Micro-scale passive device with particles in insulator layer
View Patent ↗Micro-scale passive devices, such as transformers and capacitors, having an insulator layer with insulative particles and/or conductive or nonlinear conductive particles disposed therein. The insulative particles disposed in the insulator layer can increase a breakdown electric field of the device, and the conductive or nonlinear conductive particles disposed in the insulator layer can reduce a maximum electric field of the device. Increasing the breakdown electric field of the device and/or reducing the maximum electric field of the device can increase the lifespan of a micro-scale passive device, and/or may allow the device to operate at a higher threshold electric field without breakdown of the device.
1 . An isolated micro-scale passive device comprising:
a first conductor and a second conductor formed on a substrate;
a first insulator layer disposed over the first conductor;
a second insulator layer disposed at least partially between the first insulator layer and the second conductor; and
a plurality of conductive or nonlinear conductive particles embedded in at least a portion of the second insulator layer, wherein:
a first portion of the second insulator layer has a first conductivity; and
the plurality of conductive or nonlinear conductive particles define a second portion of the second insulator layer with a second conductivity greater than the first conductivity.
2 . The isolated micro-scale passive device of claim 1 , wherein at least a subset of the plurality of conductive or nonlinear conductive particles are disposed between the first conductor and the second conductor.
3 . The isolated micro-scale passive device of claim 1 , comprising a third insulator layer disposed over the second conductor with an additional plurality of conductive or nonlinear conductive particles disposed in the third insulator layer.
4 . The isolated micro-scale passive device of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of insulative particles embedded in at least one of the first insulator layer or the second insulator layer.
5 . The isolated micro-scale passive device of claim 4 , wherein:
at least a subset of the plurality of insulative particles form an isolation layer between the first conductor and the second conductor; and
at least a subset of the plurality of conductive or nonlinear conductive particles form a barrier layer of the second conductor.
6 . The isolated micro-scale passive device of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of conductive or nonlinear conductive particles comprise at least one of SiC, ZnO, Ag 2 C 2 , graphene, carbon nanotubes, or a negative temperature coefficient (NTC) material.
7 . The isolated micro-scale passive device of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of conductive or nonlinear conductive particles have a size between 1 nm and 1 um.
8 . The isolated micro-scale passive device of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of conductive or nonlinear conductive particles have a conductivity between 1×10 −8 S/m and 100 MS/m.
9 . The isolated micro-scale passive device of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of conductive or nonlinear conductive particles have a particle-to-particle distance in the second insulator layer such that conductivity of at least the second insulator layer having the plurality of conductive or nonlinear conductive particles embedded therein is below a percolation threshold.
10 . The isolated micro-scale passive device of claim 1 , wherein:
the first conductor is patterned as a first coil; and
the second conductor is patterned as a second coil.
11 . The isolated micro-scale passive device of claim 1 , wherein:
the first conductor is disposed in a first plane; and
the second conductor is disposed in a second plane parallel to the first plane, the second plane different than the first plane.
12 . The isolated micro-scale passive device of claim 1 , wherein:
at least a portion of the first conductor is disposed in a first plane; and
at least a portion of the second conductor is disposed in the first plane.
13 . An isolated micro-scale passive device comprising:
a first conductor and a second conductor formed on a substrate; and
means for increasing, between the first conductor and the second conductor, a threshold electric field for operating without breakdown of the isolated micro-scale passive device, wherein the means for increasing the threshold electric field for operating without breakdown includes a first insulator layer disposed over the first conductor and a second insulator layer disposed at least partially between the first insulator layer and the second conductor.
14 . The isolated micro-scale passive device of claim 13 , wherein the means for increasing the threshold electric field for operating without breakdown is configured to reduce a maximum electric field of the isolated micro-scale passive device.
15 . The isolated micro-scale passive device of claim 13 , wherein the means for increasing the threshold electric field for operating without breakdown comprises a plurality of conductive or nonlinear conductive particles embedded in the second insulator layer disposed between the first conductor and the second conductor, wherein:
a first portion of the second insulator layer has a first conductivity; and
the plurality of conductive or nonlinear conductive particles define a second portion of the second insulator layer with a second conductivity greater than the first conductivity.
16 . The isolated micro-scale passive device of claim 15 , wherein the means for increasing the threshold electric field for operating without breakdown further comprises a plurality of insulative particles embedded in at least one of the first insulator layer or the second insulator layer.