High Q-factor inductors integrated on MCM Si substrates

• Published in: IEEE transactions on components, packaging, and manufacturing technology. Part B, Advanced packaging Vol. 19; no. 3; pp. 635 - 643
• Main Authors: Zu, L., Yicheng Lu, Frye, R.C., Lau, M.Y., Chen, S.-C.S., Kossives, D.P., Jenshan Lin, Tai, K.L.
• Format: Journal Article Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY IEEE 01.08.1996; Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Computational modeling; Design. Technologies. Operation analysis. Testing; Dielectric substrates; Electromagnetic devices; Electronic equipment and fabrication. Passive components, printed wiring boards, connectics; Electronics; Exact sciences and technology; Fabrication; Integrated circuits; Multichip modules; Parasitic capacitance; Polyimides; Q factor; Radio frequency; Semiconductor electronics. Microelectronics. Optoelectronics. Solid state devices; Thin film inductors; Polyimide; High Q factor; Computer simulation; Multichip module; Spurious capacity; Resistivity; Optimization method; Skin effect; Inductance; Microelectronic fabrication; s parameter; Frequency response; Silicon; Capacitive coupling; Permittivity; Computer aided design
• ISSN: 1070-9894; 1558-3686
• DOI: 10.1109/96.533907

High quality factor (Q) inductors were designed and fabricated on high-resistivity (2000 /spl Omega//spl middot/cm) Si substrates with multichip module (MCM) fabrication technology. A Q-factor of 30 was achieved for an inductor of 4 nH at 1-2 GHz. To enhance the Q-factor and reduce the parasitic coupling capacitance, a staggered double metal-layered structure was utilized by taking advantage of the double-layered metal lines in MCM. With electromagnetic simulation tools, computer-aided analysis was used to optimize the device characteristics. The skin effect and the lossy substrate effect on the performance of the radio frequency (RF) thin-film inductors were studied. The fabrication process used polyimide as the dielectric layer and aluminum as the metal layer. The use of the low dielectric-constant material, polyimide, reduces the parasitic coupling capacitance between metal lines and increases the quality factor and the self-resonant frequency for the RF integrated inductors.