Integrated circuit inductor with transverse interfaces
View Patent ↗An integrated circuit (IC) inductor structure is provided with transverse electrical interfaces. The inductor structure is formed on at least one IC circuit layer and has a first axis planar to a circuit layer surface, bisecting the inductor into opposite first and second sides. An input interface is formed on the circuit layer and connected to the inductor first side, parallel to a second axis, which is perpendicular to the first axis. An output interface is formed on the circuit layer and connected to the inductor second side, parallel to the second axis. In one aspect, the inductor has a center tap electrical interface parallel to the axis. In another aspect, the inductor includes a three-dimensional (3D) loop formed over a plurality of the circuit layers.
1. An integrated circuit (IC) inductor structure with transverse electrical interfaces, the inductor structure comprising:
an inductor formed on a first IC circuit layer having an first axis planar to a circuit layer surface, bisecting the inductor into opposite first and second sides;
an input interface formed on the first circuit layer, connected to the inductor first side, parallel to a second axis, and perpendicular to the first axis;
an output interface formed on the first circuit layer, connected to the inductor second side and parallel to the second axis; and,
wherein the inductor includes a plurality of 3D loops formed on the first circuit layer and a second circuit layer, each of the 3D loops forming an outer core portion and an inner core portion on the first circuit layer.
2. The inductor structure of claim 1 wherein the inductor has a plan-perspective shape selected from a group consisting of circular, square, rectangular, oval, hexagonal, and octagonal.
3. The inductor structure of claim 1 wherein each of the inductor 3D loops includes:
a first partial loop portion and a second partial loop portion formed on the first circuit layer; and,
vias connecting the first and second partial loop portions through a bridge section on the second circuit layer.
4. The inductor structure of claim 1 further comprising:
a center tap electrical interface formed on the first circuit layer, aligned in parallel with the first axis.
5. An integrated circuit (IC) inductor-capacitor (LC) network, the LC network comprising:
an plurality of adjacent inductor structures formed on a first circuit layer, each of the inductor structures having an first axis planar to a circuit layer surface, bisecting each of the inductor structures into opposite first and second sides, an input interface formed on the first circuit layer connected to the inductor first side, parallel to a second axis, and perpendicular to the first axis, an output interface formed on the first circuit layer connected to the inductor second side and parallel to the second axis, and a center tap electrical interface formed on the first circuit layer aligned in parallel with the first axis;
a plurality of adjacent capacitors, each of the capacitors formed on the first circuit layer and having an input electrical interface connected to the center tap electrical interface of a corresponding one of the inductor structures; and,
wherein the input and output electrical interfaces of adjacent inductor structures are connected.
6. The LC structure of claim 5 wherein each of the inductor structures includes a three-dimensional (3D) loop formed on the first circuit layer and a second circuit layer.
7. The LC structure of claim 6 wherein each of the inductor structures includes a plurality of 3D loops, each of the 3D loops forming an outer core portion and an inner core portion on the first circuit layer.
8. The LC structure of claim 6 wherein each inductor 3D loop includes:
a first partial loop portion and a second partial loop portion formed on the first circuit layer; and,
vias connecting the first and second partial loop portions through a bridge section on a second circuit layer.
9. The LC structure of claim 5 wherein the inductor has a plan-perspective shape selected from a group consisting of circular, square, rectangular, oval, hexagonal, and octagonal.
10. The LC structure of claim 5 wherein each of the capacitors has an axis planar to the circuit layer surface, bisecting each capacitor into opposite first and second sides, and perpendicular to the first axes, an input electrical interface connected to each of the capacitor first sides, and an output electrical interface connected to each of the capacitor second sides.
11. The LC structure of claim 10 further comprising:
an LC network input connected to the input electrical interface of a first inductor structure of the plurality of inductor structures;
an LC network output connected to the output electrical interface of a second inductor structure of the plurality of inductor structures; and,
a reference voltage connected the output electrical interface of each of the capacitors.
12. The LC structure of claim 10 wherein the plurality of inductor structures includes:
a first row of adjacent connected inductor structures;
a second row of adjacent connected inductor structures;
wherein the plurality of capacitors includes:
a first row of capacitors interposed between the first and second rows of inductor structures, adjacent to and connected with corresponding one of the inductor structures in the first row;
a second row of capacitors interposed between the first row of capacitors and the second row of inductor structures, adjacent to and connected with corresponding one of the inductor structures in the second row;
an LC network first differential input connected to the input electrical interface of a first inductor structure in the first row;
an LC network first differential output connected to the output electrical interface of a second inductor structure in the first row;
an LC network second differential input connected to the input electrical interface of a third inductor structure in the second row;
an LC network second differential output connected to the output electrical interface of a fourth inductor structure in the second row; and,
a reference voltage connected the output electrical interface of each of the capacitors in the first and second rows of capacitors.
13. An integrated circuit (IC) inductor structure with transverse electrical interfaces, the inductor structure comprising:
an inductor formed on a first IC circuit layer having an first axis planar to a circuit layer surface, bisecting the inductor into opposite first and second sides;
an input interface formed on the first circuit layer, connected to the inductor first side, parallel to a second axis, and perpendicular to the first axis;
an output interface formed on the first circuit layer, connected to the inductor second side and parallel to the second axis;
wherein the inductor includes a 3D loop formed on the first circuit layer and a second circuit layer, including:
a first partial loop portion and a second partial loop portion formed on the first circuit layer; and,
vias connecting the first and second partial loop portions through a bridge section on the second circuit layer.
14. An integrated circuit (IC) inductor structure with transverse electrical interfaces, the inductor structure comprising:
an inductor formed on a first IC circuit layer having an first axis planar to a circuit layer surface, bisecting the inductor into opposite first and second sides;
an input interface formed on the first circuit layer, connected to the inductor first side, parallel to a second axis, and perpendicular to the first axis;
an output interface formed on the first circuit layer, connected to the inductor second side and parallel to the second axis; and,
a center tap electrical interface formed on the first circuit layer, aligned in parallel with the first axis.