METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR EXTENDING TRANSFORMER BANDWIDTH WITH MIXED-MODE COUPLING USING A SUBSTRATE INDUCTIVE DEVICE

• US 20140127944A1
• Filed: 10/18/2013
• Published: 05/08/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pulse Electronics Incorporated (Yageo Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Pulse Electronics Incorporated (Yageo Corporation)
• Inventors: Dinh, Thuyen, Saboori, Mohammad, Abedmamoore, Hamlet, Greene, Mark
• Granted Patent: US 9,312,059 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 439/620.25
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 17/0033 with the coil helically wound around a magnetic core
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 17/06 with core substantially closed in itself, e.g. toroid
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 2017/002 Details of via holes for interconnecting the layers
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 27/28 Coils; Windings; Conductive connections
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 41/04 for manufacturing coils coils for transformer or inductances H01F27/28
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 41/046 structurally combined with ferromagnetic material
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 5/00 Coils superconducting coils H01F6/06; fixed inductances of the signal type H01F17/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4902 Electromagnet, transformer or inductor

Abstract

An improved low cost and highly consistent inductive apparatus. In one embodiment, the low cost and highly consistent inductive apparatus addresses concerns with so called conductive anodic filament (CAF) that occurs within these laminate structures. These conditions include high humidity, high bias voltage (i.e. a large voltage differential), high-moisture content, surface and resin ionic impurities, glass to resin bond weakness and exposure to high assembly temperatures that can occur, for example, during lead free solder bonding application. In a variant, mixed mode coupling techniques are utilized in order to extend the underlying operating bandwidth of the substrate inductive device. Methods of manufacturing and using the aforementioned substrate inductive devices are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A substrate inductive device, comprising:

a substrate comprising at least one via-in-via connection and at least one single via connection, the via-in-via connection including a non-conductive material different than the underlying substrate material disposed between the vias in the via-in-via connection; and

a toroidal core disposed within the substrate.

2. The substrate inductive device of claim 1, wherein the via-in-via connection comprises an inner via connection and an outer via connection.

3. The substrate inductive device of claim 2, wherein the substrate that includes the via-in-via connection comprises a multi-layer substrate comprising four (4) conductive layers including two (2) outer layers and two (2) inner layers;

wherein the inner via connection of the via-in-via connection is coupled to the two (2) outer layers and the outer via connection of the via-in-via connection is coupled to the two (2) inner layers.

4. The substrate inductive device of claim 3, wherein the non-conductive material comprises a parylene coating.

5. The substrate inductive device of claim 3, wherein the substrate comprises a plurality of substrates with at least one of the substrates comprising a thickness that is greater than a height of the toroidal core.

6. The substrate inductive device of claim 5, further comprising a buffer material, the buffer material being disposed between the toroidal core and an adjacent substrate in order to accommodate thermal expansion during soldering operations.

7. The substrate inductive device of claim 2, wherein the inner via connection comprises a portion of a primary winding for a transformer;

and

wherein the outer via connection comprises a portion of a secondary winding for the transformer.

8. The substrate inductive device of claim 2, wherein the inner via connection comprises a portion of a secondary winding for a transformer;

and

wherein the outer via connection comprises a portion of a primary winding for the transformer.

9. The substrate inductive device of claim 2, wherein the substrate comprising the at least one via-in-via connection comprises a plurality of via-in-via connections.

10. The substrate inductive device of claim 9, wherein a first via-in-via connection comprises a portion of a primary winding for a transformer for the inner via connection;

and

a second via-in-via connection comprises a portion of a secondary winding for the transformer for the outer via connection.

11. The substrate inductive device of claim 9, wherein the plurality of via-in-via connections collectively form the windings for a transformer with approximately half of the inner via connections comprising a primary winding and the other half of the inner via connections comprising a secondary winding for the transformer.

12. An integrated connector module, comprising:

a connector housing having a plurality of substrate inductive devices disposed therein, at least one of the substrate inductive devices, comprising;

a substrate including one or more via-in-via connections, each of the via-in-via connections comprising an inner via and an outer via separated from the inner via by a non-conductive material and one or more single via connections; and

a toroidal core disposed adjacent to the one or more via-in-via connections and the one or more single via connections.

13. The integrated connector module of claim 12, wherein the substrate comprises a multi-layer substrate comprising four (4) conductive layers including two (2) outer layers and two (2) inner layers;

wherein the inner via is coupled to the two (2) outer layers and the outer via is coupled to the two (2) inner layers.

14. The integrated connector module of claim 13, wherein the non-conductive material comprises a parylene coating.

15. The integrated connector module of claim 12, wherein the substrate comprises a thickness that is greater than a height of the toroidal core.

16. The integrated connector module of claim 15, further comprising an adjacent substrate and a buffer material, the buffer material being disposed between the toroidal core and the adjacent substrate in order to accommodate thermal expansion during soldering operations.

17. The integrated connector module of claim 16, wherein the one or more via-in-via connections and the one or more single via connections collectively form the windings for a transformer with approximately half of the inner vias comprising a primary winding and the other half of the inner vias comprising a secondary winding for the transformer.

18. A method of manufacturing a substrate inductive device, comprising:

disposing a first conductive via in a substrate comprising a first material;

disposing a second conductive via in the substrate;

disposing a second material such that the second material is disposed between the first conductive via and the second conductive via; and

disposing a third conductive via in the substrate, the third conductive via being disposed in contact with the first material.

19. The method of manufacturing the substrate inductive device of claim 18, further comprising disposing a ferrite core adjacent the first, second and the third conductive vias.

20. The method of manufacturing the substrate inductive device of claim 19, further comprising disposing the substrate and the ferrite core within a connector housing so as to form an integrated connector module.