Micromagnetic device and method of forming the same

• US 7,920,042 B2
• Filed: 09/10/2007
• Issued: 04/05/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Altera Corporation (Intel Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Enpirion, Inc. (MediaTek, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lotfi, Ashraf W., Filas, Robert W., Panda, Amrit, Liakopoulos, Trifon M.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TUYEN T
• Application Number:
  US11/852,688
• Publication Number:
  US 20090068400A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,303 Days
• Field of Search: 336/65, 336/83, 336/200, 336206-208, 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 2017/0066 with a magnetic layer
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 2027/2809 on stacked layers
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 27/24 Magnetic cores
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 27/245 made from sheets, e.g. grain-oriented H01F27/26 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 27/2804 Printed windings
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 27/29 Terminals; Tapping arrangements for signal inductances
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 41/046 structurally combined with ferromagnetic material
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 5/00 Coils superconducting coils H01F6/06; fixed inductances of the signal type H01F17/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24331 including nonapertured component

Abstract

A micromagnetic device includes a first insulating layer formed above a substrate, a first seed layer formed above the first insulating layer, a first conductive winding layer selectively formed above the first seed layer, and a second insulating layer formed above the first conductive winding layer. The micromagnetic device also includes a first magnetic core layer formed above the second insulating layer, a third insulating layer formed above the first magnetic core layer, and a second magnetic core layer formed above the third insulating layer. The micromagnetic device still further includes a fourth insulating layer formed above the second magnetic core layer, a second seed layer formed above the fourth insulating layer, and a second conductive winding layer formed above the second seed layer and in vias to the first conductive winding layer. The first and second conductive winding layers form a winding for the micromagnetic device.

Claims

1. A micromagnetic device formed on a substrate, comprising:

a first insulating layer formed above said substrate;

a first seed layer formed above said first insulating layer;

a first conductive winding layer selectively formed above said first seed layer;

a second insulating layer formed above said first conductive winding layer;

a first magnetic core layer formed above said second insulating layer;

a third insulating layer formed above said first magnetic core layer;

a second magnetic core layer formed above said third insulating layer;

a fourth insulating layer formed above said second magnetic core layer;

a second seed layer formed above said fourth insulating layer; and

a second conductive winding layer formed above said second seed layer and in vias to said first conductive winding layer, said first conductive winding layer and said second conductive winding layer forming a winding for said micromagnetic device.

2. The micromagnetic device as recited in claim 1 further comprising an adhesive and seed layer formed between said second insulating layer and said first magnetic core layer.

3. The micromagnetic device as recited in claim 1 further comprising a protective layer formed between said first magnetic core layer and said third insulating layer.

4. The micromagnetic device as recited in claim 1 further comprising a nickel protective layer formed between said first magnetic core layer and said third insulating layer.

5. The micromagnetic device as recited in claim 1 further comprising an adhesive layer and a seed layer formed between said third insulating layer and said second magnetic core layer.

6. The micromagnetic device as recited in claim 1 further comprising a protective layer formed between said second magnetic core layer and said fourth insulating layer.

7. The micromagnetic device as recited in claim 1 further comprising a nickel protective layer formed between said second magnetic core layer and said fourth insulating layer.

8. The micromagnetic device as recited in claim 1 further comprising an adhesive layer formed above said second conductive winding layer.

9. The micromagnetic device as recited in claim 1 further comprising an interconnect formed in an aperture of an adhesive layer formed above said second conductive winding layer.

10. The micromagnetic device as recited in claim 1 wherein said first and second insulating layers are formed from silicon dioxide.

11. The micromagnetic device as recited in claim 1 wherein said first seed layer is formed from gold or copper.

12. The micromagnetic device as recited in claim 1 wherein said first and second conductive winding layers are formed from copper.

13. The micromagnetic device as recited in claim 1 wherein said first and second magnetic core layers are formed from an iron-cobalt alloy or an iron-cobalt-phosphorus alloy.

14. The micromagnetic device as recited in claim 1 wherein said third and fourth insulating layers are formed from aluminum oxide, silicon dioxide, insulation polymer, photoresist or polyimide.

15. The micromagnetic device as recited in claim 1 wherein said second seed layer is formed from sublayers of gold and copper.

16. A micromagnetic device formed on a substrate, comprising:

a first seed layer formed above said substrate;

a first conductive winding layer selectively formed above said first seed layer;

a first insulating layer formed above said first conductive winding layer;

a second seed layer formed above said first insulating layer;

a first magnetic core layer formed above said second seed layer;

a first protective layer formed above said first magnetic core layer;

a second insulating layer formed above said first protective layer;

a third seed layer formed above said second insulating layer;

a second magnetic core layer formed above said third seed layer;

a second protective layer formed above said second magnetic core layer;

a third insulating layer formed above said second magnetic core layer; and

a second conductive winding layer formed above said third insulating layer and in vias to said first conductive winding layer, said first conductive winding layer and said second conductive winding layer forming a winding for said micromagnetic device.

17. The micromagnetic device as recited in claim 16 further comprising a fourth insulating layer and an adhesive layer formed between said substrate and said first seed layer.

18. The micromagnetic device as recited in claim 16 further comprising an adhesive layer formed between said first conductive winding layer and said first insulating layer.

19. The micromagnetic device as recited in claim 16 further comprising an adhesive layer formed between said first insulating layer and said second seed layer.

20. The micromagnetic device as recited in claim 16 further comprising an adhesive layer formed between said first protective layer and said second insulating layer.

21. The micromagnetic device as recited in claim 16 further comprising an adhesive layer formed between said second insulating layer and said third seed layer.

22. The micromagnetic device as recited in claim 16 further comprising an adhesive layer formed between said second protective layer and said third insulating layer.

23. The micromagnetic device as recited in claim 16 further comprising an adhesive layer and a seed layer formed between said third insulating layer and said second conductive winding layer.

24. The micromagnetic device as recited in claim 16 further comprising an adhesive layer formed above said second conductive winding layer.

25. The micromagnetic device as recited in claim 16 further comprising an interconnect formed in an aperture of an adhesive layer formed above said second conductive winding layer.

26. The micromagnetic device as recited in claim 16 wherein said first, second and third seed layers are formed from gold or copper.

27. The micromagnetic device as recited in claim 16 wherein said first and second conductive winding layers are formed from copper.

28. The micromagnetic device as recited in claim 16 wherein said first, second and third insulating layers are formed from aluminum oxide, silicon dioxide, insulation polymer, photoresist or polyimide.

29. The micromagnetic device as recited in claim 16 wherein said first and second magnetic core layers are formed from an iron-cobalt alloy or an iron-cobalt-phosphorus alloy.

30. The micromagnetic device as recited in claim 16 wherein said first and second protective layers are formed from nickel.