Magnetic assembly

Abstract

This case discloses a voltage regulation module, comprising: a printed circuit board assembly, including a printed circuit board and 2N switching circuits, wherein the printed circuit board has a conductive structure inside and the printed circuit board has a first direction and a second direction; a magnetic assembly, including an upper magnetic cover, a lower magnetic cover and 2N side posts, wherein the 2N side posts are located between the upper magnetic cover and the lower magnetic cover, and the 2N side posts pass through the corresponding conductive structure respectively, and cooperate with the upper magnetic cover, the lower magnetic cover and the conductive structure to form 2N inductors, wherein the DC magnetic flux on the 2N side posts is in the same direction, and N is a positive integer; wherein each switching circuit is electrically connected to the corresponding inductor in the magnetic assembly, every two switching circuits are connected in parallel and arranged along the second direction to form a switching circuit combination, and the N switching circuit combinations and the magnetic assembly are placed along the first direction.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of the Chinese application filed by the applicant, Delta Electronics Industrial Co., Ltd., with a filing date of February 28, 2020, entitled "Voltage Regulation Module and Applicable Voltage Regulation Device Thereof", and Chinese National Application No. 202010127444.7. Technical Field

[0002] This disclosure pertains to a voltage regulation module, and more particularly to a voltage regulation module that can reduce thickness. Background Technology

[0003] Please see Figure 1A and Figure 1B ,in Figure 1A This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the first existing electronic device. Figure 1B for Figure 1A The diagram shows the structure of the voltage regulation module. Figure 1A and Figure 1B As shown, the existing electronic device 1 includes a central processing unit (CPU) 11, a voltage regulator module (VRM) 12, and a system board 13. The voltage regulator module 12 converts the received input voltage into a regulated voltage and provides it to the CPU 11. The voltage regulator module 12 and the CPU 11 are disposed on opposite surfaces of the system board 13, i.e., the voltage regulator module 12 is disposed on the bottom surface of the system board 13, and the CPU 11 is disposed on the top surface of the system board 13. This creates a vertical power supply structure for the electronic device 1. This reduces the transmission distance between the output voltage terminal of the voltage regulator module 12 and the power input terminal of the CPU 11, reduces the line resistance in the energy transmission path, and thus improves the performance of dynamic load switching. Furthermore, the voltage regulator module 12 also includes a printed circuit board 15 and a magnetic component 16. The magnetic component 16 can be an inductor and is disposed on the printed circuit board 15. In addition, a switching circuit can be disposed in the gap between the printed circuit board 15 and the magnetic component 16, so that the switching circuit and the magnetic component 16 are actually stacked one on top of the other, thereby reducing the area occupied by the voltage regulation module 1 in the horizontal direction.

[0004] However, due to the increasing power density requirements for system board 13 and the increasingly thinner requirements for system board 1, the thickness of voltage regulation module 12 is becoming smaller and smaller, for example, less than 5mm, or even less than or equal to 3mm. As a result, the existing technology of stacking the switching circuit and magnetic component 16 of voltage regulation module 12 in electronic device 1 is no longer suitable due to the thickness limitation.

[0005] Therefore, it is necessary to develop a voltage regulation module and a suitable voltage regulation device to solve the problems faced by the existing technology. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The purpose of this disclosure is to provide a voltage regulation module and a suitable voltage regulation device, which can achieve the technical effect of reducing thickness.

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, one embodiment of this disclosure provides a first voltage regulation module, comprising: a printed circuit board assembly, including a printed circuit board and 2N switching circuits, wherein the printed circuit board has at least one conductive structure inside, and the printed circuit board has a first direction and a second direction; and a magnetic assembly, including an upper magnetic cover, a lower magnetic cover, and 2N side posts, wherein the 2N side posts are located between the upper and lower magnetic covers, and the 2N side posts pass through the corresponding conductive structure and cooperate with the upper magnetic cover, the lower magnetic cover, and the conductive structure to form 2N inductors, wherein the DC magnetic flux on the 2N side posts is in the same direction, and N is a positive integer; wherein each switching circuit is electrically connected to the corresponding inductor in the magnetic assembly, every two switching circuits are connected in parallel and arranged along the second direction to form a switching circuit combination, and the N switching circuit combinations and the magnetic assembly are placed along the first direction.

[0008] To achieve the above objectives, another embodiment of this disclosure provides a second voltage regulation device, comprising: a plurality of voltage regulation modules as described in the first embodiment, wherein the plurality of voltage regulation modules are connected in parallel and the plurality of voltage regulation modules are controlled in staggered phases. Attached Figure Description

[0009] Figure 1A This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the first existing electronic device;

[0010] Figure 1B for Figure 1A The diagram shown is a structural schematic of the voltage regulation module.

[0011] Figure 2 This is an exploded view of the voltage regulation module according to the first preferred embodiment of this disclosure;

[0012] Figure 3A for Figure 2 The equivalent circuit diagram of the first embodiment constituted by the voltage regulation module shown;

[0013] Figure 3B for Figure 2 The equivalent circuit diagram of the second embodiment constituted by the voltage regulation module shown;

[0014] Figure 4 for Figure 2 The diagram shows the structure of the magnetic components when they are assembled and fastened.

[0015] Figure 5 for Figures 3A-3B A schematic diagram showing the direction of current flow in the two inductors;

[0016] Figure 6 This is an exploded view of the voltage regulation module according to the second preferred embodiment of this disclosure;

[0017] Figure 7A This is a partial structural schematic diagram of the voltage regulation module according to the third preferred embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0018] Figure 7B This is a partial structural schematic diagram of the voltage regulation module according to the fourth preferred embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0019] Figure 8 This is a partial structural schematic diagram of the voltage regulation module according to the fifth preferred embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0020] Figure 9 This is an exploded view of the voltage regulation module according to the sixth preferred embodiment of this disclosure;

[0021] Figure 10 for Figure 9 The equivalent circuit diagram of the voltage regulation module shown is shown.

[0022] Figure 11 for Figure 10 The diagram shows the direction of current flow in the four inductors.

[0023] Figure 12 This is an exploded view of the voltage regulation module according to the seventh preferred embodiment of this disclosure;

[0024] Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram of the voltage regulation device according to a preferred embodiment of the present disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0025] Some typical embodiments embodying the features and advantages of this disclosure will be described in detail in the following description. It should be understood that this disclosure can have various variations in different forms, all of which do not depart from the scope of this disclosure, and the descriptions and drawings therein are for illustrative purposes only and not for limiting this disclosure.

[0026] Please see Figure 2 , Figure 3A and Figure 3B ,in Figure 2 This is an exploded view of the voltage regulation module according to the first preferred embodiment of the present disclosure, where direction x is defined as the first direction, direction y is defined as the second direction, and direction z is defined as the third direction. The three-dimensional structural diagrams in the following figures are all defined in this way, and will not be repeated. Figure 3A for Figure 2The equivalent circuit diagram shown is of the first embodiment consisting of the voltage regulation module. Figure 3B for Figure 2 The figure shows an equivalent circuit diagram of the second embodiment comprising the voltage regulation module. As shown, the voltage regulation module 2 of this embodiment can be applied within an electronic device and connected to a system board (not shown) within the electronic device via soldering. Figure 2 The voltage regulation module 2 shown can be configured as follows: Figure 3A or Figure 3B The circuit structure shown is one of the circuit structures formed by the voltage regulation module 2, namely as follows: Figure 3A As shown, the voltage regulation module 2 includes two single-phase buck circuits, at least one input capacitor Cin, and an output capacitor Cout. Each of the two single-phase buck circuits includes a driver switching unit 21 (hereinafter referred to as switching circuit 21) with a driver and switching elements, and an inductor L. In other words, the voltage regulation module 2 includes two switching circuits 21 and two inductors L. In some embodiments, each switching circuit 21 includes at least two switching elements, which are electrically connected in series.

[0027] Each switching circuit 21 is connected in series to the first terminal SW of the corresponding inductor L to form a single-phase step-down circuit. Two single-phase step-down circuits are connected in parallel to form a two-phase step-down circuit. Each switching circuit 21 has three ports: a first port, a second port, and a third port. The first ports of the two switching circuits 21 are connected in parallel and then electrically connected to the input capacitor Cin of the voltage regulation module 2 to form the positive input terminal Vin+ of the voltage regulation module 2. The second ports of the two switching circuits 21 are connected in parallel and then electrically connected to the negative terminal Cin of the voltage regulation module 2 to form the negative input terminal Vin- of the voltage regulation module 2. The third ports of the two switching circuits 21 are electrically connected to one end (i.e., the first port SW) of each of the two inductors L, and the other ends of the two inductors L are connected in parallel and then electrically connected to the first terminal of the output capacitor Cout to form the positive output terminal Vo+ of the voltage regulation module 2. The first terminal of the output capacitor Cout forms the positive output terminal Vo+ of the voltage regulation module 2, and the second terminal of the output capacitor Cout forms the negative output terminal Vo- of the voltage regulation module 2. The negative input terminal Vin- is electrically connected to the negative output terminal Vo-. The first terminal of the input capacitor Cin is electrically connected to the positive input terminal Vin+ of the voltage regulation module 2, and the second terminal of the input capacitor Cin is electrically connected to the negative input terminal Vin- of the voltage regulation module 2.

[0028] In another circuit structure formed by voltage regulation module 2, such as Figure 3BAs shown, the voltage regulation module 2 includes two switching circuits 21, two inductors L, two energy storage capacitors Cp, an input capacitor Cin, and an output capacitor Cout. Each switching circuit 21 has four ports: a first port, a second port, a third port, and a fourth port. The first port of the switching circuit 21 is connected in parallel and then electrically connected to the positive terminal of the input capacitor Cin of the voltage regulation module 2 to form the positive input terminal Vin+ of the voltage regulation module 2. The second ports of the two switching circuits 21 are connected in parallel and then electrically connected to the negative terminal of the input capacitor Cin of the voltage regulation module 2 to form the negative input terminal Vin- of the voltage regulation module 2. The third ports of the two switching circuits 21 are electrically connected to one end of each of the two energy storage capacitors Cp. The fourth ports of the two switching circuits 21 are electrically connected to the other end of each of the two energy storage capacitors Cp and then electrically connected to one end of each of the two inductors L. The other ends of the two inductors L are connected in parallel and then electrically connected to the first port of the output capacitor Cout to form the positive output terminal Vo+ of the voltage regulation module 2. The first terminal of the output capacitor Cout forms the positive output terminal Vo+ of the voltage regulation module 2, and the second terminal of the output capacitor Cout forms the negative output terminal Vo- of the voltage regulation module 2. The first terminal of the input capacitor Cin is electrically connected to the positive input terminal Vin+ of the voltage regulation module 2, and the second terminal of the input capacitor Cin is electrically connected to the negative input terminal Vin- of the voltage regulation module 2. The negative input terminal Vin- and the negative output terminal Vo- are electrically connected and short-circuited.

[0029] In some embodiments, constituting Figure 3A or Figure 3B The switching circuit 21 of the voltage regulation module 2 includes a transistor switch and a driver for driving the transistor switch. The voltage regulation module 2 also includes a control circuit 11, which generates two sets of pulse width control signals PWM1 and PWM2 by sampling the output voltage and required current of the voltage regulation module 2. The two sets of pulse width control signals PWM1 and PWM2 are out of phase by 180 degrees. Pulse width control signal PWM1 controls one of the switching circuits 21, and pulse width control signal PWM2 controls the other switching circuit 21. In another embodiment, the phase difference between the two pulse width control signals PWM1 and PWM2 is any value within the range of [150, 210] degrees, for example, 180 degrees. Furthermore, in other embodiments, the output capacitor Cout can be disposed within the voltage regulation module 2, but is not limited thereto; it can also be disposed on a system board within the electronic device.

[0030] In this embodiment, the voltage regulation module 2 has a physical structure comprising a printed circuit board assembly 10 and a magnetic assembly 20. The printed circuit board assembly 10 includes a printed circuit board 100 and two switching circuits 21. The printed circuit board 100 has at least one conductive structure (not shown) formed by planar windings (formed by wiring within the printed circuit board 100), and includes four sides: a first side 100a and a second side 100d opposite each other, and a third side 100b and a fourth side 100c located between the first side 100a and the second side 100d and opposite each other. Furthermore, the printed circuit board 100 also includes an upper surface 100e and a lower surface 100f opposite each other. The capacitor combination of the voltage regulation module 2, for example... Figure 3A The capacitor combination shown includes the input capacitor Cin, or Figure 3B The capacitor combination shown, including the input capacitor Cin and the energy storage capacitor Cp, can be installed on the lower surface 100f by soldering or by adhesive bonding (e.g., Figures 7A-7B (As shown). The two switch circuits 21 can be disposed on the upper surface 100e of the printed circuit board 100 by means of soldering or conductive adhesive bonding, and the two switch circuits 21 are placed adjacent to each other along the second direction to form a switch circuit combination. The switch circuit combination is attached to the first side 100a, the third side 100b, and the fourth side 100c of the printed circuit board 100. The first terminals of the two switch circuits 21 are connected in parallel, and the second terminals are also connected in parallel, forming the first terminal and the second terminal of the switch circuit combination, respectively, and sharing a set of input capacitor Cin. In this embodiment, the input capacitor Cin is placed adjacent to the first terminal of the switch circuit combination and is placed on the lower surface 100f of the printed circuit board 100, thus minimizing the parasitic parameters between the two switch circuits 21 and the input capacitor Cin. In one embodiment, the first terminal of the switch circuit combination can correspond to the pin corresponding to the first terminal of each switch circuit 21, or it can correspond to any point in the electrical path connecting the pins corresponding to the first terminals of the two switch circuits 21. As can be seen from the above, the input capacitor Cin and the switching circuit are respectively located on the upper or lower side of the conductive structure along the third direction.

[0031] In one embodiment, the phase difference between the control signals of the two switching circuits 21 is any value within the range of [150, 210] degrees, for example, 180 degrees out of phase. The ripple current frequency of the input capacitor Cin is twice the switching frequency of the voltage regulation module 2, thereby making the ripple current of the input capacitor Cin small, reducing the loss on the input capacitor Cin, and allowing the use of a small-sized input capacitor Cin, thereby reducing the size of the voltage regulation module 2.

[0032] Furthermore, in another embodiment, Figure 3BThe energy storage capacitor Cp shown is placed near the pins corresponding to the third terminal of one switch circuit 21 and the fourth terminal of another switch circuit 21, and is placed on the lower surface 100f of the printed circuit board 100. Therefore, the parasitic parameters between the two switch circuits 21 and the energy storage capacitor Cp are minimized, and the loss of the energy storage capacitor Cp is reduced.

[0033] The magnetic assembly 20 includes an upper magnetic cover 201 and a lower magnetic cover 202, side posts 211 and 212, and a middle post 213. The upper magnetic cover 201 is disposed on the upper surface 100e of the printed circuit board 100, and the lower magnetic cover 202 is disposed on the lower surface 100f of the printed circuit board 100 corresponding to the upper magnetic cover 201. The side posts 211 and 212 and the middle post 213 are disposed between the upper magnetic cover 201 and the lower magnetic cover 202. Furthermore, the side posts 211 and 212 and the middle post 213 pass through corresponding planar windings within the printed circuit board 100 and cooperate with the upper magnetic cover 201 and the lower magnetic cover 202 to form two inductors L. The two inductors L are magnetically integrated inductors, thereby reducing the volume of the two inductors L. Each inductor L is electrically connected to each switching circuit 21. Furthermore, the two inductors L constitute an inductor group, and the inductor group and the switch circuit are arranged in a horizontal layout on the printed circuit board 100, that is, the inductor group and the switch circuit are arranged sequentially on the printed circuit board 100 along the first direction.

[0034] As can be seen from the above, since the two inductors L and two switching circuits 21 in the voltage regulation module 2 of this embodiment are arranged horizontally on the printed circuit board 100, compared with the voltage regulation module in existing electronic devices where the switching circuits and magnetic components are stacked vertically, the height of the voltage regulation module 2 in this embodiment is significantly reduced. Furthermore, since the two inductors L in the voltage regulation module 2 of this embodiment are magnetically integrated inductors, the volume of the two inductors L can be reduced, so that the volume and height of the voltage regulation module 2 of this embodiment can be further reduced. Therefore, the overall thickness of the voltage regulation module 2 of this embodiment can be less than or equal to 5mm, or even less than or equal to 3mm, to meet the application requirements of ultra-thinness. Furthermore, the two inductors L and the two switching circuits 21 are closely arranged along the first direction, while the capacitor assembly is placed on the lower surface 100f of the printed circuit board 100, corresponding to the positions of the two switching circuits 21. This minimizes the parasitic parameters between the two adjacent switching circuits 21 and the input capacitor Cin, and / or the energy storage capacitor Cp, thereby reducing the losses of the input capacitor Cin and the energy storage capacitor Cp, and further reducing the overall size of the product. Therefore, the voltage regulation module 2 of this disclosure achieves the advantages of ultra-thin design, small package area, and high power density.

[0035] In some embodiments, to form the two inductors L of the voltage regulation module 2, the two side posts 211 and 212 of the magnetic component 20 are partially formed on the upper magnetic cover 201, and the remaining parts of the two side posts 211 and 212 are formed on the lower magnetic cover 202. Furthermore, the printed circuit board 100 also includes two holes 101 and 102, wherein holes 101 and 102 are located between the corresponding switch circuit 21 and the second side 100d, respectively, and penetrate the printed circuit board 100. Moreover, the position of hole 101 corresponds to the position of side post 211, and hole 102... The position of the magnetic component 201 corresponds to the position of the side post 212. When the upper magnetic cover 201 is disposed on the upper surface 100e of the printed circuit board 100 and the lower magnetic cover 202 is disposed on the lower surface 100f of the printed circuit board 100, the side post 211 is housed in the printed circuit board 100 through the hole 101 and forms one inductor L of the voltage regulation module 2 with the corresponding planar winding in the printed circuit board 100. Similarly, the side post 212 is housed in the printed circuit board 100 through the hole 102 and forms another inductor L of the voltage regulation module 2 with the corresponding planar winding in the printed circuit board 100. In addition, each planar winding in the printed circuit board 100 forming the two inductors L can be relatively close to the second side 100d, the third side 100b and the fourth side 100c relative to the first side 100a of the printed circuit board 100, that is, the magnetic component 20 is placed in contact with the second side 100d, the third side 100b and the fourth side 100c of the printed circuit board 100.

[0036] In addition, to avoid excessive power loss due to excessively long conduction paths between the planar windings of the printed circuit board 100 constituting the inductor L and the switching circuit 21, preferably, the shortest distance L1 between the hole 101 and the corresponding switching circuit 21 can be less than the shortest distance L2 between the hole 101 and the second side 100d, and the shortest distance L3 between the hole 102 and the corresponding switching circuit 21 can be less than the shortest distance L4 between the hole 102 and the second side 100d, so that the two inductors L are respectively adjacent to the corresponding switching circuit 21.

[0037] Furthermore, due to the size limitation of the voltage regulation module 2, the width of the planar winding placed within the printed circuit board 100 will be limited, leading to increased line resistance of the planar winding and resulting in energy loss. Therefore, to avoid this situation, in some embodiments, the walls of the second side 100d, the third side 100b, and the fourth side 100c adjacent to the planar winding of the printed circuit board forming the inductor L, as well as the inner walls of the two holes 101 and 102 of the printed circuit board 100, can be plated with board edges to form... At least one electroplating area 105 is provided, which can be electrically connected to at least one planar winding in the multilayer planar windings of the printed circuit board 100. Therefore, the electroplating area 105 can realize the electrical connection of at least one planar winding in the multilayer planar windings of the printed circuit board 100 on the inner wall of the second side 100d, the third side 100b, the fourth side 100c and the two holes 101 and 102 of the printed circuit board 100. Furthermore, the multilayer planar windings are connected in parallel through the electroplating area 105, thereby reducing the line loss of the planar windings.

[0038] Please see Figure 4 and cooperate Figure 2 and Figures 3A-3B ,in Figure 4 for Figure 2The diagram shows the structure of the magnetic components when they are connected and engaged. As shown, in other embodiments, since the two inductors L are magnetically integrated inductors, the magnetic component 20 may further include a central post 213. The central post 213 is partially formed on the upper magnetic cover 201, and the remaining portion is formed on the lower magnetic cover 202. Furthermore, the magnetic component 20 also includes an air gap 214, which is formed on the central post 213. Additionally, since the magnetic component 20 forms the central post 213 via the upper magnetic cover 201 and the lower magnetic cover 202, in order for the upper magnetic cover 201 and the lower magnetic cover 202 to engage with each other on the printed circuit board 100, in other embodiments, the printed circuit board 100 may further recess a central post groove 103 at the middle position of the second side 100d. The central post groove 103 is located between the holes 101 and 102 and corresponds to the position of the central post 213. The size of the slot corresponds to the volume of the central column 213. Furthermore, the two opposing inner wall surfaces 104 in the central column slot 103 are adjacent to the second side 100d respectively. When the upper magnetic cover 201 is disposed on the printed circuit board 100 from the upper surface 100e and the lower magnetic cover 202 is disposed on the printed circuit board 100 from the lower surface 100f, the central column 213 passes through the central column slot 103 and is accommodated in the printed circuit board 100. In another embodiment, air gaps can also be formed on the two side posts 211 and 212 of the magnetic component 20, wherein the air gap of the middle post 213 of the magnetic component 20 is greater than or equal to the air gaps on the two side posts 211 and 212, and in conjunction with the winding direction of the planar winding of the printed circuit board 100, the DC magnetic flux directions of the two side posts 211 and 212 are the same, and the AC magnetic flux directions are opposite, the ripple current of the equivalent inductance is greatly reduced, and the anti-saturation capability of the inductance L is also greatly improved.

[0039] In another embodiment, the two side posts 211 and 212 and the middle post 213 can be formed entirely on the upper magnetic cover 201 or entirely on the lower magnetic cover 202. For example, if the two side posts 211 and 212 and the middle post 213 are all formed on the upper magnetic cover 201, then the two side posts 211 and 212 and the middle post 213 of the upper magnetic cover 201 are respectively inserted into the holes 101 and 102 and the middle post groove 103 of the printed circuit board 100, and then fastened to the printed circuit board 100 with the lower magnetic cover 202. An air gap is provided on the middle post 213, thereby cooperating with the planar winding of the printed circuit board 100 to form two magnetic integrated inductors L.

[0040] In addition, regarding Figure 3B In the corresponding embodiment of a single step-down circuit, because the switching elements of the switching circuit 21 in this circuit topology can employ a large duty cycle D, according to the formula for AC magnetic flux density, At the same output voltage Vo and the same switching period T SWFor transformers with the same number of turns N in the primary winding and the same AC magnetic flux density B ac Under these conditions, the application of a large duty cycle D can reduce the value of the effective cross-sectional area Ae of the magnetic core, thereby reducing the thickness of the magnetic core and the voltage regulation module 2. Furthermore, it can reduce the cross-sectional area of ​​the central post 213 of the magnetic core assembly 20, increase the width of the planar winding of the printed circuit board 100, reduce the parasitic DC resistance of the planar winding, and reduce the DC loss caused by the planar winding. In addition, using... Figure 3B In embodiments with a large duty cycle, the coupling effect of the two magnetically integrated inductors L can be enhanced, reducing the equivalent inductance. Additionally, Figure 3B The voltage across the switching element of each switching circuit 21 in the circuit topology is reduced, thereby reducing the parasitic capacitance of the corresponding switch and the switching loss. This can further increase the operating frequency of the circuit topology, thereby further reducing the size of the magnetic components used in the circuit topology, and realizing an ultra-thin, small-size, high-power-density voltage regulation module.

[0041] In addition, corresponding to the formation of the central slot 103, the planar windings of the printed circuit board 100 forming two inductors L may also be partially exposed on the two opposing inner wall surfaces 104 in the central slot 103. Therefore, in order to reduce the line loss of the planar windings, the two opposing inner wall surfaces 104 can be electroplated to form an electroplating area 105, so that at least one layer of the multilayer planar windings of the printed circuit board exposed on the two opposing inner wall surfaces 104 is electrically connected to the electroplating area 105. Furthermore, the multilayer planar windings are connected in parallel through the electroplating area 105.

[0042] Please see Figure 5 and cooperate Figure 3A , Figure 3B , Figure 4 ,in Figure 5 for Figure 3A or Figure 3BThe diagram shows the flow direction of the current through the two inductors. As shown, the current in the step-down circuit of the voltage regulation module 2 flows out from the two switching circuits 21 and flows counterclockwise through the two side posts 211 and 212 of the magnetic component 20, as indicated by the arrows. This ensures that the DC magnetic flux flowing through the two side posts 211 and 212 is in the same direction, reducing DC magnetic losses. Simultaneously, according to the two pulse width control signals PWM1 and PWM2 of phase-shift control, the AC magnetic flux flowing through the two side posts 211 and 212 is in opposite directions, which can partially or completely cancel the AC magnetic flux, reducing AC magnetic losses. The ripple current of the equivalent inductor decreases significantly, and the anti-saturation capability of the inductor L is also greatly improved. However, the direction of the current flowing through the inductor L is not limited to this; it can also be entirely clockwise, as long as the DC magnetic flux flowing through the side posts 211 and 212 is in the same direction and the AC magnetic flux is in opposite directions. In this embodiment, the phase shift angle of the two pulse width control signals PWM1 and PWM2 can be any value between [150, 210] degrees. For example, the two pulse width control signals PWM1 and PWM2 can be phase-shifted by 180 degrees, which significantly reduces AC magnetic loss and lowers the ripple current of the inductor.

[0043] Please see Figure 6 This is an exploded structural diagram of the voltage regulation module according to a second preferred embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in the figure, in some embodiments, when Figure 2 , Figure 4 When the height of the air gap 214 on the central column 213 is equal to the height of the central column 213, the magnetic component 20 may not have a central column 213, i.e., as shown... Figure 6 As shown, the magnetic component 20 contains only two side posts 211 and 212. Furthermore, corresponding to... Figure 6 The magnetic component 20 shown does not have a central column, therefore Figure 6 The printed circuit board 100 shown also does not have a similar Figure 2 The printed circuit board 100 shown has a central slot 103. However, in order for magnetic lines of force with the opposite direction to the magnetic lines of force on the side posts 211 and 212 to pass through the printed circuit board 100, the printed circuit board 100 may include a clearance area 106. The clearance area 106 is located between the holes 101 and 102, and no electronic components, any planar windings, or conductive lines used for electrical connection are placed in the area of ​​the printed circuit board 100 corresponding to the clearance area 106. In this way, magnetic lines of force with the opposite direction to the magnetic lines of force on the side posts 211 and 212 can pass through the printed circuit board 100 via the clearance area 106.

[0044] Please see Figure 7AThis is a partial structural schematic diagram of the voltage regulation module according to the third preferred embodiment of this disclosure. As shown in the figure, in some embodiments, a plurality of copper blocks 108, 109, 110, and 111 can be disposed on the lower surface 100f of the printed circuit board 100. The copper blocks 108, 109, 110, and 111 can be electrically connected to one of the positive input terminal, negative input terminal, positive output terminal, negative output terminal, and corresponding signal terminal of the voltage regulation module 2 on the printed circuit board 100, respectively, to form the corresponding conductive pins of the voltage regulation module 2. In addition, the capacitor combination of the voltage regulation module 2, such as the input capacitor Cin, can be disposed on the lower surface 100f of the printed circuit board 100.

[0045] Of course, the conductive structure within the printed circuit board 100 is not limited to being composed of planar windings (formed by wiring within the printed circuit board 100) inside the printed circuit board 100. Please refer to... Figure 7B This is a partial structural schematic diagram of the voltage regulation module according to the fourth preferred embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in the figure, in some embodiments, two copper blocks 107 (here, the copper blocks 107 are represented by dashed lines embedded in the printed circuit board 100 of the voltage regulation module 2) can be embedded in the printed circuit board 100 to replace the planar winding inside the printed circuit board 100 in the first embodiment or the second embodiment, thereby forming at least one conductive structure inside the printed circuit board 100 and forming the winding of two inductors L. The embedding position of each copper block 107 corresponds to one of the two holes 101 and 102, and one end of each copper block 107 is electrically connected to the switch circuit 21. On the lower surface 100f of the printed circuit board 100, a conductive pin 108a is placed and electrically connected to the corresponding copper block 107. In another embodiment, the copper block 107 and the conductive pin 108a can also be integrally formed, that is, the other end of each copper block 107 is at least partially exposed on the lower surface 100f of the printed circuit board 100 to form the conductive pin 108a, which can constitute the positive output terminal Vo+ of the voltage regulation module 2. Additionally, as... Figure 7B As shown, the capacitor combination of the voltage regulation module 2, such as the input capacitor Cin, can be disposed on the lower surface 100f of the printed circuit board 100. Alternatively, multiple copper blocks 109, 110, and 111 can be disposed on the lower surface 100f of the printed circuit board 100. These copper blocks 109, 110, and 111 can be electrically connected to one of the potential points of the positive input terminal, negative output terminal, and corresponding signal terminal of the voltage regulation module 2 on the printed circuit board 100, respectively, to form the corresponding conductive pins of the voltage regulation module 2.

[0046] In the above embodiments, the voltage regulation module 2 may further include a molding layer disposed on the lower surface 100f of the printed circuit board 100, for encapsulating the lower surface 100f together with the components placed on 100f, for example... Figure 8 The diagram shown is a partial structural schematic of a voltage regulation module according to a fifth preferred embodiment of this disclosure. The voltage regulation module 2 may further include a molding compound 30. The molding compound 30 is disposed on the lower surface 100f of the printed circuit board 100, and is used to encapsulate the voltage regulation module. Figure 7A or Figure 7B The printed circuit board 100 shown has a lower surface 100f, along with capacitors and all copper blocks (such as those disposed on the lower surface 100f). Figure 7A The copper blocks shown are 108, 109, 110, 111, or... Figure 7B The copper blocks 109, 110, 111 and the conductive pins 108a shown are encapsulated as a single unit. Furthermore, after the encapsulation layer 30 encapsulates the lower surface 100f of the printed circuit board 100, the capacitor assembly, and all the copper blocks, the outer surface 30a of the encapsulation layer 30 can be polished, exposing all the copper blocks on the lower surface 100f of the printed circuit board 100 to the outer surface 30a of the encapsulation layer 30 (not shown in the figure). Of course, multiple electroplated patterns can be formed on the outer surface 30a of the encapsulation layer 30 using electroplating. Each electroplated pattern is formed at a position corresponding to a copper block that is conductive to itself and exposed on the outer surface 30a of the encapsulation layer 30, and the area of ​​the electroplated pattern is larger than the cross-sectional area of ​​the corresponding copper block. These electroplated patterns can serve as conductive pins of the voltage regulation module 2, such as the positive output terminal Vo+, the negative output terminal Vo-, and the positive input terminal Vin+. Some electroplated patterns can also serve as signal terminals of the voltage regulation module 2. For example, such as... Figure 8 As shown, at least one electroplated pattern 221 can be the positive output terminal Vo+ of the voltage regulation module 2, at least one electroplated pattern 222 can be the negative output terminal Vo- of the voltage regulation module 2, at least one electroplated pattern 223 can be the positive input terminal Vin+ of the voltage regulation module 2, and at least one electroplated pattern 224 can be the signal transmission terminal of the voltage regulation module 2. However, the number and placement of the electroplated patterns are not limited to the following. Figure 8 As shown, different implementation methods can be used depending on actual needs. In addition, the larger the electroplating area of ​​the electroplated pattern, the larger the area that the voltage regulation module 2 can be soldered. Therefore, when the system board is reflowed, the risk of the voltage regulation module 2 falling off or shifting due to reheating is smaller, and the solder joint current density drops significantly, greatly increasing the reliability of the product solder joints.

[0047] Please see Figure 9 and Figure 10 ,in Figure 9 This is an exploded view of the voltage regulation module according to the sixth preferred embodiment of this disclosure. Figure 10 for Figure 9The equivalent circuit diagram of the voltage regulation module is shown. As shown, the voltage regulation module 2a of this embodiment can be applied in an electronic device and connected to a system board (not shown) within the electronic device by soldering. In this embodiment, some components of the voltage regulation module 2a are... Figure 2 , Figures 3A-3B The voltage regulation module 2 shown has some similar components, therefore in Figure 9 , Figure 10 In the middle, some components will be the same as Figure 2 , Figures 3A-3B The labels are used to indicate the information, without providing further details.

[0048] In this embodiment, the voltage regulation module 2a comprises four single-phase buck circuits connected in parallel to form a four-phase buck circuit, and the voltage regulation module 2a also includes an output capacitor Cout. Two of the four single-phase buck circuits form a power supply group 22, and the other two single-phase buck circuits also form another power supply group 22. Each power supply group 22 further includes at least one input capacitor Cin. The first terminals of the input capacitors Cin of the two power supply groups 22 are electrically connected to each other to form the positive input terminal Vin+ of the voltage regulation module 2a. The second terminals of the input capacitors Cin of the two power supply groups 22 are short-circuited and form the negative input terminal Vin- of the voltage regulation module 2a. The first terminal of the output capacitor Cout can form the positive output terminal Vo+ of the voltage regulation module 2a, and the second terminal of the output capacitor Cout can form the negative output terminal Vo- of the voltage regulation module 2a. Each single-phase step-down circuit of each power supply group 22 further includes a driver switching unit 21 (hereinafter referred to as switching circuit 21) with a driver and switching elements, and an inductor L. Each switching circuit 21 is connected in series to the first terminal SW of the corresponding inductor L. Each switching circuit 21 has three ports, namely the first terminal, the second terminal, and the third terminal. The first terminals of the two switching circuits 21 in each power supply group 22 are connected in parallel and then electrically connected to the input capacitor Cin of the corresponding power supply group 22. The second terminals of the two switching circuits 21 in each power supply group 22 are connected in parallel and then electrically connected to the negative terminal of the input capacitor Cin of the corresponding power supply group 22. The third terminals of the two switching circuits 21 in each power supply group 22 are respectively electrically connected to one end of the two inductors L, and the other ends of the two inductors L are connected in parallel and then electrically connected to the first terminal of the output capacitor Cout.

[0049] Two single-phase buck circuits in one power supply group 22 are connected in parallel with two single-phase buck circuits in another power supply group 22. The first terminals of the two single-phase buck circuits in each power supply group 22 are connected in parallel and electrically connected to the first terminal of the input capacitor Cin. The second terminals of the two single-phase buck circuits in each power supply group 22 are connected to each other and electrically connected to the first terminal of the output capacitor Cout. In addition, each single-phase buck circuit includes a driver metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor unit 21 (Dr.MOS, hereinafter referred to as switch circuit 21) and an inductor L. Therefore, the voltage regulation module 2a actually includes four switch circuits 21 and four inductors L.

[0050] The switching circuit 21 of each single-phase buck circuit is connected in series to the first terminal SW of the corresponding inductor L and is electrically connected to the first terminal of the corresponding input capacitor Cin. The second terminals of the inductors L of all single-phase buck circuits in the two power supply groups 22 are electrically connected to each other and to the first terminal of the output capacitor Cout.

[0051] In the above embodiments, since the voltage regulation module 2a is actually composed of four single-phase step-down circuits connected in parallel, the output current capability of the voltage regulation module 2a can be effectively increased.

[0052] In some embodiments, the switching circuit 21 includes a transistor switch and a driver for driving the transistor switch. The voltage regulation module 2 also includes a control circuit 11a, which generates four sets of pulse width control signals PWM1, PWM2, PWM3, and PWM4 by sampling the output voltage of the voltage regulation module 2 and the output current of each single-phase buck circuit. Two sets of pulse width control signals are used to drive one of the power supply groups 22 and are out of phase by 180 degrees, while the other two sets of pulse width control signals are used to drive the other power supply group 22 and are also out of phase by 180 degrees. In addition, the two pulse width control signals in one power supply group 22 and the two pulse width control signals in the other power supply group are out of phase by 90 degrees each. For example, pulse width control signal PWM1 is used to control the first single-phase buck circuit in one of the power supply groups 22, pulse width control signal PWM2 is used to control the second single-phase buck circuit in one of the power supply groups 22, pulse width control signal PWM3 is used to control the first single-phase buck circuit in another power supply group 22, and pulse width control signal PWM4 is used to control the second single-phase buck circuit in another power supply group 22. Furthermore, pulse width control signal PWM1 and pulse width control signal PWM2 are out of phase by 180 degrees, pulse width control signal PWM3 and pulse width control signal PWM4 are out of phase by 180 degrees, and pulse width control signal PWM1 and pulse width control signal PWM3 are out of phase by 90 degrees, and pulse width control signal PWM2 and pulse width control signal PWM4 are out of phase by 90 degrees.

[0053] In other embodiments, the output capacitor Cout may be located within the voltage regulation module 2a, but is not limited thereto; it may also be located on the system board within the electronic device.

[0054] In this embodiment, the voltage regulation module 2a includes a printed circuit board assembly 10a and a magnetic assembly 20a. The printed circuit board assembly 10a includes a printed circuit board 300 and four switching circuits 21. The printed circuit board 300 has a conductive structure (not shown) formed by planar windings (formed by wiring within the printed circuit board 300), and includes four sides: a first side 300a and a second side 300d opposite each other, and a third side 300b and a fourth side 300c located between the first side 300a and the second side 300d and opposite each other. Furthermore, the printed circuit board 300 also includes an upper surface 300e and a lower surface 300f opposite each other. An input capacitor Cin (not shown) can be mounted on the lower surface 300f by soldering or applying conductive adhesive. The four switch circuits 21 can be, but are not limited to, soldered or adhesive-bonded onto the upper surface 300e of the printed circuit board 300. Two switch circuits 21 in one of the power supply groups 22 are arranged side by side on the upper surface 300e of the printed circuit board 300. The switch circuit combination formed by the two switch circuits 21 is relatively close to the first side 300a, third side 300b and fourth side 300c of the printed circuit board 300 relative to the second side 300d. That is, the switch circuit combination is placed against the first side 300a, third side 300b and fourth side 300c of the printed circuit board 100. The first terminals of the two switching circuits 21 in this switch combination are connected in parallel, and their second terminals are also connected in parallel, forming the first and second terminals of the switch circuit combination, respectively. They share a common input capacitor Cin, which is placed on the lower surface 300f of the printed circuit board 300, close to the first terminal of the corresponding switch circuit combination. This minimizes the parasitic parameters between the two switching circuits 21 and the shared input capacitor Cin. Furthermore, because the ripple current frequency of the input capacitor Cin is twice the switching frequency of the voltage regulation module, the ripple current of the input capacitor Cin is small, reducing losses on the input capacitor Cin. A smaller capacitor Cin can also be used, thereby reducing the size of the voltage regulation module.Two switching circuits 21 within another power supply group 22 are disposed along the second direction on the upper surface 300e of the printed circuit board 300. These two switching circuits 21 form another switching circuit combination. This other switching circuit combination is relatively close to the second side 300d, third side 300b, and fourth side 300c of the printed circuit board 300 relative to the first side 300a. That is, this other switching circuit combination is attached to the second side 300d, third side 300b, and fourth side 300c of the printed circuit board 100. The two switch circuits 21 in the other switch circuit combination are placed at 00c, and their first terminals are connected in parallel, and their second terminals are also connected in parallel, forming the first and second terminals of the switch circuit combination respectively. They share another set of input capacitors Cin, which is placed on the lower surface 300f of the printed circuit board 300, close to the first terminal of the corresponding other switch circuit combination. This minimizes the parasitic parameters between the two switch circuits 21 and the shared set of input capacitors Cin. Furthermore, because the ripple current frequency of the input capacitor Cin is twice the switching frequency of the voltage regulation module, the ripple current of the input capacitor Cin is small, reducing losses on the input capacitor Cin. A smaller capacitor Cin can also be used, thereby reducing the size of the voltage regulation module.

[0055] In one embodiment, the first terminal of the switch circuit combination can correspond to the pin corresponding to the first terminal of each switch circuit 21, or it can correspond to any point in the electrical path connecting the pins corresponding to the first terminals of the two switch circuits 21. Additionally, as... Figure 10 As shown, the four switching circuits 21, which are a combination of two switching circuits in the voltage regulation module 2a, are connected in parallel.

[0056] In another embodiment, the input capacitor Cin described in the above embodiments can be embedded in a printed circuit board, and on a different layer than the conductive structure. In another embodiment, the switching circuit 21 can also be embedded in a printed circuit board, and on a different layer than both the conductive structure and the input capacitor.

[0057] The magnetic assembly 20a includes an upper magnetic cover 401 and a lower magnetic cover 402, side posts 411, 412, 413 and 414, and a middle post 415. The upper magnetic cover 401 is disposed on the upper surface 300e of the printed circuit board 300, and the lower magnetic cover 402 is disposed on the lower surface 300f of the printed circuit board 300 corresponding to the upper magnetic cover 401. The side posts 411, 412, 413 and 414 and the middle post 415 are disposed between the upper magnetic cover 401 and the lower magnetic cover, and cooperate with the upper magnetic cover 401, the lower magnetic cover 402 and the corresponding planar windings in the printed circuit board 300 to form four inductors L. The four inductors L are magnetically integrated inductors, thereby reducing the volume of the four inductors L. Furthermore, the magnetic component 20a and the two switch circuits are disposed on the printed circuit board 300 along the first direction, and the magnetic component 20a is located in the middle area of ​​the printed circuit board 300, between the set of switch circuits and the other set of switch circuits.

[0058] As can be seen from the above, since the magnetic components and two switching circuits in the voltage regulation module 2a of this embodiment are also arranged horizontally, that is, along the first direction and set on the printed circuit board 300, the height of the voltage regulation module 2a in this embodiment can be significantly reduced compared to the existing electronic devices where the switching circuits and magnetic components are stacked vertically. Furthermore, since the four inductors L of the voltage regulation module 2a in this embodiment are magnetically integrated inductors and are four-phase magnetically integrated, the AC magnetic flux cancellation capability is further enhanced compared to two-phase magnetic integration, the inductor current ripple is further reduced, and the anti-saturation capability of the inductor L is further increased under transient high current conditions. Therefore, the volume of the four inductors L can be reduced, and the volume and height of the voltage regulation module 2a in this embodiment can be further reduced. Therefore, the overall thickness of the voltage regulation module 2a in this embodiment can be less than or equal to 5mm, or even less than or equal to 3mm, to meet the application requirements of ultra-thin design. Furthermore, the four inductors L and four switching circuits 21 are horizontally and closely arranged. The input capacitor Cin and the filter capacitor (not shown in the figure) can be placed on the lower surface 300f of the printed circuit board 300, corresponding to the positions of the four switching circuits 21. This minimizes the parasitic parameters between the switching circuits 21 and the input capacitor Cin, and / or the parasitic parameters between them and the energy storage capacitor Cp, thereby reducing the losses of the input capacitor Cin and the energy storage capacitor Cp, and further reducing the overall size of the product. Therefore, the voltage regulation module 2a of this disclosure achieves the advantages of ultra-thin design, small package area, and high power density.

[0059] In some embodiments, to form the four inductors L of the voltage regulation module 2a, the magnetic component 20a includes four side posts 411, 412, 413, and 414. The four side posts 411, 412, 413, and 414 are partially formed on the upper magnetic cover 401, and the remaining portions of the four side posts 411, 412, 413, and 414 are formed on the lower magnetic cover 402. Furthermore, the printed circuit board 300 also includes four holes 301, 302, 303, and 304, which are located in the middle region of the printed circuit board 300 and between the four switching circuits 21, and penetrate the printed circuit board 300. Additionally, the holes 301, 302, 303, and 304... The position of 01 corresponds to the position of the side post 411, the position of the hole 302 corresponds to the position of the side post 414, the position of the hole 303 corresponds to the position of the side post 412, and the position of the hole 304 corresponds to the position of the side post 413. When the upper magnetic cover 401 is set on the upper surface 300e of the printed circuit board 300 and the lower magnetic cover 402 is set on the lower surface 300f of the printed circuit board 300, the four side posts 411, 412, 413, and 414 are respectively inserted through the corresponding holes 301, 303, 304, and 302 and housed in the printed circuit board 300 to cooperate with the corresponding planar windings in the printed circuit board 300 to form the four inductors L in the voltage regulation module 2a. In addition, the planar windings within the printed circuit board 300 forming the four inductors L can be located closer to the third side 300b or the fourth side 300c than the first side 300a and the second side 300d of the printed circuit board 300, i.e., the magnetic component 20 is placed against the third side 300b and the fourth side 300c of the printed circuit board 300.

[0060] Furthermore, due to the size limitation of the voltage regulation module 2a, the width of the planar winding placed within the printed circuit board 300 will be restricted, leading to increased line resistance of the planar winding and resulting in energy loss. Therefore, to avoid this situation, in some embodiments, the walls of the third side 300b and fourth side 300c adjacent to the planar winding of the printed circuit board forming the inductor L, and / or the inner walls of the four holes 301, 303, 304, and 302 of the printed circuit board 300, can be plated with board edge electroplating to form electroplating. Area 306, the electroplating area 306 can be connected to at least one of the multi-layer planar windings in the printed circuit board 300. Therefore, the electroplating area 306 can achieve electrical connection between at least one layer of the multi-layer planar windings in the printed circuit board 300 and the electroplating area 105 on the wall surface of the third side 300b and the fourth side 300c and the inner wall surface of the four holes 301, 303, 304 and 302 of the printed circuit board 300. Furthermore, the multi-layer planar windings are connected in parallel through the electroplating area 105, thereby reducing the line loss of the planar windings.

[0061] In other embodiments, since the four inductors L are magnetically integrated inductors, the magnetic component 20a may further include a central pillar 415, which is partially formed on the upper magnetic cover 401 and the remainder is formed on the lower magnetic cover 402. In addition, the magnetic component 20a also includes an air gap (not shown), which is formed on the central pillar 415. Furthermore, since the magnetic component 20a forms a central post 415 by means of the upper magnetic cover 401 and the lower magnetic cover 402, in order to enable the upper magnetic cover 401 and the lower magnetic cover 402 to be snapped onto the printed circuit board 300, in other embodiments, the printed circuit board 300 also includes a central post hole 305, wherein the central post hole 305 is located between the holes 301, 302, 303, and 304 and corresponds to the position of the central post 415, and the size of the slot of the central post hole 305 corresponds to the volume of the central post 415. When the upper magnetic cover 401 is disposed on the printed circuit board 300 by the upper surface 300e and the lower magnetic cover 402 is disposed on the printed circuit board 300 by the lower surface 300f, the central post 413 passes through the central post hole 305 and is accommodated in the printed circuit board 300. In another embodiment, air gaps can also be formed on the four side posts 411, 412, 413 and 414 of the magnetic component 20a, respectively. The air gap of the central post 415 of the magnetic component 20a is greater than or equal to the air gaps on the four side posts 411, 412, 413 and 414. Combined with the winding direction of the planar winding of the printed circuit board 300, the DC magnetic flux direction of any two side posts is the same and the AC magnetic flux direction is opposite. The ripple current of the equivalent inductance is greatly reduced and the anti-saturation capability of the inductance L is also greatly improved.

[0062] In another embodiment, the four side posts 411, 412, 413, and 414 and the center post 415 can all be formed on the upper magnetic cover 401 or all on the lower magnetic cover 402. For example, if the four side posts 411, 412, 413, and 414 and the center post 415 can all be formed on the upper magnetic cover 401, then the four side posts 411, 412, 413, and 414 and the center post 415 of the upper magnetic cover 401 are inserted and placed through the holes 301, 302, 303, and 304 and the center post groove 305 of the printed circuit board 300, and then fastened to the printed circuit board 300 with the lower magnetic cover 402. An air gap is provided on the center post 415, thereby cooperating with the planar winding of the printed circuit board 300 to form four magnetic integrated inductors L.

[0063] Please see Figure 11 and cooperate Figure 9 and Figure 10 ,in Figure 11 for Figure 10The diagram shows the direction of current flow through the four inductors. As shown, the current from the four single-phase step-down circuits of the voltage regulation module 2a flows out from the corresponding switching circuit 21 and flows counterclockwise through the four side posts 411, 412, 413, and 414 of the magnetic component 20a, as indicated by the arrows. This ensures that the DC magnetic flux flowing through the four side posts 411, 412, 413, and 414 is in the same direction, reducing DC magnetic losses. At the same time, according to the four pulse width control signals PWM1, PWM3, PWM2, and PWM4, which are sequentially staggered by 90 degrees, the AC magnetic flux flowing through the two adjacent side posts 411, 412, 413, and 414 is in opposite directions. This can partially or completely cancel out the AC magnetic flux, reducing AC magnetic losses, significantly reducing the ripple current of the equivalent inductor, and greatly improving the inductor's anti-saturation capability. However, the direction of the current flowing through the inductor L is not limited to this; it can also be entirely clockwise, as long as the direction of the DC magnetic flux flowing through the side posts 411, 412, 413, and 414 is the same. In this embodiment, the phase shift angle between any two of the four pulse width control signals PWM1, PWM3, PWM2, and PWM4 can be any value between [60, 120] degrees. For example, the four pulse width control signals PWM1, PWM3, PWM2, and PWM4 can be shifted by 90 degrees in sequence, thereby reducing AC magnetic losses and lowering the ripple current of the inductor.

[0064] In addition, two of the four side posts in the magnetic component 20a, such as side posts 411 and 414, are located between two of the four switch circuits 21 that are 90 degrees out of phase, and are arranged in a row along the first direction. The other two side posts in the magnetic component 20a, such as side posts 412 and 413, are located between two of the four switch circuits 21 that are 90 degrees out of phase, and are arranged in another row along the first direction. The shortest distance L5 between the side post and the nearest switch circuit 21 in each row is less than the shortest distance between two adjacent side posts, for example, less than the shortest distance L6 between two adjacent side posts in each row.

[0065] Please see Figure 12 This is an exploded structural diagram of the voltage regulation module according to the seventh preferred embodiment of this disclosure. As shown in the figure, in some embodiments, when Figure 9 When the height of the air gap on the central column 415 is equal to the height of the central column 415, the magnetic component 20a may not have a central column 415, i.e., as shown. Figure 12 As shown, the magnetic component 20a contains only four side posts 411, 412, 413, and 414. Furthermore, since the magnetic component 20a in this embodiment does not have a central post, therefore... Figure 12 The printed circuit board 300 shown also does not have a similar feature. Figure 9The printed circuit board 300 shown has a central post hole 305. However, in order for magnetic lines of force with the opposite direction to the magnetic lines of force on the side posts 411, 412, 413, and 414 to pass through the printed circuit board 300, the printed circuit board 300 may include a clearance area 307. The clearance area 307 is located between the holes 301, 302, 303, and 304. No electronic components, any planar windings, or conductive lines used for electrical connection are placed in the area of ​​the printed circuit board 300 corresponding to the clearance area 307. In this way, magnetic lines of force with the opposite direction to the magnetic lines of force on the side posts 411, 412, 413, and 414 can pass through the clearance area 307 and then through the printed circuit board 300.

[0066] Of course, the conductive structure within the printed circuit board 300 is not limited to being composed of planar windings (formed by wiring within the printed circuit board 300) inside the printed circuit board 300, but can be similar to... Figure 7B A copper block is embedded within the printed circuit board 300 to replace the original planar windings within the printed circuit board 300, thereby forming a conductive structure within the printed circuit board 300. Alternatively, a different approach can be adopted. Figure 7A and Figure 7B The copper blocks 108 / 108a, 109, 110, and 111 used are for electrical connection of the printed circuit board 300. Alternatively, similar components can be used. Figure 8 The aforementioned technology involves placing a molding compound on the lower surface 300f of the printed circuit board 300, and polishing the molding compound to expose the copper block. Furthermore, electroplating can be performed on the molding compound to form multiple electroplated patterns with a larger area than the cross-sectional area of ​​the copper block. However, the relevant technologies have been disclosed in the foregoing content, so they will not be repeated here.

[0067] Of course, in the aforementioned Figure 9 The pin layout of the voltage regulation module 2a, which consists of four single-phase step-down circuits connected in parallel, can be designed to be compatible with... Figure 2 The pin layout shown is that of voltage regulation module 2, which consists of two single-phase step-down circuits connected in parallel, thereby allowing the use of two... Figure 2 The two-phase buck converter shown is used to achieve Figure 9 The voltage regulation module 2a shown consists of four single-phase step-down circuits connected in parallel, while using two... Figure 2 The voltage regulation module formed by the two-phase buck converter shown has inductors that are formed by magnetic integration in pairs, not as... Figure 9 The four inductors shown are formed together using magnetic integration technology.

[0068] The embodiments described above can be extended to embodiments containing 2N switching circuits. The main technology of this disclosure is that the voltage regulation module can have 2N input capacitors Cin, 2N switching circuits, and 2N inductors, where N is a positive integer, and the 2N inductors are implemented using magnetic integration technology. In addition, the 2N switching circuits and 2N inductors are arranged horizontally on the printed circuit board, and each inductor is electrically connected to the corresponding switching circuit, so that the 2N inductors and 2N switching circuits together form a 2N-phase step-down circuit. Every two switching circuits are connected in parallel and arranged along the second direction to form a switching circuit combination. The phase difference of the control signals of the two switching circuit combinations in each switching combination is any value within the range of [150, 210] degrees, and the phase difference of the control signals of the corresponding switching circuits of the N switching circuit combinations is any value within the range of [360 / 2N-30, 360 / 2N+30] degrees.

[0069] Please see Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram of the voltage regulating device according to a preferred embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in the figure, in this embodiment, the voltage regulating device 5 includes a plurality of voltage regulating modules 50 connected in parallel, wherein each of the plurality of voltage regulating modules 50 may be derived from the aforementioned voltage regulating module 2 having two single-phase step-down circuits (e.g., Figure 3A It is composed of (as shown), or is composed of the aforementioned voltage regulation module 2 with a single step-down circuit (e.g., Figure 3B (as shown), or both are derived from the aforementioned voltage regulation module 2a with four single-phase step-down circuits (e.g., Figure 10As shown, the voltage regulation modules 50 are configured such that the phase difference between them can be any value between -30 and 30 degrees, such as 0 degrees, but is not limited to this. The phase difference between any two voltage regulation modules 50 can also be any value between [360 / (2*N*X)-30, 360 / (2*N*X)+30] or [360 / (N*X)-30, 360 / (N*X)+30], such as 360 / (2*N*X) or 360 / (N*X), where 2N is the number of switching circuits 21 and X is the number of voltage regulation modules 50. To further explain, the multiple voltage regulation modules 50 within the voltage regulation device 5 each have multiple pulse width control signals, and the multiple pulse width control signals of each voltage regulation module 50 correspond to the multiple pulse width control signals in other voltage regulation modules 50. Furthermore, the phase difference between the pulse width control signal of each voltage regulation module 50 and the corresponding pulse width control signal in other voltage regulation modules 50 can be any value between -30 and 30 degrees, for example, 0 degrees; or the phase difference between the pulse width control signal of each voltage regulation module 50 and the corresponding pulse width control signal in the next voltage regulation module 50 can be any value between [360 / (2*N*X)-30, 360 / (2*N*X)+30] or any value between [360 / (N*X)-30, 360 / (N*X)+30], for example, a difference of 360 / (2*N*X) or 360 / (N*X). For example, in one embodiment, when the voltage regulation device 5 consists of 5... Figure 3A When the voltage regulation modules 2 shown are connected in parallel, each voltage regulation module 2 includes two sets of pulse width control signals PWM1 and PWM2. The phase difference between the PWM1 signal of each voltage regulation module 2 and the corresponding PWM1 signal of the other voltage regulation modules 2 is 0 degrees, and the phase difference between the PWM2 signal of each voltage regulation module 2 and the corresponding PWM2 signal of the other voltage regulation modules 2 is also 0 degrees. Of course, in other embodiments, when the voltage regulation device 5 consists of 5... Figure 3A When the voltage regulation module 2 shown (i.e., the first voltage regulation module 2, the second voltage regulation module 2, the third voltage regulation module 2, the fourth voltage regulation module 2, and the fifth voltage regulation module 5) are configured, the phase difference between the pulse width control signal PWM1 of the first voltage regulation module 2 and the corresponding pulse width control signal PWM1 of the second voltage regulation module 2 is 360 / 10 = 36 degrees, the phase difference between the pulse width control signal PWM1 of the second voltage regulation module 2 and the corresponding pulse width control signal PWM1 of the third voltage regulation module 2 is 36 degrees, and so on.

[0070] In the above embodiments, the printed circuit board can also be a multilayer PCB board, and the conductive structure and the switching circuit 21 can be embedded in the printed circuit board. The PCB board layer where the switch is located is set in the upper space of the PCB board layer where the conductive structure is located, which can also realize the horizontal layout structure of the voltage regulation module shown in this invention. This also makes the height of the voltage regulation module of this disclosure significantly reduced, thereby achieving the application requirements of ultra-thin design.

[0071] In summary, this disclosure discloses a voltage regulation module and a suitable voltage regulation device thereof. The inductors and switching circuits within the voltage regulation module are horizontally arranged on a printed circuit board. Therefore, compared to the stacked switching circuits and magnetic components in existing electronic devices, the height of the voltage regulation module in this disclosure is significantly reduced. Furthermore, since the multiple inductors in this voltage regulation module are magnetically integrated inductors, their volume can be reduced, further minimizing the size and height of the voltage regulation module. Thus, the overall thickness of the voltage regulation module in this embodiment can be less than or equal to 5mm, or even less than or equal to 3mm, to meet the requirements of ultra-thin applications. Additionally, the inductors and switching circuits in this voltage regulation module are horizontally staggered and closely arranged, while the capacitor assembly is placed on the lower surface of the printed circuit board corresponding to the switching circuit, further reducing the overall product size. Therefore, the voltage regulation module of this disclosure achieves the advantages of ultra-thin design, small package area, and high power density.

Claims

1. A magnetic component comprising: A magnetic core assembly includes an upper magnetic cover, a lower magnetic cover, and at least two side posts; At least two planar windings are embedded in a circuit board, wherein the circuit board includes at least one side, at least two holes and a central post groove, wherein the at least two side posts pass through the at least two holes respectively and cooperate with the upper magnetic cover, the lower magnetic cover and the at least two planar windings to form the magnetic component containing at least two inductors. A first electroplating area is disposed on at least one side and is electrically connected to at least one of the planar windings; The magnetic component is electrically connected to at least one switching circuit, each switching circuit includes two switches, the two switches in each switching circuit are electrically connected to the corresponding inductor in the magnetic component, and each switching circuit and the inductor constitute a single-phase step-down circuit. The magnetic component includes at least one third electroplating area disposed on the inner wall of at least one of the holes, and the third electroplating area is electrically connected to at least one of the planar windings of the circuit board.

2. The magnetic component of claim 1, further comprising a central post, wherein the circuit board further comprises a central post groove through which the central post passes.

3. The magnetic component of claim 1, wherein the at least two planar windings respectively surround the at least two holes.

4. The magnetic component as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one of the planar windings includes a layer of wiring disposed within the circuit board, and the first electroplated area is electrically connected to the layer of wiring.

5. The magnetic component of claim 1, wherein the circuit board comprises a plurality of layers, and at least one of the planar windings comprises a plurality of layer wirings disposed within the plurality of layers of the circuit board, and the first electroplated area is electrically connected to the plurality of layer wirings.

6. The magnetic component of claim 1, wherein at least one of the planar windings includes a copper block disposed within the circuit board, and the first electroplated area is electrically connected to the copper block.

7. The magnetic component as claimed in claim 2, wherein the magnetic component further comprises a second electroplating area disposed on an inner wall surface of the central column groove and electrically connected to at least one of the planar windings.

8. The magnetic component of claim 2, wherein the at least two side posts and the middle post each include an air gap, and the air gap of the middle post is greater than or equal to the air gap of each of the side posts.

9. The magnetic component as claimed in claim 1, wherein the DC magnetic flux on the two side posts is in the same direction and the AC magnetic flux is in opposite directions.

10. A magnetic component comprising: A magnetic core assembly includes an upper magnetic cover, a lower magnetic cover, a central post, and at least two side posts; At least two planar windings are embedded in a circuit board, wherein the circuit board includes at least two holes and a central post slot. The at least two planar windings surround the at least two holes, wherein the at least two side posts pass through the at least two holes, and the central post passes through the central post slot. These windings, together with the upper magnetic cover, the lower magnetic cover, and the at least two planar windings, constitute a magnetic assembly containing at least two inductors. A first electroplating zone is disposed on an inner wall surface of the central column groove and is electrically connected to at least one of the planar windings; The magnetic component is electrically connected to at least one switching circuit, each switching circuit includes two switches, the two switches in each switching circuit are electrically connected to the corresponding inductor in the magnetic component, and each switching circuit and the inductor constitute a single-phase step-down circuit. The magnetic component includes at least one third electroplating area disposed on the inner wall of at least one of the holes, and the third electroplating area is electrically connected to at least one of the planar windings of the circuit board.

11. The magnetic component of claim 10, wherein at least one of the planar windings includes a layer of wiring disposed within the circuit board, and the first electroplated area is electrically connected to the layer of wiring.

12. The magnetic component of claim 10, wherein the circuit board comprises a plurality of layers, and at least one of the planar windings comprises a plurality of layer wirings disposed within the plurality of layers of the circuit board, the first electroplated area being electrically connected to the plurality of layer wirings.

13. The magnetic component of claim 10, wherein at least one of the planar windings includes a copper block disposed within the circuit board, and the first electroplated area is electrically connected to the copper block.

14. The magnetic component of claim 10, wherein the magnetic component further includes a second electroplating area disposed on at least one side of the circuit board and electrically connected to at least one of the planar windings.

15. The magnetic component of claim 10, wherein the at least two side posts and the middle post each include an air gap, and the air gap of the middle post is greater than or equal to the air gap of each of the side posts.

16. The magnetic component of claim 10, wherein the DC magnetic flux on the two side posts is in the same direction and the AC magnetic flux is in opposite directions.

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