Method for forming a spiral inductor

• US 6,922,128 B2
• Filed: 06/18/2002
• Issued: 07/26/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Beijing Xiaomi Mobile Software Co., Ltd. (Xiaomi Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Svard, Mikael, Vilander, Ari, Hyvonen, Lassi
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Paul D
• Application Number:
  US10/176,101
• Publication Number:
  US 20030229982A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,134 Days
• Field of Search: 296/021, 2960313-60316, 296/06, 296/09, 336/65, 336/83, 336/200, 336/223, 336/232, 336/2, 257/531, 427/127, 427/128
• 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 41/041 Printed circuit coils apparatus or processes for manufacturing printed circuits in general H05K3/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 5/003 Printed circuit coils
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/08 including only semiconductor components of a single kind
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 28/10 Inductors
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4902 Electromagnet, transformer or inductor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49043 Depositing magnetic layer or coating
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49044 Plural magnetic deposition layers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49046 with etching or machining of magnetic material
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49048 Machining magnetic material [e.g., grinding, etching, polishing]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49069 Data storage inductor or core
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49073 by assembling coil and core
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49078 Laminated

Abstract

A method for forming a spiral inductor (11) or component of a transformer, compatible with very large scale integrated processing, that achieves a higher Q value without occupying more space by splitting at least one turn (13 51) as two or more crisscrossing or interwoven smaller-width turns (13a 13b 52 53 54 55). The at least one turn (51) may, for example, be split into four turns paired up to provide two pairs of two turns, and the turns of each pair may then be interwoven or crisscrossed, and then the two pairs may also be interwoven or crisscrossed. The splitting of a turn into two or more smaller-width turns results in the current being divided among the smaller-width turns.

Claims

1. A method for forming a spiral inductor (11, 40, 50, 60, 70, 71, 72, 80) on a substrate (10), the method including a step (91) of providing the substrate (10), the method characterized by:

a step (93) of providing the spiral inductor (11, 40, 50, 60, 70, 71, 72, 80) on the substrate (10) so as to have at least one turn (1351) made up of at least two interwoven or crisscrossed smaller-width turns (13a 13b 52535455).

2. A method as in claim 1, wherein at least two turns (51) are each made up of at least two pairs (51a 51b) of interwoven or crisscrossed smaller-width turns (52535455), and the method is further characterized by a step of interweaving and crisscrossing the two turns of two pairs (51a 51b).

3. A method as in claim 1, wherein the at least one turn (51) is made up of either an even number or an odd number of interwoven or crisscrossed smaller-width turns (52535455), and the method is further characterized by a step of interweaving and crisscrossing the interwoven or crisscrossed smaller-width turns (52535455) so as to each have substantially the same length.

4. A method as in claim 3, wherein each of the interwoven or crisscrossed smaller-width turns (52535455) are made to each have substantially the same length by arranging that each smaller-width turn occupies substantially the same positions relative to center point of the bundle formed by the smaller-width turns, and does so substantially the same number of times as each other smaller-width turn.

5. A spiral inductor (11), comprising:

a substrate; and

one or more turns of a conductor material;

wherein at least one of the turns is itself comprised of at least two interwoven or crisscrossed smaller-width turns.

6. A transformer coil (11) comprising a spiral inductor as in claim 5.

7. An integrated circuit comprising a spiral inductor (11) as in claim 5.

8. An integrated circuit including a transformer comprising a spiral inductor as in claim 5.

9. A method, comprising:

a step of providing a substrate; and

a step of providing turns of a conductor of a spiral inductor on the substrate, wherein the conductor is made to split into two or more strands for at least some length so that one or more turns of the spiral inductor are made up of at least two strands, and further wherein the strands are interwoven or crisscrossed;

thereby providing a spiral inductor in which current that would otherwise all be carried by the conductor is instead divided among the two or more strands.