MULTILAYER INDUCTOR

• US 20080012679A1
• Filed: 05/30/2007
• Published: 01/17/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Taiyo Yuden Company Limited (Taiyo Yuden Co)
• Original Assignee: Taiyo Yuden Company Limited (Taiyo Yuden Co)
• Inventors: Maruyamai, Yoshikazu, Okabe, Kenji, Nakamura, Kazuhiko, Kawata, Toshifumi
• Granted Patent: US 7,994,889 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 336/200
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 1/344 Ferrites, e.g. having a cubic spinel structure (X2+O)(Y23+O3), e.g. magnetite Fe3O4
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 10/20 Ferrites
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 10/265 Magnetic multilayers non exchange-coupled H01F10/32 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 17/0013 with stacked layers
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 27/2804 Printed windings
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 3/10 Composite arrangements of magnetic circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 41/046 structurally combined with ferromagnetic material
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4902 Electromagnet, transformer or inductor

Abstract

A multilayer inductor having a uniformly improved direct current superposition property and an increased inductance value is disclosed. The multilayer inductor contains a laminate of a plurality of first insulating layers and a plurality of conductive layers, and the conductive layers and through hole conductors are connected to form a helical coil in the laminate. A second insulating layer which has a magnetic permeability lower than those of the first insulating layers is disposed such that it crosses an inner magnetic path of the helical coil, and a margin of the second insulating layer overlaps with the conductive layer in the stacking direction and is in contact with the conductive layer in the overlap portion. The magnetic flux density in the laminate is likely to be highest in the overlap portion, and thus, the highest-density magnetic flux passes through the second insulating layer inevitably, whereby the direct current superposition property can be uniformly improved.

Claims

1. A multilayer inductor comprising:

a laminate comprising a plurality of first insulating layers and a plurality of strip-shaped conductive layers formed thereon, and the conductive layers being connected to form a helical coil; and

at least a second insulating layer having a magnetic permeability lower than those of the first insulating layers, the second insulating layer being disposed to cross one of an inner magnetic path and an outer magnetic path of the helical coil, wherein at least a part of the second insulating layer overlaps with the conductive layer in the stacking direction, and the second insulating layer is in contact with the conductive layer in the overlap portion.

2. A multilayer inductor according to claim 1, wherein the second insulating layer is in contact with the conductive layer in the surface direction and the thickness direction.

3. A multilayer inductor according to claim 1, wherein the second insulating layer crosses the inner magnetic path of the helical coil.

4. A multilayer inductor according to claim 1, wherein at least a plurality of the second insulating layers are arranged in the stacking direction of the laminate.

5. A multilayer inductor according to claim 4, wherein one of the second insulating layers closer to the center of the pivot of the helical coil is thicker than another of the second insulating layers farther from the center of the pivot.

6. A multilayer inductor according to claim 1, wherein the second insulating layer crosses the outer magnetic path of the helical coil.

7. A multilayer inductor according to claim 1, wherein the first insulating layers comprise a magnetic material.

8. A multilayer inductor according to claim 1, wherein the first insulating layers comprise either Ni—

Zn-based ferrites or Ni—

Zn—

Cu-based ferrites.

9. The multilayer inductor according to claim 1, wherein the second insulating layer comprises at least one from the group of Cu—

Zn-based ferrites, Zn-based ferrites, and mixures of glasses and TiO₂ powders.

10. A method of making a multilayer inductor, the multilayer inductor comprising strips of conductive material sandwiched within layers of insulating material having a first magnetic permeability, the method comprising:

depositing additional material between at least some of said layers of insulating material, said additional material having a second magnetic permeability that is less than the first magnetic permeability, wherein at least some of said additional material is positioned to overlap an inner or outer edge of at least some of said strips of conductive material.