Inductor structure

• US 7,667,566 B2
• Filed: 08/22/2008
• Issued: 02/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Marlin Semiconductor Limited (f/k/a Sandyford Semiconductor Limited) (Vector Capital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: United Microelectronics Corporation
• Inventors: Chen, Jui-Fang, Hsu, Tsun-Lai, Ou, Jun-Hong
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TUYEN T
• Application Number:
  US12/196,294
• Publication Number:
  US 20080303623A1
• Time in Patent Office: 550 Days
• Field of Search: 336/65, 336/83, 336/170, 336/200, 336214-215, 336/232, 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 17/0013 with stacked layers
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 17/0033 with the coil helically wound around a magnetic core
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 2017/002 Details of via holes for interconnecting the layers
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 2017/004 with the coil helically wound around an axis without a core
• 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 inductor structure comprising a substrate; a plurality of insulation layers on the substrate; a first spiral electric conductive coil positioned in the insulation layers to form an inductor having a first direction of magnetic field; a second spiral electric conductive coil positioned in the insulation layers to form an inductor having a second direction of magnetic field, in which, the two or more inductors are independently positioned in a same 3-D space and have a good integration.

Claims

1. An inductor structure, comprising:

a substrate;

a plurality of insulation layers on the substrate;

a first spiral conductive coil disposed in the insulation layers to form an inductor generating a magnetic field in a first direction; and

a second spiral conductive coil disposed in the insulation layers to form an inductor generating a magnetic field in a second direction;

wherein the first direction and the second direction are not parallel to each other, and a conductive section of the first spiral conductive coil and a conductive section of the second spiral conductive coil are disposed in a same one of the insulation layers and cross over to each other.

7. The inductor structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first direction is perpendicular to the second direction.

8. The inductor structure as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a third spiral conductive coil disposed in the insulation layers to form an inductor generating a magnetic field in a third direction, wherein the third spiral conductive coil is disposed in the insulation layers beside, under, or above the first spiral conductive coil and the second spiral conductive coil.

2. The inductor structure as claimed in claim, wherein the first spiral conductive coil has a plurality of first turns and each of the first turns comprises:

a first conductive section in a first insulation layer of the insulation layers;

a second conductive section in a second insulation layer of the insulation layers;

a third conductive section comprising a first group of via plugs formed in the insulation layers to connect a first end of the first conductive section and a first end of the second conductive section; and

a fourth conductive section comprising a second group of via plugs formed in the insulation layers to connect a second end of the second conductive section and a second end of the first conductive section of an adjacent another first turn.

3. The inductor structure as claimed in claim 2, wherein the second spiral conductive coil has a plurality of second turns and each of the second turns comprises:

a fifth conductive section in a third insulation layer under the first insulation layer;

a sixth conductive section in a fourth insulation layer above the second insulation layer;

a seventh conductive section comprising a third group of via plugs formed in the insulation layers to connect a first end of the fifth conductive section and a first end of the sixth conductive section; and

an eighth conductive section comprising a fourth group of via plugs formed in the insulation layers to connect a second end of the sixth conductive section and a second end of the fifth conductive section of an adjacent another second turn.

4. The inductor structure as claimed in claim 2, wherein the second spiral conductive coil has a plurality of third turns each disposed in an insulation layer, respectively, under the first insulation layer and above the second insulation layer, and two adjacent third turns connect each other through a via plug in the insulation layer.

5. The inductor structure as claimed in claim 3, further comprising a third spiral conductive coil having a plurality of fourth turns each disposed in one of the insulation layers, respectively, beside, under, or above the first spiral conductive coil and the second spiral conductive coil, and two adjacent fourth turns connecting each other through a via plug in the insulation layer.

6. The inductor structure as claimed in claim 4, further comprising a third spiral conductive coil disposed in the insulation layers beside, under, or above the first spiral conductive coil and the second spiral conductive coil, wherein the third spiral conductive coil has a plurality of fifth turns and each of the fifth turns comprises:

a fifth conductive section in a third insulation layer being one of the insulation layers, either the third insulation layer being the first insulation layer or being not the first insulation layer;

a sixth conductive section in a fourth insulation layer being another of the insulation layers, either the fourth insulation layer being the second insulation layer or being not the second insulation layer;

a seventh conductive section comprising a third group of via plugs formed in the third insulation layer, the fourth insulation layer, and the insulation layers therebetween to connect a first end of the fifth conductive section and a first end of the sixth conductive section; and

an eighth conductive section comprising a fourth group of via plugs formed in the third insulation layer, the fourth insulation layer, and the insulation layers therebetween to connect a second end of the sixth conductive section and a second end of the fifth conductive section of an adjacent another second turn.