Integrated vertical spiral inductor on semiconductor material
AssigneeChartered Semiconductor Manufacturing Ltd.
InventorsKiat Seng Yeo, Hai Yeng Tan, Jiang Guo Ma, Manh Anh Do, Kok Wai Johnny Chew
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Abstract
A new structure is provided for the creation of an inductor on the surface of a silicon semiconductor substrate. The inductor is of spiral design and perpendicular to the plane of the underlying substrate. Conductor line width can be selected as narrow or wide, ferromagnetic material can be used to fill the spaces between the conductors of the spiral inductor. The spiral inductor of the invention can further by used in series or in series with conventional horizontal inductors.
Claims48
A structure of a vertical spiral inductor having a height Hc having a direction, having a width Wc having a direction, and having a length Lc having a direction, and a body whereby said body of said spiral conductor is bounded lengthwise and in a plane that is perpendicular to said surface of said substrate by a front surface and a back surface, whereby said vertical spiral conductor can be created on a surface of a silicon semiconductor substrate said surface having a plane, containing:
- a base horizontal conductor that is a horizontal conductor that is located closest to said surface of said substrate when compared with all other horizontal conductors;
- a section of lower horizontal conductors and a section of upper horizontal conductors overlaying said base horizontal conductor whereby all horizontal conductors including said base horizontal conductor are separated by a space of height Hs in a direction that is perpendicular to said surface of said substrate whereby a plane in which said horizontal conductors are created is parallel to a plane of said surface of said substrate whereby said horizontal conductors can be divided in lower horizontal conductors and upper horizontal conductors;
- a first input/output section located between said lower and said upper horizontal conductors containing a horizontal conductor of extended width that serves as one of two input/output connectors to said spiral inductor in addition to containing a point of connect to said lower horizontal conductors;
- a second input/output section containing a horizontal conductor that serves as one of two input/output connections to the spiral inductor;
- and
- vertical connecting conductors separated by space Hs whereby a plane of said vertical connecting conductors is perpendicular to said plane of said horizontal conductors whereby said vertical connecting conductors establish electrical contact between horizontal conductors such that a combined configuration of said horizontal conductors and said vertical conductors forms a spiral.
A structure of a vertical spiral inductor having a body that can be created on the surface of a silicon semiconductor substrate, containing:
- horizontal conductors separated by space having a horizontal conductor width and thickness whereby said horizontal conductors are parallel with said surface of said substrate and that are separated by space;
- vertical connecting conductors separated by space having a vertical connecting conductor width and thickness whereby said vertical connecting conductors are perpendicular to said horizontal conductors and are separated by space whereby said width of said vertical connecting conductor equals said width of said horizontal conductors whereby furthermore a direction of width of said vertical connecting conductors coincides with a direction of width of said horizontal conductors;
- areas of interconnect between said horizontal conductors and said vertical conductors creating a structure such that a cross section of said body of said vertical spiral inductor taken in a plane that is perpendicular to said surface of said substrate and perpendicular to said direction of width of said horizontal conductors has a geometric shape of a spiral;
- an extension provided to an innermost horizontal conductor that protrudes from the body of said vertical spiral inductor and that serves as input/output connection to said spiral inductor;
- and
- a horizontal upper conductor that makes contact with a vertical conductor of maximum longitudinal dimension that has furthermore been provided with a conductor that is an extension of said horizontal upper conductor in a direction of width of said horizontal conductor whereby said extension has a surface with a geometric shape of a rectangle whereby said extension is provided on that side of said horizontal upper conductor that is not connected to a vertical conductor said extension to serve as an input/output connection.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.