Patent Application
20080238596
Electronic components, such as inductors, may be implemented on substrates such as an integrated circuit die or a printed circuit board (PCB). Such implementations involve placing patterns of material (e.g., as conductive material) on one or more substrate layers. This placement may be through lithographic techniques.
The connection of particular elements in such implementations to nodes, such as ground, is desirable in certain situations. Techniques to provide such connections are also desirable.
Various embodiments may be generally directed to techniques involving electronic components. For instance, in embodiments, an apparatus may include a magnetic core, a ground node, and one or more vias to provide a connection between the magnetic core and the ground potential. The magnetic core includes a first magnetic layer and a second magnetic layer. In addition, the apparatus may include a conductive pattern. The conductive pattern may be at a third layer between the first and second magnetic layers.
The apparatus may be included in inductors, transformers, transmission lines, and other components using ferromagnetic cores or shields. Such components may be integrated on a chip or die. Thus, embodiments may be employed in the context of on-die magnetics. Magnetic cores may include one or more layers of ferromagnetic material. Magnetic shield may be formed by a thin layer of ferromagnetic material.
The invention is to make an electrical connection between the core and an AC ground (e.g., ground, a supply voltage, any node with low impedance and little or no voltage noise).
Embodiments may advantageously reduce the electrostatic noise on magnetic cores. This may improve isolation the of radio frequency (RF) front-end circuitry from noise originated by digital circuits or components (in fact, some RF applications cannot yet be integrated on a digital CMOS process because of substrate noise being picked up by large on-die air-core inductors). Further, embodiments may increase wire-to-ground capacitance. This may improve efficiency, for example, in soft switching modes. Also, embodiments may reduce wire-to-wire capacitance. As a result, useful frequency ranges may be extended.
Embodiments may comprise one or more elements. An element may comprise any structure arranged to perform certain operations. Each element may be implemented with various technologies or processes, as desired for a given set of design parameters or performance constraints. Although an embodiment may be described with a limited number of elements in a certain topology by way of example, the embodiment may include other combinations of elements in alternate arrangements as desired for a given implementation. It is worthy to note that any reference to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment. The appearances of the phrase “in one embodiment” in various places in the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment.
Vias are employed to connect various layers. For instance,
Magnetic elements of apparatus 100 may, together, provide a magnetic core. For example, this magnetic core may comprise magnetic layers 102 and 104. Further, in embodiments, magnetic core may also comprise via 108, via 116, and or via 110. However, the embodiments are not limited to these examples.
As described above, apparatus 100 may be included in various electronic components, devices, or circuits. For instance,
Thus, magnetic cores may be grounded between their layers (e.g., at metal layer 106). Additionally or alternatively, magnetic cores may be grounded underneath their layers (e.g., at metal layer 114). As a further addition or alternative, magnetic cores may be grounded above their layers (e.g., above magnetic layer 104). Such underneath and above groundings may be employed in multiple layer magnetic cores or in single layer magnetic cores. Moreover, grounding of magnetic cores may occur sideways.
In embodiments, a connection between a metal layer and a magnetic layer are established by creating an opening in one or more insulating layers (e.g., layers 112a, 112b, and/or 112c) that are between the metal and the magnetic layers. Ones created, the openings may be filled with either metal or with magnetic material. Such fillings may be referred to as vias.
Connections of magnetic cores to grounded metal may be selected such that the metal is away from high magnetic fields. This may advantageously avoid additional eddy currents. For example, in a two-layer magnetic core, such connection(s) to the core may be made outside the magnetic via. An example of such a connection is shown below in
In general operation, apparatus 100 provides grounding for AC voltage(s) on magnetic elements. With reference to
Moreover, embodiments may provide termination for most of the electric field lines emanating from conductive elements, such as conductive element 118. Thus, parasitic capacitance between such conductive elements (e.g., inductor wires) may be reduced. For inductor embodiments, the may cause an increase in series resonance frequency, allowing the inductors to be used at higher frequencies.
Together, top magnetic layer 208, vias 210a-c, and the bottom magnetic layer form a magnetic core for inductor 200. As described above, this magnetic core is grounded.
As shown in
Magnetic vias 210a, 210b, and 210c connect magnetic layers 207 and 208 at areas alongside winding 202. Collectively, magnetic layer 207, magnetic layer 208, and magnetic vias 210a-210c may be referred to as a magnetic core.
As shown in
Similarly,
Embodiments are not limited to inductors. For example,
Further,
As shown in
A further transmission line example is shown in
As shown in
In addition,
As shown in
Various embodiments have been disclosed above. However, they are made for purposes of illustration, and not for limitation. Various embodiments provide grounding connections for magnetic cores. Such embodiments may involve connections between various layers.
For instance, embodiments may provide an opening in insulating layer(s) on top of a metal and deposit a magnetic-layer stack in the opening such that the metal is electrically connected to the magnetic material. The metal may be connected to a circuit node, such as, for example, a ground or a supply voltage.
Further embodiments provide an opening in the insulating layer(s) on top of magnetic material and deposit a metal-layer stack in the opening such that the metal is electrically connected to the magnetic material.
Yet further embodiments may employ a combination of the above, in which one metal layer is connected to a magnetic layer below and to another magnetic layer above. Similarly, a magnetic layer stack may be connected to a metal layer below and to another metal layer above. The locations of such connections (vias) do not have to coincide in layout. However, they may.
Moreover, combinations of such embodiments may be employed. Also, embodiments may employ sideways connections to connect to other areas. In addition, multiple devices (e.g., inductors, baluns, transformers, transmission lines, and so forth) may share node (e.g., ground) connections.
Numerous specific details have been set forth herein to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments. It will be understood by those skilled in the art, however, that the embodiments may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known operations, components and circuits have not been described in detail so as not to obscure the embodiments. It can be appreciated that the specific structural and functional details disclosed herein may be representative and do not necessarily limit the scope of the embodiments.
Some embodiments may be described using the expression “coupled” and “connected” along with their derivatives. These terms are not intended as synonyms for each other. For example, some embodiments may be described using the terms “connected” and/or “coupled” to indicate that two or more elements are in direct physical or electrical contact with each other. The term “coupled,” however, may also mean that two or more elements are not in direct contact with each other, but yet still co-operate or interact with each other.
Although the subject matter has been described in language specific to structural features and/or methodological acts, it is to be understood that the subject matter defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or acts described above. Rather, the specific features and acts described above are disclosed as example forms of implementing the claims.
