Micromagnetic device and method of forming the same

• US 8,618,900 B2
• Filed: 12/20/2012
• Issued: 12/31/2013
• 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., Liakopoulos, Trifon M., Filas, Robert W., Panda, Amrit
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Tuyen
• Application Number:
  US13/722,797
• Publication Number:
  US 20130127577A1
• Time in Patent Office: 376 Days
• Field of Search: 336/65, 336/83, 336/200, 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 magnetic core layer selectively formed above said first seed layer;

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

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

a conductive winding layer selectively formed above said second seed layer.

2. The micromagnetic device as recited in claim 1 further comprising another conductive winding layer selectively formed above said first seed layer.

3. The micromagnetic device as recited in claim 1 further comprising another conductive winding layer selectively formed above said first seed layer and a third insulating layer formed above said another conductive winding layer.

4. The micromagnetic device as recited in claim 1 further comprising a second magnetic core layer formed above said second insulating layer.

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

6. The micromagnetic device as recited in claim 1 further comprising a second magnetic core layer formed above said second insulating layer and a third insulating layer formed above said second magnetic core layer, said second seed layer being formed above said third insulating layer.

7. The micromagnetic device as recited in claim 6 further comprising a protective layer formed above said second magnetic core layer.

8. The micromagnetic device as recited in claim 1 further comprising a second magnetic core layer formed above said second insulating layer and a third insulating layer formed above said second magnetic core layer, said second seed layer and said conductive winding layer being formed above said third insulating layer.

9. The micromagnetic device as recited in claim 1 wherein said conductive winding layer is selectively formed directly over said second seed layer.

11. The micromagnetic device as recited in claim 1 further comprising another conductive winding layer selectively formed above said first seed layer and in vias to said conductive winding layer, said conductive winding layer and said another conductive winding layer forming a winding for said micromagnetic device.

12. The micromagnetic device as recited in claim 1 further comprising an adhesive layer formed above said first insulating layer.

13. The micromagnetic device as recited in claim 1 further comprising a protective layer formed above said first magnetic core layer.

14. The micromagnetic device as recited in claim 1 further comprising a nickel protective layer formed above said first magnetic core layer.

15. The micromagnetic device as recited in claim 1 wherein said first insulating layer is formed from silicon dioxide.

16. The micromagnetic device as recited in claim 1 wherein said second insulating layer is formed from aluminum oxide, silicon dioxide, insulation polymer, photoresist or polyimide.

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

18. The micromagnetic device as recited in claim 1 wherein said first magnetic core layer is formed from an iron-cobalt alloy or an iron-cobalt-phosphorus alloy.

19. The micromagnetic device as recited in claim 1 wherein said first magnetic core layer is formed from an iron-cobalt-phosphorus alloy including cobalt in the range of 1.8-4.5 atomic percent, phosphorus in the range of 20.1-30 atomic percent and iron substantially a remaining proportion thereof.

20. The micromagnetic device as recited in claim 1 wherein said micromagnetic device is an inductor.

10. The micromagnetic device as recited in claim wherein said conductive winding layer is formed from copper.