Miniaturized wide-band baluns for RF applications
View Patent ↗A wide-band balun device includes a first metallization deposited over a substrate and oriented in a first coil. The first coil extends horizontally across the substrate while maintaining a substantially flat vertical profile. A second metallization is deposited over the substrate and oriented in a second coil. The second coil is magnetically coupled to the first coil and a portion of the second coil oriented interiorly of the first coil. A third metallization is deposited over the substrate and oriented in a third coil. The third coil is magnetically coupled to the first and second coils. A first portion of the third coil is oriented interiorly of the second coil. The third coil has a balanced port connected to the third coil between second and third portions of the third coil.
1. A wide-band balun device, comprising:
a first coil formed over a substrate in a spiral configuration extending horizontally across the substrate having a constant coil spacing and maintaining a substantially flat vertical profile;
a second coil formed over the substrate and wound together with the first coil to form a nested spiral configuration adjacent to the first coil, the second coil having a constant coil spacing and being magnetically coupled to the first coil; and
a third coil formed over the substrate and wound together with the first and second coils to form a nested spiral configuration adjacent to the first and second coils, the third coil having a constant coil spacing and being magnetically coupled to the first and second coils, wherein the first, second, and third coils are organized over the substrate as a group of two coil structures.
2. The wide-band balun device of claim 1 , wherein the substrate is made with silicon, glass, or ceramic material for structural support.
3. The wide-band balun device of claim 1 , wherein the first, second, and third coils include tube structures, the tube structures having a round, square, or rectangular cross-section.
4. The wide-band balun device of claim 1 , wherein the first, second, and third coils include copper or a copper alloy material.
5. The wide-band balun device of claim 1 , further including a semiconductor device containing the group of two coil structures.
6. A balun device, comprising:
a first coil formed over a substrate in a spiral configuration extending horizontally across the substrate with constant coil spacing, wherein a thickness of the first coil is greater than a skin depth of the first coil to minimize metal loss of the first coil and minimize an effect of a decline in current density with respect to the thickness of the first coil; and
a second coil formed over the substrate and concentrically wound together with the first coil in a nested spiral configuration adjacent to the first coil, the second coil being magnetically coupled to the first coil, and the first and second coils being organized over the substrate as a first coil structure in a planar side by side group of two coil structures with dimensions less than 1.6 mm×1.0 mm×0.25 mm, wherein the balun device operates at a range of 0.800-6.000 GHz.
7. The balun device of claim 6 , further including a third coil formed over the substrate and concentrically wound together with the second coil, the third coil being magnetically coupled to the second coil.
8. The balun device of claim 7 , wherein the third coil is organized over the substrate as a part of the group of two coil structures.
9. The balun device of claim 7 , wherein the first, second, and third coils include copper or a copper alloy material.
10. The balun device of claim 6 , further including a semiconductor device containing the group of two coil structures.
11. The balun device of claim 6 , wherein the substrate is made with silicon, glass, or ceramic material for structural support.
12. The balun device of claim 6 , wherein the first and second coils include tubes with a rectangular cross-section or round cross-section.
13. A balun for a semiconductor device, comprising:
a first metallization formed over a substrate and patterned as a first coil extending horizontally across the substrate in a spiral configuration, wherein a thickness of the first coil is greater than a skin depth of the first coil to minimize an effect of a decline in current density with respect to the thickness of the first coil; and
a second metallization formed over the substrate and patterned as a second coil wound together with the first coil in a spiral configuration, the second metallization being magnetically coupled to the first metallization, and the first and second coils being organized over the substrate as a first coil structure in a side by side group of two coil structures with dimensions less than 1.6 mm×1.0 mm×0.25 mm, wherein the balun device operates at a range of 0.800-6.000 GHz.
14. The balun of claim 13 , wherein the first and second coils have a constant coil spacing.
15. The balun of claim 13 , wherein the first and second coils include copper or a copper alloy material.
16. The balun of claim 13 , further including a third metallization formed over the substrate and patterned as a third coil adjacent to the second coil, the third metallization being magnetically coupled to the second metallization.
17. The balun of claim 16 , wherein the third metallization is organized over the substrate as a part of the group of two coil structures.
18. The balun of claim 13 , wherein the substrate is made with silicon, glass, or ceramic material for structural support.
19. The balun of claim 13 , wherein the first and second metallizations include tubes with a rectangular or round cross-section.
20. A method of manufacturing a balun, comprising:
forming a first metallization over a substrate patterned as a first coil extending horizontally across the substrate in a spiral configuration, wherein a thickness of the first coil is greater than a skin depth of the first coil; and
forming a second metallization over the substrate patterned as a second coil adjacent to the first coil and extending horizontally in a spiral configuration, the second metallization being magnetically coupled to the first metallization, wherein the first and second coils are organized over the substrate as a first coil structure in a side by side group of two coil structures.
21. The method of claim 20 , wherein the balun has dimensions less than approximately 1.6 mm×1.0 mm×0.25 mm, and operates at less than 3 GHz.
22. The method of claim 20 , further including forming a third metallization over the substrate patterned as a third coil adjacent to the second coil, the third metallization being magnetically coupled to the second metallization.
23. The method of claim 22 , further including organizing the third metallization over the substrate as a part of the group of two coil structures.
24. The method of claim 20 , wherein the first and second coils include copper or a copper alloy material.
25. The method of claim 20 , wherein the first and second metallizations include tubes with a rectangular cross-section or round cross-section.