The field of the invention relates generally to the construction and fabrication of components for circuit board applications, and more specifically to the construction and fabrication of electromagnetic components such as power inductors for use on circuit boards.
Electronic power converters are known and in widespread use to convert electrical energy from one form to another. For example, power may be converted from a first direct current (DC) voltage to another direct current (DC) voltage, commonly referred to as a DC to DC voltage conversion. Power may also be converted from a first alternating current (AC) voltage to another direct current (DC) voltage using converter circuitry, commonly referred to as an AC to DC voltage conversion. Hence, power converters are often referred to as DC to DC power converters or AC to DC power converters.
Some types of electronic power converters include an inductor, sometimes referred to as a power inductor, that stores and releases electrical energy to and from the circuit. Such converters including power inductors are utilized in for, example, switched mode power supply systems that are electronically controlled and supply power, for example, to a variety of handheld electronic devices having an ever increasing number of features. As current flows through a winding in the inductor, the current flow generates a magnetic field that may be stored as magnetic energy in either a physical gap or a distributed gap of a magnetic core of the inductor. The stored magnetic energy may likewise induce current flow in the inductor and return electrical energy back to the circuit. For this reason, such power converter circuits and inductor components are sometimes referred to as power magnetics. Power magnetic converters may include, for example, boost converters, buck converters, and fly-back converters.
In view of the trend toward smaller and smaller electronic devices having ever more powerful features, demand for higher density of components on circuit boards has increased. To meet such demands, power inductors, like other components, have become increasingly miniaturized. There are practical challenges and tradeoffs, however, in providing increased power capabilities in components of smaller size. The electrical performance of conventional surface mount inductors is undesirably limited for certain power converter applications, particularly for relatively high current, high power applications. Improvements are desired.