This invention relates in general, to inductor circuitry, and in particular to, an effective way of integrating a toroidal coil inductor into a device using semiconductor fabrication methods.
Since the development of tuned circuits, various types of energies such as electricity, light, and electromagnetism have been used to transmit various forms of stimuli, improving the quality of every day life. The stimuli transmitted from tuned circuits may be in the form of sound, e.g. phones and stereos, or in the form of light, e.g. television and data via a computer monitor. Such elements have enabled businesses as well as families to communicate with other counterparts across the globe conveniently and virtually without delay, resulting in closer bonds.
Tuned circuits have recently been introduced to semiconductor integration technologies. Though semiconductor technology has advanced in virtually every possible way, there is still difficulty when implementing tuned circuit technology. It has been very difficult to integrate large tuned circuit elements without sacrificing frequency extraction capabilities or quality factor (“Q-factor”).
An important tuned circuit element making the previously mentioned systems possible is the inductor. Inductors can have a respectively low frequency response, thus they can be utilized for low frequency extraction or limiting, depending on the configuration. Using inductors along with other circuit components make it possible to receive, extract, process, manipulate, and transmit information in the form of energies coving a broad spectrum of frequencies.
Recently, on-chip inductors have been introduced to the semiconductor fabrication process for integration. This process has experience some difficulties. Inductors are essentially a coil of wire or some electrically conductive material. Generally, as the size shrinks, so does their inherent inductance quality factor. Therefore, integrated inductors have respectively low inductances.
Including inductors in semiconductor technologies is also difficult due to the electromagnetic interference generated therein. The fields generated by one circuit element tends to interfere with the signals within other adjacent circuit elements. Additionally, inductors in semiconductor technology tend to couple fields to the substrate inducing Eddy currents within the substrate.
Therefore, a system for utilizing inductors within an integrated circuit (“IC”) without sacrificing the quality of adjacent circuit elements or coupling fields of the inductor to the substrate is now needed; providing cost-effective and efficient performance while overcoming the aforementioned limitations of conventional methods.
The present invention provides a semiconductor circuit comprising a first and second lower electrical trace, an upper electrical trace, aligned at a first end with a first end of the first lower electrical trace and at a second end with a second end of the second lower electrical trace, a first via intercoupling the first end of the upper electrical trace with the first end of the first lower electrical trace, and a second via intercoupling the second end of the upper electrical trace with the second end of the second lower electrical trace.
The present invention also provides an inductor formed within a semiconductor process comprising a first lower electrical trace, having first and second ends, a second lower electrical trace, having first and second ends, a third lower electrical trace, having first and second ends, a first upper electrical trace, having a first end aligned with the first end of the first lower electrical trace and a second end aligned with the second end of the second lower electrical trace, a second upper electrical trace, having a first end aligned with the first end of the second lower electrical trace and a second end aligned with the second end of the third lower electrical trace, a first via intercoupling the first end of the first upper electrical trace with the first end of the first lower electrical trace, a second via intercoupling the second end of the first upper electrical trace with the second end of the second lower electrical trace, a third via intercoupling the first end of the second upper electrical trace with the first end of the second lower electrical trace, and a fourth via intercoupling the second end of the second upper electrical trace with the second end of the third lower electrical trace.
The present invention further provides a method of providing an integrated tuned circuit component including providing a first and second lower electrical trace, providing an upper electrical trace, aligned at a first end with a first end of the first lower electrical trace and at a second end with a second end of the second lower electrical trace, providing a first via intercoupling the first end of the upper electrical trace with the first end of the first lower electrical trace, and providing a second via intercoupling the second end of the upper electrical trace with the second end of the second lower electrical trace.
For a more complete understanding of the features and advantages of the present invention, reference is now made to the detailed description of the invention along with the accompanying figures in which corresponding numerals in the different figures refer to corresponding parts and in which:
While the making and the use of the present invention is discussed in detail below, it should be appreciated that the present invention provides many applicable inventive concepts which can be embodied in a wide variety of specific contexts. The specific embodiments discussed herein are merely illustrative of specific ways to make and use the invention, do not delimit the scope of the invention.
Referring now to
In contrast,
The toroidal inductor of the present invention provides efficient on-chip filters required by system 200. Referring now to
Inductor 300 further comprises a third constituent, an insulating level 320. Level 320 insulates level 302 from level 316, while providing a medium in which a vertical portion of inductor 300, comprising vias 322, may be formed or disposed.
As an example, one embodiment of a beginning and end of inductor 300 may be represented by contacts 324 and 326, respectively. The location of the beginning and end of the inductor is shown as an example only, and may be otherwise selected or formed in accordance with the present invention. In this embodiment, beginning 324 is located within level 302. End 326 is located within level 316. Each trace 304 is disposed in substantial vertical alignment with a corresponding trace 318. At an end closest to the center of inductor 300, traces 304 and 318 are adjoined by a corresponding via 322. At an end closest to the outer edge of inductor 300, a trace 304 is shaped or formed to deviate from alignment with its corresponding trace 318, and to extend to a corresponding outer portion of an adjacent trace 318, where a via 322 intercouples the two. Each set of traces 304 and 318 is similarly disposed and connected. Thus, traces 304 and 318 are formed and vertically interconnected with vias 322 to provide an effective toroidal coil inductor from beginning 324 to end 326. The present invention thus utilizes vias as an integral circuit element.
Further illustration is now provided in reference to
Referring now to
While this invention has been described in reference to illustrative embodiments, this description is not intended to be construed in a limiting sense. Various modifications and combinations of the illustrative embodiments, as well as other embodiments of the invention, will be apparent to persons skilled in the art upon reference to the description. The teachings and concepts of the present invention may be applied to a variety of semiconductor devices and circuitry applications. The principles of the present invention are practicable in a number of technologies. It is therefore intended that the appended claims encompass any such modifications or embodiments.
This application claims priority under 35 USC § 119(e)(1) of provisional application No. 60/230,886 filed Sep. 8, 2000.
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
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5793272 | Burghartz et al. | Aug 1998 | A |
6037649 | Liou | Mar 2000 | A |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20020058355 A1 | May 2002 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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60230886 | Sep 2000 | US |