Ferric Inc.

Columbia University

Noah Sturcken

Ryan Davies

Michael Lekas

Hao Wu

Joseph Meyer

David Jew

Denis Shishkov

William Lee

Ehsan Kalami

Matthew Cavallaro

Kenneth Shepard

Samira Zaliasl

Joe Meyer

Salahuddin Raju

Francesco Carobolante

James T Doyle

A planar magnetic core includes multiple ferromagnetic layers including multiple hard ferromagnetic bias layers and multiple soft ferromagnetic layers. Each ferromagnetic layer comprises a soft ferromagnetic layer or a hard ferromagnetic bias layer. Each hard ferromagnetic bias layer is a neighboring ferromagnetic layer of at least one soft ferromagnetic layer. The planar magnetic core also includes a plurality of insulating layers, each insulating layer disposed between adjacent ferromagnetic layers. Each ferromagnetic layer has an easy axis of magnetization parallel to a principal plane of the planar magnetic core, where the easy axes of magnetization are aligned. Each hard ferromagnetic bias layer is magnetized to create an in-plane bias magnetic flux through the hard ferromagnetic bias layer in a first direction that is parallel to the easy axis of magnetization and forms a closed path through a neighboring soft ferromagnetic layer in a second direction parallel to the first direction.

Magnetic core with hard ferromagnetic biasing layers and structures containing same

A ferromagnetic-polymer composite material comprises a polymer and a plurality of ferromagnetic film platelets disposed in the polymer. Each ferromagnetic film platelet comprises first and second insulator layers and a ferromagnetic layer disposed between the first and second insulator layers. The ferromagnetic layer can be magnetically anisotropic in which a hard axis of magnetization is aligned parallel to a plane that passes through and parallel to an interface between the first insulator layer and the ferromagnetic layer. The easy and/or hard axes of magnetization in the ferromagnetic film platelets can be aligned. An inductor can have a core formed of the ferromagnetic-polymer composite material.

Ferromagnetic-polymer composite material and structures comprising same

A method for manufacturing a ferromagnetic-dielectric composite material comprises: (a) placing patterned ferromagnetic layer regions, in a patterning substrate assembly that includes a patterning substrate and a first dielectric layer, in physical contact with a second dielectric layer, the second dielectric layer in a receiving substrate assembly that includes a receiving substrate, (b) forming a bond between the patterned ferromagnetic layer regions and the second dielectric layer; (c) releasing the patterning substrate from the patterning substrate assembly to transfer the patterned ferromagnetic layer regions and the first dielectric layer from the patterning substrate assembly to the receiving substrate assembly; and (d) releasing the receiving substrate from the receiving substrate assembly to form the ferromagnetic-dielectric composite material.

Method for manufacturing ferromagnetic-dielectric composite material

A structure comprises a semiconductor integrated circuit, an inductor, and a magnetic flux closure layer. The inductor is integrated into a multilevel wiring network in the semiconductor integrated circuit. The inductor includes a planar laminated magnetic core and a conductive winding that turns around in a generally spiral manner on the outside of the planar laminated magnetic core. The planar laminated magnetic core includes an alternating sequence of a magnetic layer and a non-magnetic layer. The magnetic flux closure layer is disposed within about 100 μm of a face of the planar laminated magnetic core, the face of the planar magnetic core parallel to a principal plane of the planar laminated magnetic core. A second magnetic flux closure layer can be disposed within about 100 μm of an opposing face of the planar laminated magnetic core.

Integrated circuit with laminated magnetic core inductor and magnetic flux closure layer

An assembly includes a three-level voltage converter and a second voltage converter. The three-level voltage converter is electrically coupled to a battery to convert a battery supply voltage to an intermediate voltage. The second voltage converter is electrically coupled to the three-level voltage converter to convert the intermediate voltage to a processor-supply voltage to operate a processor. At least the second voltage converter and the processor are mounted on a processor-package substrate. The three-level voltage converter can be mounted on the processor-package substrate or on a circuit board on which the processor-package substrate is mounted.

Two-stage voltage converters for microprocessors

An inductor includes a planar laminated magnetic core and a conductive winding. The planar magnetic core includes an alternating sequence of a magnetic layer and a non-magnetic layer. The non-magnetic layer includes an insulating layer that is disposed between first and second interface layers. The conductive winding turns around in a generally spiral manner on the outside of the planar laminated magnetic core. The inductor can be integrated into a multilevel wiring network in a semiconductor integrated circuit to form a microelectronic device, such as a transformer, a power converter, or a microprocessor.

Method of manufacturing laminated magnetic core inductor with insulating and interface layers

A method for manufacturing a vertically-laminated ferromagnetic core includes (a) depositing a conductive seed layer on or over a first side of a substrate; (b) depositing a masking layer on or over a second side of the substrate, the first and second sides on opposite sides of the substrate; (c) forming a pattern in the masking layer; (d) dry etching the substrate, based on the pattern in the masking layer, from the second side to the first side to expose portions of the conductive seed layer; and (e) depositing a ferromagnetic material onto the exposed portions of the conductive seed layer to form vertically-oriented ferromagnetic layers.

Magnetic core with vertical laminations having high aspect ratio

A method of fabricating an inductor includes (a) forming a ferromagnetic core on a semiconductor substrate, the ferromagnetic core lying in a core plane and (b) fabricating an inductor coil that winds around the ferromagnetic core, the inductor coil configured to generate an inductor magnetic field that passes through the ferromagnetic core in a first direction parallel to the core plane. While forming the ferromagnetic core, the method further includes (1) generating a bias magnetic field that passes through the ferromagnetic core in a second direction that is orthogonal to the first direction, and (2) inducing a magnetic anisotropy in the ferromagnetic core with the bias magnetic field.

Method for fabricating inductors with deposition-induced magnetically-anisotropic cores

A ferromagnetic actuator is disposed between first and second semiconductor devices that include first and second inductors. Each inductor is disposed on top of a multilevel wiring structure. Current flows through the first inductor to generate a first magnetic field that attracts the ferromagnetic actuator towards the first inductor causing the ferromagnetic actuator to transition from a first state to a second state. In the second state, a portion of the ferromagnetic actuator is disposed closer to the first inductor than it is in the first state. Current flows through the second inductor to generate a second magnetic field that attracts the ferromagnetic actuator towards the second inductor causing the ferromagnetic actuator to transition from the first or second state to a third state. In the third state, a portion of the ferromagnetic actuator is disposed closer to the first inductor than it is in the first state.

Electromagnetically-driven ferromagnetic actuator device

A switched inductor DC-DC power converter chiplet includes a CMOS power switch, an LC filter, regulation circuitry, feedback control circuitry, and interface control circuitry integrated on a common substrate. The inductor for the LC filter can be formed on the same surface or on opposing surfaces of the substrate as the electrical terminations for the substrate. Another embodiment includes a switched inductor DC-DC power converter chiplet having a first powertrain phase and multiple second powertrain phases. When the load current is less than or equal to a threshold load current, the power conversion efficiency can be improved by only operating the first powertrain phase. When the load current is greater than the threshold load current, the power conversion efficiency can be improved by operating one or more second powertrain phases.

Integrated switched inductor power converter having first and second powertrain phases

A power converter includes a primary circuit and a secondary circuit. The primary circuit includes two primary LC circuits that are in parallel electrically with each other. A first node of each primary LC circuit is electrically coupled to a high-voltage input. A second node of each primary LC circuit is coupled to a respective terminal of a primary inductor that forms a transformer with a secondary inductor in the secondary circuit. Each primary LC circuit is electrically coupled to a primary switch that operates at approximately the resonance frequency of the primary LC circuits to output an alternating current that passes through the primary inductor. The terminals of the secondary inductor are coupled to respective secondary switches. The switches operate at the resonance frequency of the primary LC circuit to rectify the power. A low-pass filter outputs the mean of the received voltage.

One-sided parallel LLC power converter

An inductor comprises a planar laminated magnetic core and a conductive winding. The core includes an alternating sequence of (a) a magnetic layer having a thickness of about 100 angstroms to about 10,000 angstroms and (b) a non-magnetic layer having a thickness of about 10 angstroms to about 2,000 angstroms. Magnetic flux passes through a first magnetic layer parallel to a first easy axis of magnetization of the first magnetic layer and the magnetic flux passes through a second magnetic layer, disposed adjacent to the first magnetic layer, parallel to a second easy axis of magnetization of the second magnetic layer. The magnetic flux path extends through the first and second magnetic layers parallel to the first and second easy axes of magnetization, respectively. At least one orthogonal magnetic layer can be disposed laterally from the core such that the magnetic flux path extends through the orthogonal magnetic layer(s).

Laminated magnetic core inductor with magnetic flux closure path parallel to easy axes of magnetization of magnetic layers

Laminated magnetic core inductor with insulating and interface layers

A structure comprises a semiconductor integrated circuit, an inductor, and a magnetic flux closure layer. The inductor is integrated into a multilevel wiring network in the semiconductor integrated circuit. The inductor includes a planar laminated magnetic core and a conductive winding that turns around in a generally spiral manner on the outside of the planar laminated magnetic core. The planar laminated magnetic core includes an alternating sequence of a magnetic layer and a non-magnetic layer. The magnetic flux closure layer is disposed within about 100 &#x3bc;m of a face of the planar laminated magnetic core, the face of the planar magnetic core parallel to a principal plane of the planar laminated magnetic core. A second magnetic flux closure layer can be disposed within about 100 &#x3bc;m of an opposing face of the planar laminated magnetic core.

A structure includes a semiconductor integrated circuit comprising a multilevel wiring network and an inductor integrated into the multilevel wiring network. The inductor includes a planar laminated magnetic core and a conductive winding that turns around in a generally spiral manner on the outside of the planar laminated magnetic core. The planar laminated magnetic core includes an alternating sequence of a magnetic layer and a non-magnetic layer. The magnetic layer comprises a ferromagnetic alloy having an iron composition of about 10 atomic percent to about 90 atomic percent.

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New York, NY, United States of America

Noah Sturcken