Two layer transformer

• US 8,054,155 B2
• Filed: 12/28/2009
• Issued: 11/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IMEC International, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven
• Original Assignee: IMEC International, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven KU Leuven R&D
• Inventors: Raczkowski, Jakub
• Primary Examiner(s): Mai; Anh
• Assistant Examiner(s): LIAN, MANGTIN B.
• Application Number:
  US12/647,798
• Publication Number:
  US 20110032065A1
• Time in Patent Office: 680 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 336/200
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 27/2804 Printed windings
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/5227 Inductive arrangements or effects of, or between, wiring layers other inductive arrangements H01L23/645
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/645 Inductive arrangements H01L23/647, H01L23/66 take precedence
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 7/42 Networks for transforming balanced signals into unbalanced signals and vice versa, e.g. baluns

Abstract

One aspect of the invention relates to a symmetrical transformer with a stacked coil structure comprising two coils each having at least two turns. The coils are located in two conductive planes. The structure includes four identical basic elements, each basic element providing a conductive path for part of the coils. The terminals of the transformer are located at opposite sites of the structure so that the structure can be easily connected in a chain. The invention also relates to a semiconductor device comprising such a structure.

Claims

1. A symmetrical transformer with a stacked coil structure comprising a primary and a secondary coil each having at least two turns, the primary and secondary coils being located in a first and a second conductive plane which are electrically isolated from each other by an intermediate dielectric layer, the primary and secondary coils being electrically isolated from each other and being arranged so that magnetic coupling takes place between them, wherein

the structure comprises four identical basic elements, each basic element providing a conductive path for part of said coils

the first conductive plane comprising a first of said basic elements and a second of said basic elements electrically isolated from each other, the first basic element providing half of the turns and a first terminal of the primary coil, the second basic element providing half of the turns and a second terminal of the secondary coil, the first terminal of the primary coil and the second terminal of the secondary coil being located on opposite sides of the structure,

the second conductive plane comprising a third of said basic elements and a fourth of said basic elements electrically isolated from each other, the third basic element providing half of the turns and a third terminal of the secondary coil, the fourth basic element providing half of the turns and a fourth terminal of the primary coil, the fourth terminal of the primary coil and the third terminal of the secondary coil being located on opposite sides of the structure,

the first and fourth terminal of said primary coil being located on the same side of the structure and in different planes from one another,

the second and third terminal of said secondary coil being located on the same side of the structure and in different planes from one another,

an end of the first basic element being electrically connected to an end of the fourth basic element by a first connection through the dielectric layer,

an end of the second basic element being electrically connected to an end of the third basic element by a second connection through the dielectric layer.

2. The symmetrical transformer according to claim 1, wherein the structure is symmetrical around an imaginary axis (Z) passing through the center of the structure (C) and perpendicular to the conducting planes.

3. The symmetrical transformer according to claim 1, wherein the structure is symmetrical around an imaginary axis (X) lying in the dielectric layer, passing through the center (C) of the structure and passing through the first and second connections.

4. The symmetrical transformer according to claim 1, wherein the structure is symmetrical around an imaginary axis (Y) lying in the dielectric layer, passing through the center of the structure and passing in the middle between the first and second connections.

5. The symmetrical transformer according to claim 1, wherein the primary coil includes a first center-tap, located at the first connection which enables the terminals of the primary coil to be used as a differential port.

6. The symmetrical transformer according to claim 5, wherein the secondary coil includes a second center-tap, located at the second connection which enables the terminals of the secondary coil to be used as a differential port.

7. A semiconductor device comprising a symmetrical transformer integrated on a chip, the symmetrical transformer having a stacked coil structure comprising a primary and a secondary coil each having at least two turns, the primary and secondary coils being located in a first and a second conductive plane which are electrically isolated from each other by an intermediate dielectric layer, the primary and secondary coils being electrically isolated from each other and being arranged so that magnetic coupling takes place between them, wherein

the structure comprises four identical basic elements, each basic element providing a conductive path for part of said coils

the first conductive plane comprising a first of said basic elements and a second of said basic elements electrically isolated from each other, the first basic element providing half of the turns and a first terminal of the primary coil, the second basic element providing half of the turns and a second terminal of the secondary coil, the first terminal of the primary coil and the second terminal of the secondary coil being located on opposite sides of the structure,

the second conductive plane comprising a third of said basic elements and a fourth of said basic elements electrically isolated from each other, the third basic element providing half of the turns and a third terminal of the secondary coil, the fourth basic element providing half of the turns and a fourth terminal of the primary coil, the fourth terminal of the primary coil and the third terminal of the secondary coil being located on opposite sides of the structure,

the first and fourth terminal of said primary coil being located on the same side of the structure and in different planes from one another,

the second and third terminal of said secondary coil being located on the same side of the structure and in different planes from one another,

an end of the first basic element being electrically connected to an end of the fourth basic element by a first connection through the dielectric layer,

an end of the second basic element being electrically connected to an end of the third basic element by a second connection through the dielectric layer, wherein the conductive planes are metal planes.

8. The semiconductor device according to claim 7, wherein the device is implemented in CMOS technology, and the metal planes are power and/or ground planes of a CMOS substrate.

9. The semiconductor device according to claim 7 wherein the device is implemented in thin film technology, and the metal planes are power and/or ground planes of a thin film substrate.