Methods for manufacturing magnetic components having low probile layered coil and cores

• US 8,484,829 B2
• Filed: 03/16/2010
• Issued: 07/16/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Cooper Technologies Company (Eaton Corporation PLC.)
• Original Assignee: Cooper Technologies Company (Eaton Corporation PLC.)
• Inventors: Manoukian, Daniel Minas, Bogert, Robert James
• Primary Examiner(s): Tugbang, A. Dexter
• Application Number:
  US12/724,490
• Publication Number:
  US 20100171581A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,218 Days
• Field of Search: 296/021, 296/06, 296/07, 296/09, 296/00, 296/01, 298/30, 298/42, 298/84, 343/895, 361/737, 361/746, 336/200
• US Class Current: 29/602.1
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 17/0006 Printed inductances printed coils for dynamo-electric machines H02K3/26; printed circuits H05K
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 17/04 with magnetic core
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 2027/2819 Planar transformers with printed windings, e.g. surrounded by two cores and to be mounted on printed circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 27/292 Surface mounted devices
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 5/003 Printed circuit coils
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4902 Electromagnet, transformer or inductor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49073 by assembling coil and core
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49075 including permanent magnet or core
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49078 Laminated
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49126 Assembling bases
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49147 Assembling terminal to base

Abstract

Methods of manufacturing low profile magnetic components configured as a power management devices for an electrical system of an electronic device involve prefabricated coil windings assembled with a plurality of flexible dielectric sheet layers, and laminating the plurality of flexible dielectric sheets around the prefabricated coil windings to form a dielectric body having a low profile chip configuration attachable to the electronic device.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing a chip inductor configured as a power management device for an electrical system of an electronic device, the chip inductor including a coil winding and a core structure therefor, the method comprising:

providing at least one prefabricated coil winding having a number of turns;

providing a plurality of flexible dielectric sheet layers, wherein the at least one prefabricated coil winding is fabricated independently of any of the plurality of flexible dielectric sheet layers, and wherein each of the flexible dielectric sheet layers include a core opening;

assembling the at least one prefabricated coil winding with the plurality of flexible dielectric sheet layers by stacking the plurality of flexible dielectric sheet layers while the flexible dielectric sheet layers are in a solidified state;

laminating the plurality of flexible dielectric sheets around the at least one prefabricated coil winding to form a dielectric body having a low profile chip configuration, wherein the core opening exposes the at least one prefabricated coil winding; and

providing surface mount circuit terminations on an exterior of the dielectric body, the surface mount circuit terminations attachable to a circuit board of the electronic device and completing an electrical path from the circuit board through the least one prefabricated coil winding when mounted to the circuit board; and

applying a magnetic core material in the core opening.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein assembling the at least one prefabricated coil winding with the plurality of flexible dielectric sheet layers comprises stacking the plurality of flexible dielectric sheet layers with the at least one prefabricated coil winding interposed between at least two of the flexible dielectric sheet layers.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein laminating the plurality of flexible dielectric sheet layers comprises pressure laminating the plurality of flexible dielectric sheets around the at least one prefabricated coil winding.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the flexible dielectric sheet layers comprise a polymer based dielectric film, and laminating the polymer based film comprises adhesively laminating the plurality of dielectric sheets.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the flexible dielectric sheet layers comprise a polymer based dielectric film, and laminating the polymer based film comprises adhesivelessly laminating the plurality of dielectric sheets.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one coil winding is prefabricated on a planar dielectric substrate layer, and the method further comprises assembling the planar dielectric substrate layer with the plurality of flexible dielectric sheet layers.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the at least one prefabricated coil winding comprises providing a prefabricated coil winding having a number of turns extending around an open center area.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising applying the magnetic core material, separately provided and distinct from the plurality of flexible dielectric sheets, into at least the open center area.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein applying the magnetic core material comprises introducing a magnetic powder material to the open center area.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein introducing the magnetic powder material comprises to the open center area comprises introducing an iron powder material to the open center area.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein laminating the plurality of flexible dielectric sheets around the at least one prefabricated coil winding to form the dielectric body having the low profile chip configuration comprises:

laminating the plurality of flexible dielectric sheets around a batch of prefabricated coil windings to form a dielectric body; and

singulating the laminated dielectric body into discrete power inductor components each having the low profile chip configuration and at least one of the prefabricated coil windings in the batch.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein singulating the laminated dielectric body comprises singulating the laminated dielectric body to obtain at least one discrete power inductor component having the low profile chip configurations and only one of the prefabricated coil windings.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein providing at least one prefabricated coil winding comprises providing a plurality of prefabricated coil windings, and assembling the plurality of prefabricated coil windings with the plurality of flexible dielectric sheet layers.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising connecting each of the prefabricated coil windings in series.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the applying of the magnetic core material comprises embedding a magnetic core piece in the dielectric body.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein a portion of the magnetic core piece extends through the at least one prefabricated coil winding.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein providing the at least one prefabricated coil winding comprises providing at least one prefabricated coil winding having opposing sides defined by a rounded inner periphery and a rounded outer periphery, and an open center being substantially coextensive with the inner periphery.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein embedding the magnetic core piece comprises embedding a first portion of the core piece configured to extend to the rounded outer periphery, and embedding a second portion of the core piece configured to extend to the open center.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the magnetic core piece is fabricated from a different material than the flexible dielectric sheet layers.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the magnetic core piece is fabricated from a magnetic powder material.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the magnetic core piece is fabricated from an iron powder material.

22. The method of claim 15, wherein laminating the plurality of flexible dielectric sheets around the at least one prefabricated coil winding to form the dielectric body comprises laminating the plurality of flexible dielectric sheets around only one prefabricated coil.

23. The method of claim 15, wherein the magnetic core piece embeds only one coil winding.

24. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

forming the magnetic core material into a cylindrical core piece for the at least one prefabricated coil winding.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein providing the at least one prefabricated coil winding comprises providing at least one prefabricated coil winding having opposing sides defined by a rounded inner periphery and a rounded outer periphery, and an open center being substantially coextensive with the inner periphery.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein forming the magnetic core material comprises forming a first portion of the core piece to be a generally circular core portion extending to the rounded outer periphery, and forming a second portion of the core piece to extending only to the inner periphery.

27. The method of claim 24, wherein providing the magnetic core material comprises providing a magnetic material fabricated from a different material than the flexible dielectric sheet layers.

28. The method of claim 24, wherein providing the magnetic core material comprises providing magnetic powder material.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein providing the magnetic powder material comprises providing an iron powder material.

30. The method of claim 1, wherein the core opening exposes only one prefabricated coil winding.

31. The method of claim 1 wherein assembling the at least one prefabricated coil winding with the plurality of flexible dielectric sheet layers comprises stacking the plurality of flexible dielectric sheet layers in surface engagement with one another while the flexible dielectric sheet layers are in a solidified state.

32. The method of claim 1 wherein providing at least one prefabricated coil winding comprises providing a prefabricated coil having a plurality of turns.