# US 10,483,343 B2 · Inductors for chip to chip near field communication > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,483,343 B2 - Document ID: US10483343B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/625,731 - Filed: 2017-06-16 - Published: 2018-12-20 - Granted: 2019-11-19 - Earliest claimed: 2017-06-16 - Assignees: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Euhan Chong; Davide Tonietto; Zhonggui Xiang - Inventors: Euhan Chong; Davide Tonietto; Zhonggui Xiang - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10483343B2 ## CPC - H10D 1/20: Inductors - H04B 5/22: Capacitive coupling - H04B 5/24: Inductive coupling - H10W 20/497: {Inductive arrangements or effects of, or between, wiring layers} - H10W 70/685: comprising multiple insulating layers - H10W 72/00: Interconnections or connectors in packages - H10W 90/293: {characterised by non-galvanic coupling between the chips, e.g. capacitive coupling} - H10W 70/60: Insulating or insulated package substrates; Interposers; Redistribution layers (leadframes H10W70/40) - H10W 72/9232: {with additional elements interposed between layers} - H10W 72/952: {comprising metals or metalloids, e.g. PbSn, Ag or Cu} - H10D: INORGANIC ELECTRIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES - H04B: TRANSMISSION - H10W: GENERIC PACKAGES, INTERCONNECTIONS, CONNECTORS OR OTHER CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10 ## Abstract A device includes a first inductor positioned on a first substrate. The first inductor has at least one turn in a plane that is perpendicular to a plane of the first substrate. The first inductor is positioned for near field coupling with a second inductor. The second inductor is positioned on a second substrate, with at least one turn that is in a plane perpendicular to a plane of the second substrate. The second inductor is substantially parallel to the first inductor. Such an arrangement may be used for near field coupling, including edge-to-edge coupling, between two integrated circuits. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A device comprising: at least one inductor positioned on a substrate, the substrate having at least one major surface defining a horizontal plane, the at least one inductor having a plurality of turns about a horizontal axis parallel to the horizontal plane, the at least one inductor being positioned for near field coupling with another inductor, wherein: a first turn of the plurality of turns comprises a plurality of segments positioned in a plurality of metal layers of the substrate, each segment being electrically connected to a subsequent segment by a via, a first such segment being a first end segment and a last such segment being a second end segment; at least two of the plurality of segments being displaced along the horizontal axis relative to a prior segment such that a projection of the first end segment onto the horizontal axis does not overlap with a projection of the second end segment onto the horizontal axis; and a second turn of the plurality of turns has a first end segment connected to the second end segment of the first turn. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1 wherein the at least one inductor is positioned at or near an edge of the substrate. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1 wherein the at least one inductor is one of a series peaking inductor, a shunt peaking inductor, or a T-coil. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1 wherein the substrate comprises an integrated circuit. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The device of claim 4 wherein: the plurality of metal layers of the substrate comprise an upper metal layer, one or more middle metal layers, and one or more lower metal layers of the integrated circuit; a top section of the at least one inductor comprises one of the plurality of segments positioned in the upper metal layer of the integrated circuit; side sections of the at least one inductor comprise two or more of the plurality of segments positioned in the one or more middle metal layers of the integrated circuit; and a bottom section of the at least one inductor comprises one or more of the plurality of segments positioned in the one or more lower metal layers of the integrated circuit; and the respective segments are electrically coupled through vias to form at least one turn of the at least one inductor. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The device of claim 5 wherein the upper metal layer is a redistribution design layer (RDL) of the integrated circuit. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The device of claim 6 wherein the upper metal layer is an aluminum for bond pad (AP) layer of the integrated circuit. ### Claim 8 (depends on 4) The device of claim 4 wherein the turns of the at least one inductor are similar to each other in dimensions. ### Claim 9 A device comprising: a first inductor positioned on a first substrate, the first substrate having at least one major surface defining a first horizontal plane, the first inductor having a plurality of turns about a first horizontal axis parallel to the first horizontal plane; and a second inductor positioned on a second substrate, the second substrate having at least one major surface defining a second horizontal plane, the second inductor having at least one turn about a second horizontal axis parallel to the second horizontal plane, the first and second horizontal planes being substantially parallel to each other; wherein the first and second inductors are designed to be inductively coupled to each other; a first turn of the plurality of turns of the first inductor comprises a plurality of segments positioned in a plurality of metal layers of the first substrate, each segment being electrically connected to a subsequent segment by a via, a first such segment being a first end segment and a last such segment being a second end segment; at least two of the plurality of segments being displaced along the first horizontal axis relative to a prior segment such that a projection of the first end segment onto the first horizontal axis does not overlap with a projection of the second end segment onto the first horizontal axis; and a second turn of the plurality of turns of the first inductor has a first end segment connected to the second end segment of the first turn. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The device of claim 9 wherein at least one of the inductors is one of a series peaking inductor, a shunt peaking inductor, or a T-coil. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The device of claim 9 wherein the first substrate comprises an integrated circuit. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The device of claim 11 wherein: the plurality of metal layers of the first substrate comprise an upper metal layer, one or more middle metal layers, and one or more lower metal layers of the integrated circuit; a top section of the first inductor comprises one of the plurality of segments positioned in the upper metal layer of the integrated circuit; side sections of the first inductor comprise two or more of the plurality of segments positioned in the one or more middle metal layers of the integrated circuit; and a bottom section of the first inductor comprises one or more of the plurality of segments positioned in the one or more lower metal layers of the integrated circuit; and the respective segments are electrically coupled through vias to form at least one turn of the first inductor. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The device of claim 12 wherein the upper metal layer is a redistribution design layer (RDL) of the integrated circuit. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The device of claim 12 wherein the upper metal layer is an Aluminum for bond pad (AP) layer of the integrated circuit. ### Claim 15 (depends on 9) The device of claim 9 wherein the first and second substrates are positioned edge-to-edge. ### Claim 16 (depends on 9) The device of claim 9 wherein the first and second inductors are used for near field communication in a system-in-package, a system-on-a-chip, a system-on-package or a multi-chip module.