Inductor devices and stacked power supply topologies

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11735352-B2
Application number	US-202016925729-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 10, 2020
Priority date	Jul 10, 2020
Publication date	Aug 22, 2023
Grant date	Aug 22, 2023

Abstract

According to one configuration, an inductor device comprises core material and at least a first electrically conductive path. The core material is fabricated from magnetically permeable material. The first electrically conductive path extends axially through the core material from a proximal end of the inductor device to a distal end of the inductor device. The core material is operable to confine first magnetic flux generated from first current flowing through the first electrically conductive path. The inductor device further includes a gap in the core material. The gap (gas or solid material) has a different magnetic permeability than the core material. Inclusion of the gap in the core material provides a way to tune an inductance of the inductor device and increase a magnetic saturation level of the inductor device. The core material includes any number of electrically conductive paths and corresponding gaps.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An inductor device having a proximal end and a distal end, the inductor device comprising:
core material, the core material being magnetically permeable;
a first electrically conductive path residing in a first void of the core material and extending through the first void of the core material from the proximal end of the inductor device to the distal end of the inductor device, the first electrically conductive path being an only electrically conductive path disposed in the first void, the core material operable to confine first magnetic flux generated from first current flowing through the first electrically conductive path; and
a first gap disposed in the core material, the first gap having a different magnetic permeability than the core material.

2. The inductor device as in claim 1 , wherein the first gap is void of the core material.

3. The inductor device as in claim 1 further comprising:
a second electrically conductive path extending through the core material from the proximal end of the inductor device to the distal end of the inductor device, the core material operable to confine second magnetic flux generated from second current flowing through the second electrically conductive path; and
wherein the first gap reduces an effective permeability in the core material and modifies an inductance of the inductor device.

4. The inductor device as in claim 3 , wherein the second electrically conductive path is spaced apart from the first electrically conductive path; and
wherein the first gap is disposed in the core material other than between the first electrically conductive path and the second electrically conductive path.

5. The inductor device of claim 1 further comprising:
a pair of electrically conductive paths including the first electrically conductive path and a second electrically conductive path; and
a set of electrically conductive paths disposed around a periphery of the pair of electrically conductive paths.

6. The inductor device as in claim 5 further comprising:
a conductor element disposed at the distal end of the inductor device, the conductor element coupling the first electrically conductive path and at least one of the electrically conductive paths in the set at the distal end of the inductor device.

7. The inductor device as in claim 1 , further comprising:
a second electrically conductive path extending from the proximal end to the distal end of the inductor device, the second electrically conductive path being a return path operable to convey the first current.

8. The inductor device as in claim 1 , wherein the first gap is a first volume extending radially outward from the first electrically conductive path, the first gap extending between the proximal end and the distal end of the inductor device.

9. The inductor device as in claim 1 , wherein a thickness of the first gap controls an inductance and saturation associated with the inductor device.

10. The inductor device as in claim 1 further comprising:
a second electrically conductive path extending through the core material from the proximal end of the inductor device to the distal end of the inductor device, the second electrically conductive path disposed adjacent to the first electrically conductive path; and
wherein the first gap is a first air gap associated with the first electrically conductive path, the inductor device further comprising:
a second air gap associated with the second electrically conductive path.

11. The inductor device as in claim 10 , wherein the first air gap extends radially outward from the first electrically conductive path in a first direction; and
wherein the second air gap extends radially outward from the second electrically conductive path in a second direction, the first aft gap and the second air gap disposed in the core material other than between the first electrically conductive path and the second electrically conductive path.

12. The inductor device of claim 1 , wherein the first gap crosses a concentric path disposed around the first electrically conductive path, the concentric path operative to convey the first magnetic flux generated by the first current flowing through the first electrically conductive path; and
wherein dimensions of the first gap tunes an inductance and saturation associated with a respective inductance provided by the first electrically conductive path.

13. The inductor device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a first pair of electrically conductive paths disposed in the core material, each of the electrically conductive paths in the first pair extending from the proximal end to the distal end, the first pair of electrically conductive paths including the first electrically conductive path and a second electrically conductive path; and
a second pair of electrically conductive paths disposed in the core material, each of the electrically conductive paths in the second pair extending from the proximal end to the distal end, the second pair of electrically conductive paths including a third electrically conductive path and a fourth electrically conductive path.

14. The inductor device as in claim 1 further comprising:
a second electrically conductive path extending through the core material from the proximal end of the inductor device to the distal end of the inductor device, the core material operable to confine second magnetic flux generated from second current flowing through the second electrically conductive path; and
wherein the second electrically conductive path is spaced apart from the first electrically conductive path, wherein the gap extends from the first electrically conductive path radially outward from the first electrically conductive path in a direction away from a region of the core material between the first electrically conductive path and the second electrically conductive path.

15. An apparatus comprising:
an inductor device having a proximal end and a distal end, the inductor device comprising: i) core material, the core material being magnetically permeable; ii) a first electrically conductive path extending through the core material from the proximal end of the inductor device to the distal end of the inductor device, the core material operable to confine first magnetic flux generated from first current flowing through the first electrically conductive path; and iii) a gap disposed in the core material, the gap having a different magnetic permeability than the core material;
a substrate;
the inductor device affixed to the substrate; and
a first circuit component affixed to the inductor device, the inductor device conveying energy from a voltage source on the substrate to the first circuit component.

16. A method comprising:
receiving a substrate;
receiving a first circuit component including an inductor device, the inductor device having a proximal end and a distal end, the inductor device comprising: i) core material, the core material being magnetically permeable; ii) a first electrically conductive path extending through the core material from the proximal end of the inductor device to the distal end of the inductor device, the core material operable to confine first magnetic flux generated from first current flowing through the first electrically conductive path; and iii) a gap disposed in the core material, the gap having a different magnetic permeability than the core material, the inductor device extending through the first circuit component;
affixing the first circuit component to the substrate;
receiving a second circuit component; and
affixing the secon

Assignees

• Infineon Technologies Austria Ag

Inventors

• Clavette Danny
• Deboy Gerald
• Rizzolatti Roberto
• Wiedenbauer Otto
• Zhou Yong

Classifications

• H01F27/28 Primary

  Coils; Windings; Conductive connections · CPC title

• H01F27/24 Primary

  Magnetic cores · CPC title

• H01F41/0206

  Manufacturing of magnetic cores by mechanical means (magnetic cores per se H01F27/24) · CPC title

• H01F41/04

  for manufacturing coils {(coils for transformer or inductances H01F27/28)} · CPC title

• H05K1/185

  associated with components encapsulated in the insulating substrate of the PCBs; associated with components incorporated in internal layers of multilayer circuit boards · CPC title