Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-tf8b9 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-24T16:48:48.892Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

On-chip spiral inductor in flip-chip technology

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 January 2010

Gye-An Lee*
Affiliation:
Skyworks Solutions, Inc., 5110 North River Blvd NE, Cedar Rapids, IA 52411, USA.
Darioush Agahi
Affiliation:
Skyworks Solutions, Inc., 5110 North River Blvd NE, Cedar Rapids, IA 52411, USA.
Franco De Flaviis
Affiliation:
Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA.
*
Corresponding author: G.-A. Lee Email: [email protected]

Abstract

Performance comparison is made between on-chip spiral inductor in flip-chip versus wirebond package technology. Full-wave electromagnetic simulation and on-strip measurement techniques were used to study the performance fluctuations of inductor within flip-chip environment. Results show that the performance of a flipped silicon-based spiral inductor is affected by the radio frequency (RF) current return path differences. The RF current return path for flip-chip is concentrated on the surface of silicon layer exclusively because back side ground under silicon is floating in flip-chip technology. In addition, the bump proximity effect is also considered. On-chip inductors in flip-chip environment must be optimized by reducing the eddy current in the silicon substrate and parasitic affects by adjusting design parameters. The equivalent circuit model of the flipped on-chip spiral inductor is verified with measured results over broadband frequencies. Also, the RF flip-chip characterization technique using on-strip measurement method is presented.

Type
Original Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press and the European Microwave Association 2010

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

[1]Lee, G.-A.; Lee, H.-Y.: Suppression of the CPW leakage in common millimeter-wave flip-chip structures. IEEE Microw. Guided Wave Lett., 8 (1998), 366368.Google Scholar
[2]Niknejad, A.M.; Meyer, R.G.: Analysis, design, and optimization of spiral inductors and transformers for Si RF IC's. IEEE J. Solid-State Circuits, 33 (1998), 14701481.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
[3]Nguyen, N.M.; Meyer, R.G.: Si IC compatible inductors and LC passive filters. IEEE J. Solid-State Circuits, 25 (1990), 10281031.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
[4]Burghartz, J.N.: Progress in RF inductors on silicon – understanding substrate losses, in IEEE Int. Electron Device Meeting, 1998, pp. 523526.Google Scholar
[5]Davis, P. et al. : Silicon-on-silicon integration of a GSM transceiver with VCO resonator, in IEEE Int. Solid-State Circuits Conf., 1998, pp. 248249.Google Scholar
[6]Kim, J.; Itoh, T.: A novel microstrip to coplanar waveguide transition for flip-chip interconnection using electromagnetic coupling, in 28th European Microwave Conf. Proc., October 1998, pp. 68.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
[7]Lee, G.-A.; Megahed, M.; De Flaviis, F.: Analysis of PF flip-chip on-chip inductance with novel measurement technology, in Electronic Components and Technology Conf., May 2003, pp. 12531257.Google Scholar
[8]Koutsoyannopoulos, Y.K.; Papananos, Y.: Systematic analysis and modeling of integrated inductors and transformers in RF IC design. IEEE Trans. Circuits Systems-II: Analog Digital Signal Process., 47 (2000), 699713.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
[9]Zheng, J.; Tripathi, V.K.; Weisshaar, A.: Characterization and modeling of multiple coupled on-chip interconnects on silicon substrate. IEEE Trans. Microw. Theory Tech., 49 (2001), 17331739.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
[10]Ramo, S.; Whinnery, J.R.; Van Duzer, T.: Fields and Waves in Communication Electronics, 3rd ed., Wiley, New York, 1994, pp. 324330.Google Scholar
[11]Tegopoulos, J.A.; Kriezis, E.E.: Eddy Currents in Linear Conducting Media, Elsevier, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 1985.Google Scholar
[12]Chun, C.; Pham, A.-V.; Laskar, J.; Hutchison, B.: Development of microwave package models utilizing on-wafer characterization techniques. IEEE Trans. Microw. Theory Tech., 45 (1997), 19481954.Google Scholar
[13]Imparato, M.; Weller, T.; Dunleavy, L.: On-wafer calibration using space-conservative (SOLT) standards, in IEEE MTT-S Int. Microwave Symp. Digest, June 1999, pp. 16431646.Google Scholar
[14]Arai, Y.; Sato, M.; Yamada, H.T.; Nagai, K.; Fujishiro, H.I.: 60-GHz flip-chip assembled MIC design considering chip-substrate effect. IEEE Trans. Microw. Theory Tech., 45 (1997), pp. 22612266.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
[15]Gonzalez, G.: Microwave Transistor Amplifiers, Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, 1997.Google Scholar
[16]Cho, H.; Burk, D.E.: A three-step method for the de-embedding of high-frequency S-parameter measurements. IEEE Trans. Electron Dev., 38 (1991), 13711375.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
[17]Pozar, D.M.; Microwave Engineering, Addison-Wesley Publishing Company, Reading, MA, 1990.Google Scholar
[18]Patrick Yue, C.; Simon Wong, S.: On-chip spiral inductors with patterned ground shields for Si-based RF IC's. IEEE J. Solid-State Circuits, 33 (1998), 743752.Google Scholar
[19]Burghartz, J.N.; Edelstein, D.C.; Soyuer, M.; Ainspan, H.A.; Jenkins, K.A.: RF circuits design aspects of spiral inductors on silicon. IEEE J. Solid-State Circuits, 33 (1998), 20282034.CrossRefGoogle Scholar