Formation of Inductor Core Stacks Using Self-Assembled Monolayers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025273392-A1
Application number	US-202418590169-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 28, 2024
Priority date	Feb 28, 2024
Publication date	Aug 28, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method for forming a multi-layer inductor core incorporates a leaky self-assembled monolayer (SAM) as a plateable dielectric layer that is interposed between magnetic layers formed by electrochemical deposition (ECD) plating processes. A method may include depositing a dielectric layer on a first magnetic layer of an inductor core stack where the dielectric layer is a SAM layer and depositing a second magnetic layer on the dielectric layer of the multi-layer inductor core. The method may be repeated to form as many layers as desired. Subsequent dielectric layers may be the same SAM layer or a different SAM layer. A mix of different molecules may be used in the SAM layers to form the dielectric layers.

First claim

1 . A method for forming a multi-layer inductor core, comprising:
depositing a first dielectric layer on a first magnetic layer of the multi-layer inductor core, wherein the first dielectric layer is a first self-assembled monolayer (SAM) layer; and depositing a second magnetic layer of the multi-layer inductor core on the first dielectric layer.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the second magnetic layer is deposited on the first dielectric layer using an electrochemical deposition (ECD) process.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein an in situ magnetic alignment process is performed on the multi-layer inductor core.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the depositing of the first magnetic layer and the first dielectric layer occurs in a single chamber.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first SAM layer is deposited using a spray process, an aerosol process, or a dip process.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein an annealing process is performed in situ at a temperature of approximately 100 degrees Celsius to approximately 200 degrees Celsius after depositing of the first dielectric layer.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first SAM layer is deposited using a vapor phase deposition process, a liquid phase deposition process, or a microcontact printing process.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first SAM layer has a head group attached to the first magnetic layer, a tail group distal to the first magnetic layer, and a carbon chain backbone with a length of C3 to C22.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first SAM layer is a continuous and porous layer over the first magnetic layer that permits electron travel from the first magnetic layer through the first SAM layer.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first SAM layer is formed with a tail group that attracts metal to form a metal seed layer.

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first SAM layer has mixed molecules.

12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the method is performed at a temperature of less than approximately 400 degrees Celsius.

13 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first SAM layer has a dielectric constant of approximately 2.0 to approximately 3.0 and a thickness of less than 5 nm.

14 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
depositing a second dielectric layer on the second magnetic layer, wherein the second dielectric layer is a second SAM layer; and depositing a third magnetic layer on the second dielectric layer.

15 . An inductor core, comprising:
a first magnetic layer of an inductor core stack of the inductor core; a dielectric layer of the inductor core stack formed directly on the first magnetic layer, wherein the dielectric layer is a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) layer; and a second magnetic layer of the inductor core stack formed directly on the dielectric layer.

16 . The inductor core of claim 15 , wherein the SAM layer has a head group attached to the first magnetic layer, a tail group distal to the first magnetic layer that is attached to the second magnetic layer, and a carbon chain backbone with a length of C3 to C22.

17 . The inductor core of claim 15 , wherein the SAM layer has a dielectric constant of approximately 2.0 to approximately 3.0 and a thickness of less than 5 nm.

18 . The inductor core of claim 15 , wherein the SAM layer has mixed molecules.

19 . The inductor core of claim 15 , further comprising:
a second dielectric layer of the inductor core stack formed directly on the second magnetic layer, wherein the second dielectric layer is a second SAM layer; and a third magnetic layer of the inductor core stack formed directly on the second dielectric layer.

20 . A non-transitory, computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause a method for forming a multi-layer inductor core to be performed, the method comprising:
depositing a dielectric layer on a first magnetic layer of the multi-layer inductor core, wherein the dielectric layer is a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) layer; and depositing a second magnetic layer on the dielectric layer to form the multi-layer inductor core.

Assignees

• Applied Materials Inc

Inventors

• Bernt Marvin Louis
• Zheng Yi
• Chakraborty Tapash
• Lianto Prayudi

Classifications

• H01F41/046 Primary

  structurally combined with ferromagnetic material · CPC title

• H01F2017/0066

  with a magnetic layer · CPC title

• H01F27/24

  Magnetic cores · CPC title

• H01F41/0206 Primary

  Manufacturing of magnetic cores by mechanical means (magnetic cores per se H01F27/24) · CPC title