Nested through glass via transformer

• US 9,384,883 B2
• Filed: 01/14/2014
• Issued: 07/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Kim, Daeik Daniel, Kim, Jonghae, Zuo, Chengjie, Velez, Mario Francisco, Yun, Changhan Hobie
• Primary Examiner(s): ZHU, SHENG-BAI
• Application Number:
  US14/155,172
• Publication Number:
  US 20150200049A1
• Time in Patent Office: 903 Days
• Field of Search: 257/686, 257/773, 257/774, 257/531, 257/691, 257/698, 336/397, 336/200, 438/667
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 2017/002 Details of via holes for interconnecting the layers
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 2017/0086 on semiconductor substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 2027/2809 on stacked layers
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 27/2804 Printed windings
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 41/00 Apparatus or processes specially adapted for manufacturing or assembling magnets, inductances or transformers; Apparatus or processes specially adapted for manufacturing materials characterised by their magnetic properties
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 41/041 Printed circuit coils apparatus or processes for manufacturing printed circuits in general H05K3/00
• 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: Y10T 29/4902 Electromagnet, transformer or inductor

Abstract

A 3D nested transformer includes a substrate having a set of through substrate vias daisy chained together with a set of traces. At least some of the through substrate vias have first and second conductive regions. The set of traces also includes a first set of traces coupling together at least some of the first conductive regions of the through substrate vias, and a second set of traces coupling together at least some of the second conductive regions of the through substrate vias.

Claims

1. A three-dimensional (3D) nested transformer, comprising:

a substrate having a first surface and an opposing second surface, the substrate having a plurality of through substrate vias daisy chained together with a plurality of traces, at least some of the plurality of through substrate vias having first and second conductive regions, in which the first conductive regions comprise inner cores of the plurality of through substrate vias and the second conductive regions comprise outer shells of the plurality of through substrate vias, each of the inner cores separated from the outer shells by an isolation layer; and

the plurality of traces including a first trace of a first set of traces corresponding to a primary winding coupling together, on each of the first surface and the second surface of the substrate, an inner core of a first through substrate via of the plurality of through substrate vias to an inner core of a second through substrate via, and a second trace of a second set of traces corresponding to a secondary winding coupling together, on each of the first surface and the second surface of the substrate, an outer shell of the first through substrate via to an outer shell of the second through substrate via.

2. The 3D nested transformer of claim 1, in which the plurality of through substrate vias comprise coaxial vias.

3. The 3D nested transformer of claim 1, in which the substrate comprises glass, sapphire, quartz or highly resistive silicon.

4. The 3D nested transformer of claim 1, in which the plurality of through substrate vias are arranged in a solenoid manner.

5. The 3D nested transformer of claim 1, in which three connections are positioned inside at least one of the plurality of through substrate vias.

6. The 3D nested transformer of claim 1, in which the first set of traces and the second set of traces are coupled together by the plurality of through substrate vias in a serpentine manner.

7. The 3D nested transformer of claim 1, in which the first set of traces are on opposing first and second surfaces of the substrate and the second set of traces are on the first set of traces.

8. The 3D nested transformer of claim 7, in which the first set of traces and the second set of traces are separated by a dielectric layer.

9. The 3D nested transformer of claim 1, in which the first set of traces and the first conductive regions of the plurality of through substrate vias are arranged as a first 3D solenoid inductor.

10. The 3D nested transformer of claim 9, in which the second set of traces and the second conductive regions of the through substrate vias are arranged as a second 3D solenoid inductor nested with the first 3D solenoid inductor to operate as the 3D nested transformer.

11. The 3D nested transformer of claim 1 integrated into a mobile phone, a set top box, a music player, a video player, an entertainment unit, a navigation device, a computer, a hand-held personal communication systems (PCS) unit, a portable data unit, and/or a fixed location data unit.

12. A three-dimensional (3D) nested transformer, comprising:

a substrate having a first surface and an opposing second surface, the substrate having a plurality of through substrate vias daisy chained together with a plurality of traces, at least some of the through substrate vias having a first means for conducting and a second means for conducting, in which the first conductive means comprise inner cores of the plurality of through substrate vias and the second conductive means comprise outer shells of the plurality of through substrate vias, each of the inner cores separated from the outer shells by an isolation layer; and

the plurality of traces including a first trace of a first set of traces corresponding to a primary winding coupling together, on each of the first surface and the second surface of the substrate, an inner core of a first through substrate via of the plurality of through substrate vias to an inner core of a second through substrate via, and a second trace of a second set of traces corresponding to a secondary winding coupling together, on each of the first surface and the second surface of the substrate, an outer shell of the first through substrate via to an outer shell of the second through substrate via.

13. The 3D nested transformer of claim 12, in which the plurality of through substrate vias comprise coaxial vias.

14. The 3D nested transformer of claim 12, in which the substrate comprises glass, sapphire, quartz or highly resistive silicon.

15. The 3D nested transformer of claim 12, in which the plurality of through substrate vias are arranged in a solenoid manner.

16. The 3D nested transformer of claim 12, in which three connections are positioned inside at least one of the plurality of through substrate vias.

17. The 3D nested transformer of claim 12, in which the first set of traces and the second set of traces are coupled together by the plurality of through substrate vias in a serpentine manner.

18. The 3D nested transformer of claim 12, in which the first set of traces are on opposing first and second surfaces of the substrate and the second set of traces are on the first set of traces.

19. The 3D nested transformer of claim 18, in which the first set of traces and the second set of traces are separated by a dielectric layer.

20. The 3D nested transformer of claim 12, in which the first set of traces and the first means for conducting of the plurality of through substrate vias are arranged as a first 3D solenoid inductor.

21. The 3D nested transformer of claim 20, in which the second set of traces and the second means for conducting of the through substrate vias are arranged as a second 3D solenoid inductor nested with the first 3D solenoid inductor to operate as the 3D nested transformer.

22. The 3D nested transformer of claim 12 integrated into a mobile phone, a set top box, a music player, a video player, an entertainment unit, a navigation device, a computer, a hand-held personal communication systems (PCS) unit, a portable data unit, and/or a fixed location data unit.