Method of creating spiral inductor having high Q value

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9269485-B2
Application number	US-201113102531-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 6, 2011
Priority date	Nov 29, 2007
Publication date	Feb 23, 2016
Grant date	Feb 23, 2016

Abstract

A method for fabricating an inductor structure having an increased quality factor (Q) is provided. In one embodiment, a substrate is provided and a plurality of metal layers are formed on the substrate. A spirally patterned conductor layer is formed over and in the substrate and in the metal layers to produce a planar spiral inductor. A via hole is formed over and in the substrate and in the metal layers within the spirally patterned conductor layer, the via hole being formed by a through silicon via (TSV) process. Thereafter, the via hole is filled with a core layer, wherein the core layer extends from a bottom surface of the substrate to a top surface of the metal layers.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An inductor structure, comprising:
a silicon wafer;
a dielectric layer formed on the silicon wafer;
a spirally patterned conductor layer formed over and in the silicon wafer and in the dielectric layer to form metal-containing layers, the spirally patterned conductor layer forming a planar spiral inductor;
a via hole formed over and in the silicon wafer and in the metal-containing layers within the spirally patterned conductor layer, wherein the via hole is formed by a through silicon via (TSV) process and is formed through the silicon wafer; and
a core layer filling the via hole, wherein the core layer extends from a bottom surface of the silicon wafer to a top surface of the metal-containing layers, and the core layer is insulated from the spirally patterned conductor layer and surrounded by the spirally patterned conductor layer.

2. The inductor structure of claim 1 , wherein the core layer is made of a magnetic material.

3. The inductor structure of claim 2 , wherein the magnetic material comprises iron, nickel, MnZn ferrite, NiZn ferrite, NiFe ferrite, NiCuZn alloy, other ferrites, mumetals, and mumetal alloys.

4. The inductor structure of claim 1 , wherein the core layer comprises a plurality of individual members divided and insulated from each other.

Assignees

• Chang Shih-Cheng
• Lee Hui-Yu
• Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg Co Ltd

Inventors

• Chang Shih-Cheng
• Lee Hui-Yu

Classifications

• H10W72/90

  Bond pads, in general · CPC title

• H10W44/501

  Inductive arrangements (H10W44/20 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H10W20/497

  Inductive arrangements or effects of, or between, wiring layers · CPC title

• H10D1/20

  Inductors · CPC title

• H01F2017/002

  Details of via holes for interconnecting the layers · CPC title