Damascene fabrication of nonplanar microcoils
AssigneeSandia Corporation
InventorsDavid P. Adams, Michael J. Vasile
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A process for fabricating coils using a Damascene process uses a curved substrate having a surface extending along and about an axis made of a first material. A groove is formed in the curved surface along and around said axis, and the groove is filled with a second material that is different from the first material to form a coil of second material in said first material. Excess second material is then removed from the surface of the first material, leaving the coil of second material in the groove.
Claims15
A process for fabricating coils comprising:
- providing a curved substrate having a surface extending along and symmetrical about an axis, said substrate being made of a first material and having a maximum diameter about said axis on the order of 1 cm;
- forming a groove in the curved surface along and around said axis, said groove extending into the surface for a minimum depth and at least one turn around said axis;
- filling the groove with a second material different from the first material to form a coil of second material in said first material, wherein the filling step causes excess second material to overflow the groove and cover at least a portion of the surface;
- and
- removing all the excess second material from the surface without removing all the material from the groove.
A process for fabricating coils comprising:
- providing a curved substrate having a surface extending along and about an axis, said substrate being made of a first material;
- forming a first groove in the curved surface along and around said axis, said first groove extending into the surface for a minimum depth and extending around said axis for a plurality of turns, wherein the first groove is helical;
- filling the first groove with a second material different from the first material to form a coil of second material in said first material;
- and
- forming a second groove in said substrate, the second groove intersecting the first groove at a plurality of spaced locations along each groove;
- wherein said filling step fills the second groove and the first groove.
A process for fabricating coils comprising:
- providing a curved substrate having a surface extending along and about an axis, said substrate being made of a first material;
- forming a groove in the curved surface along and around said axis, said groove extending into the surface for a minimum depth and at least one turn around said axis;
- filling the groove with a second material different from the first material to form a coil of second material in said first material;
- and
- separating the formed second material from the substrate by destroying the substrate without damaging the second material.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.