Glass-Core Integrated Inductor Layout for High-Density Fabrication

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing inductor architectures in electronic packages are limited by low permeability magnetic materials, requiring frequent drill bit replacements, high production costs, and reduced throughput due to mechanical drilling, which impedes the scaling of inductors to smaller dimensions and pitches.

Innovation Solution

The use of laser-assisted etching processes to fabricate inductors in glass cores, allowing for high permeability materials and avoiding mechanical drilling, enabling the parallel fabrication of multiple inductors with reduced distances between metallized holes and magnetic material holes, thereby increasing inductor density and reducing production time and costs.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If mechanical drilling is used to create via openings in cured magnetic material, then via openings can be formed, but drill bits need frequent replacement which increases costs and reduces throughput

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveease of manufactureVSAvoidthroughput

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces mechanical drilling with laser drilling to create via openings in the magnetic material. This substitution eliminates the need for frequent drill bit replacement while maintaining manufacturing capability, directly addressing both the ease of manufacture and productivity concerns by using a non-contact laser process that does not suffer from mechanical wear.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the drilling method from mechanical to laser-based, fundamentally altering the process parameters. This parameter change allows for continuous operation without tool replacement, improving throughput while maintaining ease of manufacture through a more reliable process.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Manufacturing precision

If each inductor is drilled separately with mechanical drilling, then individual via openings are created, but it takes a long time to make all via openings for an electronic package

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvevia opening precisionVSAvoidproduction time

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces mechanical drilling with laser drilling, enabling faster processing. The laser method can create multiple via openings more rapidly and can potentially process multiple inductors in parallel, significantly reducing production time while maintaining the precision needed for individual via openings.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent employs laser drilling which can pre-process multiple via openings in a more efficient manner compared to sequential mechanical drilling. This preliminary action reduces the overall time required to create all necessary via openings across multiple inductors.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Reliability

If paste printed and cured magnetic material is used, then inductors can be formed, but the cured material is very hard requiring frequent drill bit replacement

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveinductor performanceVSAvoidease of manufacture

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces mechanical drilling with laser drilling to process the hard cured magnetic material. This substitution maintains the reliability benefits of the paste-printed magnetic material while eliminating the manufacturing difficulties associated with its hardness, as laser drilling is not affected by material hardness in the same way mechanical drilling is.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This approach enables inductors with higher inductivities and improved density, allowing up to 10× more inductors per unit area, while reducing manufacturing time and costs, and facilitating the integration of wideband regulators using coupled buck topologies.

Implementation Method 1

laser-assisted etching processes to fabricate inductors in glass cores

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectLaser ablation: Laser Ablation

Data Source

PatentUS12598997B2Inductor with integrated magnetics

Publication Date: 2026.04.07 INTEL CORP

AI summary

Embodiments disclosed herein include electronic packages. In an embodiment, an electronic package comprises a substrate, where the substrate comprises glass. In an embodiment, a magnetic ring is embedded in the substrate. In an embodiment, a loop is around the magnetic ring. In an embodiment, the loop is conductive and comprises a first via through the substrate, a second via through the substrate, and a trace over a surface of the substrate, where the trace electrically couples the first via to the second via.