Development of RF/Microwave on-chip inductors using an organic micromachining process

We present the design and development of on-chip inductors using an organic micromachining process for R-F and Microwave applications. The process employs an SU-8 negative photoresist for developing micromachined structures using standard lithography techniques and is compatible with post-IC process to integrate passive devices onto foundry-fabricated circuits. Our initial results demonstrate that a spiral inductor fabricated on Si using this technology achieves a measured Q-factor of 20 at 2.1GHz. Further refinement of the process and design will increase the Q-factor to 60 as predicted by electromagnetic simulations. At the meeting we will present the design and development of various inductor topologies, including gridded ground planes, for achieving high Q-factors.