Packaging Substrate

Abstract

A packaging substrate and a method for mounting an integrated circuit and/or a circuit component is presented. The packaging substrate has an upper surface for mounting the integrated circuit and/or circuit component, a non-conductive material, an inductor structure at least partially embedded in the non-conductive material. The inductor structure has i) a first conductive material at least partially on a first layer, ii) a second conductive material at least partially on a second layer, and iii) a plurality of conductive pillars, wherein the first conductive material, the second conductive material and the conductive pillars are arranged to form a first coil having an inductance. The first coil is arranged as one of a) a solenoid having an axis that is approximately parallel to the upper surface of the packaging substrate, and b) a toroid.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A packaging substrate for mounting an integrated circuit and/or a circuit component comprising:
 an upper surface for mounting the integrated circuit and/or circuit component;   a non-conductive material;   an inductor structure at least partially embedded in the non-conductive material and comprising:
 i) a first conductive material at least partially on a first layer; 
 ii) a second conductive material at least partially on a second layer; and 
 iii) a plurality of conductive pillars; wherein: 
 the first conductive material, the second conductive material and the conductive pillars are arranged to form a first coil having an inductance; and 
   the first coil is arranged as one of:
 a) a solenoid having an axis that is approximately parallel to the upper surface of the packaging substrate; and 
 b) a toroid. 
   
     
     
         2 . The packaging substrate of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the first conductive material is discontinuous, such that the first conductive material comprises a plurality of first conductive portions on the first layer; and   the second conductive material is discontinuous, such that the second conductive material comprises a plurality of second conductive portions on the second layer; wherein:   each of the first conductive portions is coupled to at least one of the second conductive portions by at least one conductive pillar.   
     
     
         3 . The packaging substrate of  claim 2 , wherein at least one of the first conductive portions is coupled to one of the second conductive portions by a first conductive pillar and is coupled to another of the second conductive portions by a second conductive pillar. 
     
     
         4 . The packaging substrate of  claim 3 , wherein:
 each of the first conductive portions is coupled to two conductive pillars; and   for each first conductive portion, the two conductive pillars are coupled to different second conductive portions.   
     
     
         5 . The packaging substrate of  claim 3 , wherein:
 the first coil is arranged as a toroid having an inner circumference and an outer circumference around a central axis; and   the inner circumference is closer to the central axis than the outer circumference on a line extending outward from the central axis.   
     
     
         6 . The packaging substrate of  claim 5 , wherein the conductive pillars at or near the inner circumference are smaller than the conductive pillars at or near the outer circumference. 
     
     
         7 . The packaging substrate of  claim 5 , wherein:
 for each of the first conductive portions, there are less conductive pillars at or near the inner circumference used to couple to one second conductive portion than at or near the outer circumference used to couple to another second conductive portion.   
     
     
         8 . The packaging substrate of  claim 1 , wherein the non-conductive material is a plastic. 
     
     
         9 . The packaging substrate of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first conductive material, the second conductive material and the conductive pillars comprises at least one of copper and aluminium. 
     
     
         10 . The packaging substrate of  claim 1 , wherein the first coil at least partially encloses a magnetic material. 
     
     
         11 . The packaging substrate of  claim 1 , wherein the packaging substrate is one of a molded interconnect substrate and a laminate substrate. 
     
     
         12 . The packaging substrate of  claim 1 , comprising a lower surface opposite to the upper surface. 
     
     
         13 . The packaging substrate of  claim 12 , wherein the lower surface is for mounting to a printed circuit board (PCB). 
     
     
         14 . The packaging substrate of  claim 1  comprising a second coil having an inductance and arranged with the first coil to form a transformer or a coupled inductor. 
     
     
         15 . The packaging substrate of  claim 14 , wherein the second coil comprises:
 i) the first conductive material;   ii) the second conductive material; and   iii) another plurality of conductive pillars.   
     
     
         16 . The packaging substrate of  claim 14 , wherein the first and second coils are arranged as a toroid transformer wound in a double helix configuration. 
     
     
         17 . The packaging substrate of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first and second conductive materials are formed using routing traces. 
     
     
         18 . The packaging substrate of  claim 1 , wherein the conductive pillars comprises at least one via. 
     
     
         19 . A method of providing a packaging substrate for mounting an integrated circuit and/or a circuit component comprising:
 an upper surface for mounting the integrated circuit and/or circuit component;   a non-conductive material;   an inductor structure at least partially embedded in the non-conductive material and comprising:
 i) a first conductive material at least partially on a first layer; 
 ii) a second conductive material at least partially on a second layer; and 
 iii) a plurality of conductive pillars; wherein: 
 the first conductive material, the second conductive material and the conductive pillars are arranged to form a first coil having an inductance; and 
   the first coil is arranged as one of:
 a) a solenoid having an axis that is approximately parallel to the upper surface of the packaging substrate; and 
 b) a toroid.