Realization of RF microinductors with magnetic cores for high quality factor applications

Abstract For the use in CMOS compatible microinductors, single-layer ferromagnetic thin films of FeTaN have been deposited by magnetron sputtering and heat treated in a static magnetic field in a second step to induce an uniaxial anisotropy. The as-deposited films were amorphous. After heat treatment the films contain a small amount of nanosized grains and show a cut-off frequency of 1.2 GHz and an initial permeability of 1000. Patterning of the films was done by photolithography process and plasma beam etching.