The present invention relates to a substrate-incorporated capacitor incorporated in a substrate, a capacitor-incorporating substrate including such a substrate-incorporated capacitor, and a method for manufacturing such a substrate-incorporated capacitor.
For miniaturized information communications devices, a capacitor may be embedded in a printed circuit substrate, instead of being mounted on the surface of the substrate. A typical substrate-incorporated capacitor that is incorporated in a substrate may have a structure formed by sequentially stacking metal, an insulator, and metal, that is, a structure sandwiching an insulating layer with two electrode layers (refer to, for example, patent document 1).
When the capacitor described in patent document 1 is incorporated in a substrate, electrodes, which sandwich a dielectric layer to form the capacitor, are each connected by a single via to a corresponding wire (circuit). More specifically,
However, in the capacitor described in patent document 1, the wires formed in the same layer, that is, on the same surface, are not electrically connected to a first electrode and a second electrode, which serve as the upper electrode and the lower electrode of the capacitor.
A substrate 109 shown in
In the capacitor 101, the second electrode 120, which serves as an upper electrode, is connected by a single via 162 to the wire 172. The first electrode 110, which serves as a lower electrode, is connected by a via 163 to a wire 173, which is arranged at the side opposite to the wire 171. The wire 173 is connected to the wire 171 by a via 161 to connect the first electrode 110 to the wire 171.
More specifically, to connect the wire 171, which is arranged on one surface of the substrate 109, to the first electrode 110 when the capacitor 101 shown in
A capacitor 201 shown in
However, as shown in
When the vias, which are to be connected to the first and second electrodes of the substrate-incorporated capacitor, cannot be accurately formed, the vias in the substrate cannot be connected to the first electrode and the second electrode in a satisfactory manner.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a substrate-incorporated capacitor, a capacitor-incorporating substrate, and a method for manufacturing a substrate-incorporated capacitor that can connect vias to a first electrode and a second electrode of the capacitor in a satisfactory manner when wires arranged on one surface of the substrate are connected by vias to the first electrode and the second electrode, while shortening the conductive path from one surface of the substrate to the first electrode.
To achieve the above object, a substrate-incorporated capacitor according to the present invention is characterized by a first electrode extending in a predetermined direction. A dielectric layer is arranged on part of the first electrode. A second electrode is arranged on the dielectric layer facing the first electrode through the dielectric layer. An electrode layer is arranged on the first electrode surrounding the dielectric layer and connected to the first electrode. Part of the electrode layer is arranged on an end of the dielectric layer and is spaced apart from the second electrode in the predetermined direction.
To achieve the above object, a method for manufacturing a substrate-incorporated capacitor according to the present invention is characterized by a dielectric layer formation step of forming a dielectric layer on a first electrode, and an electrode layer formation step of forming a second electrode layer on the dielectric layer. The second electrode layer covers the dielectric layer and is connected to the first electrode layer. The method further includes an isolation trench formation step of forming an isolation trench in the second electrode layer. The isolation trench electrically isolates a part facing the first electrode layer through the dielectric layer and a part connected to the first electrode layer.
The present invention can connect vias to a first electrode and a second electrode of a capacitor in a satisfactory manner when wires arranged on one surface of a substrate are connected by vias to the first electrode and the second electrode.
One embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings.
As shown in
The capacitor 1 includes a first electrode 10, a dielectric layer 30, which is arranged on the first electrode 10, a second electrode 20, which is arranged on the dielectric layer 30 at the opposite side of the first electrode 10, and an electrode layer 80, which is arranged on the first electrode 10 and the dielectric layer 30 and connected to the first electrode 10.
As shown in
The first electrode 10, which is made of a conductive material such as metal, is formed from metal foil made of copper, nickel, aluminum, or platinum, or is formed from metal foil made of an alloy of two or more of these metals. As shown in
The second electrode 20, which is made of a conductive material such as metal, is formed from a metal film of copper, nickel, aluminum, or platinum, or is formed from a metal layer of an alloy of two or more of these metals. The second electrode 20, which is a thin film, includes a surface 21, to which the vias 62 are connected, and sandwiches the dielectric layer 30 with the first electrode 10 in the thickness direction Y. The second electrode 20 is smaller than the first electrode 10 and the dielectric layer 30 in the planar direction X. The second electrode 20, which extends in the planar direction X, covers an upper part of the dielectric layer 30 and serves as an upper electrode in
The dielectric layer 30, which is made of a dielectric material, is made of, for example, oxide ceramics. More specifically, the dielectric layer 30 is made of a metal oxide, such as barium titanate, lithium niobate, lithium borate, lead zirconate titanate, strontium titanate, lead lanthanum zirconate titanate, lithium tantalite, zinc oxide, or tantalum oxide. In addition to the above metal oxide, the dielectric layer 30 may contain additives for improving the dielectric properties. The dielectric layer 30 projects in the planar direction X from two opposite ends of the second electrode 20. The dielectric layer 30, which is arranged on the surface 11 of the first electrode 10, is smaller than the first electrode 10 in the planar direction X. In other words, the dielectric layer 30 is arranged on part of the first electrode 10. The first electrode 10 thus projects in the planar direction X from two opposite ends of the dielectric layer 30.
The electrode layer 80, which is made of a conductive material, such as metal, is a metal film, such as a copper film. The electrode layer 80 is formed from the same material as the material of the second electrode 20. The electrode layer 80, which is a thin film, includes a surface 81, to which the vias 61 are connected. The electrode layer 80 is formed to sandwich the two opposite ends of the dielectric layer 30 with the first electrode 10 in the thickness direction Y and extend over the first electrode 10 and the dielectric layer 30. In other words, the electrode layer 80 is arranged on the first electrode 10 surrounding the dielectric layer 30, part of the electrode layer 80 is arranged on the ends of the dielectric layer 30 in the planar direction X, and part of the electrode layer 80 faces the first electrode 10 through the dielectric layer 30. The electrode layer 80 laid out in this manner covers the two end surfaces of the dielectric layer 30 in the planar direction X, and the ends of the electrode layer 80 in the planar direction X are connected to the first electrode 10. The electrode layer 80 is spaced apart from the second electrode 20 in the planar direction X.
In the present embodiment, as shown in
More specifically, part of the electrode layer 80 covers the ends of the dielectric layer 30 in the planar direction X, and part of the electrode layer 80 faces the first electrode 10 through the dielectric layer 30. The isolation trench D, the bottom surface of which is formed by part of the dielectric layer 30 excluding the periphery, is formed between the electrode layer 80 and the second electrode 20. The isolation trench D electrically isolates the first electrode 10 and the second electrode 20. The surface 21 of the second electrode 20 and the surface 81 of the electrode layer 80 are flush with each other and sandwich the isolation trench D.
The substrate 9 is a capacitor-incorporating substrate that incorporates the capacitor 1 having the above structure. The substrate 9 includes the capacitor 1 and an insulating substrate 60, which incorporates the capacitor 1. The insulating substrate 60 includes the vias 61, which are electrically connected to the first electrode 10, and the vias 62, which are electrically connected to the second electrode 20. In the present embodiment, the vias 61 are connected to the electrode layer 80 to be electrically connected to the first electrode 10.
A wire 71, which is electrically connected to the first electrode 10, and a wire 72, which is electrically connected to the second electrode 20, are arranged on the insulating substrate 60. The wires 71 and 72 are arranged on one surface of the substrate 9.
An example of a method for manufacturing the capacitor 1 will now be described with reference to
First, a first electrode layer 10A with a predetermined thickness, which allows for easy handling, resists deformation in a subsequent annealing step that will be described later, and has a predetermined thickness, is prepared. The first electrode layer 10A is a metal foil, preferably, copper foil that is highly conductive and easy to obtain.
As shown in
In the dielectric layer formation step, the dielectric layer 30 is formed in a powder injection coating process, which injects dielectric powder. Examples of powder injection coating process include aerosol deposition and powder jet deposition. To facilitate the formation the dielectric layer 30 in an atmospheric pressure environment under a normal temperature, the use of powder jet deposition is preferable.
Then, the dielectric layer 30 is annealed to improve its ferroelectric property (annealing step). In the annealing step, the dielectric layer 30 is annealed by, for example, applying laser light to the dielectric layer 30, heating the layer through microwave irradiation, or heating the layer in an annealing furnace.
As shown in
In the electrode layer formation step, the second electrode layer 20A, which is a metal film, is formed by a film formation process such as sputtering, vapor deposition, printing using a conductive paste, plating, or a combination of these processes. The film formation process used in the electrode layer formation step is preferably a process that increases adhesion at the interface of the first electrode layer 10A with the second electrode layer 20A and the second electrode layer 20A.
Then, as shown in
In the present embodiment, the thinning step is an etching process in which the thickness of the first electrode layer 10A is reduced by etching. The etching is chemical polishing that uses a chemical reaction dissolving metal. The etching process may perform dry etching that uses an etching gas or wet etching that uses an etching liquid.
As shown in
The formation of the isolation trench D forms the first electrode 10 and the second electrode 20 that are not electrically connected to each other. The isolation of the second electrode layer 20A results in the part facing the first electrode layer 10A through the dielectric layer 30 becoming the second electrode 20, and the first electrode layer 10A becoming the first electrode 10. The part of the second electrode layer 20A connected to the first electrode layer 10A becomes the electrode layer 80.
More specifically, the isolation trench formation step is an electrode formation process in which the isolation trench D forms the first electrode 10 and the second electrode 20. Thus, the first electrode layer 10A forms the first electrode 10, and the second electrode layer 20A forms the second electrode 20 and the electrode layer 80. More specifically, the surface 11A of the first electrode layer 10A forms the surface 11 of the first electrode 10, and the surface 12A of the first electrode layer 10A forms the surface 12 of the first electrode 10. The surface 21A of the second electrode layer 20A forms the surface 21 of the second electrode 20 and the surface 81 of the electrode layer 80.
As described above, the method for manufacturing the capacitor 1 includes the dielectric layer formation step, the annealing step, the electrode layer formation step, the thinning step (etching process), and the isolation trench formation step. The capacitor 1 is formed through these steps.
An example of a method for manufacturing the substrate 9 that incorporates the capacitor 1 will now be described with reference to
As shown in
In the capacitor stacking step, the insulator 50 is heated and pressurized to pressure-bond the capacitor 1 to the semi-cured prepregs. The insulator 50 may be prepared in advance, and the capacitor 1 may be stacked on the cured prepregs by means of an adhesive (not shown).
As shown in
Then, in the same manner as in the capacitor stacking step, another insulator 50 is heated and pressurized to be stacked on the insulator 50, on which the capacitor 1 is arranged (insulator stacking step). By performing the insulator stacking step, as shown in
Subsequently, through holes, which function as the vias 61 and 62, are formed in the insulating substrate 60 (via formation step). The wires 71 and 72 are formed on one surface of the insulating substrate 60 (wire formation step).
As described above, the method for manufacturing the substrate 9 includes the capacitor stacking step, the internal wire formation step, the insulator stacking step, the via formation step, and the wire formation step. Through these steps, the substrate 9 shown in
The above embodiment has the advantages described below.
(1) The capacitor 1 includes the first electrode 10, the dielectric layer 30, which is formed on part of the first electrode 10, the second electrode 20, which faces the first electrode 10 through the dielectric layer 30, and the electrode layer 80, which is arranged on the first electrode 10 surrounding the dielectric layer 30 and connected to the first electrode 10. Part of the electrode layer 80 is formed on the ends of the dielectric layer 30 spaced apart from the second electrode 20 in the planar direction X and faces the first electrode 10 through the dielectric layer 30. When the capacitor 1 having this structure is incorporated in the substrate 9, the vias 61 and 62, which extend from one surface of the substrate 9 to the surface of the electrode layer 80 and the surface of the second electrode 20, are formed in the substrate 9 to connect the wires 71 and 72, which are arranged on the surface of the substrate 9, to the first electrode 10 and the second electrode 20. The connection of the vias 61 to the electrode layer 80 connects the wire 71, which is arranged on one surface of the substrate 9, to the first electrode 10. The direct connection of the vias 62 to the second electrode 20 connects the wire 72, which is arranged on one surface of the substrate 9, to the second electrode 20. In the above structure, the part of the electrode layer 80 connected to the first electrode 10 is arranged on the ends of the dielectric layer 30 spaced apart from the second electrode 20 and faces the first electrode 10 through the dielectric layer 30. This allows for the surface of the electrode layer 80, which is connected to the first electrode 10, to be flush with the surface of the second electrode 20. Thus, the vias 61, which are electrically connected to the first electrode 10, and the vias 62, which are electrically connected to the second electrode 20, can have the same length. Accordingly, when the wires 71 and 72, which are arranged on one surface of the substrate 9 are connected to the first electrode 10 and the second electrode 20 through the vias 61 and 62, which are formed in the substrate 9, the vias 61 and 62, which are connected to the first electrode 10 and the second electrode 20, can be formed more easily than when the vias 61 and 62 have different lengths. As a result, when the wires 71 and 72 formed on one surface of the substrate 9 are connected to the first electrode 10 and the second electrode 20 through vias, the vias 61 and 62 can be connected to the first electrode 10 and the second electrode 20 in a satisfactory manner.
(2) To connect the wire 72 formed on one surface of the substrate 9 to the first electrode 10, the via 61 is formed extending from the surface of the substrate 9 to the surface of the electrode layer 80. This shortens the conductive path from one surface of the substrate 9 to the first electrode 10 in comparison to a structure in which a via is to extend from one surface to the other surface of the substrate 9 and another via is formed to extend from the other surface of the substrate 9 to the first electrode 10. Accordingly, the vias 61 and 62 each have a length corresponding to the shortest distance from the surface of the substrate 9, on which the wires 71 and 72 are arranged, to the capacitor 1. This reduces inductance produced in the substrate 9 and improves the impedance characteristics of the substrate 9 in a high-frequency range.
(3) When the capacitor 1 having the above structure is incorporated in the substrate 9, there is no need for vias of which bottom surfaces are formed by the surface of the first electrode 10, and only the vias 61 and 62 of which bottom surfaces are formed by the surface of the electrode layer 80 and the surface of the second electrode 20 need to be formed. This eliminates the need to increase the thickness of the first electrode 10 to form the vias 61 and 62 and prevents the first electrode 10 from being thick. Accordingly, the thickness of the capacitor 1 can be reduced.
(4) The isolation trench D, which electrically isolates the first electrode 10 and the second electrode 20, is arranged between the electrode layer 80 and the second electrode 20. The bottom of the isolation trench D is formed by part of the dielectric layer 30 excluding the periphery. The ends of the dielectric layer 30 are each sandwiched by part of the electrode layer 80 and the first electrode 10. This prevents the dielectric layer 30 from being delaminated from the first electrode 10.
(5) When the capacitor 1 is incorporated in the substrate 9, the vias 61 and 62, which extend from one surface of the substrate 9 to the surface 81 of the electrode layer 80 and the surface 21 of the second electrode 20, are formed. The connection of the vias 61 to the electrode layer 80 connects the first electrode 10 and the vias 61, and the direct connection of the vias 62 to the second electrode 20 connects the second electrode 20 and the vias 62. Accordingly, the formation of the electrode layer 80 and the second electrode 20 from the same material connects the vias 61 and 62 to the first electrode 10 and the second electrode 20 in a more satisfactory manner than when the subjects, to which the vias 61 and 62 are connected, are formed from different materials.
(6) The capacitor 1 having the above structure is incorporated in the substrate 9. Thus, the thin substrate 9 can be used as a component incorporated in an electronic device (not shown). When the capacitor 1 is incorporated in the substrate 9, the surface 81 of the electrode layer 80 does not have to be completely flush with the surface 21 of the second electrode 20.
(7) The method for manufacturing the capacitor 1 includes the dielectric layer formation step, which forms the dielectric layer 30, the electrode layer formation step, which forms the second electrode layer 20A covering the dielectric layer 30 and connected to the first electrode layer 10A, and the isolation trench formation step, which forms the isolation trench D electrically isolating the part of the second electrode layer 20A facing the first electrode layer 10A and the part of the second electrode layer 20A connected to the first electrode layer 10A. In this method, the isolation trench D is formed in the second electrode layer 20A, which covers the dielectric layer 30 and is connected to the first electrode layer 10A. As a result, the first electrode layer 10A becomes the first electrode 10, and the part of the second electrode layer 20A facing the first electrode layer 10A through the dielectric layer 30 becomes the second electrode 20. The part of the second electrode layer 20A to which the first electrode layer 10A is connected becomes the electrode layer 80, which is arranged on part of the first electrode 10 and spaced apart from the second electrode 20. In this method, the electrode layer 80 formed through the isolation trench formation step is part of the second electrode layer 20A before the isolation trench formation step, and the electrode layer 80 is arranged in the same manner as the second electrode 20. Accordingly, part of the electrode layer 80 connected to the first electrode 10 is arranged on the ends of the dielectric layer 30 spaced apart from the second electrode 20 and faces the first electrode 10 through the dielectric layer 30. This obtains the above-described advantages (1) to (3) and (5).
(8) In the isolation trench formation step, the isolation trench D is formed at a portion where its bottom surface is formed by part of the dielectric layer 30 excluding the periphery of the dielectric layer 30. Accordingly, the ends of the dielectric layer 30 are sandwiched between part of the electrode layer 80 and the first electrode 10. This obtains the above-described advantage (4).
(9) The method for manufacturing the capacitor 1 includes the thinning step, which reduces the thickness of the first electrode layer 10A, after the dielectric layer formation step. This facilitates handling of the first electrode layer 10A before and when the dielectric layer 30 is formed. Further, in the thinning step, the thickness of the first electrode layer 10A is reduced. Thus, the capacitor 1 can be reduced in thickness (or reduced in height).
(10) The method for manufacturing the capacitor 1 includes the annealing step, which anneals the dielectric layer 30, after the dielectric layer formation step. This improves the ferroelectric property of the dielectric layer 30. When the above thinning step is performed after the annealing step, an oxide film formed on the first electrode layer 10A due to the annealing can be removed in the thinning step. This allows for an increase in the maximum temperature of the annealing step that was set to be low to avoid the formation of an oxide film. Also, when the thinning step is performed after the annealing step, the first electrode layer 10A can have sufficient thickness in the annealing step. As a result, the height of the capacitor 1 can be reduced, while preventing the first electrode layer 10A from being deformed due to the annealing.
(11) In the dielectric layer formation step, the dielectric layer 30 is formed in a powder injection coating process. Thus, the dielectric layer 30 can be formed under a normal temperature through, for example, aerosol deposition or powder jet deposition. As a result, the first electrode layer 10A, which functions as an underlayer, may be formed from a metal having a low melting point.
(12) The thinning step is an etching process that etches and reduces the thickness of the first electrode layer 10A. Thus, the thickness of the first electrode layer 10A can be reduced as desired by performing chemical polishing.
(13) The method for manufacturing the substrate 9 includes the internal wire formation step, which forms the internal wire 10a by etching the first electrode 10. Accordingly, the first electrode 10 of the capacitor 1 can be used as the internal wire 10a arranged in the substrate 9.
The invention is not limited to the above embodiment and may be embodied in many other specific forms without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. For example, the above embodiment may be modified in the following forms, and the following modifications may be combined with one another.
In the capacitor stacking step, the isolation trench D does not have to be formed in the second electrode layer 20A. More specifically, the steps for manufacturing the substrate 9 may include the steps for manufacturing the capacitor 1. In this case, the capacitor 1 and the substrate 9 are manufactured through the steps described below.
The first electrode layer 10A, which is obtained through the dielectric layer formation step, the annealing step, the electrode layer formation step, and the thinning step, is stacked on the surface of the insulator 50, which includes a core and prepregs (electrode layer stacking step).
In the electrode layer stacking step, the insulator 50 is heated and pressurized so that the first electrode layer 10A is pressure-bonded to the semi-cured prepregs. The electrode layer formation step obtains the insulator 50 on which the exposed first electrode layer 10A is arranged as shown in
Then, in the same manner as in the isolation trench formation step, the isolation trench D is formed in the second electrode layer 20A, which is arranged on the insulator 50 (isolation trench formation step). Subsequently, the internal wire formation step and the insulator stacking step are performed to obtain the substrate 9 shown in
In this modification, the isolation trench formation step, which is the electrode formation step, is performed after the first electrode layer 10A is arranged on the insulator 50 (after the electrode layer stacking step).
The capacitance of the capacitor 1 depends on the area of the part in which the first electrode 10 and the second electrode 20 face each other. Thus, the location at which the isolation trench D is formed relates to the capacitance of the capacitor 1. Accordingly, by performing the isolation trench formation step after the electrode layer stacking step, the capacitor 1 can be obtained with the desired capacitance when manufacturing the substrate 9.
The first electrode 10 of the capacitor 1 does not have to be used as the internal wire 10a arranged in the substrate 9. More specifically, for example, as shown in
In this modification, the capacitor 1 is stacked on the surface of the insulator 50 in the same manner as in the above capacitor stacking step. The substrate 9 that does not include the internal wire 10a is manufactured as shown in
A plurality of dielectric layers 30 may be formed on a single first electrode layer 10A. In this case, after forming the dielectric layers 30, a plurality of dielectric layers 30 may be manufactured from the same first electrode layer 10A by cutting the first electrode layer 10A in conformance with the shape of each dielectric layer 30. This manufactures a plurality of capacitors 1 from a single first electrode layer 10A.
The second electrode 20 may be formed from metal foil made of, for example, copper, nickel, aluminum, or platinum, or from metal foil made of an alloy of two or more of these metals. More specifically, the second electrode layer 20A may be formed from metal foil. In this case, the metal foil may be bonded to the first electrode layer 10A and the dielectric layer 30 in the electrode layer formation step to form the second electrode layer 20A.
The metal foil forming the first electrode layer 10A may be plated. Alternatively, when the second electrode layer 20A is formed from metal foil as described above, the metal foil may be plated.
The thinning step may be performed before the second electrode layer formation step. Further, the thinning step may be performed after the isolation trench formation step.
In the dielectric layer formation step, the dielectric layer 30 may be formed through methods other than powder injection coating process. For example, the dielectric layer 30 may be formed by sputtering, vapor deposition, or a sol-gel process.
The annealing step may be eliminated if the desired ferroelectric property can be obtained.
In the thinning step, the thickness of the first electrode layer 10A may be reduced by methods other than etching. More specifically, the method for reducing the thickness of the first electrode layer 10A is not limited to chemical polishing. For example, mechanical polishing or chemical mechanical polishing may be performed to reduce the thickness of the first electrode layer 10A.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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2010-173036 | Jul 2010 | JP | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
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PCT/JP2011/065544 | 7/7/2011 | WO | 00 | 1/25/2013 |