JP5193843B2 - Multilayer inductor - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a magnetic core type multilayer inductor having a structure in which a coil is embedded in a magnetic material, and is particularly effective when applied to a surface mount chip inductor that is used in a DC superimposed state, For example, in a mobile information device such as a mobile phone, it is suitable for a micro DC-DC converter that converts a power supply voltage (electromotive force) obtained from a built-in battery into a predetermined circuit operating voltage.

  Transformers and choke coils used in power supply circuits such as DC-DC converters were once configured to have a coil wound around a magnetic core. However, in recent years, power supply circuit components have become smaller and thinner. In accordance with demands, chip components with a laminated structure have been developed and put into practical use.

  In multilayer inductors, electrically insulating magnetic layers and conductor patterns are alternately stacked, and the conductor patterns of each layer are sequentially connected between the layers, so that they wrap around in a spiral while overlapping in the stacking direction in the magnetic material. A coil is formed. Both ends of the coil are connected to electrode terminals on the outer surface of the multilayer chip through lead conductor pattern portions, respectively. That is, the coil is embedded in a chip-type magnetic body. The magnetic layer and the conductor pattern are formed and laminated by, for example, a screen printing technique.

  Such a multilayer inductor is characterized by the fact that the coil is surrounded by a magnetic material, so there is little magnetic leakage to the outside, and the required inductance can be obtained with a relatively small number of turns, making it suitable for downsizing and thinning. ing.

  However, since magnetic saturation of the magnetic material occurs even with a small coil current (excitation current), the variation in inductance is large even if the DC superimposed current is in a low current region. That is, there is a problem that the direct current superimposition characteristic is bad.

  Therefore, by replacing a part of the entire magnetic layer with an electrically insulating non-magnetic layer, a magnetic gap is interposed in the multilayer inductor, thereby increasing the magnetic saturation level, and a large rating as a transformer, choke coil, etc. A multilayer inductor has been proposed in which a current can be obtained (Patent Document 1).

A multilayer inductor has also been proposed that suppresses magnetic saturation due to leakage magnetic flux to reduce inductance fluctuation in a minute current region (Patent Document 2).
JP 2005-45108 A JP2008-21788

  Although the DC superposition characteristics of multilayer inductors have been improved for the time being by the above-mentioned technology, they do not effectively suppress all magnetic saturation caused by leakage magnetic flux, etc. Still remained.

  For example, FIG. 9 shows a configuration example of a multilayer inductor studied prior to the present invention. In the same figure, 20 is a conductor pattern (or conductor), 40 is a magnetic layer, 40-1 is an entire magnetic gap layer, 41 is a magnetic body, 43 is a magnetic pattern, and 45 is a non-magnetic pattern (or non-magnetic body). Show.

  In this multilayer inductor, as shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, an electrically insulating magnetic layer 40 and an open loop conductor pattern 20 are laminated, and the conductor pattern 20 of each layer is connected via a via 24. By sequentially connecting the layers, a coil that spirals around the magnetic body 41 while overlapping in the stacking direction is formed.

  Both ends of the coil are connected to electrode terminals (not shown) on the outer surface of the laminated chip via lead conductor pattern portions 22 and 22, respectively.

  Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 5A, the magnetic layer 40 disposed between the conductor patterns 20 is formed with an electrically insulating nonmagnetic pattern 45 that overlaps the conductor pattern 20 in the layer direction. In the center layer, an entire magnetic gap layer 40-1 is disposed, the entire layer surface of which is made of an electrically insulating nonmagnetic material 45.

  In the above configuration, the entire magnetic gap layer reduces inductance fluctuation in a wide range of DC superimposed current region, and further suppresses magnetic flux saturation between the conductor pattern 20 and the conductor pattern 20 to reduce inductance fluctuation during low current DC superposition. The effect of mitigating is obtained.

  However, the present inventors have found that magnetic saturation that fluctuates the inductance of the multilayer inductor can also occur at locations other than those described above.

  In this type of multilayer inductor, as shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B, the main magnetic flux Hz induced in the stacking direction orthogonal to the winding direction of the coil is a main parameter factor that governs the inductor characteristics. There are also leakage magnetic fluxes induced in directions other than the stacking direction. Due to magnetic saturation caused by the leakage magnetic flux, the inductance fluctuates in a minute DC superposition region.

  The leakage flux in the different direction is easily induced as the operating frequency range of the inductor increases. For this reason, when used in a high frequency region, the inductor greatly fluctuates due to magnetic saturation caused by the leakage magnetic flux in the opposite direction.

  The DC-DC converter performs voltage conversion while switching a direct current with a high-frequency pulse, but the switching frequency tends to increase year by year. As the frequency increases, the influence of the leakage magnetic flux on the DC superimposition characteristics has become remarkable.

  In the multilayer inductor shown in FIG. 9, in addition to the main magnetic flux Hz, as shown in FIG. 9C, the leakage flux Hr in the layer surface direction is induced by a conductor portion facing the lamination direction such as the via 24, and this leakage Magnetic saturation due to the magnetic flux Hr has caused an increase in inductance fluctuation in a minute current region. That is, the direct current superimposition characteristic of the multilayer inductor is deteriorated. However, since this problem is caused by the leakage magnetic flux Hr in the layer surface direction, it cannot be solved by a magnetic gap interposed between layers as disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2, for example.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a multilayer inductor having a DC superposition characteristic with little inductance fluctuation in a low current region. Other objects and configurations of the present invention will be clarified in the description of the present specification and the accompanying drawings.

The solution provided by the present invention is as follows.
(1) A layered conductor pattern layer in which a conductor pattern in which a part of a rectangular loop is opened is laminated in an electrically insulating magnetic material, and a nonmagnetic pattern is formed in the electrically insulating magnetic material. The magnetic layer is interposed between the conductor pattern layers,
The conductor pattern is sequentially connected through the vias to form a coil that spirals around while overlapping in the stacking direction in the magnetic material,
Both ends of the coil is connected to the electrode terminals of the laminated chip outer surface respectively through the lead conductor pattern portions,
The nonmagnetic pattern includes a loop pattern formed at a position corresponding to the loop of the coil formed by overlapping the conductor pattern in the stacking direction, and an outer periphery of the loop pattern from the outer periphery of the layer surface. It has a shape connected with a linear pattern extending to
The linear pattern is arranged at one or more places in one magnetic layer as a magnetic gap of the magnetic path in the layer surface direction due to the current flowing in the via .
A multilayer inductor characterized by that.

(2) The multilayer inductor according to the above means (1), wherein one or more whole-surface magnetic gap layers made of an electrically insulating nonmagnetic material are disposed on the entire layer surface.
(3) In the above means (1) or (2), the magnetic material pattern is formed only on the U-shaped portion along the peripheral edge of the layer surface that does not overlap the conductor pattern of any layer, and all the remaining portions are non-magnetic. A multilayer inductor comprising one or more patterned partial magnetic gap layers.

According to the above means, it is possible to effectively suppress the magnetic saturation due to the leakage magnetic flux Hr in the layer surface direction, thereby obtaining a multilayer inductor having a DC superposition characteristic with a small inductance variation in a low current region.
The operations / effects other than the above will be clarified in the description of the present specification and the accompanying drawings.

  1A and 1B are diagrams showing the main part of a multilayer inductor according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1A is a longitudinal sectional view of the multilayer inductor, and FIG. (C) is a plane pattern diagram of a magnetic layer interposed between conductor patterns.

  In the figure, 20 is a conductor pattern (or conductor), 40 is a magnetic layer, 41 is a magnetic body, 43 is a magnetic pattern, 45 is a non-magnetic pattern (or non-magnetic body), and 46 is a non-magnetic pattern portion.

  In the multilayer inductor shown in the figure, first, as shown in (a) and (b) of the figure, an electrically insulating magnetic layer 40 and an open loop conductor pattern 20 are laminated, and the conductor pattern 20 of each layer is formed. Are sequentially connected to each other through the vias 24 to form a coil that spirals around the magnetic body 41 while overlapping in the stacking direction.

  Both ends of the coil are connected to electrode terminals (not shown) on the outer surface of the laminated chip via lead conductor pattern portions 22 and 22, respectively.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 2A, the magnetic layer 40 disposed between the conductor patterns 20 is formed with an electrically insulating nonmagnetic pattern 45 that overlaps the conductor pattern 20 in the layer direction. . The nonmagnetic pattern 45 has a loop shape and is formed at a position corresponding to the conductor pattern 20 as shown in FIG.

  Furthermore, as shown in (c) of the figure, in the magnetic layer 40, there are two non-magnetic pattern portions 46 that block the loop-shaped magnetic pattern 43 located outside the loop-shaped non-magnetic pattern 45 halfway around. Is provided.

  The nonmagnetic pattern portion 46 forms a magnetic gap (hereinafter referred to as a “plane direction magnetic gap”) 51 interposed in a magnetic path (Hr) in the layer surface direction formed along the outer periphery of the looped nonmagnetic pattern 45. The magnetic gaps 51 are respectively formed at symmetrical positions on the layer surface.

  FIG. 2 shows a planar pattern of the conductor pattern 20 and the magnetic layer 40. As shown in the figure, six types of patterns 20-1 to 20-6 are used as the conductor pattern 20, and one type of 40-3 is used as the magnetic layer 40, and both are alternately laminated. . Although not shown, a magnetic layer made of a magnetic material is laminated on the uppermost layer and the lowermost layer.

  In the multilayer inductor described above, in addition to the main magnetic flux Hz in the lamination direction orthogonal to the winding direction of the coil, as shown in FIG. Although Hr is induced, in the magnetic path (Hr) in the layer surface direction in which this leakage magnetic flux Hr is induced, magnetization is suppressed by the interposition of the surface magnetic gap 51, so that magnetic saturation hardly occurs.

  Thus, the surface direction magnetic gap 51 can effectively suppress magnetic saturation due to the leakage magnetic flux Hr. As a result, it is possible to obtain a multilayer inductor having a DC superposition characteristic with a small inductance variation in a low current region.

  FIG. 3 shows the DC superposition characteristics of the multilayer inductor described above. In the figure, the solid graph line indicates a change state of the inductance with respect to the DC superimposed current of the multilayer inductor having the configuration shown in FIG. 5, and the wavy line indicates that of the multilayer inductor having the configuration shown in FIG. Indicates.

  As is clear from the figure, in the multilayer inductor of the present invention, the inductance fluctuation with respect to the DC superimposed current is reliably suppressed. The above effect can be obtained by suppressing the magnetic saturation due to the leakage magnetic flux Hr. For this purpose, the planar magnetic gap 51 may be provided in at least one magnetic layer 40.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, although the two magnetic gaps 51 are distributed and installed in two symmetrical positions, the suppression effect of magnetic saturation is heightened, The magnetic gap 51 may be one place.

  FIG. 4 shows another embodiment relating to the position and planar shape of the planar magnetic gap 51. As shown in (a), (b), and (c) of the figure, the position and planar shape of the magnetic gap 51 are not particularly limited as long as the magnetic saturation due to the leakage magnetic flux Hr in the layer surface direction can be suppressed.

  5A and 5B are diagrams showing the main part of the multilayer inductor according to the second embodiment of the present invention, in which FIG. 5A is a plan pattern diagram of a conductor pattern and a magnetic layer, which are components of the multilayer inductor, and FIG. FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a laminated state.

  In the multilayer inductor according to the second embodiment shown in the same drawing, in addition to the configuration of the first embodiment described above, the entire surface of the magnetic gap layer 40-1 composed of the electrically insulating nonmagnetic material 45 is disposed. . The entire magnetic gap layer 40-1 is interposed in the magnetic path (Hz) in the stacking direction.

  In the second embodiment, the entire surface magnetic gap layer 40-1 is disposed in the central layer, and the same number (two layers) of magnetic layers 40-3 having the above-described plane direction magnetic gap 51 are disposed on the upper layer side and the lower layer side thereof. Has been.

  According to the second embodiment, the magnetic saturation due to the main magnetic flux Hz induced in the stacking direction can be effectively suppressed together with the magnetic saturation due to the leakage magnetic flux Hr. The direct current superimposition characteristics in the direct current superimposition current region can be further improved.

  6A and 6B are diagrams showing the main part of the multilayer inductor according to the third embodiment of the present invention, wherein FIG. 6A is a plan pattern diagram of a conductor pattern and a magnetic layer that are components of the multilayer inductor, and FIG. FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a laminated state.

  In the multilayer inductor according to the third embodiment shown in the same drawing, two magnetic gap layers 40-1 are arranged over the entire structure of the second embodiment described above. The two full-surface magnetic gap layers 40-1 are arranged in a vertically symmetrical manner above and below the central layer.

  The entire magnetic gap layer 40-1 and the magnetic layer 40-3 having the planar magnetic gap 51 are alternately interposed between the conductor patterns 20-1 to 20-6.

  In the third embodiment, magnetic saturation due to the leakage magnetic flux Hr and the main magnetic flux Hz can be further reliably suppressed by arranging a plurality of magnetic gap layers 40-1 on the entire surface. The direct current superposition characteristics in the direct current superposition current region up to a large current can be further improved.

  7A and 7B are diagrams showing the main part of the multilayer inductor according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention, in which FIG. 7A is a plan pattern diagram of a conductor pattern and a magnetic layer, which are components of the multilayer inductor, and FIG. FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a laminated state.

  In the multilayer inductor of the fourth embodiment shown in the same figure, a partial magnetic gap layer 40-2 is disposed as a magnetic gap layer in the stacking direction with respect to the configurations of the second and third embodiments described above.

  In this partial magnetic gap layer 40-2, the magnetic pattern (41) is formed only on the U-shaped portion along the peripheral edge that does not overlap the conductor patterns 20 and 22 of any layer of the layer surface, and all the remaining portions are formed. This is a nonmagnetic pattern (45), which is arranged in the central layer.

  In the fourth embodiment, similarly to the second and third embodiments, magnetic saturation due to the leakage magnetic flux Hr and the main magnetic flux Hz can be suppressed to improve the DC superposition characteristics.

  Furthermore, the partial magnetic gap layer 40-2 interposed in the stacking direction has the magnetic pattern (41) in the U-shaped portion, so that the stacking direction of the partial magnetic gap layer 40-2 is larger than that of the entire magnetic gap layer 40-1. Magnetic resistance can be reduced.

  Thereby, the fall of the inductance accompanying the magnetic gap layer can be reduced. That is, the direct current superimposition characteristic can be improved without significantly reducing the inductance.

  8A and 8B are diagrams showing the main part of the multilayer inductor according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention, in which FIG. 8A is a plan pattern diagram of a conductor pattern and a magnetic layer that are components of the multilayer inductor, and FIG. FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a laminated state.

  In the multilayer inductor of the fifth embodiment shown in the same figure, two partial magnetic gap layers 40-2 are arranged in the configuration of the fourth embodiment described above. The two partial magnetic gap layers 40-2 are arranged in a vertically symmetrical manner above and below the central layer.

  The partial magnetic gap layer 40-2 and the magnetic layer 40-3 having the planar magnetic gap 51 are alternately interposed between the conductor patterns 20-1 to 20-6.

  In the fifth embodiment, by arranging a plurality of partial magnetic gap layers 40-2, it is possible to more reliably suppress magnetic saturation due to the leakage magnetic flux Hr and the main magnetic flux Hz while reducing the decrease in inductance. it can. As a result, the direct current superimposition characteristics in the direct current superimposition current region from a low current to a large current can be further greatly improved without significantly reducing the inductance.

  As mentioned above, although this invention was demonstrated based on the typical Example, this invention can have various aspects other than having mentioned above. For example, various aspects other than those described above are possible for the shape, position, number of arrangements, and the like of the nonmagnetic pattern forming the planar magnetic gap 51.

  Magnetic saturation due to the leakage magnetic flux Hr can be effectively suppressed, whereby a multilayer inductor having a DC superposition characteristic with little inductance fluctuation in a low current region can be obtained.

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view, a perspective view, and a plan pattern diagram showing the main part of the multilayer inductor constituting the first embodiment of the present invention. It is a figure which shows the conductor pattern of a multilayer inductor, and the plane pattern of a magnetic layer. It is a graph which shows the direct current superposition characteristic of the multilayer inductor concerning the present invention. It is a top view which shows other embodiment regarding the position and planar shape of the surface direction magnetic gap which make the principal part of this invention. It is the plane pattern figure and longitudinal cross-sectional view which show the principal part of the multilayer inductor which comprises 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is the plane pattern figure and longitudinal cross-sectional view which show the principal part of the multilayer inductor which comprises 3rd Embodiment of this invention. It is the plane pattern figure and longitudinal cross-sectional view which show the principal part of the multilayer inductor which comprises 4th Embodiment of this invention. It is the plane pattern figure and longitudinal cross-sectional view which show the principal part of the multilayer inductor which comprises 5th Embodiment of this invention. It is the longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the principal part of the multilayer inductor examined as a comparative example of this invention, a perspective view, and a plane pattern figure.

Explanation of symbols

20 Conductor pattern (or conductor)
20-1 to 20-6 Conductor pattern 22 Lead conductor pattern part 24 Via 40 Magnetic layer 40-1 Whole surface magnetic gap layer 40-2 Partial magnetic gap layer 40-3 Magnetic layer 41 Magnetic body 43 Magnetic pattern 45 Nonmagnetic pattern (or Non-magnetic material)
46 Nonmagnetic pattern part 51 Planar magnetic gap Hz Main magnetic flux (magnetic path)
Hr Leakage magnetic flux (magnetic path)

Claims (3)

A layered conductor pattern layer in which a conductor pattern in which a part of a rectangular loop is opened is laminated in an electrically insulating magnetic material, and a magnetic material in which a nonmagnetic pattern is formed in an electrically insulating magnetic material. Layers are interposed between the layers of each conductor pattern layer,
The conductor pattern is sequentially connected through the vias to form a coil that spirals around while overlapping in the stacking direction in the magnetic material,
Both ends of the coil is connected to the electrode terminals of the laminated chip outer surface respectively through the lead conductor pattern portions,
The nonmagnetic pattern includes a loop pattern formed at a position corresponding to the loop of the coil formed by overlapping the conductor pattern in the stacking direction, and an outer periphery of the loop pattern from the outer periphery of the layer surface. It has a shape connected with a linear pattern extending to
The linear pattern is arranged at one or more places in one magnetic layer as a magnetic gap of the magnetic path in the layer surface direction due to the current flowing in the via .
A multilayer inductor characterized by that.   2. The multilayer inductor according to claim 1, wherein at least one whole surface magnetic gap layer made of an electrically insulating nonmagnetic material is disposed on the entire layer surface.   3. A partial magnetic gap layer according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a magnetic material pattern is formed only on a U-shaped portion along a peripheral edge that does not overlap the conductor pattern of any layer, and the remainder is a nonmagnetic pattern. A multilayer inductor characterized by the above arrangement.

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