Variable inductor and semiconductor device using same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9324778-B2
Application number	US-201213814871-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 26, 2012
Priority date	Mar 29, 2011
Publication date	Apr 26, 2016
Grant date	Apr 26, 2016

Abstract

A variable inductor includes a spiral inductor, a loop conductor, and a switch for opening or short-circuiting an end of the loop conductor. The loop conductor is formed in a direction perpendicular to the spiral inductor and is used for adjusting the inductance value of the spiral inductor by opening or short-circuiting the end of the loop conductor by the switch.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A variable inductor comprising:
a spiral inductor arranged in a plane on a semiconductor substrate;
a loop conductor including an opening that is arranged in one or more layers which are lower than the plane occupied by the spiral inductor and includes a first layer conductor and a second layer conductor;
a dielectric layer arranged between the loop conductor and the spiral inductor; and
a switch adapted to open or close a loop of the loop conductor, the dielectric layer being arranged between the switch and the spiral inductor;
wherein the first layer conductor and the second layer conductor of the loop conductor define a plane, the plane defined by the first layer conductor and the second layer conductor of the loop conductor is arranged in a direction perpendicular to and beneath the plane occupied by the spiral inductor.

2. The variable inductor according to claim 1 , wherein the spiral inductor is formed on one surface of the semiconductor substrate; and
wherein the
first layer conductor is formed in a layer which is lower than the spiral inductor;
the second layer conductor is formed in a layer which is lower than the first layer conductor; and the variable inductor further comprises:
a vertical conductor formed in a via which is formed in at least a
part of the semiconductor substrate and in a direction perpendicular to the one surface of the semiconductor substrate, the vertical conductor connecting the first layer conductor to the second layer conductor.

3. The variable inductor according to claim 2 , wherein the semiconductor substrate is a silicon substrate;
wherein the spiral inductor is formed from a surface conductor formed on a topmost layer of the silicon substrate;
wherein the first layer conductor is an inner layer conductor positioned at a lower layer side with respect to the surface conductor through an interlayer dielectric film;
wherein the second layer conductor is a backside conductor formed on a back side of the silicon substrate; and
wherein the loop conductor includes:
the inner layer conductor;
the vertical conductor formed in a pass-through via which penetrates through the silicon substrate; and
the backside conductor; and
the switch adapted to open or close a loop of the loop conductor.

Assignees

• Sato Junji
• Mizuno Koichi
• Fujita Suguru
• Panasonic Corp

Inventors

• Sato Junji
• Mizuno Koichi
• Fujita Suguru

Classifications

• H10W20/497 Primary

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

• H10D84/01

  Manufacture or treatment · CPC title

• H10D1/20 Primary

  Inductors · CPC title

• H01L2924/00

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01F2027/2809

  on stacked layers · CPC title