Methods, apparatuses, and systems for facilitating heat dissipation from circuit components

Abstract

Techniques and mechanisms for providing efficient heat dissipation from circuit components are disclosed. In one embodiment, the circuit component includes an inductor and a packaged device coupled thereto, wherein the inductor forms heat dissipation structures on respective sides of a ferromagnetic material. The packaged component includes a circuit board disposed in a mold material, wherein a metal core of the circuit board is thermally coupled to transfer heat from one or more circuit components of the packaged device to the inductor via one or more conductors extending from the package mold. In another embodiment, portions of the metal core have different respective vertical spans, which facilitates achieving different thermal conductivity characteristics across different regions of the circuit board.

Description

[0001] Related applications

[0002] This patent application relates to U.S. Patent Application No. 15 / 486167, filed April 12, 2017, entitled “INDUCTOR WITHINTEGRATED HEAT DISSIPATION STRUCTURES”; U.S. Patent Application No. 15 / 486171, filed April 12, 2017, entitled “MULTI-LEVEL LEAD FRAMESTRUCTURES AND METHOD OF PROVIDING SAME”; and U.S. Patent Application No. 15 / 486174, filed April 12, 2017, entitled “CIRCUIT BOARD STRUCTURES FORTHERMAL INSULATION AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME”, all of which are assigned to the assignee of the subject matter currently claimed and are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to circuit components, and more specifically, but not exclusively, to structures for heat dissipation from packaged devices. Background Technology

[0004] Microprocessors and other electronic circuit components are becoming increasingly powerful, leading to a significant increase in the amount of heat generated from them. While the package size and die size of these components are shrinking or remaining the same, this increases the amount of heat emitted by the components per unit surface area. Furthermore, as computer-related devices become more powerful, more components are being placed inside devices of decreasing size, resulting in additional heat generation within a smaller volume. Increased temperatures can potentially damage components or reduce the lifespan of individual components and the device itself. Therefore, the substantial heat generated by these integrated circuits must be dissipated, and this must be considered when designing integrated circuit mounting and packaging devices.

[0005] As integrated circuit systems continue to shrink in size and increase in capability across generations, the additional costs for progressively improving heat dissipation in such systems are expected to be even higher. Attached Figure Description

[0006] In the accompanying drawings, various embodiments of the invention are illustrated by way of example rather than limitation, and in the drawings:

[0007] Figure 1 A view of a circuit assembly including a structure that promotes heat dissipation, according to an embodiment, is shown.

[0008] Figure 2 This is a flowchart illustrating elements of a method for providing functionality of a circuit component according to an embodiment.

[0009] Figure 3A-3G The corresponding structures according to the embodiments are shown, each of which is performed during a corresponding stage of the process of manufacturing the circuit assembly.

[0010] Figure 4 A circuit board structure that promotes efficient heat dissipation of circuit components according to an embodiment is shown.

[0011] Figure 5 The corresponding structures according to the embodiments are shown, each of which occurs during a corresponding stage of the process of generating circuit components.

[0012] Figure 6 This is a functional block diagram illustrating the elements of a computer device according to an embodiment.

[0013] Figure 7 This is a functional block diagram illustrating the elements of a computer system according to an embodiment. Detailed Implementation

[0014] The embodiments discussed herein provide techniques and mechanisms for heat dissipation from components of a circuit device (referred to herein as "circuit components" for simplicity) in various ways. In one exemplary embodiment, the circuit component includes an inductor and a packaged device coupled thereto, wherein the inductor forms heat dissipation structures (also referred to herein as "fin structures" or simply "fins") on respective sides of a ferromagnetic material. The packaged component may include a circuit board disposed in a packaging die material, wherein the metal core of the circuit board is thermally coupled to transfer heat from one or more circuit components of the packaged device to the inductor via one or more conductors extending from the packaging die. In some embodiments, the arrangement of the fin structure may contribute to a low-profile circuit component, for example, to provide a power transformer with both space efficiency and thermal efficiency.

[0015] The techniques described herein can be implemented in one or more electronic devices. Non-limiting examples of electronic devices from which the techniques described herein can be utilized include any kind of mobile and / or stationary device, such as cameras, cellular phones, computer terminals, desktop computers, e-readers, fax machines, telephone booths, netbook computers, laptop computers, internet devices, payment terminals, personal digital assistants, media players and / or recorders, servers (e.g., blade servers, rack-mount servers, combinations thereof), set-top boxes, smartphones, tablet PCs, super mobile PCs, wired phones, combinations thereof, etc. More generally, the techniques described herein can be employed in any of a variety of electronic devices that include circuit components with structures that facilitate heat dissipation.

[0016] Figure 1 An exploded view of a circuit assembly 100 according to an embodiment, including a structure providing efficient heat dissipation, is shown. The circuit assembly 100 is an example of an embodiment in which an inductor is coupled to a packaged device, wherein the inductor includes a ferromagnetic material and a first conductor extending through the ferromagnetic material (the first conductor having a finned structure formed on one or more sides of the ferromagnetic material), and wherein the packaged device includes a circuit board whose metal core is thermally coupled to transfer heat to the first conductor.

[0017] In the illustrated exemplary embodiment, circuit assembly 100 includes inductor 102 and package device 150 (wherein) Figure 1 A perspective view 104 of inductor 102 is also provided. Inductor 102 may include a ferromagnetic body 120 and a first conductor extending through the ferromagnetic body 120, for example, wherein the first conductor includes conductive portions 110a, 100b, each extending from a corresponding side of the ferromagnetic body 120. Another portion (not shown) of the first conductor may couple portions 110a, 100b to each other, wherein the ferromagnetic body 120 extends around this other portion. Such a portion of the first conductor is referred to herein as an “intermediate conductor portion”.

[0018] Portions 110a and 110b may extend from respective sides of the ferromagnetic material 120 in various ways, wherein heat dissipation structures (or "fin structures") are formed by or extend from one of the respective portions 110a and 110b in various ways. In the illustrated exemplary embodiment, one or more fin structures (e.g., the illustrated exemplary two or more fin structures 112) extend from the generally planar structure of the conductive portion 110a. One or more other fin structures (e.g., the illustrated exemplary two or more fin structures 114) may similarly extend from the generally planar structure of the conductive portion 110b. Although some embodiments are not limited to this aspect, one or more sides of the conductive portions 110a, 100b and / or the intermediate conductor portions may extend some or all of the fin structures 112, 114 from the plane in which they extend.

[0019] Inductor 102 may include structures that facilitate coupling to package device 150. For example, portions 110a, 110b may be formed or coupled to corresponding terminals 130, 132, which are soldered or otherwise coupled to a corresponding conductor 160, 162 extending from the package mold 156 of package device 150. Terminals 130, 132 (e.g., each including a corresponding pin, pad, solder ball, pad, or other such conductive contact) may facilitate communication of a corresponding signal or voltage with a corresponding conductor 160, 162. Some embodiments are not limited to the specific function of the circuitry that may be included in package device 150.

[0020] In some embodiments, one or both of conductors 160, 162 serve as a path for heat transfer between package device 150 and inductor 102, for example, where at least part of the heat is dissipated using fin structures 112, 114. By way of illustration and not limitation, for one or each of terminals 130, 132, the terminal may have a width (x-axis dimension) that is at least twice the length (y-axis dimension) of the terminal, for example, at least three times, and in some embodiments, at least five times. Similarly, for one or each of conductors 160, 162, the conductor may have a width (x-axis) that is at least twice its length (y-axis). Some embodiments support additional heat transfer between inductor 102 and package device 150 via conductors 160, 162, when additional contact surfaces are provided between terminal 130 and conductor 160 (and / or between terminal 132 and conductor 162).

[0021] In embodiments, the first conductor is stamped, molded, or otherwise shaped into the form shown. The first conductor includes, for example, any one of copper (e.g., plated with silver or gold), aluminum, and / or a variety of other metals or alloys thereof. The ferromagnetic material 120 may comprise any of a wide variety of one or more materials, such as, but not limited to, nickel-zinc (NiZn), magnesium-zinc (MgZn), ferrite, perovskite, zirconate, titanate, or cobalt-based magnetic materials, exhibiting low core loss, low hysteresis, and / or high flux capability (e.g., at frequencies in the range of 5 MHz to 50 MHz). Forming the ferromagnetic material 120 around the first conductor may include sintering or otherwise transforming one or more materials, for example, transforming from a powder or other particulate state into a single rigid body. The inductor 102 may be manufactured using one or more materials and / or operations modified from, for example, conventional techniques used to manufacture circuit elements. Specific details of such conventional techniques are not described herein to avoid obscuring specific features of the embodiments.

[0022] In one exemplary embodiment, the total width (x-axis) of the first conductor can be in the range of 8 mm to 12 mm, for example, where the total length (y-axis) of the first conductor can also be in the range of 8 mm to 12 mm. In this embodiment, the z-axis thickness of the intermediate conductor portion (extending through the ferromagnetic material 120) can, for example, be in the range of 0.05 mm to 0.1 mm (e.g., in the range of 0.1 mm to 0.2 mm). Some or all of the fin structures 112, 114 can each have a corresponding z-axis height in the range of 1.0 mm to 2.5 mm, for example, where such fin structures each have a corresponding y-axis thickness in the range of 0.05 mm to 0.1 mm. Alternatively or further, the thickness (z-axis) of the ferromagnetic material 120 on one side of the intermediate conductor portion can, for example, be in the range of 0.5 mm to 1.0 mm, for example, where the total thickness of the ferromagnetic material 120 is in the range of 1.5 mm to 3.0 mm. In this embodiment, the ferromagnetic material 120 may, for example, have a width (x-axis) ranging from 6 mm to 12 mm and / or a length (y-axis) ranging from 4 mm to 10 mm. However, this scale of the first conductor and fin structures 112, 114 is merely illustrative and may vary in other embodiments depending on the specific details of the implementation.

[0023] In other embodiments, the inductor 102 may include more, fewer, and / or differently configured fin structures. For example, in Figure 1In the illustrated exemplary embodiment, fin structures 112 and 114 all extend in the same direction from the same side of the generally planar structure formed by portions 110a and 110b. Furthermore, as shown, fin structures 112 and 114 also extend at right angles from this side of the planar structure. However, some embodiments may vary, for example, the total number of one or more fin structures relative to any given side of the ferromagnetic material 120, one or more corresponding sides of the first conductor from which some or all of these fin structures extend in various ways, the corresponding angles at which some or all of the fin structures extend in various ways, etc.

[0024] In an exemplary embodiment of the circuit assembly 100, the package device 150 includes a circuit board comprising a metal core 152 and an insulating material 154 disposed on the metal core 152. The circuit board may have one or more circuit components disposed thereon (e.g., the illustrated exemplary circuit component 158) to operate in conjunction with the inductor 102. For example, the circuit component 158 ​​may be operable to transmit voltage or signals with the inductor 102; for example, the circuit component 158 ​​may include one or more packaged integrated circuit chips, discrete circuit elements, etc. The metal core 152 may be thermally coupled to transfer heat generated by one or more of the circuit components 158. By way of illustration and not limitation, the circuit component 158 ​​may be directly coupled to the metal core 152 and / or one of the conductors 160, 162, for example, wherein the dimension of one of the conductors 160, 162 exceeds a dimension sufficient to transmit signals or voltages between the package device 150 and the inductor 102.

[0025] Figure 2 Features of a method 200 for providing a path for heat dissipation in a circuit assembly, according to an embodiment, are shown. Method 200 can be performed to provide, for example, the structure of a circuit assembly 100. Figure 3A-3G The corresponding stages 300a-300g of the process for manufacturing a structure of a circuit assembly such as circuit assembly 100 according to an embodiment are shown. Method 200 is described herein with respect to the process of assembling the circuit structure (e.g., those shown in stages 300a-300g) in order to illustrate specific features of various embodiments. However, this description can be extended to the process of providing any component of various additional or alternative circuit assemblies having the features described herein.

[0026] Method 200 may include operation 202 to couple the inductor and the packaged device. While some embodiments are not limited to this aspect, operation 202 may additionally or alternatively include processes for manufacturing one or both of the inductor and the packaged device. For example, refer now to Figures 3A-3EPhases 300a-300e illustrate operations for manufacturing a packaged device having the features of packaged device 150. As shown in phase 300a, for example, as part of the process, one or more circuit components (e.g., the illustrated exemplary component 301) may be coupled to circuit board 303 to manufacture a packaged device including component 301 and circuit board 303. In one exemplary embodiment, circuit component 301 includes circuitry operating in a power transformer, which includes, for example, integrated circuits, such as high electron mobility transistors, heavy-duty driver components, etc. However, some embodiments are not limited to the specific functions that circuit component 301 may provide.

[0027] While some embodiments are not limited to this aspect, the three-dimensional lead frame 302 can be used to interconnect some or all of the components 301 to the circuit board 303 in various ways. In the illustrated exemplary embodiment, the lead frame 302 includes a frame portion 334 and various branch portions extending from the frame portion 334 in various ways (e.g., the illustrated exemplary branch portions 330, 332). Opposite sides of the frame portion 334 may both extend parallel to a plane (e.g., the xy plane of the illustrated xyz coordinate system), wherein one or more of the branch portions 330, 332 extend at least partially above or below such opposite sides in various ways. The lead frame 302 may include any metal of copper, gold, aluminum, silver, and / or any other metal of various metals used for interconnecting integrated circuits, discrete circuit elements, etc. While some embodiments are not limited to this aspect, the length (x-axis dimension) of the lead frame 302 can range from 2 cm to 6 cm, for example, the width (y-axis dimension) of the lead frame 302 can range from 2 cm to 6 cm, and / or the total thickness (z-axis dimension) of the frame portion 334 can range from 3 mm to 15 mm. However, these lead frame dimensions are merely illustrative and can vary in different embodiments depending on the specific details of the implementation. In other embodiments, conductive structures other than those of any three-dimensional lead frame are used to interconnect the component 301 and the circuit board 303.

[0028] Some or all of the branch structures 330, 332 may be soldered or otherwise electrically coupled to corresponding conductive contacts of circuit components disposed on the circuit board 303 in various ways. Alternatively or additionally, one or more circuit components 301 may be soldered or otherwise coupled to the metal core of the circuit board, for example, directly or via one of the branch structures 330, 332. Such components may be disposed in various ways on surfaces with different corresponding z-height levels (e.g., including the illustrated exemplary surfaces 342, 344, 346, 348). The specific number, size, height and / or other configuration of the multi-level surfaces 342, 344, 346, 348 are merely exemplary and may vary in different embodiments depending on the specific details of the implementation. When providing branch portions in which each extends away from the xy plane in various ways along a corresponding direction, the lead frame 302 is capable of forming leads that are routed to, above or below (e.g., not around) one or more other structures in such xy plane.

[0029] exist Figure 3B Phase 300b illustrates the resulting assembly of circuit component 301, lead frame 302, and circuit board 303. While some embodiments are not limited to this aspect, one or more of component 301 may be disposed within a recessed structure formed by a portion of circuit board 303. In such embodiments, the recessed structure may act as a reservoir to contain insulating material. For example, as... Figure 3C As shown in stage 300c, the insulating material 336 can provide improved thermal insulation between multiple components 301 disposed in the same recessed structure of the circuit board 303.

[0030] It can be done in Figure 3C A molding material is disposed on and / or around at least a portion of the component shown to form a packaged device 350a. Figure 3D (As shown in stage 300d). Although some embodiments are not limited to this aspect, one or more structures of the lead frame 302 may extend from the encapsulation material of the package device 350a. For example, some or all of the frame portions 334 may extend from one or more side surfaces of the encapsulation material, such as a portion of the branch structure 332 extending from the top surface 352 of the encapsulation material.

[0031] like Figure 3EAs shown in stage 300e, portions of package device 350a may be selectively cut, ground, or otherwise removed to form a smaller package device 350b. This removal may be performed in various ways to form each of the leads from a respective one of the branch structures 330, 332. By way of illustration and not limitation, cleaving and / or other cutting of package device 350a may expose sidewalls 354 of package device 350b, including end portions 360 of leads formed from a respective one of the branch structures 330. Alternatively or additionally, such cutting and / or other removal may expose end portions 362 of leads formed from a respective one of the branch structures 332 in various ways. In some embodiments, the bottom surface of package device 350b (opposite to the top surface 352) may have corresponding exposed portions of one or more other leads formed therein.

[0032] The resulting package device 350b formed in stage 300e may include a package mold forming sidewalls 354 extending around the periphery of the package device 350b. The package device 350b may also include an integrated circuit disposed within the package mold, wherein a plurality of leads are coupled to corresponding conductive contacts of the integrated circuit. The respective distal ends of the plurality of leads (e.g., including illustrated end portions 360, 362) may extend into the sidewall 354 in a region between a first plane and a second plane (e.g., corresponding to the top and bottom surfaces of the frame portion 334). In this embodiment, other corresponding portions of one or more such leads may extend outside the region between the first and second planes. Although some embodiments are not limited to this aspect, the respective distal ends of the plurality of leads may all have the same surface texture, for example, where the surface texture is a residual artifact of cutting, grinding, polishing, and / or other treatments to separate the leads from the frame portion 334 of the lead frame 302. Such surface texture processing may also be present, for example, in adjacent regions of the sidewall 354. In some embodiments, the multiple leads have the same minimum cross-sectional (z-axis) height, for example, where the cross-sections of the multiple leads have corresponding straight-line shapes.

[0033] Refer again Figure 2 In addition to method 200, operation 202 may include: at 210, coupling a first conductor of the inductor to a second conductor of a package device (e.g., package device 350b), wherein the first conductor extends through a ferromagnetic body of the inductor, and wherein the first conductor forms fin structures on different corresponding sides of the ferromagnetic body. For example, the first conductor may include a first conductive portion and a second conductive portion (e.g., portions 110a, 110b) both extending from the ferromagnetic body, wherein a third conductive portion of the conductor extends through the ferromagnetic body between the first and second conductive portions. In this embodiment, both the first and second conductive portions may form corresponding fin structures.

[0034] In embodiments, the packaging device may include a circuit board disposed in a mold and circuit components disposed on the circuit board, for example, wherein a second conductor and a third conductor of the packaging device both extend from the packaging mold. In this embodiment, operation 202 may further include, at 220, coupling the first conductor to the third conductor, wherein the circuit components are electrically coupled across an inductor via the second and third conductors. The circuit board may include a metal core comprising a first core portion and a second core portion, wherein the average thickness of the entire first core portion is at least twice the average thickness of the entire second core portion, wherein the metal core is thermally coupled to transfer heat from the circuit components via the second conductor to the first conductor. The first core portion and the second core portion may each comprise at least five percent (in some embodiments, at least ten percent) of the metal core in volume.

[0035] refer to Figure 3F As shown in stage 300f, the packaged device 350b formed in stage 300e can be coupled to an inductor 361 having features such as inductor 102. Inductor 361 may include a ferromagnetic core 370 and conductors including portions 362a, 362b, 362c, for example, wherein portion 362c extends within the ferromagnetic core 370, and portions 362a, 362b extend from respective sides of the ferromagnetic core 370 in various ways. In this embodiment, portions 362a, 362b may form corresponding heat dissipation structures, such as the illustrated exemplary fin structures 364a, 364b. To provide a space-efficient, low form factor circuit assembly, fin structures 364a, 364b may extend in a direction toward the packaged device 350b, for example, wherein some or all of the fin structures 364a, 364b overlap perpendicularly to the packaged device 350b in various ways. Space efficiency can be further or alternatively facilitated by a package device 350b coupled to the inductor 361 via terminals (e.g., terminals 130, 132), all of which are disposed in various ways between the ferromagnetic element 370 and a corresponding one of the fins 364a or 364b. Figure 3F The ferromagnet 370 is transparent, merely to illustrate the features contained therein.

[0036] The coupling at 210 and 220 may, for example, include coupling the exposed lead portions 332 of the packaged device 350b (e.g., functionally corresponding to conductors 160, 162) to corresponding terminals (not shown) formed on a respective one of the conductor portions 362a, 362b. Figure 3GAs shown, stage 300g provides the circuit components obtained from this coupling. In some embodiments, method 200 may additionally or alternatively include operating circuit components, such as those provided by operation 202. For example, method 200 may include, at 230, exchanging a signal or voltage between the inductor and the packaged device.

[0037] The physical properties of ferromagnetic material 370 can facilitate the inductor's ability to provide high-frequency signals. For example, as... Figure 3G As shown in the detailed cross-sectional view in Illustration 380, ferromagnetic material 370 may comprise particles, grains, and / or other clusters of ferromagnetic material extending in various ways around the interstitial regions in ferromagnetic material 379. These clusters (referred to herein as “ferromagnetic node structures”) may be melted or otherwise joined together in various ways (via a sintering process). For example, these nodes may comprise different ferromagnetic particles adjacent to each other in various ways and / or may comprise ferromagnetic structures melted together at their respective surfaces. For example, the interface between a ferromagnetic node structure and an adjacent ferromagnetic node structure may be indicated by a local minimum in any cross-sectional region of the ferromagnetic material between the node structures.

[0038] In the exemplary embodiment shown in illustration 380, the ferromagnetic material 370 includes ferromagnetic node structures 382 that are adjacent to and extend around a gap region 384 in various ways. The gap region 384 may be provided therein in various ways with air and / or adhesive material for facilitating sintering or other processes to bond the ferromagnetic particles. For example, such adhesive material may include paraffin wax, although some embodiments are not limited to this aspect. For example, depending on specific implementation details, the corresponding length (e.g., diameter) of the ferromagnetic node structure 382 may range from 30 nanometers (nm) to 30 micrometers.

[0039] The ferromagnetic material 370 may have at least a minimum volume fraction attributable to a gap region such as the illustrative gap region 384 shown in the figure. By providing this minimum volume fraction of the gap region (and the corresponding maximum volume fraction of all ferromagnetic material in that layer), some embodiments reduce the likelihood of the inductor saturating during its operation. By way of illustration and not limitation, the volume fraction of ferromagnetic material in the ferromagnetic material 370 may be equal to or less than 97%, for example, where the volume fraction of the gap region is in the range of 3% to 25% (and in some embodiments, in the range of 5% to 15%). It should be understood that the total volume of the ferromagnetic material 370 does not include the volume of other structures surrounded by the ferromagnetic material 370, for example, where such structures include portion 362c.

[0040] The volume fraction of the gap region 384 may be at least partly due to the ferromagnetic node structure 382 comprising node structures of different sizes, for example, wherein the respective dimensions (e.g., lengths) of the ferromagnetic node structure 382 have a non-Gaussian distribution. By way of example, and not limitation, the ferromagnetic node structure 382 may be composed of a combination of a first ferromagnetic node structure having a first Gaussian size distribution and a second ferromagnetic node structure having a second Gaussian size distribution. In such an embodiment, the difference (e.g., absolute difference) between a first average value of the first Gaussian size distribution and a second average value of the second Gaussian size distribution may be at least 10% (at least 20% in some embodiments) of the second average value. In various embodiments, any combination of various other combinations of two or more different sizes of the ferromagnetic node structures may be implemented.

[0041] Figure 4 Features of a metal core 400 that promotes efficient heat conduction in a circuit assembly according to an embodiment are shown. The structure of the metal core 400, for example, having some or all of the features of the metal core 152, is not necessarily shown to scale or in relative proportion to each other. Figure 4 An example of a metal core for a circuit board is shown, comprising at least two sections, wherein the respective surfaces of these sections extend in different planes, for example, where the difference between the respective thicknesses of such sections is significant (e.g., not merely a result of manufacturing errors). When sections with different respective vertical spans are provided, this metal core may contribute to differences in thermal conductivity characteristics between at least two regions of the circuit board.

[0042] Regarding the physical structure of the metal core, "height" herein refers to a location or structural scale defined with respect to a given direction line, where, unless otherwise stated, "region" refers to the span of a region (e.g., a cross-sectional region or a surface region) in a plane orthogonal to the direction line. The portion of the direction line spanned by the given structure is referred to herein as the height (or alternatively, "thickness") of the structure. The location where a plane intersects such a direction line (where the plane is orthogonal to the direction line) is referred to herein as the height (or alternatively, "level") of that plane. The metal core may have one or more flat surfaces, each extending along the height scale at a corresponding level. Unless otherwise indicated, "perimeter" refers to the outermost edge of a given region.

[0043] Regarding the metal core 400, "thickness" herein refers to any scale measured parallel to the z-axis of the illustrated xyz coordinate system. In one exemplary embodiment, the metal core 400 includes at least two portions (e.g., including the illustrated exemplary first portion 410 and second portion 420), each portion serving to provide a corresponding area on which circuit components may be disposed directly or indirectly in various ways. For example, both the first portion 410 and the second portion 420 may comprise at least five percent (5%) of the metal core 400 in volume, and in some embodiments, at least 10%.

[0044] To facilitate various thermal conductivity properties, the respective surfaces of the first portion 410 and the second portion 420 may extend at different corresponding heights along the z-axis, for example, where only one of the surfaces of the first portion 410 and the second portion 420 extends in a given plane parallel to the illustrated xy-plane. For example, surface 402 of the first portion 410 and surface 404 of the second portion 420 may extend in planes at different corresponding levels. In this embodiment, the difference between these levels may be at least 20% of the maximum thickness of the metal core 400, and in some embodiments at least 30% (i.e., where the difference is different from and less than the maximum thickness). By way of illustration and not limitation, this difference between levels may be equal to the absolute difference of |(z1-z2)|, where the maximum thickness of the metal core 400 is equal to z1.

[0045] In some embodiments, the first portion 410 and the second portion 420 may have different corresponding total thicknesses measured along the z-axis. For example, along a first periphery of the first portion 410 (spanning the first periphery of regions x1·y1), the first portion 410 may have a first average thickness, such as the illustrated illustrative thickness z1, while along a second periphery of the second portion 420 (e.g., spanning the second periphery of regions x2·y2), the second portion 420 may have a second average thickness, such as the illustrated illustrative thickness z2. In such embodiments, one of the first average thickness or the second average thickness may be at least twice the other. Although some embodiments are not limited to this aspect, portions 410, 420 may have corresponding surfaces, each extending in the same plane orthogonal to the height (z-axis) scale. By way of illustration and not limitation, the surface 406 of the metal core 400 may include the bottom surface region of portion 410 and the bottom surface region of portion 420.

[0046] Although some embodiments are not limited to this aspect, the first total area spanned by the first periphery of the first portion 410 may be at least five percent (e.g., at least ten percent) of the maximum cross-sectional area of ​​the metal core. In such an embodiment, the second total area spanned by the second periphery of the second portion 420 may be at least five percent (e.g., at least ten percent) of the maximum cross-sectional area of ​​the metal core. The maximum cross-sectional area of ​​the metal core may, for example, be equal to the product [(x0+x1+x2)(y1)].

[0047] In some embodiments, at least one metal core portion (e.g., one of the first portion 410 and the second portion 420) forms a recessed structure. This recessed structure can act as a reservoir for any of a variety of other substances, such as adhesives, insulating materials, or substances to be disposed around one or more circuit components. The substance so contained in the reservoir can, for example, be distinguishable from the encapsulation material of the packaged device.

[0048] Alternatively or additionally, the average thickness of the entire first portion 410 may be at least twice the average thickness of the entire second portion 420. The metal core 400 may also include one or more other portions (e.g., the illustrated exemplary portion 430) to facilitate improved thermal insulation in the circuit board. By way of illustration and not limitation, the metal core 400 may also include a portion 430 disposed between portions 410 and 420, for example, wherein portion 430 forms a trench structure having a length x0, and wherein the average height z0 of portion 430 is less than one of heights z1 and z2. For example, the difference between z1 or z2 and z0 may be at least 20% of the maximum height of the metal core 400, and in some embodiments, at least 30%. In such embodiments, portion 430 may, in volume, comprise at least 5% (e.g., 10% or more) of the metal core 400, for example, where z1 is equal to z2, or where any difference between z1 and z2 is less than 20% of the maximum height of the metal core 400. However, the specific number of such two or more metal core portions—and their specific configuration, dimensions, etc.—are merely illustrative. The metal core 400 may have more, fewer, and / or different configurations of portions to provide improved insulation according to different embodiments. For example, in other embodiments, metal 400 may omit 430, for example, where portions 410, 420 are directly adjacent to each other along the illustrated x-axis.

[0049] The metal core 400 may comprise any metal of various metals suitable for conducting heat (and, in some embodiments, for facilitating welding and / or other electrical couplings)—for example, including alloys. Formation of the metal core 400 may include stamping, casting, cutting, grinding, and / or other processes, such as those adapted from conventional techniques, to form the metal core structure. In one exemplary embodiment, the total thickness (z-axis dimension) of the metal core 400 ranges from 0.15 mm to 0.6 mm, for example, wherein the total length (x-axis dimension) of the metal core 400 ranges from 10 mm to 30 mm and / or the total width (y-axis dimension) of the metal core 400 ranges from 10 mm to 30 mm. However, such dimensions are merely illustrative and may vary in different embodiments depending on implementation-specific details.

[0050] Figure 5 Stages 500 and 501 of a process according to one embodiment are shown to provide a circuit board for a circuit assembly. Such a circuit board may, for example, include features of circuit board 303, such as a structure comprising a metal core 152 and / or an insulating material 154. Referring now to stage 500, stamping, processing sintering, and / or other such processes of the conductive material can result in the formation of a metal core comprising portions 520 and 522. This metal core may include, for example, one or more features of metal core 400. In one exemplary embodiment illustrated, the height of the top surface of portion 522 may be lower than the height of the top surface of portion 520.

[0051] While some embodiments are not limited to this aspect, the metal core may be formed with one or more recessed structures, each recessed structure in a corresponding one of structures 520, 522. For example, portion 522 may be stamped, machined, and / or otherwise shaped to form recess 534, which extends into side 512 of the metal core opposite to the bottom side 514. Alternatively or additionally, the metal core may be further processed into a trench structure that provides at least partial thermal insulation between portions of adjacent trench structures (e.g., portions 520, 522). For example, trench portion 532 may extend between portions 520, 522 on side 512. In some embodiments, a plurality of recessed portions and / or a plurality of trench portions may be formed in the metal core. In some embodiments, two or more recessed structures and / or two or more trench structures are all on the same side (or, on opposite sides) of the metal core.

[0052] As shown in stage 501, manufacturing a circuit board may include depositing an insulating material on a metal core, for example, including performing a patterned deposition that exposes one or more regions of the metal core (e.g., exemplary regions 540, 542 as illustrated). These regions 540, 542 may facilitate soldering and / or otherwise coupling of circuit structures to the metal core, wherein such coupling facilitates heat transfer to and / or from such circuit structures. Forming conductive traces in or on the insulating material may, for example, include forming exemplary trace 544 as illustrated.

[0053] Figure 6 A computing device 600 according to one embodiment is shown. The computing device 600 houses a board 602. The board 602 may include several components, including but not limited to a processor 604 and at least one communication chip 606. The processor 604 is physically and electrically coupled to the board 602. In some embodiments, at least one communication chip 606 is also physically and electrically coupled to the board 602. In other embodiments, the communication chip 606 is part of the processor 604.

[0054] Depending on its application, computing device 600 may include other components that may or may not be physically and electrically coupled to board 602. These other components include, but are not limited to, volatile memory (e.g., DRAM), non-volatile memory (e.g., ROM), flash memory, graphics processor, digital signal processor, cryptographic processor, chipset, antenna, display, touchscreen display, touchscreen controller, battery, audio codec, video codec, power amplifier, global positioning system (GPS) device, compass, accelerometer, gyroscope, speaker, camera, and mass storage devices (e.g., hard disk drive, CD, DVD, etc.).

[0055] The communication chip 606 enables wireless communication for transmitting data to and from the computing device 600. The term "wireless" and its derivatives can be used to describe circuits, apparatuses, systems, methods, techniques, communication channels, etc., that can transmit data via modulated electromagnetic radiation through a non-solid medium. This term does not imply that the associated apparatus does not contain any wires, although in some embodiments they may not contain wires. The communication chip 606 can implement any of several wireless standards or protocols, including but not limited to Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11 series), WiMAX (IEEE 802.16 series), IEEE 802.20, LTE, Ev-DO, HSPA+, HSDPA+, HSUPA+, EDGE, GSM, GPRS, CDMA, TDMA, DECT, Bluetooth, its derivatives, and any other wireless protocols designated as 3G, 4G, 5G, and higher generations. The computing device 600 may include multiple communication chips 606. For example, the first communication chip 606 can be dedicated to short-range wireless communication, such as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, while the second communication chip 606 can be dedicated to long-range wireless communication, such as GPS, EDGE, GPRS, CDMA, WiMAX, LTE, Ev-DO, etc.

[0056] The processor 604 of the computing device 600 includes an integrated circuit die packaged within the processor 604. The term "processor" can refer to any device or part of a device that processes electronic data from registers and / or memory to convert that electronic data into other electronic data that can be stored in registers and / or memory. The communication chip 606 also includes an integrated circuit die packaged within the communication chip 606.

[0057] In various embodiments, computing device 600 may be a laptop, netbook, notebook, ultrabook, smartphone, tablet computer, personal digital assistant (PDA), super mobile PC, mobile phone, desktop computer, server, printer, scanner, monitor, set-top box, entertainment control unit, digital camera, portable music player, or digital video recorder. In other embodiments, computing device 600 may be any other electronic device that processes data.

[0058] Some embodiments may be provided as computer program products or software, which may include a machine-readable medium having instructions stored thereon, the instructions being used to program a computer system (or other electronic device) to perform processes according to the embodiments. Machine-readable media include any mechanism for storing or transmitting information in a machine-readable (e.g., computer-readable) form. For example, machine-readable (e.g., computer-readable) media include machine-readable (e.g., computer-readable) storage media (e.g., read-only memory (“ROM”), random access memory (“RAM”), disk storage media, optical storage media, flash memory devices, etc.), machine-readable (e.g., computer-readable) transmission media (e.g., electrical, optical, acoustic, or other forms of propagation signals (e.g., infrared signals, digital signals, etc.)), etc.

[0059] Figure 7 The illustration shows an exemplary form of a machine, within which a set of instructions can be executed to cause the machine to perform any or more of the methods described herein. In alternative embodiments, the machine may be connected (e.g., networked) to other machines in a local area network (LAN), intranet, extranet, or the Internet. The machine may operate as a server or client machine in a client-server network environment or as a peer machine in a peer-to-peer (or distributed) network environment. The machine may be a personal computer (PC), tablet PC, set-top box (STB), personal digital assistant (PDA), cellular phone, web application, server, network router, switch, or bridge, or any machine capable of executing (sequentially or otherwise) a set of instructions specifying actions to be taken by the machine. Furthermore, although only a single machine is shown, the term "machine" should also be understood to include any collection of machines (e.g., computers) that execute, individually or jointly, a set (or more) of instructions to perform any or more of the methods described herein.

[0060] The exemplary computer system 700 includes a processor 702, a main memory 704 (e.g., read-only memory (ROM), flash memory, dynamic random access memory (DRAM), such as synchronous DRAM (SDRAM) or Rambus DRAM (RDRAM), etc.), a static memory 706 (e.g., flash memory, static random access memory (SRAM), etc.), and an auxiliary memory 718 (e.g., a data storage device), which communicate with each other via a bus 730.

[0061] Processor 702 represents one or more general-purpose processing devices, such as microprocessors, central processing units, etc. More specifically, processor 702 may be a Complex Instruction Set Computing (CISC) microprocessor, a Reduced Instruction Set Computing (RISC) microprocessor, a Very Long Instruction Word (VLIW) microprocessor, a processor implementing other instruction sets, or a processor implementing a combination of instruction sets. Processor 702 may also be one or more special-purpose processing devices, such as application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), digital signal processors (DSPs), network processors, etc. Processor 702 is configured to execute processing logic 726 to perform the operations described herein.

[0062] The computer system 700 may also include a network interface device 708. The computer system 700 may also include a video display unit 710 (e.g., a liquid crystal display (LCD), a light-emitting diode display (LED), or a cathode ray tube (CRT)), an alphanumeric input device 712 (e.g., a keyboard), a cursor control device 714 (e.g., a mouse), and a signal generation device 716 (e.g., a speaker).

[0063] Auxiliary storage 718 may include machine-accessible storage medium (or more specifically, computer-readable storage medium) 732, on which one or more sets of instructions (e.g., software 722) embodying any one or more of the methods or functions described herein are stored. Software 722 may also reside wholly or at least partially within main memory 704 and / or processor 702 during execution by computer system 700, which also constitute machine-readable storage medium. Software 722 may also be sent or received via network 720 via network interface device 708.

[0064] Although machine-accessible storage medium 732 is shown as a single medium in the exemplary embodiment, the term "machine-readable storage medium" should be understood to include a single medium or multiple media (e.g., a centralized or distributed database and / or associated cache and server) that store one or more sets of instructions. The term "machine-readable storage medium" should also be understood to include any medium capable of storing or encoding a set of instructions that can be executed by a machine and cause the machine to perform any of the embodiments described in one or more embodiments. The term "machine-readable storage medium" should accordingly be understood to include, but is not limited to, solid-state memory, as well as optical and magnetic media.

[0065] In one embodiment, a circuit assembly includes an inductor comprising a ferromagnetic material and a first conductor extending through the ferromagnetic material, wherein the first conductor forms fin structures on corresponding sides of the ferromagnetic material. The circuit assembly also includes a package device coupled to the inductor, the package device including a circuit board disposed within a package mold, the circuit board including a metal core comprising a first core portion and a second core portion, each of the first and second core portions comprising at least five percent of the total volume of the metal core, wherein the average thickness of the entire first core portion is at least twice the average thickness of the entire second core portion. The package device also includes circuit components disposed on the circuit board, and second and third conductors extending from the package mold, wherein the circuit components are electrically coupled across the inductor via the second and third conductors, and wherein the metal core is thermally coupled to transfer heat from the circuit components to the first conductor via the second conductor.

[0066] In one embodiment, one of the first core portion and the second core portion forms a recessed structure. In another embodiment, the metal core forms a trench structure between the first core portion and the second core portion. In another embodiment, the first conductor includes a first portion, a second portion, and a third portion disposed between the first portion and the second portion, wherein a ferromagnetic material extends around the third portion, wherein the first portion forms a first structure, wherein the second portion forms a second fin structure, wherein a first terminal coupled to the second conductor is formed on the first portion, and wherein a second terminal coupled to the third conductor is formed on the second portion. In another embodiment, for one of the first and second terminals, the length of the terminal is at least twice the width of the terminal. In another embodiment, the first terminal is disposed between the ferromagnetic material and the first fin structure. In another embodiment, the volume fraction of the ferromagnetic material in the ferromagnetic material is equal to or less than 97% (97%). In another embodiment, some or all of the fin structure extends to overlap with the sidewalls of the packaged device. In another embodiment, the encapsulation mold forms a sidewall extending around the periphery of the encapsulation device, wherein the respective distal ends of a plurality of leads of the encapsulation device extend into a region of the sidewall located between a first plane and a second plane parallel to the first plane, wherein the second plane is located between the first plane and a portion of the first lead of the plurality of leads.

[0067] In another embodiment, a method includes coupling a first conductor of an inductor to a second conductor of a packaged device, wherein the first conductor extends through a ferromagnetic body of the inductor, wherein the first conductor forms fin structures on corresponding sides of the ferromagnetic body, wherein the packaged device includes a circuit board disposed in a packaging mold and circuit components disposed on the circuit board, wherein both the second and third conductors of the packaged device extend from the packaging mold. The method further includes coupling the first conductor to the third conductor, wherein the circuit components are electrically coupled across the inductor via the second and third conductors, wherein the circuit board includes a metal core comprising a first core portion and a second core portion, each of the first and second core portions comprising at least five percent of the metal core in volume, wherein the average thickness of the entire first core portion is at least twice the average thickness of the entire second core portion, and wherein the metal core is thermally coupled to transfer heat from the circuit components to the first conductor via the second conductor.

[0068] In one embodiment, one of the first core portion and the second core portion forms a recessed structure. In another embodiment, the metal core forms a trench structure between the first core portion and the second core portion. In another embodiment, the first conductor includes a first portion, a second portion, and a third portion disposed between the first portion and the second portion, wherein a ferromagnetic material extends around the third portion, wherein the first portion forms a first structure, wherein the second portion forms a second fin structure, wherein a first terminal coupled to the second conductor is formed on the first portion, and wherein a second terminal coupled to the third conductor is formed on the second portion. In another embodiment, for one of the first and second terminals, the length of the terminal is at least twice the width of the terminal. In another embodiment, the first terminal is disposed between the ferromagnetic material and the first fin structure. In another embodiment, the volume fraction of the ferromagnetic material in the ferromagnetic material is equal to or less than 97% (97%). In another embodiment, some or all of the fin structure extends to overlap with the sidewalls of the packaged device. In another embodiment, the encapsulation mold forms a sidewall extending around the periphery of the encapsulation device, wherein the respective distal ends of a plurality of leads of the encapsulation device extend into a region of the sidewall located between a first plane and a second plane parallel to the first plane, wherein the second plane is located between the first plane and a portion of the first lead of the plurality of leads.

[0069] In one embodiment, a system includes a circuit assembly comprising an inductor, the inductor including a ferromagnetic material and a first conductor extending through the ferromagnetic material, wherein the first conductor forms fin structures on corresponding sides of the ferromagnetic material. The system also includes a packaging device coupled to the inductor, the packaging device including a circuit board disposed within a packaging mold, the circuit board including a metal core, the metal core including a first core portion and a second core portion, each of the first and second core portions comprising at least five percent of the metal core in volume, wherein the average thickness of the entire first core portion is at least twice the average thickness of the entire second core portion. The packaging device also includes circuit components disposed on the circuit board, and second and third conductors extending from the packaging mold, wherein the circuit components are electrically coupled across the inductor via the second and third conductors, and wherein the metal core is thermally coupled to transfer heat from the circuit components to the first conductor via the second conductor. The system also includes a display device coupled to the circuit assembly, the display device being configured to display an image based on a signal or voltage transmitted between the inductor and the packaging device.

[0070] In one embodiment, one of the first core portion and the second core portion forms a recessed structure. In another embodiment, the metal core forms a trench structure between the first core portion and the second core portion. In another embodiment, the first conductor includes a first portion, a second portion, and a third portion disposed between the first portion and the second portion, wherein a ferromagnetic material extends around the third portion, wherein the first portion forms a first structure, wherein the second portion forms a second fin structure, wherein a first terminal coupled to the second conductor is formed on the first portion, and wherein a second terminal coupled to the third conductor is formed on the second portion. In another embodiment, for one of the first and second terminals, the length of the terminal is at least twice the width of the terminal. In another embodiment, the first terminal is disposed between the ferromagnetic material and the first fin structure. In another embodiment, the volume fraction of the ferromagnetic material in the ferromagnetic material is equal to or less than 97% (97%). In another embodiment, some or all of the fin structure extends to overlap with the sidewalls of the packaged device. In another embodiment, the encapsulation mold forms a sidewall extending around the periphery of the encapsulation device, wherein the respective distal ends of a plurality of leads of the encapsulation device extend into a region of the sidewall located between a first plane and a second plane parallel to the first plane, wherein the second plane is located between the first plane and a portion of the first lead of the plurality of leads.

[0071] This document describes techniques and architectures for improving heat dissipation using circuit components. In the above description, numerous specific details are set forth for purposes of explanation in order to provide a thorough understanding of certain embodiments. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that certain embodiments can be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, structures and devices are shown in block diagram form to avoid obscuring the description.

[0072] In this specification, the phrase "an embodiment" or "an embodiment" means that at least one embodiment of the invention includes a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment. The phrase "in one embodiment" appearing throughout this specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment.

[0073] Some parts of the specific implementations described herein are presented according to the algorithms and symbolic representations of operations on data bits within computer memory. These algorithmic descriptions and representations are the means by which those skilled in the art of computing most effectively communicate the essence of their work to others skilled in the art. Here, an algorithm is generally conceived as a self-consistent sequence of steps leading to a desired result. Steps are those steps that require physical manipulation of physical quantities. Usually, but not necessarily, these quantities take the form of electrical or magnetic signals that can be stored, transmitted, combined, compared, and otherwise manipulated. It has been shown that, in principle for public use, it is sometimes convenient to refer to these signals as bits, values, elements, symbols, characters, items, numbers, etc.

[0074] However, it should be remembered that all these and similar terms are to be associated with appropriate physical quantities and are merely convenient labels applied to those quantities. Unless otherwise specified, it will be apparent from the discussion herein that throughout the specification, the use of terms such as “processing” or “calculating” or “operating” or “determining” or “displaying” refers to the actions and processes of a computer system or similar electronic computing device that manipulates data represented as physical (electronic) quantities in the registers and memories of the computer system and transforms it into other data represented similarly as physical quantities in the computer system’s memory or registers or other such information storage, transmission, or display devices.

[0075] Some embodiments also relate to apparatus for performing the operations described herein. This apparatus may be specifically constructed for a desired purpose, or it may comprise a general-purpose computer selectively activated or reconfigured by a computer program stored in the computer. Such a computer program may be stored in a computer-readable storage medium, such as, but not limited to, any type of disk, including floppy disks, optical disks, CD-ROMs and magneto-optical disks, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM) such as dynamic RAM (DRAM), EPROM, EEPROM, magnetic cards or optical cards, or any type of medium suitable for storing electronic instructions and coupled to a computer system bus.

[0076] The algorithms and demonstrations presented herein are not inherently related to any particular computer or other device. Various general-purpose systems and programs can be used in accordance with the teachings herein, or it can be demonstrated that it is convenient to construct more specialized devices to perform the desired method steps. The necessary structures for the wide variety of these systems will be apparent from the descriptions herein. Furthermore, certain embodiments are described without reference to any particular programming language. It should be recognized that the teachings of such embodiments as described herein can be implemented using various programming languages.

[0077] In addition to the content described herein, various modifications can be made to the disclosed embodiments and their implementations without departing from their scope. Therefore, the illustrations and examples herein should be interpreted in an illustrative rather than restrictive sense. The scope of the invention should be measured solely by reference to the following claims.

Claims

1. A circuit component, comprising: Inductors, including: Ferromagnetic materials; and A first conductor extending through the ferromagnetic material, wherein the first conductor forms fin-like structures on corresponding sides of the ferromagnetic material; and A packaged device coupled to the inductor, the packaged device comprising: A circuit board disposed in a packaging mold, the circuit board comprising a metal core, the metal core comprising a first core portion and a second core portion, the first core portion and the second core portion each comprising at least five percent of the volume of the metal core, wherein the average thickness of the entire first core portion is at least twice the average thickness of the entire second core portion; Circuit components disposed on the circuit board; and A second conductor and a third conductor, both extending from the encapsulation mold, are provided, wherein the circuit components are electrically coupled across the inductor via the second conductor and the third conductor, wherein the second conductor and the third conductor are coupled to the first conductor, and the metal core is thermally coupled to transfer heat from the circuit components to the first conductor via the second conductor and the third conductor. The ferromagnetic part of the inductor is perpendicularly overlapped with the encapsulation device between the second conductor and the third conductor.

2. The circuit assembly according to claim 1, wherein, The first core portion and one of the second core portions form a recessed structure.

3. The circuit assembly according to claim 1, wherein, The metal core has a groove structure formed between the first core portion and the second core portion.

4. The circuit assembly according to claim 1, wherein, The first conductor includes a first portion, a second portion, and a third portion disposed between the first portion and the second portion, wherein the ferromagnetic material extends around the third portion, wherein the first portion forms a first fin structure, wherein the second portion forms a second fin structure, wherein a first terminal coupled to the second conductor is formed on the first portion, and wherein a second terminal coupled to the third conductor is formed on the second portion.

5. The circuit assembly according to claim 4, wherein, For either the first terminal or the second terminal, the length of the terminal is at least twice the width of the terminal.

6. The circuit assembly according to claim 4, wherein, The first terminal is disposed between the ferromagnet and the first fin structure.

7. The circuit assembly according to claim 1, wherein, The volume fraction of the ferromagnetic material in the ferromagnetic body is equal to or less than 97 percent (97%).

8. The circuit assembly according to claim 1, wherein, Some or all of the fin structures extend to overlap with the sidewalls of the packaged device.

9. The circuit assembly according to claim 1, wherein, The encapsulation mold forms a sidewall extending around the periphery of the encapsulation device, wherein the respective distal ends of a plurality of leads of the encapsulation device extend into a region of the sidewall located between a first plane and a second plane parallel to the first plane, wherein the second plane is located between the first plane and a portion of a first lead among the plurality of leads.

10. A method comprising: A first conductor of an inductor is coupled to a second conductor of a packaged device, wherein the first conductor extends through a ferromagnetic body of the inductor, wherein the first conductor forms a fin structure on a corresponding side of the ferromagnetic body, wherein the packaged device includes a circuit board disposed in a packaging mold and circuit components disposed on the circuit board, wherein both the second and third conductors of the packaged device extend from the packaging mold; and The first conductor is coupled to the third conductor, wherein the circuit components are electrically coupled across the inductor via the second and third conductors, wherein the circuit board includes a metal core comprising a first core portion and a second core portion, both the first and second core portions comprising at least five percent of the volume of the metal core, wherein the average thickness of the entire first core portion is at least twice the average thickness of the entire second core portion, and wherein the metal core is thermally coupled to transfer heat from the circuit components to the first conductor via the second and third conductors. The ferromagnetic part of the inductor is perpendicularly overlapped with the encapsulation device between the second conductor and the third conductor.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein, The first conductor includes a first portion, a second portion, and a third portion disposed between the first portion and the second portion, wherein the ferromagnetic material extends around the third portion, wherein the first portion forms a first fin structure, wherein the second portion forms a second fin structure, wherein a first terminal coupled to the second conductor is formed on the first portion, and wherein a second terminal coupled to the third conductor is formed on the second portion.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein, For either the first terminal or the second terminal, the length of the terminal is at least twice the width of the terminal.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein, The first terminal is disposed between the ferromagnet and the first fin structure.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein, Some or all of the fin structures extend to overlap with the sidewalls of the packaged device.

15. A system comprising: The circuit assembly includes: Inductor, the inductor comprising: Ferromagnetic materials; and A first conductor extending through the ferromagnetic body, wherein the first conductor forms fin-like structures on different corresponding sides of the ferromagnetic body; and A packaged device coupled to the inductor, the packaged device comprising: A circuit board disposed in a packaging mold, the circuit board comprising a metal core, the metal core comprising a first core portion and a second core portion, the first core portion and the second core portion each comprising at least five percent of the volume of the metal core, wherein the average thickness of the entire first core portion is at least twice the average thickness of the entire second core portion; circuit components disposed on the circuit board; and A second conductor and a third conductor, both extending from the encapsulation mold, wherein the circuit components are electrically coupled across the inductor via the second conductor and the third conductor, wherein the second conductor and the third conductor are coupled to the first conductor, and the metal core is thermally coupled to transfer heat from the circuit components to the first conductor via the second conductor and the third conductor; Wherein, the ferromagnetic part of the inductor is perpendicularly overlapped with the encapsulation device between the second conductor and the third conductor; and A display device coupled to the circuit assembly, the display device being configured to display an image based on a signal or voltage transmitted between the inductor and the packaged device.

16. The system according to claim 15, wherein, The first core portion and one of the second core portions form a recessed structure.

17. The system according to claim 15, wherein, The metal core has a groove structure formed between the first core portion and the second core portion.

18. The system according to claim 15, wherein, The first conductor includes a first portion, a second portion, and a third portion disposed between the first portion and the second portion, wherein the ferromagnetic material extends around the third portion, wherein the first portion forms a first fin structure, wherein the second portion forms a second fin structure, wherein a first terminal coupled to the second conductor is formed on the first portion, and wherein a second terminal coupled to the third conductor is formed on the second portion.

19. The system according to claim 18, wherein, The first terminal is disposed between the ferromagnet and the first fin structure.

20. The system according to claim 15, wherein, Some or all of the fin structures extend to overlap with the sidewalls of the packaged device.

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