiconductor substrate, and a high magnetic susceptibility nickel metal core located within said metal coil, but spaced therefrom by one or more insulation layers.

7. An integrated circuit structure comprising an inductor formed therein which includes a metal coil on one or more insulated surfaces over a semiconductor substrate, and a high magnetic susceptibility cobalt-nickel alloy metal core located within and between turns of said metal coil, but spaced therefrom by one or more conformal insulation layers.

8. An integrated circuit structure comprising an inductor formed therein which includes a metal coil in a serpentine shape in one plane on a first insulation layer over a semiconductor substrate, and a high magnetic susceptibility cobalt/nickel metal core is formed over and between turns of the serpentine metal coil, but spaced from said serpentine metal coil by a conformal second insulation layer.