Semiconductor trench inductors and transformers
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorBucknell C. Webb
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Semiconductor trench inductor and transformer structures are provided, which include thin film conductive layers and magnetic layers formed within trenches etched in semiconductor substrates. Semiconductor trench devices effectively provide vertical oriented inductor and transformer structures whereby conductive coils and magnetic layers are vertically oriented on edge within trenches, thereby providing a space-saving compact design, and which allows the conductive layers within the trench to be enclosed by magnetic material, thereby providing a density of magnetic material that increases the storable energy density.
Claims20
A semiconductor device, comprising:
- a semiconductor substrate;
- a trench formed in the semiconductor substrate, the trench defined by sidewalls and a bottom surface;
- a magnetic layer formed in the trench, the magnetic layer conformally lining the sidewalls and bottom surface of the trench;
- an insulating layer conformally lining the magnetic layer in the trench;
- a first conductor layer formed in the trench, wherein the insulating layer electrically insulates the first conductor layer from the magnetic layer in the trench;
- and
- an upper magnetic layer formed on the substrate and covering the trench, wherein the upper magnetic layer and the magnetic layer in the trench form a closed loop of magnetic material that encircles as least a portion of the first conductor layer formed in the trench.
The semiconductor device of claim wherein the first conductor layer is a conformal layer that conformally lines the insulating layer in the trench.
A semiconductor device, comprising:
- a semiconductor substrate;
- a first trench and second trench formed in the semiconductor substrate, the first and second trenches defined by sidewalls and a bottom surface;
- a magnetic layer formed over the semiconductor substrate, the magnetic layer conformally lining the sidewalls and bottom surfaces of the first and second trenches;
- an insulating layer conformally lining the magnetic layer in the first and second trenches;
- at least one conductor formed in each of the first and second trenches, wherein the at least one conductor in each of the first and second trenches is electrically insulated from the magnetic layer by the insulating layer, and
- an upper magnetic layer formed on the substrate and covering the trench, wherein the upper magnetic layer and the magnetic layer within the first and second trenches form a closed loop of magnetic material that encircles as least a portion of the first conductors formed in each of the first and second trenches, wherein the upper magnetic layer is dome-shaped.
A method for fabricating a semiconductor device, comprising:
- forming a trench in a semiconductor substrate, the trench defined by side-walls and a bottom surface;
- forming a conformal magnetic layer in the trench, the magnetic layer conformally lining the trench sidewalls and bottom surface;
- forming a conformal insulating layer lining the magnetic layer in the trench;
- forming a first conductor layer in the trench, wherein the insulating layer electrically insulates the first conductor layer from the magnetic layer in the trench;
- and
- forming an upper magnetic layer on the substrate and covering the trench, wherein the upper magnetic layer and the magnetic layer in the trench form a closed loop of magnetic material that encircles as least a portion of the first conductor layer formed in the trench.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.