Microcomponent of the microinductor or microtransformer type

• US 6,542,060 B2
• Filed: 08/30/2001
• Issued: 04/01/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sakura Technologies, LLC
• Original Assignee: Memscap Incorporated
• Inventors: Fedeli, Jean-Marc
• Primary Examiner(s): MAI, ANH T
• Application Number:
  US09/943,604
• Publication Number:
  US 20020047769A1
• Time in Patent Office: 579 Days
• Field of Search: 336/223, 336/200, 336/232, 336/174, 336/175
• US Class Current: 336/174
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 25/00 Nanomagnetism, e.g. magnetoimpedance, anisotropic magnetoresistance, giant magnetoresistance or tunneling magnetoresistance
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 10/3218 Exchange coupling of magnetic films via an antiferromagnetic interface H01F10/3268 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 10/3286 Spin-exchange coupled multilayers having at least one layer with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 17/0033 with the coil helically wound around a magnetic core

Abstract

Inductive microcomponent (1), such as a microinductor or microtransformer, comprising a metal winding (2) having the shape of a solenoid, and a magnetic core (4) including a strip made of a ferromagnetic material, positioned at the center of the solenoid (2), and characterized in that the core comprises at least one additional strip made of a ferromagnetic material (13), separated from the other strip (12) by a spacer layer (14) made of a non-magnetic material, the thickness of which is such that the strips (12, 13) located on either side of the spacer layer (14) are antiferromagnetically coupled.

Claims

1. Inductive microcomponent (1), such as a microinductor or microtransformer, comprising a metal winding (2) having the shape of a solenoid, and a magnetic core (4) including a strip (12) made of a ferromagnetic material, positioned at the centre of the solenoid (2), characterized in that the core comprises at least one additional strip (13) made of a ferromagnetic material, separated from the other strip by a spacer layer (14) made of a non-magnetic material, the thickness of which is such that the strips (12, 13) located on either side of the spacer layer (14) are antiferromagnetically coupled.

2. Microcomponent according to claim 1, characterized in that the core comprises a plurality of ferromagnetic strips (12, 13) separated by non-magnetic spacer layers (14), the strips (12, 13) located on either side of each spacer layer (14) being antiferromagnetically coupled.

3. Microcomponent according to claim 1, characterized in that each strip (12, 13) has an easy magnetization axis perpendicular to the axis (20) of the solenoid.

4. Microcomponent according to claim 1, characterized in that at least one spacer layer (14) is made of a conducting material.

5. Microcomponent according to claim 4, characterized in that the material of the spacer layer (14) is chosen from the group comprising copper, gold, silver, chromium and metal alloys based on these metals.

6. Microcomponent according to claim 1, characterized in that at least one spacer layer (14) is made of an insulating material.