Integration of planar transformer and/or planar inductor with power switches in power converter
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A power converter, comprising:
- a heat sink;
a magnetic core capable of producing a magnetic field;
at least a first multi-layer substrate comprising at least two electrically and thermally conductive layers, and at least one electrically insulative and thermally conductive layer, each of the electrically and thermally conductive layers of the first multi-layer substrate electrically isolated from a next successive one of the electrically and thermally conductive layers by a respective one of the electrically insulative and thermally conductive layers, at least a first one of the electrically and thermally conductive layers patterned to form a first winding, at least a second one of the electrically and thermally conductive layers patterned to form a second winding, at least a portion of each of the first and the second windings disposed within the magnetic field of the magnetic core to form a planar transformer, the first multi-layer substrate thermally coupled to the heat sink; and
at least a first power semiconductor device electrically coupled to one of the electrically and thermally conductive layers of the first multi-layer substrate, the first power semiconductor device electrically isolated from and thermally coupled to the heat sink via the first multi-layer substrate.
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Abstract
A power converter integrates at least one planar transformer comprising a multi-layer transformer substrate and/or at least one planar inductor comprising a multi-layer inductor substrate with a number of power semiconductor switches physically and thermally coupled to a heat sink via one or more multi-layer switch substrates.
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Citations
50 Claims
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1. A power converter, comprising:
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a heat sink; a magnetic core capable of producing a magnetic field; at least a first multi-layer substrate comprising at least two electrically and thermally conductive layers, and at least one electrically insulative and thermally conductive layer, each of the electrically and thermally conductive layers of the first multi-layer substrate electrically isolated from a next successive one of the electrically and thermally conductive layers by a respective one of the electrically insulative and thermally conductive layers, at least a first one of the electrically and thermally conductive layers patterned to form a first winding, at least a second one of the electrically and thermally conductive layers patterned to form a second winding, at least a portion of each of the first and the second windings disposed within the magnetic field of the magnetic core to form a planar transformer, the first multi-layer substrate thermally coupled to the heat sink; and at least a first power semiconductor device electrically coupled to one of the electrically and thermally conductive layers of the first multi-layer substrate, the first power semiconductor device electrically isolated from and thermally coupled to the heat sink via the first multi-layer substrate. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A power converter, comprising:
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a heat sink; a first multi-layer substrate comprising at least two electrically and thermally conductive layers, and at least one electrically insulative and thermally conductive layer, each of the electrically and thermally conductive layers of the first multi-layer substrate electrically isolated from a next successive one of the electrically and thermally conductive layers by a respective one of the electrically insulative and thermally conductive layers; at least a first power semiconductor device electrically coupled to a portion of an outer most one of the electrically and thermally conductive layers of the first multi-layer substrate, the first power semiconductor device electrically isolated from and thermally coupled to the heat sink via the first multi-layer substrate; a magnetic core capable of producing a magnetic field; and at least a second multi-layer substrate comprising at least two electrically and thermally conductive layers, and at least one electrically insulative and thermally conductive layer, each of the electrically and thermally conductive layers of the second multi-layer substrate electrically isolated from a next successive one of the electrically and thermally conductive layers by a respective one of the electrically insulative and thermally conductive layers, at least a first one of the electrically and thermally conductive layers patterned to form a first winding, at least a second one of the electrically and thermally conductive layers patterned to form a second winding, at least a portion of each of the first and the second windings disposed within the magnetic field of the magnetic core to form a planar transformer, the second multi-layer substrate thermally coupled to the heat sink. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A power converter, comprising:
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a heat sink; a first multi-layer substrate, comprising at least a first layer, a second layer and a third layer, the first layer comprising an electrically and thermally conductive material patterned to form a first inductor, the second layer comprising an electrically insulative and thermally conductive material, and the third layer comprising an electrically and thermally conductive material, the second layer electrically isolating the third layer from the first layer, the third layer of the first multi-layer substrate thermally coupled to the heat sink; at least a first power semiconductor device thermally coupled to a first portion of the first layer; a magnetic core with a magnetic field; and at least a second multi-layer substrate comprising at least a first layer, a second layer, and a third layer, the first layer comprising an electrically and thermally conductive material, the second layer comprising an electrically insulative and thermally conductive material, the third layer comprising an electrically and thermally conductive material, the second layer electrically isolating the third layer from the first layer, the third layer patterned to form a first winding, the first layer patterned to form a second winding, at least a portion of the first, the second, and the third conductive layers disposed within the magnetic field of the magnetic core to form a first planar transformer, an outer most one of the layers of electrically and thermally conductive material of the second multi-layer substrate thermally conductively coupled to the heat sink. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40)
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41. A power converter, comprising:
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at least a first heat sink; at least a first magnetic core capable of producing a magnetic field; at least a first multi-layer substrate comprising at least two electrically and thermally conductive layers, and at least one electrically insulative and thermally conductive layer, each of the electrically and thermally conductive layers of the first multi-layer substrate electrically isolated from a next successive one of the electrically and thermally conductive layers by a respective one of the electrically insulative and thermally conductive layers, at least a first one of the electrically and thermally conductive layers patterned to form a first winding of at least a first planar transformer and a first winding of a first inductor, at least a second one of the electrically and thermally conductive layers patterned to form a second winding of the first planar transformer, at least a portion of each of the first and the second windings of the planar transformer disposed within the magnetic field of the magnetic core, the first multi-layer substrate thermally coupled to the heat sink; and at least a first power semiconductor device electrically coupled to one of the electrically and thermally conductive layers of the first multi-layer substrate, the first power semiconductor device electrically isolated from and thermally coupled to the heat sink via the first multi-layer substrate. - View Dependent Claims (42)
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43. A method of forming a power converter, comprising:
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providing a heat sink; providing a number of multi-layer switch substrates, each of the multi-layer switch substrates comprising at least two electrically and thermally conductive layers, and at least one electrically insulative and thermally conductive layer, each of the electrically and thermally conductive layers of the multi-layer switch substrate isolated from a next successive one of the electrically and thermally conductive layers by a respective one of the electrically insulative and thermally conductive layers; for each of the multi-layer switch substrates, soldering at least one respective power semiconductor device to one of the electrically and thermally conductive layers of the multi-layer switch substrate; for each of the multi-layer switch substrates, soldering one of the electrically insulative and thermally conductive layers of the multi-layer switch substrate to the heat sink; providing a magnetic core; providing a multi-layer transformer substrate comprising at least two electrically and thermally conductive layers, and at least one electrically insulative and thermally conductive layers, each of the electrically and thermally conductive layers of the multi-layer transformer substrate isolated from a next successive one of the electrically and thermally conductive layers by a respective one of the electrically insulative and thermally conductive layers; patterning at least one of the electrically and thermally conductive layers of the multi-layer transformer substrate to form a first winding; patterning at least one of the electrically and thermally conductive layers of the multi-layer transformer substrate to form respective portions of a second winding; disposing at least a portion of each of the first and the second windings within the magnetic field of the magnetic core to form a planar transformer; and soldering at least one of the electrically insulative and thermally conductive layers of the multi-layer transformer substrate to the heat sink. - View Dependent Claims (44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50)
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Specification