Thick film low value high frequency inductor

• US 6,215,387 B1
• Filed: 05/18/1998
• Issued: 04/10/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Dale Electronics, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Vishay Dale Electronics (Vishay Intertechnology Incorporated)
• Inventors: Veik, Thomas L., Person, Herman R., Adelman, Jeffrey T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Heinrich, Samuel M.
• Application Number:
  US09/080,494
• Time in Patent Office: 1,058 Days
• Field of Search: 219/121.69, 219/121.73, 219/121.85, 296/021, 427/556, 336/200, 336/223, 257/531
• US Class Current: 336/200
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 17/0006 Printed inductances printed coils for dynamo-electric machines H02K3/26; printed circuits H05K
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 2017/0046 with a conductive path having a bridge
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 41/041 Printed circuit coils apparatus or processes for manufacturing printed circuits in general H05K3/00
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/092 Dispersed materials, e.g. conductive pastes or inks
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/165 incorporating printed inductors
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/02 in which the conductive material is applied to the surface of the insulating support and is thereafter removed from such areas of the surface which are not intended for current conducting or shielding
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4902 Electromagnet, transformer or inductor

Abstract

A thick film low value high frequency inductor made by the process of subjecting a conductor layer to a plurality of linear cuts by a pulsing laser cutter imposed simultaneously on the entire length of the linear cut being made to create a cross sectional cut of substantial rectangular configuration. The conductor body is a layer of dried silver thick film ink. The method of making a thick film low value high frequency inductor involves the steps of taking a conductor layer comprised of a dried layer of photo sensitive silver ink, masking the ink with the negative of the desired configuration of the ink, exposing the ink to UV radiation, developing the ink, and firing the layer to adhere the silver to the layer.

Claims

1. A thick film inductor made by the process of subjecting a conductor layer to a plurality of linear cuts by a pulsing laser cutter imposed simultaneously on the entire length of the linear cut being made to create a cross sectional cut of substantially rectangular configuration, wherein the laser cutter converts the conductor layer into a conductor coil, the conductor coil having lines with widths of less than about 2 mils, and the lines having a thickness of at least about 15 microns.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein said conductor layer is composed of a layer of dry silver thick film ink.

3. The thick film inductor of claim 1 wherein the distance between adjacent conductor lines is less than about 2 mils.

4. The thick film inductor of claim 1 wherein the process further comprises screen printing thick film conductor material onto a substrate to form the conductor layer.

5. A thick film inductor, comprising:

a ceramic substrate;

a conductor coil, which has a cross section, positioned on the ceramic substrate, the conductor coil comprised of lines whose widths are less than about 2 mils, the lines having a thickness of at least about 15 microns, the cross section of the conductor coil having a substantially rectangular configuration.

6. The thick film inductor of claim 5, wherein the ceramic substrate is alumina.

7. The thick film inductor of claim 5 further comprising:

a dielectric base coat between the ceramic substrate and the conductor coil, the dielectric base coat having a dielectric constant of no greater than about 5.

8. The thick film inductor of claim 5 wherein the distance between adjacent conductor lines is less than about 2 mils.

9. The thick film inductor of claim 5 wherein the thickness of the conductor lines is between about 15 and 25 microns.