Device comprising micromagnetic components for power applications and process for forming device

Abstract

The process is provided involving formation of multilayer components in which a photoresist-type material is used not only as a conventional patterning material, but also as an insulating and/or planarizing material between magnetic or electrically conductive layers. A variety of integrated CMOS/micromagnetic components are thereby capable of being formed, including components containing planar inductors and transformers. Additionally, a particular technique is used to etch gold-containing seed layers from a substrate surface without damaging an electroplated copper coil. Also provided is a magnetic material particularly useful in devices such as inductors and transformers. The material is an amorphous iron-cobalt-phosphorus alloy having a composition of CoxPyFez, where x+y+z=100, x is 5 to 15, y is 13 to 20, and z is the remainder. The alloy typically exhibits a coercivity of 0.1 to 0.5 Oe, an electrical resistivity of 100 to 150 μΩ-cm, and a saturation magnetization of about 16 to about 19 kG, all of which represent improvements over Permalloy.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.