Compact vertical inductors extending in vertical planes

• US 9,559,053 B2
• Filed: 04/21/2011
• Issued: 01/31/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited
• Inventors: Yen, Hsiao-Tsung, Chen, Huan-Neng, Lin, Yu-Ling, Kuo, Chin-Wei, Chen, Mei-Show, Chen, Ho-Hsiang, Jeng, Min-Chie
• Primary Examiner(s): Chan, Tsz
• Application Number:
  US13/091,440
• Publication Number:
  US 20120268229A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,112 Days
• Field of Search: 336/200, 336/232
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 17/0013 with stacked layers
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 2017/002 Details of via holes for interconnecting the layers
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 2017/004 with the coil helically wound around an axis without a core
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 2027/2809 on stacked layers
• 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 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 device includes a substrate, and a vertical inductor over the substrate. The vertical inductor includes a plurality of parts formed of metal, wherein each of the parts extends in one of a plurality of planes perpendicular to a major surface of the substrate. Metal lines interconnect neighboring ones of the plurality of parts of the vertical inductor.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

a substrate; and

a vertical inductor over the substrate and comprising;

a plurality of parts formed of metal, wherein each of the parts has a spiral configuration that extends in one of a plurality of parallel planes perpendicular to a major surface of the substrate, each part of the plurality of parts having an input end and an output end, and wherein a first spiral of a first plurality of parts in a first plane spirals inward in one of a clockwise direction or a counter-clockwise direction, a second spiral of a second plurality of parts in a second plane spirals inward in an other one of the clockwise direction or the counter-clockwise direction, and a third spiral of a third plurality of parts in a third plane spirals inward in a same direction as the first plurality of parts, the first plane and the second plane being adjacent planes of the plurality of parallel planes, the second plane and the third plane being adjacent planes of the plurality of parallel planes, wherein an input to the first spiral in the first plane is at a different relative location than an input to the third spiral in the third plane such that an axis extending through the input to the first spiral and normal to the first plane does not extend through the input to the third spiral; and

at least one straight metal line parallel to the major surface of the substrate and interconnecting the output end of one of the plurality of parts to the input end of one of the plurality of parts in an adjacent parallel plane.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of parts form a single spiral.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of parts comprises:

a first metal line in a first metal layer;

a second metal line in a second metal layer over the first metal layer and vertically overlapping the first metal line; and

two metal columns interconnecting the first and the second metal lines and forming a near-ring structure with the first and the second metal lines, wherein the near-ring structure comprises a break therein.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the input end of one of the plurality of parts comprises an input to the vertical inductor and the output end of another one of the plurality of parts comprises an output of the vertical inductor.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein the plurality of parts comprises:

a first part comprising a first spiral metal feature; and

a second part neighboring the first part and comprising a second spiral metal feature, wherein the first and the second parts are configured so that a same current flows from outer portions to inner portions of the first spiral metal feature, and from inner portions to outer portions of the second spiral metal feature.

6. The device of claim 1 wherein the metal lines interconnecting neighboring ones of the plurality of parts each have a longitudinal axis substantially parallel to the substrate, the longitudinal axes of neighboring metal lines being parallel and non-aligned.

7. The device of claim 1 wherein, neighboring ones of the plurality of parts have a same current flow direction.

8. A device comprising:

a substrate;

a plurality of metal layers over the substrate; and

a vertical inductor comprising;

a plurality of parts formed of metal;

a spiral metal feature in each of the plurality of parts, wherein the spiral metal feature comprises a plurality of metal lines in the plurality of metal layers and a plurality of vias interconnecting the plurality of metal lines, and wherein the spiral metal feature extends along a vertical plane perpendicular to a major surface of the substrate, neighboring ones of the spiral metal features having a same current flow direction, the plurality of parts comprising a first spiral metal feature in a first plane, a second spiral metal feature in a second plane, and a third spiral metal feature in a third plane, the first spiral metal feature and the second spiral feature being adjacent spiral metal features of the plurality of parts, the second spiral metal feature and the third spiral metal feature being adjacent spiral metal features of the plurality of parts;

metal lines interconnecting neighboring ones the plurality of parts;

a first port disposed in a first part of the plurality of parts; and

a second port disposed in a second part of the plurality of parts, the second part of the plurality of parts different from the first part of the plurality of parts;

wherein an input to the first spiral metal feature in the first plane is at a different relative location than an input to the third spiral metal feature in the third plane such that an axis extending through the input to the first spiral metal feature and normal to the first plane does not extend through the input to the third spiral metal feature; and

wherein the inductor is configured to route a current from the first port to the second port, and wherein the first port disposed at the same side of the vertical inductor as the second port, the first port and the second port extending from the inductor parallel to the vertical plane.

9. The device of claim 8, with an axis of the spiral metal features of the plurality of parts extends in a direction parallel to a major surface of the substrate.

10. The device of claim 8, wherein

a same current flows from outer portions to inner portions of the first spiral metal feature, and from inner portions to outer portions of the second spiral metal feature.

11. The device of claim 8, wherein the metal lines comprise:

a first metal line connecting the first spiral metal feature to the second spiral metal feature; and

a second metal line connecting the second spiral metal feature to the third spiral metal feature, wherein the first and the second metal lines have lengthwise directions parallel to the major surface of the substrate.

12. The device of claim 8, wherein the vertical planes of the plurality of parts are parallel to each other.

13. The device of claim 8, wherein a first output end of the each part of the plurality of parts is disposed in a respective plane in a location different from the location of non-interconnected input ends and output ends of other parts of the plurality of parts.

14. A device comprising:

an inductor disposed in a plurality of metal layers over a substrate and comprising;

a plurality of spiral features, each of the plurality of spiral features comprising a plurality of metal features that extends in one of a plurality of parallel planes perpendicular to a major surface of the substrate, each of the plurality of spiral features having an input end in a first relative location in the spiral feature and an output end in a second relative location in the spiral feature, neighboring ones of the plurality of spiral features having a same current flow direction, neighboring ones of the plurality of spiral feature spiraling from an outer portion to an inner portion in opposite directions, the plurality of spiral features comprising a first spiral feature in a first plane, a second spiral feature in a second plane, and a third spiral feature in a third plane, the first spiral feature and the second spiral feature being adjacent spiral features of the plurality of spiral features, the second spiral feature and the third spiral feature being adjacent spiral features of the plurality of spiral features; and

a plurality of connections each having a straight metal line interconnecting the output end of a respective first metal feature of the plurality of metal features to the input end of a neighboring second metal feature of the plurality of metal features;

wherein an input to the first spiral feature is at a different relative location than an input to the third spiral feature such that an axis extending through the input to the first spiral feature and normal to the first plane does not extend through the input to the third spiral feature;

wherein each of the straight metal lines is substantially parallel to a major surface of the substrate; and

wherein the inductor has a first port disposed at the same side as a second port, the first port and the second port extending from the inductor parallel to the plurality of parallel planes.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein each of the plurality of metal features form a single spiral.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein the each of plurality of metal features are substantially parallel to each other.

17. The device of claim 16 wherein the metal lines of neighboring ones of the plurality of connections each have non-aligned longitudinal axes.

18. The device of claim 14, wherein each of the plurality of metal features comprises:

a first metal line in a first metal layer of the plurality of metal layers;

a second metal line in a second metal layer of the plurality of metal layers, the second metal layer and over the first metal layer and vertically overlapping the first metal line; and

two metal columns interconnecting the first and the second metal lines and form a near-ring structure with the first and the second metal lines, wherein the near-ring structure comprises a break therein.