# US 11,444,078 B2 · ESD protection element > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,444,078 B2 - Document ID: US11444078B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/440,051 - Filed: 2019-06-13 - Published: 2019-10-17 - Granted: 2022-09-13 - Earliest claimed: 2018-04-16 - Assignees: Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Noriyuki Ueki - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11444078B2 ## CPC - H10D 8/20: Breakdown diodes, e.g. avalanche diodes - H10D 89/911: {using passive elements as protective elements} - H01F 17/00: Fixed inductances of the signal type - H01F 17/0006: {Printed inductances (printed coils for dynamo-electric machines H02K3/26; printed circuits H05K)} - H01F 27/2804: {Printed windings} - H01F 27/29: Terminals; Tapping arrangements {for signal inductances} - H01F 27/402: {Association of measuring or protective means} - H05F 3/04: by means of spark gaps or other discharge devices (devices providing for corona discharge per se H01T19/00) - H10D 8/25: Zener diodes - H10D 8/50: PIN diodes - H10D 84/00: Integrated devices formed in or on semiconductor substrates that comprise only semiconducting layers, e.g. on Si wafers or on GaAs-on-Si wafers - H10D 84/0126: {the components including insulated gates, e.g. IGFETs} - H10D 84/038: {using silicon technology, e.g. SiGe} - H10D 89/611: {using diodes as protective elements} - H10P 14/40: of conductive or resistive materials - H10W 20/01: {Manufacture or treatment} - H10W 20/40: Interconnections external to wafers or substrates, e.g. back-end-of-line [BEOL] metallisations or vias connecting to gate electrodes - H10W 20/497: {Inductive arrangements or effects of, or between, wiring layers} - H10W 44/501: {Inductive arrangements (H10W44/20 takes precedence)} - H01F 2017/0086: {on semiconductor substrate} - H10D: INORGANIC ELECTRIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES - H01F: MAGNETS; INDUCTANCES; TRANSFORMERS; SELECTION OF MATERIALS FOR THEIR MAGNETIC PROPERTIES - H05F: STATIC ELECTRICITY; NATURALLY-OCCURRING ELECTRICITY - H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10 - H10W: GENERIC PACKAGES, INTERCONNECTIONS, CONNECTORS OR OTHER CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10 ## Abstract An ESD protection element includes a semiconductor substrate, a wiring layer, and an inductor conductor. The semiconductor substrate includes a Zener diode. The inductor conductor is provided on the wiring layer and has a two-dimensional spiral shape. The inductor conductor includes a first inductor conductor and a second inductor conductor that are continuously provided from an outer peripheral end toward an inner peripheral end, and a connection conductor portion in a vicinity of a portion at which the first inductor conductor and the second inductor conductor are connected to each other. The second inductor conductor has a width smaller than a width of the first inductor conductor. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An ESD protection element comprising: a substrate including a semiconductor region having a surge absorbing element; a wiring layer disposed on the substrate; an inductor conductor disposed in the wiring layer and having a spiral shape in a plan view of the wiring layer and that includes an outer peripheral end and an inner peripheral end; and first, second and third external connection terminals disposed in or on the wiring layer; wherein the inductor conductor includes: a first inductor conductor disposed on an outer peripheral side that includes the outer peripheral end; a second inductor conductor disposed on an inner peripheral side that includes the inner peripheral end; and a connection conductor that connects the first inductor conductor to the second inductor conductor; wherein the outer peripheral end of the inductor conductor is directly connected to the first external connection terminal; wherein the inner peripheral end of the inductor conductor is connected to the second external connection terminal; wherein the third external connection terminal is connected to the surge absorbing element by at least one interlayer connection conductor that extends through the wiring layer with the spiral shape of the inductor conductor surrounding the at least one interlayer connection conductor; wherein the inductor conductor is not physically connected to the at least one interlayer connection conductor; wherein the first inductor conductor and the second inductor conductor are connected in series and are coplanar to each other extending in the plan view of the wiring layer; wherein the first inductor conductor is disposed concentrically with the second inductor conductor; and wherein respective portions of the first inductor conductor and the second inductor conductor extend parallel to each other. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The ESD protection element according to claim 1, wherein the surge absorbing element includes first and second ends; and wherein a first terminal conductor is connected to the first end of the surge absorbing element, and a second terminal conductor is connected to the second end of the surge absorbing element. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The ESD protection element according to claim 2, further comprising: a first via connection conductor that connects the outer peripheral end of the inductor conductor to the first external connection terminal; a second via connection conductor that connects the inner peripheral end of the inductor conductor to the second external connection terminal; and a third via connection conductor that connects the connection conductor to the first terminal conductor. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The ESD protection element according to claim 1, wherein the surge absorbing element comprises at least one Zener diode. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The ESD protection element according to claim 1, wherein the connection conductor has a width larger than the width of the first inductor conductor in the plan view of the wiring layer. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The ESD protection element according to claim 1, wherein the spiral shape includes a corner portion, and the connection conductor is disposed at the corner portion. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The ESD protection element according to claim 1, wherein the spiral shape includes a bent or curved portion, and the connection conductor is disposed at the bent or curved portion. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The ESD protection element according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of insulating layers disposed between the inductor conductor and the substrate. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The ESD protection element according to claim 1, wherein the respective portions of the first and second inductor conductors that extend parallel to each other each have a width in the plan view that is perpendicular to a direction of current flow in the respective inductor conductor, and the respective width of the second inductor conductor is smaller than the respective width of the first inductor conductor. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The ESD protection element according to claim 1, wherein the wiring layer is disposed on the substrate and comprises a plurality of insulating layers, wherein the inductor conductor is disposed on a first insulating layer of the plurality of insulating layers, and wherein the first, second and third external connection terminals are disposed on a second insulating layer of the plurality of insulating layers, with no other conductors disposed on the second insulating layer. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The ESD protection element according to claim 1, further comprising: a wiring conductor disposed in the wiring layer, wherein the at least one connection conductor portion includes a first connection conductor portion that directly connects the wiring conductor to the third external connection terminal, wherein the at least one connection conductor portion includes a second connection conductor portion that directly connects the wiring conductor to the surge absorbing element, and wherein the wiring conductor extends in a direction coplanar with the inductor conductor, such that the second inductor conductor surrounds the wiring conductor and is not physically connected to the wiring conductor. ### Claim 12 An ESD protection element comprising: a substrate including a semiconductor region having a surge absorbing element; a wiring layer disposed on the substrate; first, second and third external connection terminals disposed in or on the wiring layer; and an inductor conductor disposed in the wiring layer and having a spiral shape in a plan view of the wiring layer, wherein the inductor conductor includes: a first inductor conductor disposed on an outer peripheral side of the inductor conductor and directly connected to the first external connection terminal; a second inductor conductor disposed on an inner peripheral side of the inductor conductor and connected to the second external connection terminal; a connection conductor between the first and second inductor conductors and connected to the third external connection terminal via the surge absorbing element, wherein the first inductor conductor and the second inductor conductor are connected in series and are coplanar to each other extending in the plan view of the wiring layer, wherein the first inductor conductor is disposed concentrically with the second inductor conductor, wherein respective portions of the first inductor conductor and the second inductor conductor extend parallel to each other, and wherein the third external connection terminal is connected to the surge absorbing element by at least one interlayer connection conductor that extends through the wiring layer with the spiral shape of the inductor conductor surrounding the at least one interlayer connection conductor, such that the inductor conductor is not physically connected to the at least one interlayer connection conductor. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The ESD protection element according to claim 12, wherein the surge absorbing element includes first and second ends; and wherein a first terminal conductor is connected to the first end of the surge absorbing element, and a second terminal conductor is connected to the second end of the surge absorbing element. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The ESD protection element according to claim 13, further comprising: a first via connection conductor that connects an outer peripheral end of the inductor conductor to the first external connection terminal; a second via connection conductor that connects an inner peripheral end of the inductor conductor to the second external connection terminal; and a third via connection conductor that connects the connection conductor to the first terminal conductor. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The ESD protection element according to claim 12, wherein the surge absorbing element comprises at least one Zener diode. ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) The ESD protection element according to claim 12, wherein the connection conductor has a width larger than the width of the first inductor conductor in a plan view of the wiring layer. ### Claim 17 (depends on 12) The ESD protection element according to claim 12, wherein the spiral shape of the inductor conductor includes a corner portion, and the connection conductor is disposed at the corner portion. ### Claim 18 (depends on 12) The ESD protection element according to claim 12, wherein the spiral shape of the inductor conductor includes a bent or curved portion, and the connection conductor is disposed at the bent or curved portion. ### Claim 19 (depends on 12) The ESD protection element according to claim 12, further comprising a plurality of insulating layers disposed between the inductor conductor and the substrate. ### Claim 20 An ESD protection element comprising: a substrate including a semiconductor region having a surge absorbing element; a wiring layer disposed on the substrate; and an inductor conductor disposed in the wiring layer and having a spiral shape including an outer peripheral end and an inner peripheral end, the inductor conductor including: a first inductor conductor disposed on an outer peripheral side that includes the outer peripheral end; a second inductor conductor disposed on an inner peripheral side that includes the inner peripheral end; and a connection conductor that connects the first inductor conductor to the second inductor conductor; wherein the first inductor conductor is coplanar and disposed concentrically with the second inductor conductor, wherein respective portions of the first inductor conductor and the second inductor conductor extend parallel to each other, and wherein an external connection terminal is connected to the surge absorbing element by at least one interlayer connection conductor that extends through the wiring layer with the spiral shape of the inductor conductor surrounding the at least one interlayer connection conductor, such that inductor conductor is not physically connected to the at least one interlayer connection conductor. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The ESD protection element according to claim 20, further comprising: first, second and third external connection terminals disposed in or on the wiring layer, with the third external connection terminal being the external connection terminal connected to the wiring conductor, wherein the outer peripheral end of the inductor conductor is directly connected to the first external connection terminal, wherein the inner peripheral end of the inductor conductor is connected to the second external connection terminal. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The ESD protection element according to claim 21, wherein the surge absorbing element includes first and second ends; and wherein a first terminal conductor is connected to the first end of the surge absorbing element, and a second terminal conductor is connected to the second end of the surge absorbing element. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) The ESD protection element according to claim 22, further comprising: a first via connection conductor that connects an outer peripheral end of the inductor conductor to the first external connection terminal; a second via connection conductor that connects an inner peripheral end of the inductor conductor to the second external connection terminal; and a third via connection conductor that connects the connection conductor to the first terminal conductor.