PSEUDO-8-SHAPED INDUCTOR

• US 20150206634A1
• Filed: 01/14/2015
• Published: 07/23/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Marvell Asia Pte Limited (Marvell Technology Group Limited)
• Original Assignee: Marvell World Trade Limited (Marvell Technology Group Limited)
• Inventors: Lu, Yuan, YAN, Wen, Han, Hongzheng, Liu, Zhao, Xiong, Zhenhua
• Granted Patent: US 9,697,938 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 17/0006 Printed inductances printed coils for dynamo-electric machines H02K3/26; printed circuits H05K
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 17/0013 with stacked layers
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 17/02 without magnetic core
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 2017/0046 with a conductive path having a bridge
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 2017/0073 with a special conductive pattern, e.g. flat spiral
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 27/346 Preventing or reducing leakage fields using magnetic shields H01F27/36; using auxiliary windings H01F27/38
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 41/041 Printed circuit coils apparatus or processes for manufacturing printed circuits in general H05K3/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 5/003 Printed circuit coils
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4902 Electromagnet, transformer or inductor

Abstract

Aspects of the disclosure provide a device that includes a first inductor. The first inductor includes a first coil portion having more than one turn that defines a first enclosed area and a second coil portion having more than one turn that defines a second enclosed area. The first coil portion and the second coil portion are arranged to generate magnetic fields having substantially equal strength and opposite directions.

Claims

1. A device, comprising:

a first inductor comprising;

a first coil portion having more than one turn that defines a first enclosed area; and

a second coil portion having more than one turn that defines a second enclosed area;

wherein the first coil portion and the second coil portion are arranged to generate magnetic fields having substantially equal strength and opposite directions.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the first coil portion and the second coil portion are connected in serial in a twisted arrangement that forms a figure-8 shape.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the first coil portion forms a first differential inductor and the second coil portion forms a second differential inductor.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the first coil portion forms a single-ended spiral inductor and the second coil portion forms a second single-ended spiral inductor.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the first inductor further comprises:

a third coil portion having more than one turn that defines a third enclosed area; and

a fourth coil portion having more than one turn that defines a fourth enclosed area; and

wherein the first coil portion and the second coil portion are connected in serial in a twisted arrangement that forms a first figure-8 shape in a first direction, the second coil portion and the third coil portion are connected in serial in a twisted arrangement that forms a second figure-8 shape in a second direction, the third coil portion and the fourth coil portion are connected in serial in a twisted arrangement that forms a third figure-8 shape in the first direction, and the fourth coil portion and the first coil portion are connected in serial in a twisted arrangement that forms a fourth figure-8 shape in the second direction.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the first inductor has a single wire from the first enclosed area to the second enclosed area that connects the first coil portion and the second coil portion.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the first inductor forms a first winding in a transformer, the device further comprises:

a second inductor comprising;

a third coil portion in parallel with the first coil portion in the first enclosed area; and

a fourth coil portion in parallel with the second coil portion in the second enclosed area, the second inductor forming a second winding in the transformer.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein a majority of the first coil portion, the second coil portion, the third coil portion and the fourth coil portion is formed in a metal layer of an integrated circuit (IC) chip.

9. The device of claim 7, wherein a majority of the first coil portion and the second coil portion are formed in a first metal layer of an integrated circuit (IC) chip and a majority of the third coil portion and the fourth coil portion is formed in a second metal layer of the IC chip.

10. An integrated circuit (IC) chip, comprising:

a first inductor formed on a substrate of the IC chip, the first inductor comprising;

a first coil portion having more than one turn that defines a first enclosed area; and

a second coil portion having more than one turn that defines a second enclosed area;

wherein the first coil portion and the second coil portion are arranged to generate magnetic fields having substantially equal strength and opposite directions.

11. The IC chip of claim 10, wherein the first coil portion and the second coil portion are connected in serial in a twisted arrangement that forms a figure-8 shape.

12. The IC chip of claim 10, wherein the first coil portion forms a first differential inductor and the second coil portion forms a second differential inductor.

13. The IC chip of claim 10, wherein the first coil portion forms a single-ended spiral inductor and the second coil portion forms a second single-ended spiral inductor.

14. The IC chip of claim 10, wherein the first inductor further comprises:

a third coil portion having more than one turn that defines a third enclosed area; and

a fourth coil portion having more than one turn that defines a fourth enclosed area; and

wherein the first coil portion and the second coil portion are connected in serial in a twisted arrangement that forms a first figure-8 shape in a first direction, the second coil portion and the third coil portion are connected in serial in a twisted arrangement that forms a second figure-8 shape in a second direction, the third coil portion and the fourth coil portion are connected in serial in a twisted arrangement that forms a third figure-8 shape in the first direction, and the fourth coil portion and the first coil portion are connected in serial in a twisted arrangement that forms a fourth figure-8 shape in the second direction.

15. The IC chip of claim 10, wherein the first inductor has a single wire from the first enclosed area to the second enclosed area that connects the first coil portion and the second coil portion.

16. The IC chip of claim 10, wherein the first inductor forms a first winding in a transformer, the IC chip further comprises:

a second inductor comprising;

a third coil portion in parallel with the first coil portion in the first enclosed area; and

a fourth coil portion in parallel with the second coil portion in the second enclosed area, the second inductor forming a second winding in the transformer.

17. The IC chip of claim 16, wherein a majority of the first coil portion, the second coil portion, the third coil portion and the fourth coil portion is formed in a metal layer of the IC chip.

18. The IC chip of claim 16, wherein a majority of the first coil portion and the second coil portion are formed in a first metal layer of the IC chip and a majority of the third coil portion and the fourth coil portion is formed in a second metal layer of the IC chip.

19. A method, comprising:

forming a first coil portion of an inductor on a substrate, the first coil portion having more than one turn that defines a first enclosed area;

forming a second coil portion of the inductor on the substrate, the second coil portion having more than one turn that defines a second enclosed area; and

connecting the first coil portion and the second coil portion in a twisted arrangement that forms a figure-8 shape.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein connecting the first coil portion and the second coil portion in the twisted arrangement that forms the figure-8 shape further comprise:

connecting the first coil portion and the second coil portion using a single wire from the first enclosed area to the second enclosed area.