Parallel Stacked Multipath Inductor for High-Frequency Q-Factor
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Solution Overview
Problem
High-frequency inductor designs in integrated circuits face challenges with skin and proximity effect losses, which reduce the Q-factor and self-resonance frequency of on-chip inductors, making it difficult to achieve high Q-factor and small chip area requirements for RF applications.
Innovation Solution
A parallel stacked multipath inductor structure with multiple segments and cross-over architectures is used, where each turn is divided into segments with varying positions and connections between layers to equalize path lengths, reducing skin and proximity effect losses and increasing the Q-factor.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If traditional single-layer inductor design is used, then manufacturing is simple, but skin and proximity effect losses reduce Q-factor at high frequencies
Solution Approach 1:
The inductor turns are divided into multiple segments along the length of each turn. These segments are then connected in a multipath parallel stacked configuration between first and second layers, creating multiple current paths that reduce skin and proximity effect losses while maintaining manufacturability through systematic segmentation.
Solution Approach 2:
The inductor structure transitions from a single-layer planar design to a multi-layer three-dimensional configuration. The multipath parallel stacked inductor uses first and second layers with cross-over architectures, adding the vertical dimension to create multiple current paths and reduce high-frequency losses.
2Reliability
If inductor coil resistance is reduced by increasing turn-width, then Q-factor increases, but chip area occupied by inductor increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of increasing turn-width in the planar direction to reduce resistance, the invention stacks multiple inductor paths vertically between first and second layers. This three-dimensional approach reduces effective resistance and increases Q-factor without expanding the chip area footprint.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple inductor paths are merged into a parallel stacked configuration, combining the conductive paths of first and second layers. This merging creates multiple parallel current paths that reduce overall resistance and increase Q-factor while maintaining compact chip area.
3Reliability
If self-resonance frequency is increased by reducing capacitance, then high-frequency performance improves, but inductor design complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The inductor turns are segmented into multiple sections along their length, and these segments are connected in parallel stacked configurations. This segmentation reduces inter-winding capacitance and increases self-resonance frequency while following a systematic design approach that manages complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The parallel stacked configuration adds vertical separation between current paths using first and second layers. This three-dimensional arrangement reduces capacitance between adjacent windings compared to planar designs, increasing self-resonance frequency through spatial separation.
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
The design achieves higher quality factor and current handling capabilities, maintaining stable inductance over a large frequency range and reducing resistance, thereby enhancing the performance of high-frequency inductor structures.
Implementation Method 1
Skin effect is the tendency for high-frequency currents to flow on the surface of a conductor. Proximity effect is the tendency for current to flow in other undesirable patterns, e.g., loops or concentrated distributions, due to the presence of magnetic fields generated by nearby conductors.
Implementation Method 2
Proximity effect is the tendency for current to flow in other undesirable patterns, e.g., loops or concentrated distributions, due to the presence of magnetic fields generated by nearby conductors. In transformers and inductors, proximity effect losses typically dominate over skin effect losses.
Implementation Method 3
The present invention relates to integrated circuits, and more particularly to three-dimensional integrated circuit inductor structures configured with high Q-factor for high frequency applications.
Data Source
AI summary
A parallel stacked multipath inductor includes a first layer including turns disposed about a center region, the turns on the first layer having segments that extend length-wise along the turns, the segments having positions that vary from an innermost position relative to the center region and an outermost position relative to the center region. A second layer includes turns electrically connected to the first layer along its length and disposed about the center region, the turns on the second layer having segments that extend length-wise along the turns, the segments having positions that vary from an innermost position and an outermost position relative to the center region. Cross-over architectures are configured to couple the segments on the first layer with the segments on the second layer to form segment paths that have a substantially same length for all segment paths per turn between the first and second layers.