High Performance Compact Multilayer Circular Spiral Inductors in Advanced Photoimageable Technology

This paper presents the development and thorough analysis of a wide range of coplanar-waveguide circular spiral inductors with remarkably high performance and inductance density using advanced multilayer (ML) photoimageable thick-film (Pimage-TF) multichip module (MCM) technology. The performances of the embedded spiral inductors are thoroughly analyzed, modeled, and compared with the competitive MCM technologies and are superior to most of the published results. A new design and layout generation technique with a simplified closed form expression for circular spiral inductors is proposed. Moreover, the impact of MCM/system-on-package technologies on inductor key parameters has been explained in detail and compared with other technologies. The cost-effective Pimage-TF-based inductors demonstrate the highest level of self-resonance frequency, as well as inductance density (15 nH/$\mathrm{mm}^{\mathrm {\mathbf {2}}}$ ) reported to date in conventional thick-film-based ML MCM technologies, including low temperature cofired ceramic.