A New Method to Fabricate Low-Loss Chip-Scale RF Inductors

A new method is presented for integrating high performance wire-based inductors into thin, planar, chip-scale formats. The method is designed for compatibility with commonly-used rapid prototyping tools, and fabrication can be automated for volume production. The chip-scale inductors are designed for inductances in the 1-10 nH range, self-resonant frequencies above 5 GHz, and quality factors exceeding 75-100. The process can produce a stand-alone chip or can be integrated with existing multi-chip modules and integrated circuits.