DC / DC converter parts

Abstract

To provide a DC / DC converter component that contributes to reducing the area required for mounting. [Solution] A DC / DC converter component (300) includes an inductor component (10), a semiconductor integrated circuit (310) including a switch circuit (320) connected to the inductor component (10) and a control circuit (330) that controls the switch circuit (320), and a package substrate (350) on which the semiconductor integrated circuit (310) is mounted and which has a mounting surface that faces another substrate when the inductor component (10) is mounted on the other substrate. The inductor component (10) has multiple inductor wirings extending parallel to the main surface inside the element body. The number of turns in the inductor wirings is all 0.5 turns or less, and the dimension of the inductor component (10) in the thickness direction (Td) is 0.25 millimeters or less.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to DC / DC converter components. [Background technology]

[0002] The DC / DC converter component described in Patent Document 1 includes an inductor component and a semiconductor integrated circuit. The semiconductor integrated circuit includes a switch circuit that switches the supply of current to the inductor component, and a control circuit that controls the switch circuit. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2018-007357 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In a DC / DC converter component such as that described in Patent Document 1, a semiconductor integrated circuit may be attached to a package substrate. The package substrate is further attached to a motherboard of an electronic device.

[0005] In DC / DC converter components such as those described in Patent Document 1, the inductor component is relatively large in size in order to obtain the desired inductance. Therefore, the inductor component needs to be mounted on the motherboard separately from the package substrate. Therefore, conventional DC / DC converter components require an area on the motherboard for mounting the inductor component in addition to the package substrate. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides an inductor component comprising: an inductor component; a semiconductor integrated circuit including a switch circuit connected to the inductor component and a control circuit controlling the switch circuit; and a package substrate on which the semiconductor integrated circuit is mounted and having a mounting surface that faces another substrate when mounted on the other substrate, wherein the inductor component includes a magnetic layer made of a magnetic material and has an element body having a main surface parallel to the mounting surface, a plurality of inductor wirings extending parallel to the main surface inside the element body, and vertical wirings extending from the inductor wirings in a thickness direction perpendicular to the main surface and exposed from the main surface, wherein the number of turns of the inductor wirings is all 0.5 turns or less, and the dimension of the inductor component in the thickness direction is 0.25 millimeters or less. Effect of the Invention

[0007] The area required for mounting DC / DC converter components can be reduced. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram of an electronic device including a DC / DC converter component according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a transparent top view of an inductor component. [Figure 4] 4 is a cross-sectional view of the inductor component taken along line 4-4 in FIG. 3. [Diagram 5] 5 is a cross-sectional view of the inductor component taken along line 5-5 in FIG. 3. [Figure 6] 6 is a cross-sectional view of the inductor component taken along line 6-6 in FIG. 3. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a side view showing a first side surface of the inductor component. [Figure 8] 5A to 5C are explanatory diagrams of a manufacturing method of an inductor component. [Figure 9] 5A to 5C are explanatory diagrams of a manufacturing method of an inductor component. [Figure 10] 5A to 5C are explanatory diagrams of a manufacturing method of an inductor component. [Figure 11]5A to 5C are explanatory diagrams of a manufacturing method of an inductor component. [Figure 12] 5A to 5C are explanatory diagrams of a manufacturing method of an inductor component. [Figure 13] 5A to 5C are explanatory diagrams of a manufacturing method of an inductor component. [Figure 14] 5A to 5C are explanatory diagrams of a manufacturing method of an inductor component. [Figure 15] 5A to 5C are explanatory diagrams of a manufacturing method of an inductor component. [Figure 16] 5A to 5C are explanatory diagrams of a manufacturing method of an inductor component. [Figure 17] 5A to 5C are explanatory diagrams of a manufacturing method of an inductor component. [Figure 18] 5A to 5C are explanatory diagrams of a manufacturing method of an inductor component. [Figure 19] 5A to 5C are explanatory diagrams of a manufacturing method of an inductor component. [Figure 20] 5A to 5C are explanatory diagrams of a manufacturing method of an inductor component. [Figure 21] 5A to 5C are explanatory diagrams of a manufacturing method of an inductor component. [Figure 22] 1 is a schematic diagram of an electronic device including a DC / DC converter component according to an embodiment. [Figure 23] 1 is a schematic diagram of an electronic device including a DC / DC converter component according to an embodiment. [Figure 24] 3A to 3C are explanatory diagrams illustrating operation states of the DC / DC converter components according to the embodiment. [Diagram 25] 3A to 3C are explanatory diagrams illustrating operation states of the DC / DC converter components according to the embodiment. [Figure 26] 3A to 3C are explanatory diagrams illustrating operation states of the DC / DC converter components according to the embodiment. [Figure 27] 3A to 3C are explanatory diagrams illustrating operation states of the DC / DC converter components according to the embodiment. [Figure 28] FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram of an electronic device including a DC / DC converter component according to a modified example. [Figure 29] FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram of an electronic device including a DC / DC converter component according to a modified example. [Diagram 30] FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram of an electronic device including a DC / DC converter component according to a modified example. [Diagram 31] FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram of an electronic device including a DC / DC converter component according to a modified example. [Diagram 32] FIG. 13 is a transparent top view of an inductor component according to a modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Hereinafter, an embodiment of a DC / DC converter component will be described. Note that the drawings may show components enlarged for ease of understanding. The dimensional ratios of the components may differ from those in the actual drawings or from those in other drawings.

[0010] First, the circuit configuration of an electronic device including a DC / DC converter component will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, the electronic device 200 includes a power supply 210 that applies a DC voltage. A low potential terminal of the power supply 210 is connected to the ground. A high potential terminal of the power supply 210 is connected to an input terminal 301 of a DC / DC converter component 300. A power supply voltage is input to the input terminal 301. The DC / DC converter component 300 steps down the input DC voltage and outputs it. That is, the DC / DC converter component 300 is a component that constitutes a step-down converter. A capacitor 400 for smoothing the voltage is connected to the output side of the DC / DC converter component 300. A microprocessor 500 as a load is connected in parallel to the capacitor 400 to an output terminal 302 of the DC / DC converter component 300. The microprocessor 500 and the capacitor 400 are connected to the ground.

[0011] The DC / DC converter component 300 includes a first switching element 321 and a second switching element 322. A first end of the first switching element 321 is connected to a first terminal portion 80A of the inductor component 10. A second end of the first switching element 321 is connected to an input terminal 301. A first end of the second switching element 322 is connected to a second terminal portion 80B of the inductor component 10. A second end of the second switching element 322 is connected to the input terminal 301. That is, the first switching element 321 and the second switching element 322 are connected in parallel to the power source 210.

[0012] A first end of the third switching element 323 is connected to the third terminal portion 80C of the inductor component 10. A second end of the third switching element 323 is connected to the capacitor 400 and the microprocessor 500.

[0013] When a node between a first end of the first switching element 321 and the first terminal portion 80A of the inductor component 10 is defined as a node N1, a first end of the fourth switching element 324 is connected to the node N1. A second end of the fourth switching element 324 is connected to a node N2 between the third switching element 323 and the capacitor 400.

[0014] The DC / DC converter component 300 includes a fifth switching element 325. A first terminal of the fifth switching element 325 is connected between a first terminal of the first switching element 321 and the first terminal unit 80A. A second terminal of the fifth switching element 325 is connected to the ground via a first ground terminal 303 for grounding. Note that "grounding" refers to a connection to the ground that is a reference potential, and is not limited to a connection to the earth.

[0015] The DC / DC converter component 300 includes a sixth switching element 326. A first terminal of the sixth switching element 326 is connected between a first terminal of the second switching element 322 and the second terminal portion 80B. A second terminal of the sixth switching element 326 is connected to ground via a second ground terminal 304 for grounding.

[0016] Each of the switching elements 321-326 is, for example, a field effect transistor. The on / off state of each of the switching elements 321-326 is controlled by a control circuit 330. A current value detected by an ammeter 340 that detects a direct current flowing through the microprocessor 500, which is a load, is input to the control circuit 330. The control circuit 330 switches the on / off state of each of the switching elements 321-326 by sending signals MS1-MS6 indicating the on / off state to each of the switching elements 321-326 based on the input current value.

[0017] When the DC / DC converter component 300 is functioning, either one of the first switching element 321 and the second switching element 322 is repeatedly switched on and off. Or, when the DC / DC converter component 300 is functioning, the first switching element 321 and the second switching element 322 are repeatedly switched on and off in synchronization with each other. Also, at this time, the fifth switching element 325 is turned on and off in a complementary manner with the first switching element 321 that is repeatedly switched on and off. Similarly, at this time, the sixth switching element 326 is turned on and off in a complementary manner with the second switching element 322 that is repeatedly switched on and off. Therefore, when the first switching element 321 is off, the first terminal unit 80A is connected to the first ground terminal 303 for grounding the DC / DC converter component 300. Similarly, when the second switching element 322 is off, the second terminal unit 80B is connected to the second ground terminal 304 for grounding the DC / DC converter component 300.

[0018] Next, the inductor component 10 will be described in detail. 2, the inductor component 10 has an overall structure in which five layers are stacked in the thickness direction Td. In the following description, one side in the thickness direction Td is referred to as the upper side, and the opposite side is referred to as the lower side.

[0019] The first layer L1 is composed of a first inductor wiring 20R, a second inductor wiring 20L, a first support wiring 41, a second support wiring 42, an inner magnetic path portion 51, and an outer magnetic path portion 52.

[0020] The first layer L1 has a rectangular shape when viewed in the thickness direction Td. The direction parallel to the long side of this rectangle is the longitudinal direction Ld, and the direction parallel to the short side is the lateral direction Wd. The first inductor wiring 20R is composed of a first wiring body 21R, a first pad 22R provided at a first end of the first wiring body 21R, and a second pad 23R provided at a second end of the first wiring body 21R. The first wiring body 21R extends linearly in the longitudinal direction Ld of the first layer L1. The first pad 22R is connected to a first end of the first wiring body 21R on the first end side in the longitudinal direction Ld. The first end of the wiring body 21 on the first end side in the longitudinal direction Ld may be larger than the central part of the wiring body 21 in the longitudinal direction Ld.

[0021] The dimension of the first pad 22R in the short-side direction Wd is larger than the dimension of the first wiring body 21R in the short-side direction Wd. The first pad 22R has a substantially square shape when viewed in the thickness direction Td.

[0022] A second pad 23R is connected to a second end portion of the first wiring body 21R on the second end side in the longitudinal direction Ld. The second end portion of the wiring body 21 on the second end side in the longitudinal direction Ld may be larger than the central portion of the wiring body 21 in the longitudinal direction Ld.

[0023] The dimension of the second pad 23R in the short-side direction Wd is larger than the dimension of the first wiring body 21R in the short-side direction Wd. The second pad 23R has a substantially square shape like the first pad 22R when viewed in the thickness direction Td. The first inductor wiring 20R is disposed closer to the second end side of the first layer L1 in the short-side direction Wd.

[0024] The second inductor wiring 20L is composed of a second wiring body 21L, a first pad 22L provided at a first end of the second wiring body 21L, and a second pad 23R provided at a second end of the second wiring body 21L.

[0025] The second wiring main body 21L has two straight portions and a portion connecting them, and extends overall in an L-shape. Specifically, the second wiring main body 21L is made up of a long straight portion 31 extending in the longitudinal direction Ld, a short straight portion 32 extending in the lateral direction Wd, and a connection portion 33 connecting them.

[0026] As shown in FIG. 3, when a straight line passing through the center of the first layer L1 in the short-side direction Wd and extending in the longitudinal direction Ld is taken as an axis of symmetry AX, the long straight portion 31 is disposed at a position symmetrical to the first wiring body 21R with respect to the axis of symmetry AX. The length of the long straight portion 31 in the longitudinal direction Ld is slightly longer than the length of the first wiring body 21R in the longitudinal direction Ld. The dimension of the long straight portion 31 in the short-side direction Wd is equal to the dimension of the first wiring body 21R in the short-side direction Wd. A first end of the long straight portion 31 on the first end side in the longitudinal direction Ld is connected to the first pad 22R. An end of the long straight portion 31 on the second end side in the longitudinal direction Ld is connected to a first end of the connection portion 33.

[0027] Of the connection portion 33, an end not connected to the long straight portion 31 faces the second end side in the short side direction Wd. That is, the connection portion 33 is curved at 90 degrees from the first end side in the longitudinal direction Ld toward the second end side in the short side direction Wd in the second wiring main body 21L.

[0028] An end of the connecting portion 33 facing the second end side in the short direction Wd is connected to the short straight portion 32. Note that a second end portion on the second end side in the short direction Wd of the short straight portion 32 may be larger and wider than a central portion of the short straight portion 32 in the short direction Wd.

[0029] The dimension of the short straight portion 32 in the longitudinal direction Ld is equal to the dimension of the long straight portion 31 in the lateral direction Wd. An end of the short straight portion 32 facing the second end side in the lateral direction Wd is connected to the second pad 23R connected to the first wiring body 21R. That is, the second pad 23R of the first inductor wiring 20R is the same pad as the second pad 23R of the second inductor wiring 20L. The two inductor wirings 20 are present on the same plane. That is, the two inductor wirings 20 are connected inside the inductor component 10.

[0030] The number of turns of the second inductor wiring 20L is determined based on a virtual vector. The starting point of the virtual vector is disposed on the central axis C2 that passes through the center of the wiring width of the second wiring main body 21L and extends in the extension direction of the second wiring main body 21L. The number of turns of the virtual vector is determined as 1.0 turn when the angle of the virtual vector rotated is 360 degrees when the starting point of the second wiring main body 21L is moved from the state in which it is disposed at the first end to the second end of the central axis C2 when viewed from the thickness direction Td. However, when the virtual vector is wound multiple times, the number of turns is increased when the winding is in the same direction continuously. When the virtual vector is wound in a direction different from the direction of the previous winding, the number of turns is counted from 0 again. For example, when the virtual vector is wound 180 degrees clockwise and then 180 degrees counterclockwise, the number of turns is 0.5. Therefore, when the virtual vector is wound 180 degrees, the number of turns is 0.5. In this embodiment, the direction of a virtual vector virtually arranged on the second wiring main body 21L is rotated by 90 degrees at the connection portion 33. Therefore, the number of turns of the second wiring main body 21L is 0.25 turns. The central axis C2 of the second wiring main body 21L is a line that traces the midpoint of the second wiring main body 21L in a direction perpendicular to the extension direction of the second wiring main body 21L. In other words, the central axis C2 of the second wiring main body 21L is substantially L-shaped when viewed from the thickness direction Td.

[0031] 3, a first pad 22L is connected to an end of the long straight portion 31 of the second wiring body 21L on the first end side in the longitudinal direction Ld. The first pad 22L has the same shape as the first pad 22R connected to the first wiring body 21R. That is, the first pad 22L is substantially square when viewed from the thickness direction Td. The first pad 22L is disposed line-symmetrically to the first pad 22R connected to the first wiring body 21R with respect to the axis of symmetry AX.

[0032] In the first layer L1, the first support wire 41 extends from the opposite side of the first wiring body 21R across the first pad 22R. That is, the first support wire 41 extends from the edge of the first pad 22R on the first end side in the longitudinal direction Ld. The first support wire 41 extends linearly in parallel to the longitudinal direction Ld. The first support wire 41 extends to the first side surface 91 on the first end side of the first layer L1 in the longitudinal direction Ld, and is exposed on the first side surface 91. Similarly, in the first layer L1, the first support wire 41 also extends from the opposite side of the second wiring body 21L across the first pad 22L.

[0033] In the first layer L1, the second support wiring 42 extends from the opposite side of the first wiring body 21R across the second pad 23R. That is, the second support wiring 42 extends from the edge of the second pad 23R on the second end side in the longitudinal direction Ld. The second support wiring 42 extends linearly parallel to the longitudinal direction Ld. The second support wiring 42 extends to the second side surface 92 on the second end side in the longitudinal direction Ld of the first layer L1 and is exposed on the second side surface 92. Note that in this embodiment, no support wiring is provided on the opposite side of the short linear portion 32 of the second wiring body 21L across the second pad 23R.

[0034] The first inductor wiring 20R and the second inductor wiring 20L are made of a conductive material. In this embodiment, the composition of the first inductor wiring 20R and the second inductor wiring 20L may be such that the copper ratio is 99 wt% or more and the sulfur ratio is 0.1 wt% or more and 1.0 wt% or less.

[0035] The first support wiring 41 and the second support wiring 42 are made of the same conductive material as the first inductor wiring 20R and the second inductor wiring 20L. However, a portion of the first support wiring 41, including an exposed surface 41A exposed to the first side surface 91, is made of Cu oxide. Similarly, a portion of the second support wiring 42, including an exposed surface 42A exposed to the second side surface 92, is made of Cu oxide.

[0036] As shown in Fig. 2, in the first layer L1, the region between the first inductor wiring 20R and the second inductor wiring 20L is the inner magnetic path section 51. The material of the inner magnetic path section 51 is a magnetic material. Specifically, the material of the inner magnetic path section 51 is an organic resin containing metal magnetic powder made of an iron-silica alloy or an amorphous alloy thereof. The metal magnetic powder is an alloy containing iron, and the average particle diameter of the metal magnetic powder can be about 5 micrometers.

[0037] In this embodiment, the particle diameter of the metal magnetic powder is the longest length of line segments that can be drawn from edge to edge of the cross-sectional shape of the metal magnetic powder appearing in a cross section of the inner magnetic path portion 51. And the average particle diameter is the average of particle diameters of the metal magnetic powder at three or more random points among the metal magnetic powder appearing in a cross section of the inner magnetic path portion 51.

[0038] In the first layer L1, when viewed in the thickness direction Td, a region on the second end side in the short-side direction Wd of the first inductor wiring 20R and a region on the first end side in the short-side direction Wd of the second inductor wiring 20L form an outer magnetic path portion 52. The material of the outer magnetic path portion 52 is the same magnetic material as that of the inner magnetic path portion 51.

[0039] In this embodiment, the dimension in the thickness direction Td of the first layer L1, that is, the dimensions in the thickness direction Td of the inductor wiring 20, the first support wiring 41, and the second support wiring 42 can be approximately 40 micrometers.

[0040] A second layer L2 having the same rectangular shape as the first layer L1 when viewed in the thickness direction Td is laminated on the lower surface of the first layer L1 in the thickness direction Td. The second layer L2 is composed of two insulating resins 61 and an insulating resin magnetic layer 53.

[0041] The insulating resin 61 covers the first inductor wiring 20R, the second inductor wiring 20L, the first support wiring 41, and the second support wiring 42 from the lower side in the thickness direction Td. When viewed from the thickness direction Td, the insulating resin 61 is shaped to cover an area slightly wider than the outer edges of the first inductor wiring 20R, the second inductor wiring 20L, the first support wiring 41, and the second support wiring 42. As a result, one of the insulating resins 61 is in the form of a straight strip. The other insulating resin 61 is in the form of a strip extending in a substantially L-shape. The material of the insulating resin 61 is an insulating resin, and in this embodiment, for example, a polyimide resin can be used. The insulating resin 61 has higher insulation than the inductor wiring 20. Two insulating resins 61 are provided side by side in the short-side direction Wd in accordance with the number and arrangement of the inductor wirings 20, and are connected to each other at their ends.

[0042] In the second layer L2, the portion other than the two insulating resins 61 constitutes the insulating resin magnetic layer 53. The insulating resin magnetic layer 53 is made of the same magnetic material as the inner magnetic path portion 51 and the outer magnetic path portion 52 described above.

[0043] A third layer L3 having the same rectangular shape as the second layer L2 when viewed from the thickness direction Td is laminated on the lower surface, which is the lower surface of the second layer L2 in the thickness direction Td. The third layer L3 serves as a first magnetic layer 54. Therefore, the first magnetic layer 54 is disposed below the inductor wiring 20. The material of the first magnetic layer 54 is an organic resin containing the same metal magnetic powder as the inner magnetic path portion 51, the outer magnetic path portion 52, and the insulating resin magnetic layer 53 described above.

[0044] On the other hand, a fourth layer L4 having the same rectangular shape as the first layer L1 when viewed from the thickness direction Td is laminated on the upper surface, which is the upper surface of the first layer L1 in the thickness direction Td. The fourth layer L4 is composed of two first vertical wirings 71, one second vertical wiring 72, and a second magnetic layer 55.

[0045] The first vertical wiring 71 is directly connected to the upper surface of the first pad 22R of the first inductor wiring 20R without going through another layer. That is, the first pad 22R is connected to the first vertical wiring 71, the first end of the first wiring body 21R, and the first support wiring 41. Similarly, another first vertical wiring 71 is directly connected to the upper surface of the first pad 22L of the second inductor wiring 20L without going through another layer. That is, the first vertical wiring 71, the first end of the second wiring body 21L, and the first support wiring 41 are connected to the first pad 22L. The two first vertical wirings 71 are arranged at positions that are line-symmetrical with respect to the axis of symmetry AX. The material of the first vertical wiring 71 is the same as that of the first inductor wiring 20R and the second inductor wiring 20L. The first vertical wiring 71 is in the shape of a regular square prism, and the axis direction of the regular square prism coincides with the thickness direction Td.

[0046] 3, when viewed from the thickness direction Td, the dimensions of each side of the square-shaped first vertical wiring 71 are slightly smaller than the dimensions of each side of the square-shaped first pad 22R. Therefore, the area of ​​the first pad 22R is larger than the area of ​​the first vertical wiring 71 at the connection point with the first pad 22R. Note that, when viewed from above in the thickness direction Td, the central axis CV1 of the first vertical wiring 71 coincides with the geometric center of the substantially square-shaped first pad 22R. Two first vertical wirings 71 are provided corresponding to the number of the first pads 22R.

[0047] 2, the second vertical wiring 72 is directly connected to the upper surface of the second pad 23R of the first inductor wiring 20R without passing through another layer. That is, the second pad 23R is connected to the second vertical wiring 72, the second end of the first wiring body 21R, the second end of the second wiring body 21L, and the second support wiring 42. The material of the second vertical wiring 72 is the same as that of the first inductor wiring 20R. The second vertical wiring 72 is in the shape of a regular square prism, and the axis direction of the regular square prism coincides with the thickness direction Td.

[0048] 3, when viewed from the thickness direction Td, the dimensions of each side of the square-shaped second vertical wiring 72 are slightly smaller than the dimensions of each side of the square-shaped second pad 23R. Therefore, the area of ​​the second pad 23R is larger than the area of ​​the second vertical wiring 72 at the connection point with the second pad 23R. Note that, when viewed from above in the thickness direction Td, the central axis CV2 of the second vertical wiring 72 coincides with the geometric center of the approximately square-shaped second pad 23R. One second vertical wiring 72 is provided corresponding to the number of second pads 23R.

[0049] 2, in the fourth layer L4, a portion other than the two first vertical wirings 71 and the two second vertical wirings 72 is the second magnetic layer 55. Therefore, the second magnetic layer 55 is laminated on the upper surfaces of the inductor wirings 20 and the support wirings 41, 42. That is, the support wirings 41, 42 are in direct contact with the second magnetic layer 55. The material of the second magnetic layer 55 is the same magnetic material as that of the first magnetic layer 54 described above.

[0050] In the inductor component 10, the magnetic layer 50 is configured by the inner magnetic path portion 51, the outer magnetic path portion 52, the insulating resin magnetic layer 53, the first magnetic layer 54, and the second magnetic layer 55. The inner magnetic path portion 51, the outer magnetic path portion 52, the insulating resin magnetic layer 53, the first magnetic layer 54, and the second magnetic layer 55 are connected to each other and surround the first inductor wiring 20R and the second inductor wiring 20L. In this manner, the magnetic layer 50 configures a closed magnetic path for the first inductor wiring 20R and the second inductor wiring 20L. Therefore, the first inductor wiring 20R and the second inductor wiring 20L extend inside the magnetic layer 50. Note that the inner magnetic path portion 51, the outer magnetic path portion 52, the insulating resin magnetic layer 53, the first magnetic layer 54, and the second magnetic layer 55 are illustrated separately, but they may be integrated as the magnetic layer 50 and the boundaries may not be visible.

[0051] A fifth layer L5 having the same rectangular shape as the fourth layer L4 when viewed from the thickness direction Td is laminated on the upper surface, which is the upper surface of the fourth layer L4 in the thickness direction Td. The fifth layer L5 is composed of four terminal parts 80 and an insulating layer 90. Two of the four terminal parts 80 are first external terminals 81 electrically connected to the first vertical wiring 71. One of the four terminal parts 80 is a second external terminal 82 electrically connected to the second vertical wiring 72. Of the four terminal parts 80, the remaining one, excluding the first external terminal 81 and the second external terminal 82, is a dummy part 83 that is not electrically connected to either the first inductor wiring 20R or the second inductor wiring 20L.

[0052] 3, when a virtual line BX is drawn through the center of the fifth layer L5 in the longitudinal direction Ld and parallel to the short-side direction Wd, the point on the top surface of the fifth layer L5 where the axis of symmetry AX intersects with the virtual line BX is the geometric center G of the fifth layer L5. The four terminal portions 80 are disposed at positions that are dyad-symmetric with respect to the geometric center G of the fifth layer L5 when viewed from the thickness direction Td.

[0053] The first external terminal 81 is directly connected to the upper surface of the first vertical wiring 71 without going through another layer. The first external terminal 81 has a rectangular shape when viewed from the thickness direction Td, and is also located on the second magnetic layer 55. The area where the first external terminal 81 is in contact with the first vertical wiring 71 is half or less of the entire area of ​​the first external terminal 81. The long side of the rectangle of the first external terminal 81 extends parallel to the longitudinal direction Ld of the fifth layer L5, and the short side extends parallel to the lateral direction Wd of the fifth layer L5. Two first external terminals 81 are provided corresponding to the number of the first vertical wirings 71.

[0054] The second external terminal 82 is directly connected to the upper surface of the second vertical wiring 72 without any other layer therebetween. The area where the second external terminal 82 is in contact with the second vertical wiring 72 is half or less of the entire area of ​​the second external terminal 82. The second external terminal 82 has a rectangular shape when viewed from the thickness direction Td, and is also located on the second magnetic layer 55. The long sides of the rectangle of the second external terminal 82 extend parallel to the longitudinal direction Ld of the fifth layer L5, and the short sides extend parallel to the lateral direction Wd of the fifth layer L5.

[0055] As shown in FIG. 2, one of the four terminal parts 80 is a dummy part 83. As shown in FIG. 4, the dummy part 83 is directly connected to the upper surface of the second magnetic layer 55 of the fourth layer L4 without any other layer. As shown in FIG. 3, the dummy part 83 has a different shape from the first external terminal 81 and the second external terminal 82 when viewed from the thickness direction Td. In this embodiment, the dummy part 83 has an elliptical shape when viewed from the thickness direction Td. On the other hand, the shape of the dummy part 83 is not limited thereto, and may be, for example, a rectangular shape or a circular shape different from the first external terminal 81 and the second external terminal 82. The long axis of the ellipse of the dummy part 83 extends parallel to the longitudinal direction Ld of the fifth layer L5, and the short axis extends parallel to the lateral direction Wd of the fifth layer L5.

[0056] When viewed from the thickness direction Td, most of the dummy portion 83 overlaps with the second inductor wiring 20L. More specifically, when viewed from the thickness direction Td, the dummy portion 83 is disposed at a position where it overlaps with the connection portion 33 of the second inductor wiring 20L. When viewed from the thickness direction Td, the area of ​​the dummy portion 83 is the same as the areas of the first external terminal 81 and the second external terminal 82. Note that in this embodiment, "the same area" allows for manufacturing errors. Therefore, if the difference in area between the dummy portion 83 and the first external terminal 81 and the second external terminal 82 is within ±10%, they can be considered to be the same area.

[0057] The four terminal parts 80 are composed of multiple conductive layers. Specifically, they have a three-layer structure of copper, nickel, and gold. When viewed from the thickness direction Td, the second magnetic layer 55 and the first vertical wiring 71 provided on the lower side in the thickness direction Td may be visible through the first external terminal 81. The region through which the first vertical wiring 71 is visible through the first external terminal 81 is less than half of the first external terminal 81 when viewed from the thickness direction Td.

[0058] Similarly, the second magnetic layer 55 and the second vertical wiring 72 provided on the lower side in the thickness direction Td may be visible through the second external terminal 82. The region through which the second vertical wiring 72 is visible from the second external terminal 82 is equal to or less than half of the second external terminal 82 when viewed from the thickness direction Td.

[0059] In the dummy portion 83, the second magnetic layer 55 provided on the lower side in the thickness direction Td may be seen through. On the other hand, the area of ​​the second magnetic layer 55 seen through the first external terminal 81 is more than half of the area of ​​the first external terminal 81. The area of ​​the second magnetic layer 55 seen through the second external terminal 82 is more than half of the area of ​​the second external terminal 82. That is, when viewed from the thickness direction Td, the entire dummy portion 83 and more than half of the areas of the first external terminal 81 and the second external terminal 82 are optically the same color. Here, the same color is regarded as the same color when the difference in the numerical values ​​indicating RGB is within a predetermined range when a color difference meter is used. The predetermined range is, for example, 10%.

[0060] In the fifth layer L5, the portion other than the terminal portion 80 is the insulating layer 90. In other words, the area of ​​the upper surface of the fourth layer L4 that is not covered by the two first external terminals 81, the one second external terminal 82, and the one dummy portion 83 is covered by the insulating layer 90 of the fifth layer L5. In addition, when viewed from the thickness direction Td, the outer edge of the terminal portion 80 is in contact with the insulating layer 90. The insulating layer 90 has higher insulating properties than the magnetic layer 50, and in this embodiment, the insulating layer 90 is a solder resist. The dimension of the insulating layer 90 in the thickness direction Td is smaller than any dimension of the terminal portion 80 in the thickness direction Td.

[0061] In this embodiment, the element body BD is composed of the magnetic layer 50, the insulating resin 61, and the insulating layer 90. That is, the element body BD has a rectangular shape when viewed in the thickness direction Td. In this embodiment, the dimension of the element body BD in the thickness direction can be, for example, about 0.2 millimeters. The element body BD is a portion of the inductor component 10 excluding the conductive wiring and terminals, and is an insulating portion. As described above, the shape of the element body BD is a rectangular parallelepiped, excluding partially protruding members. If the shape of the element body BD is a rectangular parallelepiped, the laminated portion is included in the element body BD.

[0062] Of the surface of the element body BD, the upper surface of the insulating layer 90 in the thickness direction Td is the main surface MF. Therefore, the inductor wiring 20 extends parallel to the main surface MF of the element body BD. A first vertical wiring 71 extends in the thickness direction Td from the first pad 22R and the first pad 22L of the inductor wiring 20 toward the main surface MF. The first vertical wiring 71 is exposed from the main surface MF. A second vertical wiring 72 extends in the thickness direction Td from the second pad 23R of the inductor wiring 20 toward the main surface MF. The second vertical wiring 72 is exposed from the main surface MF. Note that, as in this embodiment, at least a part of the surfaces of the first vertical wiring 71 and the second vertical wiring 72 exposed from the main surface MF may be covered by the first external terminal 81 and the second external terminal 82.

[0063] The terminal portion 80 is exposed on the upper side in the thickness direction Td at the main surface MF. When viewed from the thickness direction Td, the outer edge of the terminal portion 80 is disposed within the range of the main surface MF. That is, among the surfaces of the element body BD, the first external terminals 81, the second external terminals 82 and the dummy portion 83 are exposed to the outside of the element body BD only at the main surface MF.

[0064] The element body BD has a first side surface 93 perpendicular to the main surface MF. The first side surface 91 of the first layer L1 is part of the first side surface 93 of the element body BD. The element body BD has a second side surface 94 perpendicular to the main surface MF and parallel to the first side surface 93. The second side surface 92 of the first layer L1 is part of the second side surface 94 of the element body BD. That is, the first support wiring 41 extends from the inductor wiring 20 parallel to the main surface MF, and an end portion is exposed to the first side surface 93 of the element body BD. Similarly, the second support wiring 42 extends from the inductor wiring 20 parallel to the main surface MF, and an end portion is exposed to the second side surface 94 of the element body BD.

[0065] In this embodiment, the geometric center G of the fifth layer L5 coincides with the geometric center of the main surface MF. When viewed from the thickness direction Td, the geometric center of the main surface MF coincides with the geometric center of the element body BD.

[0066] 3, the main surface MF is virtually divided into a first region and a second region by a virtual straight line BX that passes through the geometric center G of the main surface MF and is parallel to one side of the main surface MF in the short direction Wd. When the first region is defined as a region on the first end side of the virtual straight line BX in the longitudinal direction Ld, no dummy portions 83 are provided in the first region. When the second region is defined as a region on the second end side of the virtual straight line BX in the longitudinal direction Ld, the second region is defined as having dummy portions 83 in the same number as the number of second external terminals 82 provided in the second region.

[0067] Next, each wiring will be described in detail. 3, when viewed from the thickness direction Td, the central axis C1 of the first wiring body 21R extends in the longitudinal direction Ld. The central axis C1 of the first wiring body 21R is a line that traces the midpoint of the first wiring body 21R in a direction perpendicular to the extension direction of the first wiring body 21R, i.e., in the lateral direction Wd. The line width of each wiring body 21, i.e., the dimension in the lateral direction Wd, is 50 micrometers.

[0068] As described above, the central axis C2 of the second wiring main body 21L of the second inductor wiring 20L extends in a substantially L-shape. Here, the wiring length of the long straight portion 31 of the second wiring main body 21L is longer than the wiring length of the first wiring main body 21R. In addition, the second wiring main body 21L has a connection portion 33 and a short straight portion 32. Therefore, the wiring length of the second wiring main body 21L is longer than the wiring length of the first wiring main body 21R. Specifically, the wiring length of the second wiring main body 21L is 1.2 times or more the wiring length of the first wiring main body 21R.

[0069] Reflecting the difference in wiring length, the inductance value of the second inductor wiring 20L is 10% or more larger than the inductance value of the first inductor wiring 20R. Specifically, for example, the inductance value of the second inductor wiring 20L is 3.3 nH. Also, for example, the inductance value of the first inductor wiring 20R is 2.5 nH. Furthermore, the DC electrical resistance of each inductor wiring 20 is 1 mΩ or more and 25 mΩ or less. In this embodiment, the inductance value of the first inductor wiring 20R is the smallest among the inductance values ​​of the multiple inductor wirings 20.

[0070] The first wiring body 21R of the first inductor wiring 20R extends along one side of the outer edge of the element body BD in the longitudinal direction Ld. When viewed in the thickness direction Td, the first pad 22L and the second pad 23R of the second inductor wiring 20L are disposed at positions symmetrical with respect to the geometric center of the element body BD. In this embodiment, the first pad 22L and the second pad 23R of the second inductor wiring 20L are disposed at positions dyad-symmetrical with respect to the geometric center G.

[0071] The first inductor wiring 20R has a parallel portion extending parallel to the second inductor wiring 20L. Specifically, the first wiring main body 21R and the long straight portion 31 of the second wiring main body 21L correspond to the parallel portion. The first wiring main body 21R and the long straight portion 31 are arranged side by side in the short direction Wd on the first layer L1. Note that the parallel portion only needs to be substantially parallel, allowing for manufacturing errors.

[0072] In the following description, the distance between the central axis C1 of the first wiring body 21R in the short-side direction Wd and the central axis C2 of the long straight portion 31 of the second wiring body 21L is defined as the pitch X1 between the wiring bodies. The pitch between the wiring bodies is the pitch between adjacent parallel portions. The interval between the parallel portions of adjacent inductor wiring, i.e., the distance between the first end side in the short-side direction Wd of the first wiring body 21R and the second end side in the short-side direction Wd of the long straight portion 31 of the second wiring body 21L in FIG. 22, is, for example, approximately 200 micrometers.

[0073] 3, the distance from the central axis C1 of the first wiring body 21R to the end of the element in the short direction Wd that is closest to the first wiring body 21R, i.e., the end on the second end side, is defined as a first distance Y1. The distance from the central axis C2 of the long straight portion 31, which is a parallel portion of the second inductor wiring 20L, to the end of the element BD in the short direction Wd that is closest to the long straight portion 31, i.e., the end on the first end side, is defined as a second distance Y2. In this embodiment, the first distance Y1 is the same dimension as the second distance Y2.

[0074] In the short direction Wd, the pitch X1 between the wiring bodies is different in size from the first distance Y1 and the second distance Y2. Specifically, the pitch X1 between the wiring bodies can be approximately "250 micrometers." The first distance Y1 and the second distance Y2 can be approximately "175 micrometers." In this way, it is preferable that the first distance Y1 and the second distance Y2 are slightly larger than half the pitch X1.

[0075] When viewed from the thickness direction Td, the central axis A1 of the first support wiring 41 connected to the first pad 22R of the first inductor wiring 20R extends in the longitudinal direction Ld. The central axis A1 of the first support wiring 41 is located outside the central axis C1 of the first wiring main body 21R in the lateral direction Wd. That is, the extension line of the central axis A1 of the first support wiring 41 connected to the first inductor wiring 20R does not coincide with the central axis C1 of the first wiring main body 21R. Therefore, the central axis A1 of the first support wiring 41 and the central axis C1 of the first wiring main body 21R are located on different straight lines. In addition, the extension line of the central axis A1 of the first support wiring 41 intersects with the central axis CV1 of the first vertical wiring 71.

[0076] The central axis A1 of the first support wiring 41 connected to the first pad 22L of the second inductor wiring 20L extends in the longitudinal direction Ld. The central axis A1 of the first support wiring 41 is located outside the central axis C2 of the second wiring body 21L, more specifically, the central axis C2 of the long straight portion 31, in the lateral direction Wd. That is, the extension line of the central axis A1 of the first support wiring 41 connected to the second inductor wiring 20L does not coincide with the central axis C2 of the second wiring body 21L. Therefore, the central axis A1 of the first support wiring 41 and the central axis C2 of the second wiring body 21L are located on different straight lines. In addition, the extension line of the central axis A1 of the first support wiring 41 intersects with the central axis CV1 of the first vertical wiring 71. The first support wiring 41 connected to the first inductor wiring 20R and the first support wiring 41 connected to the second inductor wiring 20L are arranged in linear symmetry with respect to the axis of symmetry AX.

[0077] Also, when viewed from the thickness direction Td, the central axis A2 of the second support wiring 42 extends in the longitudinal direction Ld. The central axis A2 of the second support wiring 42 is located outside the central axis C1 of the first wiring main body 21R in the short direction Wd. That is, the extension line of the central axis A2 of the second support wiring 42 does not coincide with the central axis C1 of the first wiring main body 21R. Therefore, the central axis A2 of the second support wiring 42 and the central axis C1 of the first wiring main body 21R are located on different straight lines. Also, the second vertical wiring 72 is disposed on the extension line of the central axis A2 of the second support wiring 42. The extension line of the central axis A2 of the second support wiring 42 intersects with the central axis CV2 of the second vertical wiring 72.

[0078] The first support wiring 41 and the second support wiring 42 extending from the first inductor wiring 20R are disposed at the same position in the short-side direction Wd. That is, the central axis A1 of the first support wiring 41 and the central axis A2 of the second support wiring 42 are positioned on the same straight line. In the present application, the first inductor wiring 20R and the second inductor wiring 20L are considered to be on the same straight line if the deviation is within 10% based on the minimum line width of the first inductor wiring 20R and the second inductor wiring 20L. Specifically, the minimum line width of the inductor wiring 20 in this embodiment is 50 micrometers, which is the line width of the first wiring main body 21R and the second wiring main body 21L. Therefore, in this embodiment, "on the same straight line" means that the shortest distance between the two axes is within 5 micrometers, and "on different straight lines" means that the shortest distance between the two axes exceeds 5 micrometers.

[0079] As described above, in the first layer L1, the first support wirings 41 are arranged line-symmetrically with respect to the axis of symmetry AX. Therefore, as shown in Fig. 3, a distance Q1 from the end on the second end side in the short-side direction Wd of the element body BD to the central axis A1 of the first support wiring 41 extending from the first inductor wiring 20R is the same as a distance Q2 from the end on the first end side in the short-side direction Wd of the element body BD to the central axis A1 of the first support wiring 41 extending from the second inductor wiring 20L.

[0080] On the other hand, in the short-side direction Wd, the pitch P1 from the central axis A1 of the first support wiring 41 extending from the first inductor wiring 20R to the central axis A1 of the first support wiring 41 extending from the second inductor wiring 20L is larger than the above-mentioned distance Q1 and distance Q2. Specifically, the pitch P1 is approximately twice as long as the distance Q1 and distance Q2.

[0081] 5, the wiring width H1 in the short-side direction Wd of the first wiring body 21R is equal to the wiring width H2 of the second wiring body 21L. In the present application, the first wiring body 21R and the second wiring body 21L are considered to be equal if the difference in cross-sectional area is within 10%.

[0082] Furthermore, since the first inductor wiring 20R and the second inductor wiring 20L are disposed on the same first layer L1, the dimensions in the thickness direction Td of the first wiring main body 21R and the second wiring main body 21L are also the same. Therefore, the cross-sectional area of ​​the first wiring main body 21R in a cross section perpendicular to the central axis C1 of the first wiring main body 21R is equal to the cross-sectional area of ​​the second wiring main body 21L.

[0083] 5 and 6, the wiring width W1 of the first support wire 41 in the short-side direction Wd is smaller than the wiring width H1 of the first wiring body 21R in the short-side direction Wd. Here, the first support wire 41 and the first wiring body 21R are provided in the same first layer L1, and have approximately the same dimension in the thickness direction Td. Therefore, reflecting the difference in wiring width, the cross-sectional area of ​​each first support wire 41 is smaller than the cross-sectional area of ​​the first wiring body 21R.

[0084] 3 and 6, the wiring width W2 of the second support wiring 42 in the short-side direction Wd is smaller than the wiring width H1 of the first wiring body 21R in the short-side direction Wd. Therefore, reflecting the difference in wiring width, the cross-sectional area of ​​the second support wiring 42 is smaller than the cross-sectional area of ​​the first wiring body 21R.

[0085] As shown in FIG. 7, ends of two first support wires 41 are exposed on a first side surface 93 on the first end side in the longitudinal direction Ld of the element body BD. The shape of the exposed surface 41A of each first support wire 41 exposed on the first side surface 93 is a shape obtained by slightly elongating the cross-sectional shape of the first support wire 41 perpendicular to the central axis A1 in the short direction Wd. As a result, the area of ​​the exposed surface 41A of the first support wire 41 is larger than the cross-sectional area of ​​the first support wire 41 inside the element body BD in the cross section perpendicular to the central axis A1. Similarly, as shown in FIG. 2, the second support wire 42 is exposed on a second side surface 94 on the second end side in the longitudinal direction Ld of the element body BD. The area of ​​the exposed surface 42A of the second support wire 42 exposed on the second side surface 94 is larger than the cross-sectional area of ​​the second support wire 42 inside the element body BD in the cross section perpendicular to the central axis A2. This increases the contact area of ​​the first support wire 41 with the first side surface 93 of the element body BD, and increases the contact area of ​​the second support wire 42 with the second side surface 94 of the element body BD, improving the adhesion between the support wires 41, 42 and the element body BD. As long as the cross-sectional areas satisfy the above relationship, for example, the exposed surface 41A may have a shape that is stretched in one direction while the other side is covered by the stretched portion of the element body BD.

[0086] There are two first support wires 41 exposed on the first side surface 91, and one second support wire 42 exposed on the second side surface 92, so the numbers of exposed support wires are different.

[0087] Next, a method for manufacturing the inductor element 10 will be described. As shown in Fig. 8, a base member preparation step is performed first. Specifically, a plate-shaped base member 101 is prepared. The material of the base member 101 is ceramics. When viewed from the thickness direction Td, the base member 101 has a rectangular shape. The dimensions of each side are such that a plurality of inductor components 10 can be accommodated therein. In the following description, the direction perpendicular to the surface direction of the base member 101 is defined as the thickness direction Td.

[0088] 9, a dummy insulating layer 102 is applied to the entire upper surface of the base member 101. Next, an insulating resin 61 is patterned by photolithography in an area slightly larger than the area in which the first inductor wiring 20R and the second inductor wiring 20L are arranged when viewed from the thickness direction Td.

[0089] Next, a seed layer formation step is performed to form a seed layer 103. Specifically, a copper seed layer 103 is formed on the upper surfaces of the insulating resin 61 and the dummy insulating layer 102 by sputtering from the upper surface side of the base member 101. In the drawings, the seed layer 103 is shown by a thick line.

[0090] Next, as shown in FIG. 10, a first covering step is performed to form a first covering portion 104 that covers a portion of the upper surface of the seed layer 103 where the first inductor wiring 20R, the second inductor wiring 20L, the first support wiring 41, and the second support wiring 42 are not formed. Specifically, a photosensitive dry film resist is first applied to the entire upper surface of the seed layer 103. Next, the entire range of the upper surface of the dummy insulating layer 102 and the upper surface of the outer edge of the range covered by the insulating resin 61 are exposed to light to harden them. Thereafter, the unhardened portion of the applied dry film resist is peeled off and removed by a chemical solution. As a result, the hardened portion of the applied dry film resist is formed as the first covering portion 104. Meanwhile, the seed layer 103 is exposed in the portion of the applied dry film resist that is removed by the chemical solution and is not covered by the first covering portion 104. The thickness of first covering portion 104, which is the dimension in thickness direction Td of first covering portion 104, is slightly larger than the thickness of first inductor wiring 20R and second inductor wiring 20L of inductor component 10 shown in Fig. 5. Note that photolithography in other processes described later is a similar process, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0091] Next, as shown in FIG. 11, a wiring processing step is performed in which the first inductor wiring 20R, the second inductor wiring 20L, the first support wiring 41, and the second support wiring 42 are formed by electrolytic plating on the portion of the upper surface of the insulating resin 61 that is not covered by the first covering portion 104. Specifically, electrolytic copper plating is performed to grow copper from the portion of the upper surface of the insulating resin 61 where the seed layer 103 is exposed. As a result, the first inductor wiring 20R, the second inductor wiring 20L, the first support wiring 41, and the second support wiring 42 are formed. Therefore, in this embodiment, the step of forming the multiple inductor wirings 20 and the step of forming the multiple first support wirings 41 and the second support wiring 42 that connect the pads of different inductor wirings are the same step. Moreover, the inductor wiring 20, the first support wiring 41, and the second support wiring 42 are formed on the same plane. In FIG. 11, the first inductor wiring 20R and the second inductor wiring 20L are shown, but the support wirings 41 and 42 are not shown.

[0092] 12, a second covering step is performed to form the second covering portion 105. The area in which the second covering portion 105 is formed is the entire upper surface of the first covering portion 104, the entire upper surfaces of the support wirings 41, 42, and the areas of the upper surfaces of the first inductor wiring 20R and the second inductor wiring 20L where the first vertical wiring 71 and the second vertical wiring 72 are not formed. The second covering portion 105 is formed in this area by the same photolithography method as that used to form the first covering portion 104. The dimension of the second covering portion 105 in the thickness direction Td is the same as that of the first covering portion 104.

[0093] Next, a vertical wiring processing step is performed to form each vertical wiring. Specifically, the first vertical wiring 71 and the second vertical wiring 72 are formed by electrolytic copper plating in the portion of the first inductor wiring 20R and the second inductor wiring 20L that is not covered by the second covering portion 105. As a result, the first vertical wiring 71 and the second vertical wiring 72 are formed in the thickness direction Td perpendicular to the plane on which the above-mentioned multiple inductor wirings 20, the first support wiring 41, and the second support wiring 42 are formed. In addition, in the vertical wiring processing step, the upper end of the growing copper is set to be slightly lower than the upper surface of the second covering portion 105. Specifically, the dimension of each vertical wiring in the thickness direction Td before cutting, which will be described later, is set to be the same as the dimension of each inductor wiring 20 in the thickness direction Td.

[0094] Next, as shown in Fig. 13, a coating removal step is performed to remove the first coating portion 104 and the second coating portion 105. Specifically, the first coating portion 104 and the second coating portion 105 are wet-etched with a chemical to peel off the first coating portion 104 and the second coating portion 105. Note that in Fig. 13, the first vertical wiring 71 is illustrated, but the second vertical wiring 72 is not illustrated.

[0095] Next, a seed layer etching process is performed to etch the seed layer 103. By etching the seed layer 103, exposed seed layer 103 is removed. In this manner, each inductor wiring 20 and each support wiring 41, 42 are formed by SAP (Semi Additive Process).

[0096] 14, a second magnetic layer processing step is performed in which the inner magnetic path portion 51, the outer magnetic path portion 52, the insulating resin magnetic layer 53, and the second magnetic layer 55 are laminated. Specifically, first, a resin containing magnetic powder, which is the material of the magnetic layer 50, is applied to the upper surface side of the base member 101. At this time, the resin containing magnetic powder is applied so as to cover the upper surfaces of each vertical wiring. Next, the resin containing magnetic powder is hardened by pressing to form the inner magnetic path portion 51, the outer magnetic path portion 52, the insulating resin magnetic layer 53, and the second magnetic layer 55 on the upper surface side of the base member 101.

[0097] 15, the upper portion of the second magnetic layer 55 is removed until the upper surface of each vertical wiring is exposed. Although the inner magnetic path portion 51, the outer magnetic path portion 52, the insulating resin magnetic layer 53, and the second magnetic layer 55 are integrally formed, the inner magnetic path portion 51, the outer magnetic path portion 52, the insulating resin magnetic layer 53, and the second magnetic layer 55 are illustrated separately in the drawings.

[0098] Next, an insulating layer processing step is performed as shown in Fig. 16. Specifically, a solder resist functioning as an insulating layer 90 is patterned by photolithography on the upper surface of the second magnetic layer 55 and the upper surfaces of the vertical wirings in the portions where the terminal portions 80 are not formed. In this embodiment, the direction perpendicular to the upper surface of the insulating layer 90, i.e., the main surface MF of the element body BD, is the thickness direction Td.

[0099] 17, a base member cutting step is performed. Specifically, the base member 101 and the dummy insulating layer 102 are all removed by cutting. As a result of cutting the entire dummy insulating layer 102, the lower portions of the insulating resins are also partially removed by cutting, but the inductor wirings 20 are not removed.

[0100] 18, a first magnetic layer processing step is performed to laminate the first magnetic layer 54. Specifically, first, a resin containing magnetic powder, which is the material of the first magnetic layer 54, is applied to the lower surface of the base member 101. Next, the resin containing magnetic powder is hardened by pressing, thereby forming the first magnetic layer 54 on the lower surface of the base member 101.

[0101] Next, the lower end portion of the first magnetic layer 54 is removed. For example, the lower end portion of the first magnetic layer 54 is removed so that the dimension from the upper surface of each external terminal to the lower surface of the first magnetic layer 54 has a desired value. Next, as shown in FIG. 19, a terminal processing step is performed. Specifically, a first external terminal 81, a second external terminal 82, and a dummy portion 83 are formed on the upper surface of the second magnetic layer 55 and the upper surfaces of the vertical wirings, in the portions not covered with the insulating layer 90. These metal layers are formed by electroless plating for copper, nickel, and gold, respectively. In addition, a catalyst layer such as palladium may be present between the copper and nickel. This forms the first external terminal 81, the second external terminal 82, and the dummy portion 83, which have a three-layer structure. Note that in FIG. 19, the first external terminal 81 is illustrated, and the second external terminal 82 and the dummy portion 83 are not illustrated.

[0102] Next, a singulation process is performed as shown in Fig. 20. Specifically, the substrate is diced along the break lines DL to produce individual pieces. This allows the inductor components 10 to be obtained. In the state before dicing, for example, as shown in FIG. 21, a plurality of inductor components are arranged in parallel in the longitudinal direction Ld and the lateral direction Wd, and the individual inductor components are connected by the element body BD, the first support wiring 41, and the second support wiring 42. Specifically, the first support wirings 41 are connected to each other, and the second support wirings 42 are connected to each other. The first support wirings 41 and the second support wirings 42 included on the break line DL are cut in the thickness direction Td, so that the cut surface of the first support wiring 41 is exposed on the first side surface 93 as the exposed surface 41A. The cut surface of the second support wiring 42 is exposed on the second side surface 94 as the exposed surface 42A. Note that the fifth layer L5 is not shown in FIG. 21.

[0103] After the singulation process, each inductor component 10 is left in the presence of oxygen for a certain period of time, whereby a part of the first support wire 41 including the exposed surface 41A and a part of the second support wire 42 including the exposed surface 42A are oxidized to become Cu oxide.

[0104] Next, the structure of a DC / DC converter component 300 including the above-described inductor component 10 will be described. The DC / DC converter component 300 includes an inductor component 10, a semiconductor integrated circuit 310, and a package substrate 350. In the inductor component 10 configured as described above, the first external terminal 81 connected to the first inductor wiring 20R is connected to a first end of the first switching element 321. That is, the first external terminal 81 connected to the first inductor wiring 20R functions as a first terminal section 80A. The first external terminal 81 connected to the second inductor wiring 20L is connected to a first end of the second switching element 322. That is, the first external terminal 81 connected to the second inductor wiring 20L functions as a second terminal section 80B. And the second external terminal 82 is connected to a first end of the third switching element 323. That is, the second external terminal 82 functions as a third terminal section 80C.

[0105] The semiconductor integrated circuit 310 includes a switch circuit 320 including the switching elements 321-326 described above, the control circuit 330 described above, and an ammeter 340 that detects a direct current flowing through the microprocessor 500. The semiconductor integrated circuit 310 integrates the switch circuit 320, the control circuit 330, the ammeter 340, and their peripheral circuits on a single chip. The semiconductor integrated circuit 310 is a rectangular chip in plan view. The dimensions of the semiconductor integrated circuit 310 in the longitudinal direction Ld and the transverse direction Wd are both larger than the dimensions of the inductor component 10 in the longitudinal direction Ld and the transverse direction Wd.

[0106] 22, the package substrate 350 has a plate shape. Although not shown, the package substrate 350 has a structure in which wiring and terminals are provided inside and on the surface of a base made of an insulating material.

[0107] One surface of the package substrate 350 in the thickness direction Td serves as a mounting surface 351 for another substrate, which in this embodiment is a motherboard 220. A semiconductor integrated circuit 310 is attached to the surface of the package substrate 350 opposite to the mounting surface 351. The package substrate 350 also has an inductor component 10 built in. In this embodiment, the inductor component 10 is entirely embedded inside the package substrate 350. The main surface MF of the inductor component 10 is parallel to the mounting surface 351 of the package substrate 350.

[0108] 23, when viewed in a thickness direction Td orthogonal to mounting surface 351, inductor component 10 is positioned so as to overlap semiconductor integrated circuit 310. Inductor component 10 is disposed such that the entire area of ​​inductor component 10 is located within the range of semiconductor integrated circuit 310 when viewed in the thickness direction Td.

[0109] 22, the DC / DC converter component 300 configured as described above is mounted on the motherboard 220 of the electronic device 200. Specifically, solder 352 for connection to the motherboard 220 is attached to a mounting surface 351 of a package substrate 350 of the DC / DC converter component 300. The package substrate 350 of the DC / DC converter component 300 is fixed to the motherboard 220 via the solder 352, and is also electrically connected to wiring and the like of the motherboard 220.

[0110] Next, a description will be given of the operating state of the DC / DC converter part 300. In this embodiment, a control circuit 330 controls the on / off states of the switching elements 321-326 of the switch circuit 320 according to a current value detected by an ammeter 340, thereby switching the state of the switch circuit 320.

[0111] As shown in FIG. 24, when the current value detected by the ammeter 340 is less than a first predetermined value, the control circuit 330 switches the switch circuit 320 to a first circuit state. In the first circuit state of the switch circuit 320, the first switching element 321 is off, the third switching element 323 is off, and the fourth switching element 324 is on, so that the first inductor wiring 20R and the second inductor wiring 20L are connected in series. Then, the second switching element 322 is repeatedly switched between on and off to control the current flowing through the first inductor wiring 20R and the second inductor wiring 20L connected in series. When the second switching element 322 is on, the second terminal unit 80B is connected to the input terminal 301 with the first terminal unit 80A connected to the output terminal 302. Therefore, the switch circuit 320 is in an on state in which the first inductor wiring 20R and the second inductor wiring 20L connected in series are connected between the input terminal 301 and the output terminal 302. On the other hand, when the second switching element 322 is off, the sixth switching element 326 is on, and so the second terminal unit 80B is connected to the second ground terminal 304. Therefore, the switch circuit 320 is in an off state in which the first inductor wiring 20R and the second inductor wiring 20L connected in series are connected between the second ground terminal 304 and the output terminal 302. In this way, in the first circuit state, the first inductor wiring 20R and the second inductor wiring 20L connected in series are switched between an on state and an off state, thereby stepping down the power supply voltage and supplying it to the load.

[0112] As shown in FIG. 25, when the current value detected by the ammeter 340 is equal to or greater than the first predetermined value and is less than a second predetermined value that is determined in advance as a value greater than the first predetermined value, the control circuit 330 switches the switch circuit 320 to a second circuit state for only the second inductor wiring 20L. In the second circuit state for only the second inductor wiring 20L of the switch circuit 320, the first switching element 321 is off, the third switching element 323 is on, and the fourth switching element 324 is off. Then, the second switching element 322 is repeatedly switched between on and off to control the current flowing through the second inductor wiring 20L. When the second switching element 322 is on, the second terminal unit 80B is connected to the input terminal 301 with the third terminal unit 80C connected to the output terminal 302. Therefore, the switch circuit 320 is in an on state in which only the second inductor wiring 20L is connected between the input terminal 301 and the output terminal 302. On the other hand, when the second switching element 322 is off, the sixth switching element 326 is on, and so the second terminal unit 80B is connected to the second ground terminal 304. Therefore, the switch circuit 320 is in an off state in which only the second inductor wiring 20L is connected between the second ground terminal 304 and the output terminal 302. In this way, in the second circuit state for only the second inductor wiring 20L, only the second inductor wiring 20L is switched between the on state and the off state to step down the power supply voltage and supply it to the load.

[0113] As shown in FIG. 26, when the current value detected by the ammeter 340 is equal to or greater than the second predetermined value and less than a third predetermined value that is determined in advance as a value greater than the second predetermined value, the control circuit 330 switches the switch circuit 320 to a second circuit state for only the first inductor wiring 20R. In the second circuit state for only the first inductor wiring 20R of the switch circuit 320, the second switching element 322 is off, the third switching element 323 is on, and the fourth switching element 324 is off. Then, the on / off state of the first switching element 321 is repeatedly switched to control the current flowing through the first inductor wiring 20R. When the first switching element 321 is on, the first terminal unit 80A is connected to the input terminal 301 with the third terminal unit 80C connected to the output terminal 302. Therefore, the switch circuit 320 is in an on state in which only the first inductor wiring 20R is connected between the input terminal 301 and the output terminal 302. On the other hand, when the first switching element 321 is off, the fifth switching element 325 is on, and so the first terminal unit 80A is connected to the first ground terminal 303. Therefore, the switch circuit 320 is in an off state in which only the first inductor wiring 20R is connected between the first ground terminal 303 and the output terminal 302. In this way, in the second circuit state for only the first inductor wiring 20R, only the first inductor wiring 20R is switched between the on state and the off state to step down the power supply voltage and supply it to the load.

[0114] As shown in FIG. 27, when the current value detected by the ammeter 340 is equal to or greater than the third predetermined value, the control circuit 330 switches the switch circuit 320 to the third circuit state. In the third circuit state of the switch circuit 320, the third switching element 323 is on and the fourth switching element 324 is off. The first switching element 321 and the second switching element 322 are simultaneously switched between on and off. That is, the first inductor wiring 20R and the second inductor wiring 20L are connected in parallel. Therefore, the first switching element 321 and the second switching element 322 are simultaneously repeatedly switched between on and off to control the current flowing through the first inductor wiring 20R and the second inductor wiring 20L connected in parallel. When the first switching element 321 and the second switching element 322 are on, the first terminal unit 80A and the second terminal unit 80B are connected to the input terminal 301 with the third terminal unit 80C connected to the output terminal 302. Therefore, the switch circuit 320 is in an ON state where the first inductor wiring 20R and the second inductor wiring 20L connected in parallel are connected between the input terminal 301 and the output terminal 302. On the other hand, when the first switching element 321 is OFF, the fifth switching element 325 is ON, so the first terminal unit 80A is connected to the first ground terminal 303. Also, when the second switching element 322 is OFF, the sixth switching element 326 is ON, so the second terminal unit 80B is connected to the second ground terminal 304. Therefore, the switch circuit 320 is in an OFF state where the first inductor wiring 20R and the second inductor wiring 20L connected in parallel are connected between the first ground terminal 303 and the output terminal 302, and are connected between the second ground terminal 304 and the output terminal 302. In this way, in the third circuit state, the power supply voltage is stepped down and supplied to the load by switching between the ON state and the OFF state of the first inductor wiring 20R and the second inductor wiring 20L connected in parallel.

[0115] In the case of a step-down converter as in this embodiment, in order to set the output voltage to a desired value, the first switching element 321 and the second switching element 322 drive the input voltage to form a pulse waveform within a duty ratio range between "0" and "1", which is the ratio of the output voltage to the input voltage.

[0116] Next, the operation of the above embodiment will be described. When a current is supplied from the power supply 210 to the inductor component 10, the path length of the inductor wiring 20 through which the current flows varies depending on the state of the switch circuit 320, and therefore the obtainable inductance value varies.

[0117] Specifically, as shown in FIG. 24, when the switch circuit 320 is in the first circuit state, a current is input from the second terminal 80B and output from the first terminal 80A. Thus, in the inductor component 10, a current flows in series through the second wiring main body 21L of the second inductor wiring 20L and the first wiring main body 21R of the first inductor wiring 20R. Therefore, in the first circuit state, the path length of the inductor wiring through which the current flows is the sum of the wiring length of the first wiring main body 21R, the wiring length of the second wiring main body 21L, and the wiring length of the first pad 22L. Therefore, the inductance value that can be obtained in the first circuit state is larger than the inductance value of the first inductor wiring 20R and the inductance value of the second inductor wiring 20L. For example, the inductance value in the first circuit state is approximately 5.5 nH in this embodiment. In addition, the DC electrical resistance in the first circuit state is 50 mΩ or less.

[0118] As shown in FIG. 25, when the switch circuit 320 is in the second circuit state for only the second inductor wiring 20L, the current is input from the second terminal 80B and output from the third terminal 80C. Thus, in the inductor component 10, the current is input to the first external terminal 81 connected to the first pad 22L of the second inductor wiring 20L, and output from the second external terminal 82 connected to the second pad 23R shared by the second inductor wiring 20L and the first inductor wiring 20R. Therefore, in the second circuit state for only the second inductor wiring 20L, the path length of the inductor wiring through which the current flows corresponds to the wiring length of the second inductor wiring 20L. That is, since the wiring length through which the current flows is shorter than that in the first circuit state, the inductance value that can be obtained in the second circuit state for only the second inductor wiring 20L is smaller than the inductance value in the first state. Specifically, the inductance value in the second circuit state for only the second inductor wiring 20L is, for example, 3.3 nH in this embodiment.

[0119] As shown in FIG. 26, when the switch circuit 320 is in the second circuit state with only the first inductor wiring 20R, the current is input from the first terminal 80A and output from the third terminal 80C. Thus, in the inductor component 10, the current is input to the first external terminal 81 connected to the first pad 22R of the first inductor wiring 20R and output from the second external terminal 82 connected to the second pad 23R of the first inductor wiring 20R. Therefore, in the second circuit state with only the first inductor wiring 20R, the path length of the inductor wiring 20 through which the current flows corresponds to the wiring length of the first inductor wiring 20R. As described above, the inductance value of the first inductor wiring 20R is, for example, approximately 2.5 nH. The inductance value of the first inductor wiring 20R is the minimum inductance value obtained in this embodiment. Therefore, the inductance value of the second circuit state with only the second inductor wiring 20L is 1.1 times or more that of the second circuit state with only the first inductor wiring 20R.

[0120] 27, when the switch circuit 320 is in the third circuit state, a current is input from the first terminal 80A and the second terminal 80B, and is output from the third terminal 80C. Thus, in the inductor component 10, a current flows in parallel through the first wiring main body 21R of the first inductor wiring 20R and the second wiring main body 21L of the second inductor wiring 20L. In addition, the phase difference between the first switching element 321 and the second switching element 322 in the third circuit state is 0°.

[0121] Next, the effects of the above embodiment will be described. (1) In the above embodiment, the dimension of the inductor component 10 in the thickness direction Td is approximately 0.2 millimeters. Therefore, even when the inductor component 10 is mounted on the package substrate 350, the dimension of the package substrate 350 on which the inductor component 10 is mounted in the thickness direction Td does not become excessively large. Therefore, the inductor component 10 can be mounted on the package substrate 350 without being mounted on the motherboard 220. Therefore, the DC / DC converter component 300 of the above embodiment requires a small area on the motherboard 220 for mounting.

[0122] (2) In the above embodiment, the inductor component 10 is mounted inside the package substrate 350. Therefore, there is no need to adjust the positional relationship between the semiconductor integrated circuit 310 and the inductor component 10 on the outer surface of the package substrate 350, and the semiconductor integrated circuit 310 can be positioned with a high degree of freedom.

[0123] (3) In the above embodiment, when viewed in the thickness direction Td, the inductor component 10 is disposed so as to overlap the semiconductor integrated circuit 310. Therefore, there is no need to increase the size of the package substrate 350 in the longitudinal direction Ld and the lateral direction Wd.

[0124] (4) In the above embodiment, the inductor component 10 can acquire inductance values ​​in the first circuit state and the second circuit state. Therefore, the inductor component 10 can acquire different inductance values ​​according to the usage situation. Specifically, the switch circuit 320 is controlled so that the inductor component 10 acquires a smaller inductance value as the current flowing through the microprocessor 500, which serves as a load, increases. As a result, the operating efficiency of the DC / DC converter component 300 can be improved.

[0125] (5) In the above embodiment, the inductance value of the third circuit state can be obtained by passing a current through the inductor wiring 20 connected in parallel with one inductor component 10. This makes it possible to widen the range of inductance values ​​that can be achieved by the inductor component 10.

[0126] (6) In the above embodiment, the first magnetic layer 54 and the second magnetic layer 55 are a resin composite containing metal magnetic powder. The metal magnetic powder is an alloy containing iron, and the average particle size of the metal magnetic powder is about 5 micrometers. By using magnetic powder with a small particle size of 10 micrometers or less, it is possible to reduce iron loss by suppressing eddy current loss in the magnetic powder while ensuring magnetic permeability, thereby realizing an inductor component with a high quality factor Q.

[0127] (7) The inductance value of the first inductor wiring 20R is approximately 3 nH, and the inductance value of the second inductor wiring 20L is 3.3 nH. In a converter that performs high-frequency switching operation, in order to suppress ripple current, the inductance value of the inductor wiring is preferably 1 nH or more. Furthermore, if the inductance value of each inductor wiring 20 is 10 nH or more, the followability of voltage fluctuation obtained by high-frequency switching operation becomes poor. Therefore, the inductance value of each inductor wiring 20 is preferably 1 nH or more and 10 nH or less, and the inductance value of the inductor wiring 20 in this embodiment is within the above range. Furthermore, since the direct current resistance of the inductor component 10 is not excessively large, it is possible to suppress a decrease in the efficiency of the DC / DC converter component 300. The switching frequency is preferably 50 MHz or more, and more preferably 100 MHz or more. Furthermore, the switching frequency is preferably 1000 MHz or less. If the switching frequency is too high, the efficiency of the DC / DC converter decreases due to the increase in loss of magnetic powder and the increase in loss of the switching element.

[0128] The above embodiment can be modified as follows: The above embodiment and the following modifications can be combined with each other to the extent that no technical contradiction occurs. The mounting position of the inductor component 10 on the package substrate 350 is not limited to the example of the above embodiment. For example, in the example shown in Fig. 28, the inductor component 10 is attached to a mounting surface 351 of the package substrate 350. The dimension of the inductor component 10 in the thickness direction Td is smaller than the dimension of the solder 351 in the thickness direction Td. In this case, the dead space caused by the presence of the solder can be used as a space for mounting the inductor component 10. In this case, if the inductor component 10 is arranged so as to overlap the semiconductor integrated circuit 310 when viewed from the thickness direction Td, the space can be used more effectively.

[0129] Also, for example, inductor component 10 may be attached to the surface of package substrate 350 opposite mounting surface 351. As in these modified examples, inductor component 10 needs to be mounted at least on package substrate 350.

[0130] When the inductor component 10 is mounted inside the package substrate 350, the entire inductor component 10 does not have to be embedded in the package substrate 350. It is sufficient that at least a portion of the inductor component 10 is mounted inside.

[0131] The mounting position of the semiconductor integrated circuit 310 on the package substrate 350 is not limited to the example of the above embodiment. For example, in the example shown in Fig. 29, the semiconductor integrated circuit 310 is mounted inside the package substrate 350. In this case, compared to the case where the semiconductor integrated circuit 310 is attached to the surface of the package substrate 350, the dimension in the thickness direction Td of the DC / DC converter component 300 can be reduced by the dimension of the semiconductor integrated circuit 310 embedded inside the package substrate 350.

[0132] The dimension in the thickness direction Td of the inductor component 10 may be larger than the dimension in the thickness direction Td of the wiring of the package substrate 350, so long as it is 0.25 mm or less. In the example shown in FIG. 30, inside the package substrate 350, the package substrate wiring 354 extends parallel to the mounting surface 351. The dimension TI in the thickness direction Td of the inductor wiring 20 in the inductor component 10 is larger than the dimension TP in the thickness direction Td of the package substrate wiring 354. In this case, the dimension in the thickness direction Td can be made larger than in the case where the inductor wiring is provided inside the package substrate 350 in a direction along the mounting surface 351, and therefore it is easy to provide an inductor wiring with a large cross-sectional area. As a result, an inductor wiring with a small DC electrical resistance can be provided.

[0133] The number of inductor components 10 in the DC / DC converter component 300 may be two or more. In the example shown in Fig. 31, three inductor components 10 are attached to a mounting surface 351 of a package substrate 350. In this way, when multiple inductor components 10 are provided, it is easier to reduce the size of the DC / DC converter component 300 than when a large inductor component is used.

[0134] In the above embodiment, the first circuit state of the switch circuit 320 may be such that a current flows from the first inductor wiring 20R to the second inductor wiring 20L. In this case, a first end of the fourth switching element 324 is connected between the second switching element 322 and the second terminal unit 80B, and this can be achieved by switching the on / off states of the switching elements 321-326.

[0135] In the above embodiment, the second circuit state of the switch circuit 320 may be switched to at least one of the states of only the first inductor wiring 20R and only the second inductor wiring 20L. That is, for example, the second circuit state for only the first inductor wiring 20R may be omitted.

[0136] In the above embodiment, in the third circuit state of the switch circuit 320, the first switching element 321 and the second switching element 322 are switched simultaneously between on and off, so the phase difference is 0°. However, by driving them with a predetermined phase difference, the converter can be used as a multi-phase DC / DC converter. For example, the phases of the first switching element 321 and the second switching element 322 may be shifted by 180°. When the third switching element 323 is on and the fourth switching element 324 is off, the converter can be switched between a state in which the first switching element 321 is on and the second switching element 322 is off, and a state in which the first switching element 321 is off and the second switching element 322 is on. In this case, when the first switching element 321 is on and the second switching element 322 is off, only the first inductor wiring 20R is in an on state in which it is connected between the input terminal 301 and the output terminal 302. At the same time, only the second inductor wiring 20L is in an OFF state in which it is connected between the second ground terminal 304 and the output terminal 302. On the other hand, when the first switching element 321 is OFF and the second switching element 322 is ON, only the first inductor wiring 20R is in an OFF state in which it is connected between the first ground terminal 303 and the output terminal 302. At the same time, only the second inductor wiring 20L is in an ON state in which it is connected between the input terminal 301 and the output terminal 302. In this way, the 2-1 circuit state in which a current flows only through the first inductor wiring 20R to step down the power supply voltage and supply it to the load, and the 2-2 circuit state in which a current flows only through the second inductor wiring 20L to step down the power supply voltage and supply it to the load may be used simultaneously. As a result, this modification example has two phases, and the ripple currents can be cancelled out by each other.

[0137] When the number of inductor components 10 is three, in the DC / DC converter component 300, the control circuit 330 may control the switch circuit 320 so that the number of inductor components flowing in parallel increases as the current value detected by the ammeter 340 increases. For example, when the current value detected by the ammeter 340 is appropriately small, the switch circuit 320 is controlled so that the current flows only through the first inductor wiring 20R of one inductor component. As the ammeter 340 increases, the state may be switched between a state in which the current flows through the first inductor wiring 20R of two inductor components 10 and a state in which the current flows through the first inductor wiring 20R of three inductor components 10. If the number of inductor components 10 increases further, one of the three inductor components 10 may be switched to the third circuit state. If the current value increases further, all of the three inductor components 10 may be switched to the third circuit state or to the multi-phase state.

[0138] In addition, when a current is passed through a plurality of inductor components 10 in parallel, it is desirable to make the DC electrical resistance of each inductor component 10 uniform. For example, when a current is passed through three inductor components 10 in parallel, all of the inductor components 10 may be in the second circuit state with only the first inductor wiring 20R or the second circuit state with only the second inductor wiring 20L. When a current is passed through three inductor components 10 in parallel in accordance with the current value flowing through the microprocessor 500, one inductor component 10 may be in the third circuit state and the remaining two inductor components may be in the first circuit state. In addition, the inductor may be used as a multiphase inductor in each circuit state, for example, in the second circuit state with only the first inductor wiring 20R. In addition, the phase difference to be shifted when using multiphase may be 180° for two phases, 120° for three phases, 90° for four phases, and 360° divided by N for N phases consisting of N pieces of inductors.

[0139] In the above embodiment, the switching of the state of the switch circuit 320 is not limited to the example of the above embodiment. For example, the third circuit state may be omitted and each switch circuit 320 may be controlled. The method of switching the state of the switch circuit 320 may be changed as appropriate.

[0140] In the above embodiment, a power supply for operating the DC / DC converter component 300 itself and its connection terminals, a smoothing capacitor on the input terminal 301 side, a feedback circuit for detecting the state of the output voltage and an abnormal state on the load side and its connection terminals are omitted, but these may be added or changed as appropriate.

[0141] In the above embodiment, the fifth switching element 325 may be a diode. Similarly, the sixth switching element 326 may be a diode. 31, an air-core inductor component 355 is built into the package substrate 350 in addition to the inductor component 10. The air-core inductor component 355 has a wiring with a number of turns greater than 0.5, and no magnetic material is present inside the wound wiring. The wiring is wound inside the package substrate 350. In this case, the number of inductor wirings mounted on the package substrate 350 can be increased.

[0142] The inductor component 10 may have three or more inductor wirings 20 inside the element body BD. In the example shown in FIG. 32, four inductor wirings 20 are provided. In the example shown in FIG. 30, the inductor wirings 20 have separate first external terminals 81 and second external terminals 82. The multiple inductor wirings 20 do not need to have a shared external terminal. By appropriately modifying the switch circuit 320, a current may be caused to flow in series through the multiple inductor wirings 20 or in parallel. In this case, for example, if the second external terminals 82 of the inductor wirings 20 are connected as a circuit, they function as a third terminal unit.

[0143] Regarding the inductance value of the first inductor wiring 20R and the inductance value of the second inductor wiring 20L of the inductor component 10, the inductance value of the second inductor wiring 20L may be greater than the inductance value of the first inductor wiring 20R by more than 10%. For example, the inductance value can be further increased by extending the wiring length of the second inductor wiring 20L.

[0144] In the above embodiment, the average particle diameter of the metal magnetic powder contained in the magnetic layer 50 is not limited to the example in the above embodiment. However, in order to ensure the relative magnetic permeability, it is preferable that the average particle diameter of the metal magnetic powder is 1 micrometer or more and 10 micrometers or less.

[0145] In the above embodiment, the metal magnetic powder contained in the first magnetic layer 54 and the second magnetic layer 55 does not have to be Fe-based. For example, it may be FeNi-based or FeSiCr-based. In the above embodiment, the minimum distance between adjacent inductor wirings 20 does not have to be between the pads, but may be between the wiring bodies 21. However, from the viewpoint of insulation between the inductor wirings 20, the minimum distance is preferably 50 micrometers or more.

[0146] In the above embodiment, the inductor wiring 20 may be anything that can impart inductance to the inductor component 10 by generating a magnetic flux in a magnetic layer when a current flows therethrough.

[0147] In the above embodiment, the composition of each inductor wiring 20 is not limited to the example in the above embodiment, but may be, for example, silver or gold. In the above embodiment, the composition of the magnetic layer 50 is not limited to the example in the above embodiment. For example, the material of the magnetic layer 50 may be ferrite powder, or a mixture of ferrite powder and metal magnetic powder.

[0148] In the above embodiment, another layer may be interposed between each of the support wires 41, 42 and the magnetic layer 50. For example, an insulating layer may be interposed between each of the support wires 41, 42 and the magnetic layer 50.

[0149] In the above embodiment, the first vertical wiring 71 and the second vertical wiring 72 do not have to extend only in a direction perpendicular to the main surface MF. For example, even if the first vertical wiring 71 and the second vertical wiring 72 are inclined with respect to the thickness direction Td, it is sufficient that they penetrate the second magnetic layer 55.

[0150] In the above embodiment, when viewed from the thickness direction Td, the areas of the first pad 22R, the first pad 22L, and the second pad 23R may be equal to the areas of the first vertical wire 71 and the second vertical wire 72. Furthermore, the length dimension of the first pad 22R, the first pad 22L, and the second pad 23R in a direction perpendicular to the extension direction of the wire body may be equal to that of the wire body.

[0151] In the above embodiment, the first external terminal 81 and the second external terminal 82 may be omitted. If the first vertical wiring 71 and the second vertical wiring 72 are exposed from the main surface MF, a current can be directly passed from the first vertical wiring 71 and the second vertical wiring 72 to the inductor wiring 20. In this case, the part of the first vertical wiring 71 exposed from the main surface MF and the part of the second vertical wiring 72 exposed from the main surface MF function as external terminals.

[0152] In the above embodiment, the outer surfaces of the first external terminal 81 and the second external terminal 82 of the inductor component 10 before being mounted on a substrate or the like may be covered with an insulating layer. In this case, it is possible to prevent unintended current from flowing through each external terminal inside the inductor component 10 when the inductor component 10 is in a state in which it is stored before being mounted on a substrate or the like. In this modification, the insulating layer covering the first external terminal 81 and the second external terminal 82 can be removed by cleaning or the like before mounting the inductor component 10 on a substrate or the like.

[0153] The metal layers of the first external terminal 81 and the second external terminal 82 may be nickel, gold, or nickel or tin. A catalyst layer may be provided as necessary. For example, nickel suppresses electromigration, while gold and tin ensure the wettability of the solder, and the metal layers of each external terminal can be appropriately set according to each function.

[0154] In the above embodiment, the dummy portion 83 does not have to have the same laminated structure as the first external terminal 81 and the second external terminal 82. For example, the dummy portion 83 does not have to be made of a conductive material. Also, for example, the dummy portion 83 may be a portion of the second magnetic layer 55 exposed from the insulating layer 90.

[0155] In the above embodiment, the area of ​​the dummy portion 83 when viewed in the thickness direction Td may be different from the areas of the first external terminal 81 and the second external terminal 82 . In the above embodiment, the dummy portion 83 does not necessarily have to be provided.

[0156] In the above embodiment, the number of support wires exposed on the first side surface 93 and the second side surface 94 may be changed as appropriate, or may be omitted altogether. In the above-described embodiments, the method of manufacturing the inductor component 10 is not limited to the above-described embodiments. For example, in the above-described embodiments, the step of forming the inductor wiring 20 and the step of forming the first support wiring 41 and the second support wiring 42 may be separate steps. For example, after the inductor wiring 20 is formed, the support wirings 41, 42 may be formed from a material different from that of the inductor wiring 20. [Explanation of symbols]

[0157] 10...Inductor components 20…Inductor wiring 20R…First inductor wiring 20L…Second inductor wiring 21…Wiring body 22R, 22L...1st pad 23R…2nd pad 41...1st support wiring 42…Second support wiring 50...Magnetic layer 71...1st vertical wiring 72…Second vertical wiring 80...Terminal section 80A…1st terminal part 80B…Second terminal section 80C...Third terminal section 90...Insulating layer 300...DC / DC converter parts 310...Semiconductor integrated circuits 320...Switch circuit 321...first switching element 322...second switching element 323...Third switching element 330...Control circuit 350...Package substrate 351...Mounting surface BD...Base MF: Main surface

Claims

1. An inductor component; a semiconductor integrated circuit including a switch circuit connected to the inductor component and a control circuit for controlling the switch circuit; a package substrate on which the semiconductor integrated circuit is mounted and which has a mounting surface that faces another substrate when the package substrate is mounted on the other substrate; an input terminal to which a power supply voltage is input; An output terminal to which a load is connected; and a ground terminal for grounding the device. The inductor component comprises: an element body including a magnetic layer made of a magnetic material and having a main surface parallel to the mounting surface; a plurality of inductor wirings extending parallel to the main surface inside the element body; a vertical wiring extending from the inductor wiring in a thickness direction perpendicular to the main surface and exposed from the main surface, The number of turns of the inductor wiring is all 0.5 turns or less, the dimension of the inductor element in the thickness direction is 0.25 millimeters or less; When one of the plurality of inductor wirings is a first inductor wiring and the other of the plurality of inductor wirings different from the first inductor wiring is a second inductor wiring, a second end of the first inductor wiring and a second end of the second inductor wiring are connected within the inductor component; The switch circuit includes: a first switching element connected between the input terminal and a first end of the first inductor wiring; a second switching element connected between the input terminal and a first end of the second inductor wiring; a third switching element connected between a second end of the first inductor wiring and the output terminal, and a second end of the second inductor wiring; a fourth switching element connected between a first end of the first inductor wiring and the output terminal; a fifth switching element connected between a first end of the first inductor wiring and the ground terminal; a sixth switching element connected between a second end of the second inductor wiring and the ground terminal; having The control circuit controls the switch circuit to a first circuit state in which the first switching element is turned off, the third switching element is turned off, the fourth switching element is turned on, and the fifth switching element is turned off, while the second switching element and the sixth switching element are repeatedly switched between on and off states in a complementary manner; a second circuit state in which the first switching element and the fifth switching element are repeatedly switched between on and off states in a complementary manner while turning off the second switching element, turning on the third switching element, turning off the fourth switching element, and turning off the sixth switching element; a third circuit state in which the first switching element and the second switching element are repeatedly switched on and off simultaneously while the third switching element is turned on and the fourth switching element is turned off, and the fifth switching element and the sixth switching element are repeatedly switched on and off in a manner complementary to the on and off states of the first switching element and the second switching element; It is possible to switch to DC / DC converter components.

2. An inductor component; a semiconductor integrated circuit including a switch circuit connected to the inductor component and a control circuit for controlling the switch circuit; a package substrate on which the semiconductor integrated circuit is mounted and which has a mounting surface that faces another substrate when the package substrate is mounted on the other substrate; an input terminal to which a power supply voltage is input; An output terminal to which a load is connected; and a ground terminal for grounding the device. The inductor component comprises: an element body including a magnetic layer made of a magnetic material and having a main surface parallel to the mounting surface; a plurality of inductor wirings extending parallel to the main surface inside the element body; a vertical wiring extending from the inductor wiring in a thickness direction perpendicular to the main surface and exposed from the main surface, The number of turns of the inductor wiring is all 0.5 turns or less, the dimension of the inductor element in the thickness direction is 0.25 millimeters or less; When one of the plurality of inductor wirings is a first inductor wiring and the other of the plurality of inductor wirings different from the first inductor wiring is a second inductor wiring, a second end of the first inductor wiring and a second end of the second inductor wiring are connected within the inductor component; The switch circuit includes: a first switching element connected between the input terminal and a first end of the first inductor wiring; a second switching element connected between the input terminal and a first end of the second inductor wiring; a third switching element connected between a second end of the first inductor wiring and the output terminal, and a second end of the second inductor wiring; a fourth switching element connected between a first end of the first inductor wiring and the output terminal; a fifth switching element connected between a first end of the first inductor wiring and the ground terminal; a sixth switching element connected between a second end of the second inductor wiring and the ground terminal; having The control circuit controls the switch circuit to a first circuit state in which the first switching element is turned off, the third switching element is turned off, the fourth switching element is turned on, and the fifth switching element is turned off, while the second switching element and the sixth switching element are repeatedly switched between on and off states in a complementary manner; a 2-1 circuit state in which the second switching element is turned off, the third switching element is turned on, the fourth switching element is turned off, and the sixth switching element is turned off, while the first switching element and the fifth switching element are repeatedly switched between on and off states in a complementary manner; a second-2 circuit state in which the first switching element is turned off, the third switching element is turned on, the fourth switching element is turned off, and the fifth switching element is turned off, while the second switching element and the sixth switching element are repeatedly switched between on and off states in a complementary manner; It is possible to switch to DC / DC converter components.

3. At least a portion of the inductor component is embedded in the package substrate.

3. A DC / DC converter component according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The semiconductor integrated circuit is built into the package substrate. The DC / DC converter component according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. The mounting surface is provided with solder for electrically connecting the package substrate to the other substrate, The dimension of the solder in the thickness direction is larger than that of the inductor component, The inductor component is mounted on the mounting surface.

3. A DC / DC converter component according to claim 1 or 2.

6. the semiconductor integrated circuit is mounted on a surface of the package substrate opposite to the mounting surface, When viewed in the thickness direction, the inductor component is disposed at a position overlapping the semiconductor integrated circuit.

6. A DC / DC converter component according to claim 5.

7. the package substrate has package substrate wiring extending parallel to the mounting surface, The dimension of the inductor wiring in the thickness direction is greater than the dimension of the package substrate wiring in the thickness direction. The DC / DC converter part according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. A plurality of the inductor components are provided. The DC / DC converter component according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

9. In addition to the inductor component, an air-core inductor component having a wiring with a number of turns greater than 0.5 is embedded inside the package substrate. The DC / DC converter component according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. the magnetic layer includes metal powder including iron, The average particle size of the metal powder is 10 micrometers or less and 1 micrometer or more. The DC / DC converter component according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

11. a minimum inductance value and a maximum inductance value obtained when a current is passed through the inductor component are equal to or greater than 1 nH and equal to or less than 10 nH, The maximum DC electrical resistance of the inductor component is 1 mΩ or more and 50 mΩ or less. The DC / DC converter component according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

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