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US 8,559,186 B2Granted
Inductor with patterned ground plane
AssigneeQUALCOMM Incorporated
InventorZhang Jin
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An inductor with patterned ground plane is described. In one design, the inductor includes a conductor formed on a first layer and a patterned ground plane formed on a second layer under the conductor. The patterned ground plane has an open center area and a shape matching the shape of the conductor. The patterned ground plane includes multiple shields, e.g., eight shields for eight sides of an octagonal shape conductor. Each shield has multiple slots formed perpendicular to the conductor. Partitioning the patterned ground plane into separate shields and forming slots on each shield help prevent the flow of eddy current on the patterned ground plane, which may improve the Q of the inductor. Multiple interconnects couple the multiple shields to circuit ground, which may be located at the center of the conductor.
Claims24
An apparatus comprising:
- a substrate;
- a conductor formed on a first layer;
- a patterned ground plane formed on a second layer under the conductor between the conductor and the substrate, the patterned ground plane having an open center area and comprising a plurality of shields, each shield having a plurality of slots, wherein the plurality of slots for each shield form a comb-like pattern that has slot openings on an outside edge and a common connection on an inside edge of a shield, wherein the shields are electrically isolated from each other by cuts located near the eight corners of the patterned ground plane, wherein slots are formed on the plurality of shields along the conductor and also at corners of the conductor, and wherein the patterned ground plane allows a magnetic field to pass through the patterned ground plane to the substrate;
- and
- a plurality of interconnects coupling the plurality of shields to circuit ground located at the center of the patterned ground plane, wherein each interconnect is coupled to an inner edge of a respective shield and the circuit ground.
2 more elements
An integrated circuit comprising:
- a substrate;
- a conductor formed on a first layer;
- a patterned ground plane formed on a second layer under the conductor between the conductor and the substrate, the patterned ground plane having an open center area and comprising a plurality of shields, each shield having a plurality of slots, wherein the plurality of slots for each shield form a comb-like pattern that has slot openings on an outside edge and a common connection on an inside edge of a shield, wherein the shields are electrically isolated from each other by cuts located near the eight corners of the patterned ground plane, wherein slots are formed on the plurality of shields along the conductor and also at corners of the conductor, and wherein the patterned ground plane allows a magnetic field to pass through the patterned ground plane to the substrate;
- and
- a plurality of interconnects coupling the plurality of shields to circuit ground located at the center of the patterned ground plane, wherein each interconnect is coupled to an inner edge of a respective shield and the circuit ground.
2 more elements
A method comprising:
- forming a conductor on a first layer;
- and
- forming a patterned ground plane on a second layer under the conductor between the conductor and a substrate, the patterned ground plane having an open center area and comprising a plurality of shields, each shield having a plurality of slots, wherein the plurality of slots for each shield form a comb-like pattern that has slot openings on an outside edge and a common connection on an inside edge of a shield, wherein the shields are electrically isolated from each other by cuts located near the eight corners of the patterned ground plane, wherein slots are formed on the plurality of shields along the conductor and also at corners of the conductor, wherein the patterned ground plane allows a magnetic field to pass through the patterned ground plane to the substrate, wherein a plurality of interconnects couple the plurality of shields to circuit ground located at the center of the patterned ground plane, and wherein each interconnect is coupled to an inner edge of a respective shield and the circuit ground.
An apparatus comprising:
- means for forming a conductor on a first layer;
- and
- means for forming a patterned ground plane on a second layer under the conductor between the conductor and a substrate, the patterned ground plane having an open center area and comprising a plurality of shields, each shield having a plurality of slots, wherein the plurality of slots for each shield form a comb-like pattern that has slot openings on an outside edge and a common connection on an inside edge of a shield, wherein the shields are electrically isolated from each other by cuts located near the eight corners of the patterned ground plane, wherein slots are formed on the plurality of shields along the conductor and also at corners of the conductor, wherein the patterned ground plane allows a magnetic field to pass through the patterned ground plane to the substrate, wherein a plurality of interconnects couple the plurality of shields to circuit ground located at the center of the patterned ground plane, and wherein each interconnect is coupled to an inner edge of a respective shield and the circuit ground.
An apparatus comprising:
- an inductor comprising a conductor formed on a first layer and a patterned ground plane formed on a second layer under the conductor between the conductor and a substrate, the patterned ground plane having an open center area and comprising a plurality of shields, each shield having a plurality of slots, wherein the plurality of slots for each shield form a comb-like pattern that has slot openings on an outside edge and a common connection on an inside edge of a shield, wherein the shields are electrically isolated from each other by cuts located near the eight corners of the patterned ground plane, wherein slots are formed on the plurality of shields along the conductor and also at corners of the conductor, wherein the patterned ground plane allows a magnetic field to pass through the patterned ground plane to the substrate, wherein a plurality of interconnects couple the plurality of shields to circuit ground located at the center of the patterned ground plane, and wherein each interconnect is coupled to an inner edge of a respective shield and the circuit ground;
- and
- an amplifier coupled to the inductor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.