Spiral inductor

• US 8,081,056 B2
• Filed: 02/01/2008
• Issued: 12/20/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: VIA Technologies Incorporated (VIA Technologies)
• Original Assignee: VIA Technologies Incorporated (VIA Technologies)
• Inventors: Lee, Sheng-Yuan, Lin, Hsiao-Chu
• Primary Examiner(s): Mai, Anh
• Assistant Examiner(s): LIAN, MANG TIN BIK
• Application Number:
  US12/024,126
• Publication Number:
  US 20090115562A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,418 Days
• Field of Search: 336/192, 336/200, 336/222, 336/223, 336/232
• US Class Current: 336/222
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 17/0006 Printed inductances printed coils for dynamo-electric machines H02K3/26; printed circuits H05K
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 2017/0046 with a conductive path having a bridge
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 2017/0086 on semiconductor substrate inductors for integrated circuits H01L28/10
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 27/292 Surface mounted devices
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 41/10 Connecting leads to windings making electric connections in general H01R43/00
• 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

A spiral inductor is provided. The spiral inductor includes a first spiral conductive trace with at least one turn, a second spiral conductive trace, and a connector. The first spiral conductive trace comprises an outer end and an inner end. The second spiral conductive trace surrounds a portion of the outermost turn of the first spiral conductive trace, and comprises a first end and a second end. The connector electrically connects to the inner end and the first end.

Claims

1. A spiral inductor, comprising:

a first spiral conductive trace with at least one turn, wherein the first spiral conductive trace comprises an outer end and an inner end;

a second spiral conductive trace, comprising a first end and a second end, surrounding a portion of the outermost turn of the first spiral conductive trace, wherein the second spiral conductive trace does not extend into a region surrounded by the first spiral conductive trace and no other spiral conductive trace is formed between the first spiral conductive trace and the second spiral conductive trace;

a connector, electrically connecting the inner end and the first end, wherein the first spiral conductive trace, except for the inner end, comprises a substantially uniform width W₁, and the inner end comprises a width W₂ greater than W₁ and wherein the connector comprises the substantially uniform width W₂;

a first I/O port, electrically connected to the outer end and extending farther away from the first spiral conductive trace; and

a second I/O port, electrically connected to the second end and extending farther away from the second spiral conductive trace, wherein the first I/O port and the second I/O port are between the inner end and first end.

2. The inductor as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second spiral conductive trace does not contact the first spiral conductive trace.

3. The inductor as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second spiral conductive trace surrounds substantially the whole outermost turn of the first spiral conductive trace.

4. The inductor as claimed in claim 1, wherein a width of the inner end gradually increases from the width W₁ to the width W₂.

5. The inductor as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first spiral conductive trace has at least two turns, and the first spiral conductive trace and the second spiral conductive trace have at least three turns.

6. The inductor as claimed in claim 1, wherein the connector is disposed underlying the first spiral conductive trace and the second spiral conductive trace, and the connector passes through at least two turns of the first spiral conductive trace and the second spiral conductive trace.

7. A spiral inductor, comprising:

an insulating layer, disposed overlying a substrate;

a first spiral conductive trace, with at least one turn, disposed in the insulating layer, wherein the first spiral conductive trace comprises an outer end and an inner end;

a second spiral conductive trace, comprising a first end and a second end, disposed in the insulating layer and surrounding a portion of the outermost turn of the first spiral conductive trace, and the first spiral conductive trace and the second spiral conductive trace belong to one wiring layer, wherein the second spiral conductive trace does not extend into a region surrounded by the first spiral conductive trace and no other spiral conductive trace is formed between the first spiral conductive trace and the second spiral conductive trace;

a first conductor, electrically connected to the inner end and protruding from the first spiral conductive trace;

a second conductor, electrically connected to the first end and protruding from the second spiral conductive trace in a direction substantially the same as a protruding direction of the first conductor;

a connection element, electrically connecting the first conductor and the second conductor, wherein the connection element and the first spiral conductive trace belong to different wiring layers, wherein the first spiral conductive trace, except for the inner end, comprises a substantially uniform width W₁, and the inner end comprises a width W₂ greater than W₁ and wherein the connector element comprises the substantially uniform width W₂;

a first I/O port, electrically connected to the outer end and extending farther away from the first spiral conductive trace; and

a second I/O port, electrically connected to the second end and extending farther away from the second spiral conductive trace, wherein the first I/O port and the second I/O port are between the inner end and first end.

8. The inductor as claimed in claim 7, wherein

the first conductor and the second conductor, are plugs disposed in the insulating layer;

and

the connection element, is disposed in a wiring layer underlying the first conductor and the second conductor.

9. The inductor as claimed in claim 7, wherein the first conductor and the second conductor are pad structures disposed overlying the insulating layer.

10. The inductor as claimed in claim 9, wherein the connection element is a bonding wire.

11. The inductor as claimed in claim 7, further comprising an electronic component electrically connecting the first conductor and the second conductor, wherein the electronic component comprises the connection element.

12. The inductor as claimed in claim 7, wherein the first I/O port, the second I/O port, the first spiral conductive trace, and the second spiral conductive trace belong to the same wiring layer.

13. The inductor as claimed in claim 7, wherein the substrate is selected from a group consisting of a semiconductor substrate, a core substrate of a leadframe, and a core substrate of a printed circuit board.

14. The inductor as claimed in claim 7, wherein the second spiral conductive trace does not contact the first spiral conductive trace.

15. The inductor as claimed in claim 7, wherein the second spiral conductive trace surrounds substantially the whole outermost turn of the first spiral conductive trace.

16. The inductor as claimed in claim 7, wherein the first spiral conductive trace has at least two turns, and the first spiral conductive trace and the second spiral conductive trace have at least three turns.

17. The inductor as claimed in claim 7, wherein the connector is disposed underlying the first spiral conductive trace and the second spiral conductive trace, and the connector passes through at least two turns of the first spiral conductive trace and the second spiral conductive trace.

18. An inductor, comprising:

a first spiral conductive comprising an outer end and an inner end;

a second spiral conductive trace comprising a first end and a second end, the second end surrounding substantially all of the outermost turn of the first spiral conductive trace such that the second spiral conductive trace does not overlap an I/O port connected to the outer end of the first spiral conductive trace, wherein the second spiral conductive trace does not extend into a region surrounded by the first spiral conductive trace;

a connector, electrically connecting the inner end and the first end, wherein the first spiral conductive trace, except for the inner end, comprises a substantially uniform width W₁, and the inner end comprises a width W₂ greater than W₁ and wherein the connector comprises the substantially uniform width W₂;

a first I/O port, electrically connected to the outer end and extending farther away from the first spiral conductive trace; and

a second I/O port, electrically connected to the second end and extending farther away from the second spiral conductive trace, wherein the first I/O port and the second I/O port are between the inner end and first end.

19. The inductor as claimed in claim 18, wherein the first spiral conductive trace has at least two turns, and the first spiral conductive trace and the second spiral conductive trace have at least three turns.

20. The inductor as claimed in claim 18, wherein the connector is disposed underlying the first spiral conductive trace and the second spiral conductive trace, and the connector passes through at least two turns of the first spiral conductive trace and the second spiral conductive trace.