High Q inductor with faraday shield and dielectric well buried in substrate
First Claim
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1. A method for making a conductive ground shield for use with an inductor in an integrated circuit, comprising:
- a. providing a semiconductor substrate which is coated with a first passivation/insulation layer;
b. patterning in the first passivation/insulation layer and etching a well having walls and a floor through an area on the substrate which is preselected to be marginally larger than an inductor intended to be directly above the well;
c. covering the walls and floor of the well in turn with a second passivation/insulation layer, a conductor and a mask;
d. etching through the mask a ground shield having a connection to outside the well;
e. conformally applying a third passivation/insulation layer to the walls of the well and the etched ground shield; and
f. filling the well level with low-k dielectric material.
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Abstract
Inductor losses to a semiconducting substrate are eliminated in an IC structure by etching a well into the substrate down to the insulating layer coating the substrate and fabricating a grounded Faraday shield in the shape of elongated segments in the bottom of the well. The well lies directly below the inductor and is optionally filled with cured low-k organic dielectric or air.
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Citations
11 Claims
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1. A method for making a conductive ground shield for use with an inductor in an integrated circuit, comprising:
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a. providing a semiconductor substrate which is coated with a first passivation/insulation layer;
b. patterning in the first passivation/insulation layer and etching a well having walls and a floor through an area on the substrate which is preselected to be marginally larger than an inductor intended to be directly above the well;
c. covering the walls and floor of the well in turn with a second passivation/insulation layer, a conductor and a mask;
d. etching through the mask a ground shield having a connection to outside the well;
e. conformally applying a third passivation/insulation layer to the walls of the well and the etched ground shield; and
f. filling the well level with low-k dielectric material. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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Specification