Inductor devices – Coil or coil turn supports or spacers – Printed circuit-type coil
Reexamination Certificate
1998-08-20
2001-09-18
Donovan, Lincoln (Department: 2832)
Inductor devices
Coil or coil turn supports or spacers
Printed circuit-type coil
C336S225000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06292084
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a fine inductor and more particularly to a fine inductor having a 3-dimensional coil structure on a surface of a semiconductor, wherein the inside of the coil is hollow, and also relates to a method for producing such a fine inductor.
2. Description of Related Art
Generally, a fine inductors having a micrometer size is used for a low and high frequency transmitter and receiver as passive components which are necessary for realizing a transmitting and receiving circuit for a specified electromagnetic wave in a radio communication integrated circuit.
When the inductor is integrated on the integrated circuit, however, since processing of 3-dimensional coil structure is difficult, a spiral structure having a coil structure which is partially planar is mainly used. The inductor having the plane coil structure has large design areas, has large parasitic capacitances which are generated from bottom portions of metal wirings structurally, and requires spaces between the metal wirings and inductor to avoid electrostatic induction in portions over which the metal wirings are crossed.
Further, method is proposed for realizing vertical coil shape by piling metal layers and insulating layers on the substrate in a multi-layer structure, but its manufacturing method is complex and because the insulating layers are filled between the coils, it has large parasitic capacitances and large contact resistances in wiring, thereby providing large resistance of inductor itself.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide a fine inductor having a 3-dimensional coil structure for reducing occupied areas in comparison with a planar spiral inductor and reducing parasitic capacitances by rendering an interior of the coil hollow, and a method for producing such a fine inductor.
To achieve the above object, the present invention provides a fine inductor having a 3-dimensional coil structure including an insulating layer having a groove, a plurality of first conductive patterns wherein the respective first conductive patterns cover the bottom and both walls of the groove formed in the insulating layer, both ends of the respective first conductive patterns are extended over an upper surface of both sides of the groove, and each of the first conductive patterns is disposed at a predetermined space between adjacent first conductive patterns, and a plurality of second conductive patterns wherein one end of the respective second conductive patterns are connected to the one end of the first conductive patterns extended an over upper surface and the other ends of the respective second conductive patterns are connected to the other ends of the adjacent first conductive patterns extended an over upper surface, thereby forming a coil structure together with the first conductive patterns.
According to another aspect of the invention, a method for producing a fine inductor having a 3-dimensional coil structure includes the steps of forming an insulating layer on a substrate and forming a groove in a predetermined region for the inductor to be formed, forming a plurality of first conductive patterns wherein each of the first conductive patterns covers a bottom and both walls of the groove formed in the insulating layer, both ends of the respective first conductive patterns are extended over upper surface of both sides of the groove, and each of the first conductive patterns is disposed at a predetermined space between adjacent first conductive patterns, being filled with material having etching properties different from those of the first conductive patterns in the groove, forming a second conductive layer having etching properties different from those filled in the groove, selectively etching the second conductive layer to form a plurality of second conductive patterns wherein one end of the respective second conductive patterns are connected to the one ends of the first conductive patterns extended over upper surface and the other end of the respective second conductive patterns are connected to the other ends of the adjacent first conductive patterns extended over an upper surface, thereby forming a coil structure together with the first conductive patterns, and removing the material formed in the groove.
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Chong H. Ahn and Mark G. Allen; A Fully Integrated Surface Micromachined Magnetic Microactuator with a Multilevel Meander Magnetic Core; 1993; pp. 15-22. (No month).
Baek Jong Tae
Choi Chang Auck
Jang Won Ick
Lee Jong Hyun
Lee Yong Il
Antonelli Terry Stout & Kraus LLP
Donovan Lincoln
Electronics and Telecommunication Research Institute
Nguyen Tuyen T.
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