Coupled inductors, inductor units, voltage converters, and power conversion devices

Abstract

A coupled inductor (1) comprises: a magnetic body (10); a conductor (20) at least partially provided in the magnetic body (10); and a conductor (30) that is at least partially provided in the magnetic body (10) and that is coupled with the conductor (20). The magnetic body (10) has lateral surfaces (11, 12) facing back to back, and lateral surfaces (13, 14) orthogonal to the respective lateral surfaces (11, 12) and facing back to back. The conductor (20) has a terminal (21) provided to the lateral surface (11), and a terminal (22) provided to the lateral surface (12). The conductor (30) has a terminal (31) provided to the lateral surface (13), and a terminal (32) provided to the lateral surface (14).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a coupled inductor, an inductor unit, a voltage converter, and a power conversion device.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a variable coupled inductor having a core and two conductive wirings. The two conductive wirings are drawn out on the same surface of the core.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the above conventional variable coupled inductor, when multiphase operation is assumed, the wiring length increases. For this reason, there is a risk of degrading electrical characteristics such as an increase in loss due to the electrical resistance of the wiring, generation of ringing due to parasitic inductance, or a decrease in load responsiveness.

[0005] Therefore, the present disclosure provides a coupled inductor or the like that can suppress degradation of electrical characteristics in the case of multiphase operation.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] A coupled inductor according to one aspect of the present disclosure comprises a magnetic material, a first conductor whose portion is at least partially provided within the magnetic material, and a second conductor whose portion is at least partially provided within the magnetic material and coupled with the first conductor. The magnetic material has a first surface and a second surface facing away from each other, and a third surface and a fourth surface that are perpendicular to the first surface and the second surface, respectively, and facing away from each other. The first conductor has a first terminal provided on the first surface and a second terminal provided on the second surface. The second conductor has a third terminal provided on the third surface and a fourth terminal provided on the fourth surface.

[0007] A coupled inductor according to another aspect of the present disclosure comprises a magnetic material, a first conductor whose at least portion is provided within the magnetic material, and a second conductor whose at least portion is provided within the magnetic material and coupled with the first conductor. The magnetic material has a first surface and a second surface facing away from each other, and a third surface and a fourth surface that are perpendicular to the first surface and the second surface, respectively, and facing away from each other. The first conductor has a first terminal and a second terminal provided on the fourth surface. The second conductor has a third terminal provided on the second surface and a fourth terminal provided on the first surface.

[0008] A coupled inductor according to another aspect of the present disclosure comprises a magnetic material, a first conductor whose at least portion is provided within the magnetic material, and a second conductor whose at least portion is provided within the magnetic material and coupled with the first conductor. The magnetic material has a third and a fourth surface facing away from each other, and a fifth and a sixth surface perpendicular to the third and fourth surfaces, respectively, and facing away from each other. The fifth surface is the surface facing the substrate on which the coupled inductor is mounted. The first conductor has a first terminal provided on the sixth surface and a second terminal provided on the fifth surface. The second conductor has a third terminal provided on the third surface and a fourth terminal provided on the fourth surface.

[0009] An inductor unit according to one aspect of the present disclosure comprises a first coupling inductor which is a coupling inductor according to the above aspect, and a second coupling inductor disposed opposite to the fourth surface of the first coupling inductor. The second coupling inductor has a mirror-reversal structure of the structure of the first coupling inductor.

[0010] A voltage converter according to one aspect of the present disclosure comprises a coupled inductor according to the above aspect, a switching element, an input capacitance element, and an output capacitance element. The input capacitance element or the switching element is arranged facing the sixth surface, and the output capacitance element is arranged facing the fifth surface.

[0011] A voltage converter according to another aspect of the present disclosure comprises a coupled inductor or inductor unit according to the above aspect.

[0012] A power conversion device according to one aspect of the present disclosure comprises a voltage converter according to the above-described aspect. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] According to this disclosure, it is possible to suppress the deterioration of electrical characteristics when a multiphase system is introduced. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0014] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a circuit diagram showing the circuit configuration of a voltage converter according to an embodiment. [Figure 2A] Figure 2A is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of a voltage converter in a hybrid power supply system. [Figure 2B] Figure 2B is a diagram illustrating the power supply method using the voltage converter shown in Figure 2A. [Figure 3A] Figure 3A is a schematic diagram showing another example of the configuration of a voltage converter in a hybrid power supply system. [Figure 3B] Figure 3B is a diagram illustrating the power supply method using the voltage converter shown in Figure 3A. [Figure 4]FIG. 4 is a plan view and a front view of the coupled inductor according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a plan view showing the configuration of an inductor unit including a plurality of the coupled inductors shown in FIG. 4. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a plan view and a front view of the coupled inductor according to Embodiment 2. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a plan view showing the configuration of an inductor unit including a plurality of the coupled inductors shown in FIG. 6. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a plan view showing the configuration of the inductor unit according to Embodiment 3. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a plan view and a front view of the coupled inductor according to Embodiment 4. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a plan view showing the configuration of an inductor unit including a plurality of the coupled inductors shown in FIG. 9. [Figure 11A] FIG. 11A is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of a voltage converter of a vertical power supply system. [Figure 11B] FIG. 11B is a diagram for explaining the power supply method by the voltage converter shown in FIG. 11A. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a plan view and a front view of the coupled inductor according to Embodiment 5. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a plan view and a front view of the coupled inductor according to Embodiment 6. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a plan view showing the configuration of an inductor unit including a plurality of the coupled inductors shown in FIG. 13. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a plan view showing the configuration of the inductor unit according to Embodiment 7. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is a plan view and a front view of the coupled inductor according to Embodiment 8. [Figure 17] FIG. 17 is a plan view showing the configuration of an inductor unit including a plurality of the coupled inductors shown in FIG. 16. [Figure 18] FIG. 18 is a plan view and a front view of the coupled inductor according to Embodiment 9. [Figure 19] Figure 19 shows a plan view and a front view of the coupled inductor according to Example 10. [Figure 20] Figure 20 is a diagram showing the configuration of a power conversion device according to an embodiment. [Figure 21] Figure 21 is a plan view showing a modified example of a coupled inductor according to an embodiment. [Figure 22] Figure 22 is a plan view showing the surfaces of the first magnetic material and the second magnetic material that are combined with each other. [Figure 23] Figure 23 is a plan view showing the state in which conductors are housed in the first magnetic material and the second magnetic material shown in Figure 22. [Figure 24] Figure 24 is a plan view showing modified examples of the surfaces of the first and second magnetic materials that are combined with each other. [Figure 25] Figure 25 is a plan view showing the state in which conductors are housed in the first magnetic material and the second magnetic material shown in Figure 24. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0015] (Summary of this disclosure) A coupled inductor according to a first aspect of the present disclosure comprises a magnetic material, a first conductor whose portion is at least partially provided within the magnetic material, and a second conductor whose portion is at least partially provided within the magnetic material and coupled with the first conductor. The magnetic material has a first surface and a second surface facing away from each other, and a third surface and a fourth surface that are perpendicular to the first surface and the second surface, respectively, and facing away from each other. The first conductor has a first terminal provided on the first surface and a second terminal provided on the second surface. The second conductor has a third terminal provided on the third surface and a fourth terminal provided on the fourth surface.

[0016] As a result, the two terminals used for supplying power to the load (for example, the first and second terminals) and the two terminals used for connecting the coupling line (for example, the third and fourth terminals) are arranged on four different sides. Therefore, when the coupling inductor is multiphase, not only can the terminals used for connecting the coupling line face each other, but the direction of the lines used for power supply can also be aligned, thus shortening the wiring length. Shorter wiring length reduces losses. In addition, the occurrence of ringing due to parasitic inductance and the decrease in load responsiveness can be suppressed. Thus, the coupling inductor according to this embodiment can suppress the deterioration of electrical characteristics when it is multiphase.

[0017] Furthermore, for example, in a coupled inductor according to a second aspect of the present disclosure, the first terminal may be provided on the first surface at a position closer to the third surface than to the fourth surface, in the coupled inductor according to the first aspect. The second terminal may be provided on the second surface at a position closer to the fourth surface than to the third surface. The third terminal may be provided on the third surface at a position closer to the first surface than to the second surface. The fourth terminal may be provided on the fourth surface at a position closer to the second surface than to the first surface.

[0018] This allows the first terminal of the first conductor and the third terminal of the second conductor to be placed close together. Similarly, the second terminal of the first conductor and the fourth terminal of the second conductor can be placed close together. As a result, the length over which the first and second conductors run parallel within the magnetic material can be increased, thereby strengthening the coupling between the first and second conductors. In other words, the coupling coefficient of the coupled inductor can be increased, thus reducing the leakage inductance.

[0019] Furthermore, for example, a coupled inductor according to a third aspect of the present disclosure comprises a magnetic material, a first conductor whose at least portion is provided within the magnetic material, and a second conductor whose at least portion is provided within the magnetic material and coupled with the first conductor. The magnetic material has a first surface and a second surface facing away from each other, and a third surface and a fourth surface that are perpendicular to the first surface and the second surface, respectively, and facing away from each other. The first conductor has a first terminal and a second terminal provided on the fourth surface. The second conductor has a third terminal provided on the second surface and a fourth terminal provided on the first surface.

[0020] This allows the first and second terminals of the first conductor available for power supply to be located on the same side. For example, the coupled inductor can receive power supplied from the vertical direction at the first terminal and supply power to the load from the second terminal. The coupled inductor according to this embodiment is useful for hybrid power supply systems (horizontal + vertical) voltage converters.

[0021] Furthermore, for example, in the coupling inductor according to the fourth aspect of the present disclosure, the fourth surface may be the surface that is closer to the load to which the current flowing through the first conductor is supplied, compared to the third surface.

[0022] This allows the distance between the coupled inductor and the load to be shortened, thereby reducing the length of the power supply wiring. Shorter wiring length reduces losses. Furthermore, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of ringing due to parasitic inductance and the decrease in load responsiveness. Thus, the coupled inductor according to this embodiment can suppress the deterioration of electrical characteristics when multiphase systems are used.

[0023] Furthermore, for example, a coupled inductor according to a fifth aspect of the present disclosure comprises a magnetic material, a first conductor whose at least portion is provided within the magnetic material, and a second conductor whose at least portion is provided within the magnetic material and coupled with the first conductor. The magnetic material has a third surface and a fourth surface facing away from each other, and a fifth surface and a sixth surface that are perpendicular to each of the third surface and the fourth surface and facing away from each other. The fifth surface is the surface facing the substrate on which the coupled inductor is mounted. The first conductor has a first terminal provided on the sixth surface and a second terminal provided on the fifth surface. The second conductor has a third terminal provided on the third surface and a fourth terminal provided on the fourth surface.

[0024] As a result, the second terminal is provided on the fifth surface facing the mounting surface of the substrate, which allows for a shorter wiring length when other elements are stacked on top of the coupled inductor. A shorter wiring length reduces losses. Furthermore, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of ringing due to parasitic inductance and a decrease in load responsiveness. Thus, the coupled inductor according to this embodiment can suppress the deterioration of electrical characteristics when multiphase is used. For this reason, the coupled inductor according to this embodiment is useful for vertically fed voltage converters.

[0025] Furthermore, for example, in the coupled inductor according to the sixth aspect of the present disclosure, the third terminal may be provided continuously on the third surface and the sixth surface, in the coupled inductor according to the fifth aspect. The fourth terminal may be provided continuously on the fourth surface and the fifth surface.

[0026] As a result, the third terminal of the second conductor used for connecting the coupling line is positioned on the sixth plane, allowing it to be placed closer to the first terminal of the first conductor used for supplying power to the load. Similarly, the fourth terminal of the second conductor is positioned on the fifth plane, allowing it to be placed closer to the second terminal of the first conductor. Therefore, the length over which the first and second conductors run parallel within the magnetic material can be increased, thereby strengthening the coupling between the first and second conductors. In other words, the coupling coefficient of the coupled inductor can be increased, thus reducing the leakage inductance.

[0027] Furthermore, for example, in a coupled inductor according to a seventh aspect of the present disclosure, in a coupled inductor according to any one of the first to sixth aspects, the first conductor may further have a fifth terminal provided on the same surface of the magnetic material as the surface on which the third terminal is provided, and a sixth terminal provided on the same surface of the magnetic material as the surface on which the fourth terminal is provided. The second conductor may further have a seventh terminal provided on the same surface of the magnetic material as the surface on which the first terminal is provided, and an eighth terminal provided on the same surface of the magnetic material as the surface on which the second terminal is provided.

[0028] As a result, auxiliary terminals (5th to 8th) are provided for each of the first to fourth terminals, allowing the length over which the first and second conductors run parallel within the magnetic material to be increased. This strengthens the coupling between the first and second conductors. In other words, the coupling coefficient of the coupled inductor can be increased, thereby reducing the leakage inductance.

[0029] Furthermore, for example, in a coupled inductor according to the seventh aspect of the present disclosure, in a coupled inductor according to any one of the first to seventh aspects, the first terminal does not have to protrude from the magnetic material when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the surface on which the first terminal is provided. The second terminal does not have to protrude from the magnetic material when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the surface on which the second terminal is provided. The third terminal does not have to protrude from the magnetic material when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the surface on which the third terminal is provided. The fourth terminal does not have to protrude from the magnetic material when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the surface on which the fourth terminal is provided.

[0030] As a result, the terminals do not protrude from the sides of the magnetic material, enabling miniaturization of the coupled inductor. Furthermore, mechanical shocks are less likely to be directly applied to each terminal, thus suppressing damage to the terminals. Therefore, a shock-resistant coupled inductor can be realized.

[0031] An inductor unit according to a ninth aspect of the present disclosure comprises a first coupling inductor which is a coupling inductor according to the first or second aspect, and a second coupling inductor disposed opposite the fourth surface of the first coupling inductor. The second coupling inductor has a mirror-reversal structure of the structure of the first coupling inductor.

[0032] This allows for an even shorter wiring length in the coupling lines. Consequently, the degradation of electrical characteristics can be more effectively suppressed.

[0033] A voltage converter according to a tenth aspect of the present disclosure comprises a coupled inductor according to a fifth or sixth aspect, a switching element, an input capacitance element, and an output capacitance element. The input capacitance element or the switching element is arranged facing the sixth surface, and the output capacitance element is arranged facing the fifth surface.

[0034] This allows each element to be stacked vertically, which, for example, reduces the footprint required for mounting, thus enabling miniaturization of the voltage converter. For example, the wiring length can be shortened, thus reducing losses. Furthermore, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of ringing due to parasitic inductance and the deterioration of load response. In addition, because the above-mentioned coupled inductor is included, the deterioration of electrical characteristics can be suppressed.

[0035] A voltage converter according to the eleventh aspect of this disclosure comprises a coupled inductor according to any one of the first to eighth aspects, or an inductor unit according to the ninth aspect.

[0036] As a result, since the above-mentioned coupled inductor or inductor unit is provided, the deterioration of electrical characteristics can be suppressed.

[0037] A power converter according to the twelfth aspect of this disclosure comprises a voltage converter according to the tenth or eleventh aspect.

[0038] As a result, the inclusion of the above-mentioned voltage converter makes it possible to suppress the deterioration of electrical characteristics.

[0039] The embodiments will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

[0040] The embodiments described below are all comprehensive or specific examples. The numerical values, shapes, materials, components, arrangement and connection configurations of components, steps, and the order of steps shown in the following embodiments are examples only and are not intended to limit this disclosure. Furthermore, any components in the following embodiments that are not described in an independent claim will be described as optional components.

[0041] Furthermore, each figure is a schematic diagram and not necessarily a strictly accurate representation. Therefore, for example, the scale may not necessarily match in each figure. Also, in each figure, substantially identical components are given the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations are omitted or simplified.

[0042] Furthermore, in this specification, terms indicating relationships between elements such as parallel or perpendicular, terms indicating the shape of elements such as cuboids or rectangles, and numerical ranges do not represent only strict meanings, but also include substantially equivalent ranges, such as differences of a few percent.

[0043] Furthermore, in this specification, the terms "upper" and "lower" do not refer to the upward (vertically upward) and downward (vertically downward) directions in absolute spatial perception, but rather are used as terms defined by the relative positional relationship based on the stacking order in a stacked configuration. Moreover, the terms "upper" and "lower" apply not only when two components are spaced apart and another component exists between them, but also when two components are placed in close proximity and touching each other.

[0044] Furthermore, in this specification and the drawings, the x-axis, y-axis, and z-axis represent the three axes of a three-dimensional Cartesian coordinate system. In each embodiment, the z-axis direction is perpendicular to the main surface of the substrate on which the inductor is mounted.

[0045] (Embodiment) [1. Circuit configuration of the voltage converter] First, the circuit configuration of the voltage converter according to this embodiment will be explained using Figure 1. Figure 1 is a circuit diagram showing the circuit configuration of the voltage converter 100 according to this embodiment.

[0046] The voltage converter 100 shown in Figure 1 is used as a Point of Load (PoL) power supply. Specifically, the voltage converter 100 is a step-down converter that supplies a predetermined voltage (current) to a load (e.g., a processor).

[0047] As shown in Figure 1, the voltage converter 100 comprises multiple coupled inductors 1, multiple FET (Field Effect Transistor) circuits, an input capacitance Cin, an output capacitance Cout, an inductor Lc, an input terminal VIN, and an output terminal VOUT. There is a one-to-one correspondence between the coupled inductors 1 and the FET circuits, and N such circuits are provided. The voltage converter 100 is an N-phase converter that can supply a stable voltage (current) by the sequential operation of the N FET circuits. N is a natural number greater than or equal to 2.

[0048] The input terminal VIN is the terminal that receives power.

[0049] The output terminal VOUT is the terminal that outputs the voltage (current) generated by the voltage converter 100. A load (not shown in Figure 1) is connected to the output terminal VOUT.

[0050] The load is, for example, an XPU. An XPU is a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), or ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), but is not particularly limited to these.

[0051] The input capacitance Cin is a capacitor connected between the path connecting the input terminal VIN to the FET circuit and ground.

[0052] The output capacitance Cout is a capacitor connected between the path connecting the coupled inductor 1 and the output terminal VOUT, and ground. The output capacitance Cout is also called a bulk capacitor. The output capacitance Cout is provided to stabilize the amount of current supplied from the output terminal VOUT.

[0053] An FET circuit is a switching circuit that has two FETs. A diode is connected between the source and drain of the two FETs. This diode is a so-called body diode (parasitic diode).

[0054] The two FETs are an example of switching elements, and are exclusively switched on and off by a voltage applied to their gates from a control circuit (not shown). That is, the two FETs are controlled so that they are not turned on at the same time. Specifically, when one FET is on (conducting), the other is off (non-conducting). The two FETs are connected in series between the input terminal VIN and ground. By repeatedly switching the two FETs on and off, current can be passed from the connection point of the two FETs towards the coupled inductor 1.

[0055] The N FET circuits from phase 1 to phase N operate sequentially so that their operating timings do not overlap. For example, the FETs connected in series along the path between the input terminal VIN and the coupling inductor 1 are turned on for a predetermined period of time, sequentially from phase 1 to phase N. Once phase N is reached, the process is repeated from phase 1. This allows current to be supplied to the load from the output terminal VOUT.

[0056] The coupled inductor 1 has conductors 20 and 30 that are coupled to each other. Conductor 20 is the primary coil and is connected between the connection point of the two FETs in the FET circuit and the output terminal VOUT. Conductor 30 is the secondary coil and is connected in series with the conductor 30 of the other coupled inductor 1. One end of the series connection configuration of the N conductors 30 is connected to ground via the inductor Lc, and the other end is connected directly to ground. The line between the grounds on which the N conductors 30 are arranged is sometimes called a coupled line.

[0057] Because the N conductors 30 are connected in series, a large current can be supplied to the output capacitance Cout. In other words, even when a large current is supplied from the output terminal VOUT due to load fluctuations, a large current can be supplied quickly. Therefore, high-speed load response can be achieved.

[0058] As will be described in more detail later, the coupled inductor 1 according to this embodiment can achieve a high coupling coefficient, resulting in a small leakage inductance. This increases the design range of the inductor Lc and makes it easier to design the L value of the inductor Lc. Furthermore, the reduced leakage inductance improves load responsiveness. In addition, the wiring length required for the series connection of the conductors 30 can be shortened, which not only reduces losses but also reduces ringing and stabilizes operation. Moreover, the shorter wiring length reduces parasitic inductance, further improving load responsiveness.

[0059] [2. Voltage converter module configuration (hybrid power supply system)] The voltage converter 100 shown in Figure 1 is mounted on a circuit board along with the load to form a module. The voltage converter 100 can utilize hybrid power supply and vertical power supply methods as power supply methods for the load.

[0060] Below, we will first explain an example of the module configuration of the hybrid power supply voltage converter 100 using Figures 2A and 2B.

[0061] Figure 2A is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of a voltage converter 100 in a hybrid power supply system. Figure 2B is a diagram illustrating the power supply system using the voltage converter 100 shown in Figure 2A.

[0062] As shown in Figure 2A, the voltage converter 100 is mounted on a substrate 110. The substrate 110 is, for example, a PCB (Printed Circuit Board). The substrate 110 has two main surfaces 111 and 112 that face away from each other. Although not shown, conductive wiring layers and conductive vias for conducting current are formed on the main surface 111 or 112 of the substrate 110 or inside the substrate 110.

[0063] The main surface 111 is arranged with an inductor unit 120 and an XPU 150, which is an example of a load. The main surface 112 is arranged with chip capacitors 130 and 140 and an integrated circuit 131 including an FET circuit.

[0064] The inductor unit 120 includes multiple coupled inductors 1. The specific arrangement of the multiple coupled inductors 1 will be described later.

[0065] The chip capacitor 130 is an example of an input capacitance element and constitutes the input capacitance Cin. The input capacitance Cin may be composed of multiple chip capacitors 130.

[0066] The integrated circuit 131 includes multiple FET circuits. The multiple FET circuits may be distributed across multiple integrated circuits 131.

[0067] The chip capacitor 130 and the integrated circuit 131, which includes an FET circuit, are positioned so as to overlap the inductor unit 120 in a plan view of the substrate 110.

[0068] The chip capacitor 140 is an example of an output capacitance element and constitutes the output capacitance Cout. Output Cout may be composed of multiple chip capacitors 140. The chip capacitor 140 is positioned to overlap the XPU 150 in a plan view of the substrate 110.

[0069] Figure 2B shows the current flow using arrows. As shown in Figure 2B, the current flows vertically through the substrate 110 from the input capacitance Cin (chip capacitor 130) and the integrated circuit 131 including the FET circuit to the inductor unit 120. From the inductor unit 120, the current flows horizontally through the substrate 110 to the output capacitance Cout (chip capacitor 140). From the output capacitance Cout, the current flows vertically through the substrate 110 to the XPU 150.

[0070] Thus, in the hybrid power supply method, current can be supplied to the XPU 150 by using both the current flowing vertically and the current flowing horizontally through the circuit board 110. By mounting each element on both sides of the circuit board 110, the area of ​​the circuit board 110 can be reduced. In addition, losses can be reduced by shortening the wiring length through which the current flows.

[0071] Note that the module configuration of the voltage converter 100 is not limited to the examples shown in Figures 2A and 2B. As shown in Figure 3A, the arrangement of the inductor unit 120 and the arrangement of the chip capacitor 130 and the integrated circuit 131 including the FET circuit may be swapped. In this case, as shown in Figure 3B, current flows from the main surface 111 to the main surface 112 of the substrate 110.

[0072] [3. Configuration and arrangement of coupled inductors] Next, the specific configuration and arrangement of the multiple coupled inductors 1 included in the inductor unit 120 will be described.

[0073] [3-1. Example 1] First, the specific configuration of the coupled inductor 1 according to Example 1 will be explained using Figure 4.

[0074] Figure 4 shows a plan view and a front view of the coupled inductor 1 according to Embodiment 1. Figure 4(a) is a plan view, (b) is a front view, and (c) is a perspective view. The perspective view in (c) is intended to schematically represent the shapes of the conductors 20 and 30. For this reason, in the perspective view, the magnetic material 10 is represented by a dashed line, and the conductors 20 and 30, which are mostly not visible from the outside of the magnetic material 10, are represented by solid lines. The same applies to Figures 6, 9, 12, 13, 16, 18, and 19, which will be described later.

[0075] Furthermore, in this specification, the positive side of the z-axis is defined as "up" or "upward," and the negative side of the z-axis is defined as "down" or "downward." For example, the positive side of the z-axis can be considered as the direction in which the XPU 150 is positioned relative to the substrate 110. Note that when using the voltage converter 100, the positive side of the z-axis is not necessarily upward. The plan view is a view of the xy plane from the positive side of the z-axis. The front view is a view of the xz plane from the negative side of the y-axis.

[0076] As shown in Figure 4, the coupled inductor 1 comprises a magnetic material 10 and conductors 20 and 30.

[0077] The magnetic material 10 has sides 11, 12, 13, and 14, an upper surface 15, and a lower surface 16. In this embodiment, side 11 is an example of a first surface. Side 12 is an example of a second surface and is the surface facing away from side 11. Side 13 is an example of a third surface and is the surface perpendicular to each of sides 11 and 12. Side 14 is an example of a fourth surface and is the surface perpendicular to each of sides 11 and 12 and facing away from side 13. The upper surface 15 is an example of a fifth surface and is the surface perpendicular to each of sides 11, 12, 13, and 14. The lower surface 16 is the surface perpendicular to each of sides 11, 12, 13, and 14 and facing away from the upper surface 15. In this embodiment, the lower surface 16 is an example of a sixth surface and is the surface facing the mounting surface (main surface 111 or 112) of the substrate 110. The sides 11, 12, 13 and 14, the upper surface 15 and the lower surface 16 are all flat.

[0078] The magnetic material 10 has the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped, with the distance between sides 11 and 12 being longer than the distance between sides 13 and 14. The magnetic material 10 may also be a cube. Furthermore, the magnetic material 10 may have corners or edges that are beveled or rounded.

[0079] The magnetic material 10 includes a magnetic material. The magnetic material may include various magnetic materials such as ferromagnetic metals (e.g., iron), ferrimagnetic compounds (e.g., ferrite), iron powder (e.g., carbonyl powder), or compacted magnetic cores made of metallic magnetic powder and resin material. For example, when a compacted magnetic core is used, it exhibits excellent magnetic saturation characteristics and the effect of being able to carry large currents. When ferrite is used, it exhibits the effect of reducing core losses at high frequencies.

[0080] Conductors 20 and 30 are provided at least partially within the magnetic material 10 and are coupled to each other. In this embodiment, conductor 20 is an example of a first conductor and is a primary coil connected in series on the path connecting the input terminal VIN and the output terminal VOUT in Figure 1. Conductor 20 is also called a power coil. Conductor 30 is an example of a second conductor and is a secondary coil arranged on the coupling line. Conductor 30 is also called a couple coil (coupling coil).

[0081] The conductor 20 has terminals 21 and 22. Terminal 21 is the terminal on the input terminal VIN side, and terminal 22 is the terminal on the output terminal VOUT side. Specifically, as shown in Figure 1, terminal 21 is connected to the connection point of the two FETs of the FET circuit. Terminal 22 is connected to terminal VOUT.

[0082] In this embodiment, terminal 21 is an example of a first terminal and is provided on the side surface 11 of the magnetic material 10. Specifically, terminal 21 protrudes from the side surface 11. Terminal 22 is an example of a second terminal and is provided on the side surface 12 of the magnetic material 10. Specifically, terminal 22 protrudes from the side surface 12. Terminals 21 and 22 are both ends of the conductor 20. That is, the conductor 20 is provided such that at least a portion of it passes through the magnetic material 10 between terminals 21 and 22. In the example shown in Figure 4, terminals 21 and 22 are located at the central lower ends of sides 11 and 12, respectively, but are not limited to this.

[0083] Conductor 30 has terminals 31 and 32. Terminal 31 is paired with terminal 21, and terminal 32 is paired with terminal 22. That is, in the circuit diagram of Figure 1, terminals 21 and 31 are located on the same end (lower end) side of conductors 20 and 30, respectively, while terminals 22 and 32 are located on the opposite (upper end) side.

[0084] For example, as shown in Figure 1, terminal 31 is connected to terminal 32 (ground in the case of phase N) of the coupling inductor 1 for the next phase. Terminal 32 is connected to terminal 31 (inductor Lc in the case of phase 1) of the coupling inductor 1 for the previous phase. In Figure 4, terminals 31 and 32 are shaded with dots to make them easier to distinguish from terminals 21 and 22. This is also the case in other figures described later.

[0085] In this embodiment, terminal 31 is an example of a third terminal and is provided on the side surface 13 of the magnetic material 10. Specifically, terminal 31 protrudes from the side surface 13. Terminal 32 is an example of a fourth terminal and is provided on the side surface 14 of the magnetic material 10. Specifically, terminal 32 protrudes from the side surface 14. Terminals 31 and 32 are both ends of the conductor 30. That is, the conductor 30 is provided such that at least a portion of it passes through the magnetic material 10 between terminals 31 and 32. In the example shown in Figure 4, terminals 31 and 32 are located at the lower center ends of the side surfaces 13 and 14, respectively, but are not limited to this.

[0086] The lower surfaces of terminals 21, 22, 31, and 32 are flush with the lower surface 16 of the magnetic material 10. This allows for easy connection between terminals 21, 22, 31, and 32 and wiring provided on the mounting surface of the substrate 110 by bringing the lower surface 16 into contact with the mounting surface of the substrate 110.

[0087] Each of the terminals 21, 22, 31, and 32 may also be provided on the lower surface 16 of the magnetic material 10. For example, each of the terminals 21, 22, 31, and 32 may protrude from the lower surface 16, or may be housed in a recess (groove) provided on the lower surface 16. By providing each terminal on the lower surface 16, the contact area with the wiring provided on the substrate 110 can be increased when mounting the coupled inductor 1. As a result, contact resistance is reduced, and thus low loss is achieved.

[0088] As shown in Figure 4(c), conductors 20 and 30 are arranged within the magnetic material 10 such that at least a portion of each conductor runs parallel to the other. Furthermore, for example, conductors 20 and 30 are arranged to run parallel to each other at the closest possible distance. In this case, the longer the length of parallel running, the stronger the coupling between conductors 20 and 30 can be. Also, the narrower the parallel running distance between conductors 20 and 30, that is, the closer conductors 20 and 30 are to each other, the stronger the coupling between conductors 20 and 30 can be. In other words, the coupling coefficient of the coupled inductor 1 increases, and the leakage inductance can be reduced.

[0089] For example, conductors 20 and 30 are arranged to bend within the magnetic material 10 so that their parallel running lengths are increased. As an example, conductors 20 and 30 may be arranged to fold back in a U-shape (including cases where they bend at a right angle) within the magnetic material 10. For example, in the example shown in Figure 4(c), conductors 20 and 30 are each arranged to run parallel along a rectangular ring of approximately 1.5 turns at different heights within the magnetic material 10. For example, the rectangular ring portion of conductor 20 and the rectangular ring portion of conductor 30 overlap when viewed from the z-axis direction. In this case, the starting point and ending point of conductor 20 are positioned as far apart as possible from each other. The same applies to the starting point and ending point of conductor 30. This reduces the interference of magnetic fields between the parallel running conductors 20 and 30 before folding and the parallel running conductors 20 and 30 after folding. In this way, a structure can be realized that can achieve a high inductance value in a space-saving manner while reducing magnetic field interference. Note that the shapes and layouts of conductors 20 and 30 shown in Figure 4(c) are merely examples.

[0090] As described above, in the coupled inductor 1 according to this embodiment, terminals 21 and 22 of conductor 20 and terminals 31 and 32 of conductor 30 are provided on different sides of the magnetic material 10. This makes it possible to suppress the deterioration of electrical characteristics when the coupled inductor 1 is made multiphase.

[0091] Figure 5 is a plan view showing the configuration of an inductor unit 120 comprising multiple coupled inductors 1 as shown in Figure 4. The load XPU 150 is also shown in Figure 5. Specifically, Figure 5 shows a plan view of the modularized voltage converter 100 shown in Figure 2A. As mentioned above, the inductor unit 120 comprises N coupled inductors 1, but here only three coupled inductors 1 are shown.

[0092] Multiple coupled inductors 1 are arranged in a line along the x-axis. Specifically, two adjacent coupled inductors 1 have terminals on their opposing sides that connect them to each other. More specifically, two adjacent coupled inductors 1 are arranged such that the terminal 31 of one inductor 1 is adjacent to the terminal 32 of the other inductor 1. In this embodiment, since the terminals 31 and 32 of one coupled inductor 1 are aligned along the x-axis, all the terminals 31 and 32 of all coupled inductors 1 can be arranged in a line along the x-axis. This allows for the formation of a series connection circuit of the conductors 30 of N coupled inductors 1, as shown by the dashed arrows in Figure 5. Therefore, the wiring distance between adjacent coupled inductors 1 can be shortened. For example, terminals 31 and 32 may be in direct contact, effectively eliminating the wiring distance between adjacent coupled inductors 1. In this way, the wiring length of the coupling line is shortened, which reduces losses.

[0093] Furthermore, as shown by the solid arrows in Figure 5, the direction of current flow supplied to the XPU150 is the same for each coupled inductor 1. Specifically, in multiple coupled inductors 1, the terminal 22 (side surface 12) connected to the output terminal VOUT is positioned to face the XPU150. This allows for a shorter wiring length between the terminal 22 of each coupled inductor 1 and the load, the XPU150.

[0094] Similarly, in multiple coupled inductors 1, the terminals 21 connected to the FET circuit can be arranged in a line along the x-axis. As shown in Figure 2A, the integrated circuit 131 including the FET circuit and the input capacitance Cin (chip capacitor 130) are positioned in a location that overlaps with the inductor unit 120 (coupled inductor 1) in a plan view, so the wiring length between the FET circuit and the terminals 21 can be shortened.

[0095] As described above, the inductor unit 120 according to this embodiment allows for a shorter wiring length, thereby reducing losses and stabilizing operation by reducing ringing. Furthermore, the shorter wiring length reduces parasitic inductance, resulting in improved load responsiveness.

[0096] [3-2. Example 2] Next, the specific configuration of the coupling inductor 2 according to Example 2 will be explained using Figure 6. In the following explanation, the differences from Example 1 will be the main focus, and the explanation of the common points will be omitted or simplified.

[0097] Figure 6 shows a plan view and a front view of the coupled inductor 2 according to Embodiment 2. Figure 6(a) is a plan view, (b) is a front view, and (c) is a perspective view.

[0098] As shown in Figure 6, the coupling inductor 2 differs from coupling inductor 1 in the arrangement of terminals 21, 22, 31, and 32 in a plan view. Specifically, the distance between terminals 21 and 31, and the distance between terminals 22 and 32 are shortened. More specifically, terminal 21 is located on side surface 11, closer to side surface 13 than to side surface 14. Terminal 22 is located on side surface 12, closer to side surface 14 than to side surface 13. Terminal 31 is located on side surface 13, closer to side surface 11 than to side surface 12. Terminal 32 is located on side surface 14, closer to side surface 12 than to side surface 11.

[0099] Figure 6(a) shows two dashed lines XL and YL that divide the upper surface 15 of the magnetic material 10 into four equal parts. The two dashed lines XL and YL are parallel to the x and y axes, respectively, and their intersection is located at the center of the upper surface 15. In this case, terminals 21 and 31 are located in the lower left region of the figure. Terminals 22 and 32 are located in the upper right region of the figure. Note that the arrangement is not limited to that shown in Figure 6(a), and the arrangement of terminals 21, 22, 31 and 32 may be reversed with respect to the dashed line XL or YL. The same applies to other embodiments.

[0100] Specifically, terminal 21 is located in the region on the side surface 13 when the side surface 11 is bisected by a dividing line parallel to the z-axis. Terminal 31 is located in the region on the side surface 11 when the side surface 13 is bisected by a dividing line parallel to the z-axis. Terminal 22 is located in the region on the side surface 14 when the side surface 12 is bisected by a dividing line parallel to the z-axis. Terminal 32 is located in the region on the side surface 12 when the side surface 14 is bisected by a dividing line parallel to the z-axis. Note that terminals 21, 22, 31 and 32 are provided so that their respective lower surfaces are flush with the lower surface 16 of the magnetic material 10. Alternatively, the respective lower surfaces of terminals 21, 22, 31 and 32 may protrude below the lower surface 16.

[0101] By bringing terminals 21 and 31 closer together, and terminals 22 and 32 closer together, the coupling between conductor 20 and conductor 30 can be further enhanced. In other words, the coupling coefficient of the coupled inductor 2 can be increased, so the leakage inductance is reduced and the load response is improved. In addition, the design range of the inductor Lc is increased, and the design of the L value of the inductor Lc becomes easier.

[0102] Figure 7 is a plan view showing the configuration of an inductor unit 121 which comprises multiple coupled inductors 2 as shown in Figure 6.

[0103] As shown in Figure 7, the multiple coupled inductors 2 are arranged side by side in the x-axis direction. In this case, two adjacent coupled inductors 2 are arranged such that one terminal 31 and the other terminal 32 are separated. In this embodiment, wiring 160 for connecting one terminal 31 and the other terminal 32 is provided on the mounting surface or inside the substrate 110.

[0104] In the example shown in Figure 7, two adjacent coupled inductors 2 have terminals on their opposing sides that connect to each other. This allows one terminal 31 and the other terminal 32 to be placed close together, thus shortening the wiring length.

[0105] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 7, one terminal 21 and the other terminal 22 can be arranged to be aligned along the y-axis. That is, the distance between two adjacent coupled inductors 2 can be shortened, thereby enabling miniaturization of the inductor unit 121.

[0106] In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 6(c), the conductors 20 and 30 are arranged to run parallel to each other in the z-axis and y-axis directions within the magnetic material 10. Specifically, the conductors 20 and 30 run parallel to three sides (a so-called U-shape) of the cross-section of the magnetic material 10 that is parallel to the yz-plane. Furthermore, in the portion along the lower surface 16, the conductors 20 and 30 run parallel to each other in the x-axis direction near terminals 21 and 31, and near terminals 22 and 32. By increasing the distance of parallel running within the magnetic material 10 in this way, the coupling coefficient can be increased. Note that the shape and layout of the conductors 20 and 30 shown in Figure 6(c) are merely examples.

[0107] [3-3. Example 3] Next, the specific configuration of the inductor unit according to Example 3 will be explained using Figure 8. Note that the following explanation will focus on the differences from Example 2, and the explanation of common points will be omitted or simplified.

[0108] Figure 8 is a plan view showing the configuration of the inductor unit 122 according to Embodiment 3. In Embodiment 2, coupled inductors 2 with the same configuration were arranged side by side, whereas in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 8, two types of coupled inductors 2a and 2b with different configurations are arranged alternately, one of each.

[0109] Coupled inductor 2a is an example of the first coupled inductor and has the same configuration as coupled inductor 2 according to Embodiment 2. Coupled inductor 2b is an example of the second coupled inductor and has a mirror-reversal structure of coupled inductor 2a. Specifically, coupled inductor 2b has a structure in which coupled inductor 2 is mirrored, with the YZ plane at the position of the dashed line YL shown in Figure 6(a) as the mirror surface. Therefore, in coupled inductor 2b, terminals 21 and 31 are located in the lower right region of the figure, which is divided into four equal parts by the two dashed lines XL and YL. Terminals 22 and 32 are located in the upper left region of the figure.

[0110] By arranging the coupled inductors 2a and 2b alternately, one at a time, as shown in Figure 8, it becomes possible to directly connect two terminals 31 to each other, or two terminals 32 to each other. In other words, since wiring between coupled inductors 2a and 2b is unnecessary, the wiring length can be further shortened.

[0111] As described above, the inductor unit 122 according to this embodiment allows for a shorter wiring length, thereby reducing losses and stabilizing operation by reducing ringing. Furthermore, the shorter wiring length reduces parasitic inductance, resulting in improved load responsiveness.

[0112] [3-4. Example 4] Next, the specific configuration of the coupling inductor 3 according to Example 4 will be explained using Figure 9. In the following explanation, the differences from Example 2 will be the main focus, and the explanation of the common points will be omitted or simplified.

[0113] Figure 9 shows a plan view and a front view of the coupled inductor 3 according to Embodiment 4. Figure 9(a) is a plan view, (b) is a front view, and (c) is a perspective view.

[0114] As shown in Figure 9, the coupling inductor 3 differs from coupling inductor 2 in the arrangement of terminals 21, 22, 31, and 32 in a plan view. In this embodiment, terminals 21 and 22 are provided on the same side surface 14 of the magnetic material 10. Side surface 14 is closer to the load (e.g., XPU150) to which the current flowing through the conductor 20 is supplied, compared to side surface 13 (see Figure 10). Terminal 31 is provided on side surface 12. Terminal 32 is provided on side surface 11.

[0115] In this embodiment, as in embodiments 2 and 3, the terminals are arranged such that the distance between terminal 21 and terminal 31, and the distance between terminal 22 and terminal 32 are minimized. Specifically, terminals 21 and 31 are located in the upper right region of the area divided into four equal parts by the two dashed lines XL and YL, respectively. Terminals 22 and 32 are located in the lower right region of the area.

[0116] Figure 10 is a plan view showing the configuration of an inductor unit 123 which comprises multiple coupled inductors 3 as shown in Figure 9.

[0117] As shown in Figure 10, multiple coupled inductors 3 are arranged in a line along the y-axis. Specifically, two adjacent coupled inductors 3 have terminals for connecting them on their opposing sides. More specifically, two adjacent coupled inductors 3 are arranged such that the terminals 31 of one inductor 3 and the terminals 32 of the other inductor 3 are adjacent to each other. In this embodiment, since the terminals 31 and 32 of one coupled inductor 3 are aligned along the y-axis, all the terminals 31 and 32 of all coupled inductors 3 can be arranged in a line along the y-axis. This allows for the formation of a series connection circuit of the conductors 30 of N coupled inductors 3, as shown by the dashed arrows in Figure 10. Therefore, the wiring distance between adjacent coupled inductors 3 can be shortened. For example, terminals 31 and 32 may be in direct contact, effectively eliminating the wiring distance between adjacent coupled inductors 3. In this way, the wiring length of the coupling line is shortened, which reduces losses.

[0118] Furthermore, as shown by the solid arrows in Figure 10, the direction of current flow supplied to the XPU 150 is the same for each coupled inductor 3. Specifically, in multiple coupled inductors 3, the terminal 22 (side surface 14) connected to the output terminal VOUT is positioned to face the XPU 150. This allows for a shorter wiring length between the terminal 22 of each coupled inductor 3 and the load, the XPU 150.

[0119] Similarly, in multiple coupled inductors 3, the terminals 21 connected to the FET circuit are also positioned to face the XPU 150. Similar to the inductor unit 120 (coupled inductor 1) shown in Figure 2A, the integrated circuit 131 including the FET circuit and the input capacitance Cin (chip capacitor 130) are positioned in a location that overlaps with the coupled inductor 3 in a plan view, thus shortening the wiring length between the FET circuit and the terminals 21.

[0120] As described above, the inductor unit 123 according to this embodiment allows for a shorter wiring length, thereby reducing losses and stabilizing operation by reducing ringing. Furthermore, the shorter wiring length reduces parasitic inductance, resulting in improved load responsiveness.

[0121] In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 9(c), conductors 20 and 30 are arranged to run parallel to each other along the z-axis and y-axis directions within the magnetic material 10, similar to Figure 6(c). Specifically, conductors 20 and 30 run parallel to three sides (a so-called U-shape) of the cross-section of the magnetic material 10 that is parallel to the yz-plane. Furthermore, in the portion along the lower surface 16, conductors 20 and 30 run parallel to each other in the x-axis direction near terminals 21 and 31, and near terminals 22 and 32. In this way, the coupling coefficient can be increased by increasing the distance of parallel running within the magnetic material 10. Note that the shape and layout of conductors 20 and 30 shown in Figure 9(c) are merely examples.

[0122] [3-5. Example 5] Next, the specific configuration of the coupling inductor 4 (see Figure 12) according to Example 5 will be described. In the following description, the differences from Example 2 will be the main focus, and the similarities will be omitted or simplified.

[0123] While the above-described examples 1 to 4 all use coupled inductors suitable for a hybrid power supply voltage converter 100, the coupled inductor 4 in Example 5 is suitable for a vertical power supply voltage converter. Below, the configuration of the vertical power supply voltage converter will be explained using Figures 11A and 11B.

[0124] Figure 11A is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of a vertically powered voltage converter 200. Figure 11B is a diagram illustrating the power supply method using the voltage converter 200 shown in Figure 11A.

[0125] As shown in Figure 11A, the voltage converter 200 is mounted on the substrate 110. An example of a load, the XPU 150, is placed on the main surface 111 of the substrate 110. On the main surface 112, chip capacitors 130 and 140, an inductor unit 120, and an integrated circuit 131 including an FET circuit are arranged and stacked.

[0126] The inductor unit 120 includes multiple coupled inductors 4. The specific arrangement of the multiple coupled inductors 4 will be described later. The inductor unit 120 is positioned between the chip capacitor 130, the integrated circuit 131 including the FET circuit, and the chip capacitor 140. In this embodiment, in a plan view, the inductor unit 120 overlaps the XPU 150, the chip capacitor 140, the chip capacitor 130, and the integrated circuit 131 including the FET circuit. This reduces the mounting area of ​​the substrate 110, thereby enabling miniaturization of the voltage converter 200.

[0127] Figure 11B shows the current flow method with arrows. As shown in Figure 11B, the current flows from the integrated circuit 131, which includes the input capacitance Cin (chip capacitor 130) and the FET circuit, through the inductor unit 120, the output capacitance Cout (chip capacitor 140), and the substrate 110 to the XPU 150. In this way, by flowing the current along the thickness direction of the substrate 110, i.e., the vertical direction, power can be supplied to the XPU 150 (vertical power supply).

[0128] Multiple coupled inductors 4 included in the inductor unit 120 are connected to the FET circuit and input capacitance Cin on the lower surface 16, and to the output capacitance Cout on the upper surface 15. For this reason, terminals 21, 22, 31, and 32 of the coupled inductor 4 are provided on the upper surface 15 or the lower surface 16, respectively. The specific configuration of the coupled inductor 4 will be described below with reference to Figure 12.

[0129] Figure 12 shows a plan view and a front view of the coupled inductor 4 according to Embodiment 5. Figure 12(a) is a plan view, (b) is a front view, and (c) is a perspective view.

[0130] As shown in Figure 12(b), in this embodiment, terminals 21 and 31 are provided on the lower surface 16, and terminals 22 and 32 are provided on the upper surface 15.

[0131] Specifically, the terminals 21 are provided continuously on the side surface 11 and the bottom surface 16. More specifically, the terminals 21 are provided so as to protrude from the side surface 11 and be embedded in the bottom surface 16. The bottom surface of the terminals 21 and the bottom surface 16 of the magnetic material 10 are flush. The terminals 21 may also protrude downward from the bottom surface 16.

[0132] The terminals 31 are provided continuously on the side surface 13 and the bottom surface 16. Specifically, the terminals 31 are provided so as to protrude from the side surface 13 and be embedded in the bottom surface 16. The bottom surface of the terminals 31 and the bottom surface 16 of the magnetic material 10 are flush. The terminals 31 may also protrude downward from the bottom surface 16.

[0133] Terminals 21 and 31 are positioned in the lower left region of the area divided into four equal parts by the two dashed lines XL and YL, similar to Example 2. Alternatively, terminals 21 and 31 may be positioned at the lower center end of side surface 11 or 13, similar to Example 1.

[0134] The terminals 22 are provided continuously on the side surface 12 and the top surface 15. Specifically, the terminals 22 are provided so as to protrude from the side surface 12 and be embedded in the top surface 15. The top surface of the terminals 22 and the top surface 15 of the magnetic material 10 are flush. The terminals 22 may also protrude upward from the top surface 15.

[0135] The terminals 32 are provided continuously on the side surface 14 and the top surface 15. Specifically, the terminals 32 are provided so as to protrude from the side surface 14 and be embedded in the top surface 15. The top surface of the terminals 32 and the top surface 15 of the magnetic material 10 are flush. The terminals 32 may also protrude upward from the top surface 15.

[0136] Terminals 22 and 32 are positioned in the upper right region of the area divided into four equal parts by the two dashed lines XL and YL, similar to Example 2. Alternatively, terminals 22 and 32 may be positioned at the upper center of side surface 12 or 14 (on dashed line XL or YL).

[0137] In this embodiment, the coupled inductors 4 are arranged in multiples along the x-axis direction in a plan view, similar to Embodiment 2 shown in Figure 7. Alternatively, the multiple coupled inductors 4 may have a mirror-reversal structure between two adjacent inductors, similar to Embodiment 3 shown in Figure 8.

[0138] Furthermore, in the coupled inductor 4, terminals 21, 22, 31, and 32 are provided on the upper surface 15 or lower surface 16 of the magnetic material 10. Therefore, the input capacitance Cin and FET circuit located below the multiple coupled inductors 4 can be connected to terminal 21 with short wiring or directly connected. Similarly, the output capacitance Cout located above the multiple coupled inductors 4 can be connected to terminal 22 with short wiring or directly connected.

[0139] Furthermore, multiple coupling inductors 4 may be stacked vertically (up and down). Since terminals 31 and 32 are provided on the upper surface 15 or lower surface 16, one terminal 31 and the other terminal 32 can be connected with a short wire or directly connected. This reduces the wiring length of the coupling line.

[0140] Terminal 21 does not have to be provided on the side surface 11; that is, terminal 21 does not have to protrude from the side surface 11. Similarly, terminal 22 does not have to be provided on the side surface 12; that is, terminal 22 does not have to protrude from the side surface 12. Terminal 31 does not have to be provided on the side surface 13; that is, terminal 31 does not have to protrude from the side surface 13. Terminal 32 does not have to be provided on the side surface 14; that is, terminal 32 does not have to protrude from the side surface 14. Terminals 21, 22, 31, and 32 do not each have to protrude outward from the perimeter of the upper surface 15 or the lower surface 16.

[0141] Furthermore, in this embodiment, terminals 21 and 31 are close together, and terminals 22 and 32 are close together, which enables a high coupling coefficient, but the embodiment is not limited to this. For example, terminals 31 and 32 that constitute the secondary coil (coupling line) do not have to be provided on either the upper surface 15 or the lower surface 16. For example, terminal 31 may be located in the center of the side surface 13, and terminal 32 may be located in the center of the side surface 14.

[0142] In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 12(c), the conductors 20 and 30 are arranged to run parallel to each other in the x-axis, y-axis, and z-axis directions within the magnetic material 10. Specifically, the conductors 20 and 30 run parallel to each other in the z-axis direction at both ends of the magnetic material 10 in the y-axis direction, and in the y-axis direction at approximately the center of the z-axis direction. In addition, in the portion along the lower surface 16, the conductors 20 and 30 run parallel to each other in the x-axis direction near terminals 21 and 31. In addition, in the portion along the upper surface 15, the conductors 20 and 30 run parallel to each other in the x-axis direction near terminals 22 and 32. By increasing the distance of parallel running within the magnetic material 10 in this way, the coupling coefficient can be increased. Note that the shape and layout of the conductors 20 and 30 shown in Figure 12(c) are merely examples.

[0143] [3-6. Example 6] Next, the configuration of the coupling inductor 5 according to Example 6 will be explained using Figure 13. In the following explanation, the differences from Example 1 will be the main focus, and the explanation of the common points will be omitted or simplified.

[0144] Figure 13 shows a plan view and a front view of the coupled inductor 5 according to Embodiment 6. Figure 13(a) is a plan view, (b) is a front view, and (c) is a perspective view.

[0145] As shown in Figure 13, in the coupled inductor 5, conductor 20 has terminals 23 and 24 in addition to terminals 21 and 22. Similarly, conductor 30 has terminals 33 and 34 in addition to terminals 31 and 32. In other words, each of conductors 20 and 30 has four terminals.

[0146] As described above, terminals 21 and 22 are used for connections to the FET circuit and the output terminal VOUT, and terminals 31 and 32 are used for connections to terminals 31 and 32 of the adjacent coupled inductor 5. On the other hand, terminals 23, 24, 33 and 34 are not used for connections to other elements or terminals. Terminals 23, 24, 33 and 34 are auxiliary terminals provided to strengthen the coupling between conductors 20 and 30.

[0147] As shown in Figure 13, terminal 23 of conductor 20 is an example of a fifth terminal and is located on the same side as terminal 31 of conductor 30, i.e., on side surface 13. Terminal 23 is positioned close to terminal 31. For example, like terminal 31, terminal 23 is located on side surface 13, closer to side surface 11 than to side surface 12. In other words, terminal 23 is located in the lower left region of the area divided into four equal parts by the two dashed lines XL and YL.

[0148] Terminal 24 of conductor 20 is an example of a sixth terminal and is located on the same side as terminal 32 of conductor 30, i.e., on side surface 14. Terminal 24 is positioned close to terminal 32. For example, like terminal 32, terminal 24 is located on side surface 14, closer to side surface 12 than to side surface 11. In other words, terminal 24 is located in the upper right region of the area divided into four equal parts by the two dashed lines XL and YL.

[0149] Note that "proximity" means being close enough that they do not touch, but is not limited to this. For example, terminals A and B are said to be in proximity if the distance between terminals A and B is shorter than the distance between terminal A and any other terminal, and shorter than the distance between terminal B and any other terminal. In other words, terminals A and B that are in proximity to each other are the closest terminals to each other among all the terminals on the coupled inductor.

[0150] Terminal 33 of conductor 30 is an example of a seventh terminal and is located on the same side as terminal 21 of conductor 20, i.e., on the side surface 11. Terminal 33 is positioned close to terminal 21. For example, terminal 33 is positioned together with terminal 21 at the lower center end of side surface 11.

[0151] Terminal 34 of conductor 30 is an example of an eighth terminal and is located on the same side as terminal 22 of conductor 20, i.e., on the side surface 12. Terminal 34 is positioned close to terminal 22. For example, terminal 34 is positioned together with terminal 22 at the lower center end of side surface 12.

[0152] The lower surfaces of terminals 21-24 and 31-34 are flush with the lower surface 16 of the magnetic material 10. Alternatively, the lower surfaces of terminals 21-24 and 31-34 may protrude below the lower surface 16.

[0153] As described above, terminals 33 and 34 of conductor 30 are positioned close to terminals 21 and 22 of conductor 20, respectively, and terminals 23 and 24 of conductor 20 are positioned close to terminals 31 and 32 of conductor 30, respectively. This allows for a longer length of parallel running distance between conductors 20 and 30, thereby strengthening the coupling between conductors 20 and 30. As a result, the coupled inductor 5 achieves a high coupling coefficient, reducing leakage inductance. This increases the design range of the inductor Lc, making it easier to design the L value of the inductor Lc.

[0154] In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 13(c), conductors 20 and 30 are arranged to run parallel to each other in the x-axis, y-axis, and z-axis directions within the magnetic material 10. Specifically, conductors 20 and 30 run parallel to three sides (a so-called U-shape) of the cross-section of the magnetic material 10 that is parallel to the yz plane. Furthermore, in the portion along the lower surface 16, conductors 20 and 30 run parallel to each other in the y-axis direction near terminals 21 and 33, and near terminals 22 and 34. Also, in the portion along the lower surface 16, conductors 20 and 30 run parallel to each other in the x-axis direction near terminals 23 and 31, and near terminals 24 and 32. In this way, the coupling coefficient can be increased by increasing the distance of parallel running within the magnetic material 10. Note that the shape and layout of conductors 20 and 30 shown in Figure 13(c) are merely examples.

[0155] Figure 14 is a plan view showing the configuration of an inductor unit 124 which comprises multiple coupled inductors 5 as shown in Figure 13.

[0156] As shown in Figure 14, the multiple coupled inductors 5 are arranged side by side in the x-axis direction. In this case, two adjacent coupled inductors 5 are arranged such that one terminal 31 and the other terminal 32 are separated. In this embodiment, wiring 160 for connecting one terminal 31 and the other terminal 32 is provided on the mounting surface or inside the substrate 110.

[0157] In the example shown in Figure 14, the two adjacent coupled inductors 5 have terminals on their opposing sides that connect to each other. This allows one terminal 31 and the other terminal 32 to be placed close together, thus shortening the wiring length.

[0158] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 14, one terminal 21 and the other terminal 22 can be arranged to align along the y-axis. That is, the distance between two adjacent coupled inductors 5 can be shortened, thereby enabling miniaturization of the inductor unit 124.

[0159] [3-7. Example 7] Next, the specific configuration of the inductor unit according to Example 7 will be explained using Figure 15. Note that the following explanation will focus on the differences from Example 6, and the explanation of common points will be omitted or simplified.

[0160] Figure 15 is a plan view showing the configuration of the inductor unit 125 according to Embodiment 7. In Embodiment 6, coupled inductors 5 with the same configuration were arranged side by side, whereas in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 15, two types of coupled inductors 5a and 5b with different configurations are arranged alternately, one of each.

[0161] Coupled inductor 5a is an example of the first coupled inductor and has the same configuration as coupled inductor 5 according to Embodiment 6. Coupled inductor 5b is an example of the second coupled inductor and has a mirror-reversal structure of coupled inductor 5a. Specifically, coupled inductor 5b has a structure in which coupled inductor 5 is mirrored using the YZ plane at the position of the dashed line YL shown in Figure 13(a) as the mirror surface. Therefore, in coupled inductor 5b, terminals 23 and 31 are located in the lower right region of the figure, which is one of the four equal regions divided by the two dashed lines XL and YL. Terminals 24 and 32 are located in the upper left region of the figure.

[0162] By arranging the coupled inductors 5a and 5b alternately, one at a time, as shown in Figure 15, it becomes possible to connect two terminals 31 together, or two terminals 32 together, with shorter wiring. In other words, since wiring between coupled inductors 5a and 5b is unnecessary, the wiring length can be further reduced.

[0163] As described above, the inductor unit 125 according to this embodiment allows for a shorter wiring length, thereby reducing losses and stabilizing operation by reducing ringing. Furthermore, the shorter wiring length reduces parasitic inductance, resulting in improved load responsiveness.

[0164] [3-8. Example 8] Next, the specific configuration of the coupling inductor 6 according to Example 8 will be explained using Figure 16. In the following explanation, the differences from Example 6 will be the main focus, and the explanation of the common points will be omitted or simplified.

[0165] Figure 16 shows a plan view and a front view of the coupled inductor 6 according to Embodiment 8. Figure 16(a) is a plan view, (b) is a front view, and (c) is a perspective view.

[0166] As shown in Figure 16, the arrangement of terminals 21-24 and 31-34 in a plan view differs from that of coupling inductor 5 in coupling inductor 6. Coupling inductor 6 has auxiliary terminals arranged close to each terminal of coupling inductor 3 according to Embodiment 4.

[0167] In this embodiment, terminals 21 and 22 are provided on the same side surface 14 of the magnetic material 10. Side surface 14 is closer to the load (e.g., XPU 150) to which the current flowing through the conductor 20 is supplied, compared to side surface 13 (see Figure 17).

[0168] Terminals 33 and 34 of the conductor 30 are positioned in close proximity to terminals 21 and 22. Terminals 33 and 34 are provided on the same surface as terminals 21 and 22, i.e., on the side surface 14.

[0169] In this embodiment, terminal 31 is provided on the side surface 12. Terminal 23 of the conductor 20 is provided in close proximity to terminal 31. Terminal 32 is provided on the side surface 11. Terminal 24 of the conductor 20 is provided in close proximity to terminal 32.

[0170] Figure 17 is a plan view showing the configuration of an inductor unit 126 comprising multiple coupled inductors 6 as shown in Figure 16. The multiple coupled inductors 6 are arranged in the same way as the multiple coupled inductors 3 in Embodiment 4 shown in Figure 10. Therefore, as with Embodiment 4, the wiring length can be shortened, thereby reducing losses and stabilizing operation by reducing ringing. In addition, the shorter wiring length reduces parasitic inductance, thus improving load responsiveness. Furthermore, terminals 23, 24, 33, and 34 are provided as auxiliary terminals, increasing the coupling coefficient of each coupled inductor 6. Therefore, the leakage inductance is reduced, increasing the design range of the inductor Lc and making it easier to design the L value of the inductor Lc.

[0171] In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 16(c), the conductors 20 and 30 are arranged to run parallel to each other in the x-axis, y-axis, and z-axis directions within the magnetic material 10. Specifically, the conductors 20 and 30 have a shape that combines the example shown in Figure 9(c) and the example shown in Figure 13(c). By increasing the distance over which they run parallel within the magnetic material 10 in this way, the coupling coefficient can be increased. Note that the shape and layout of the conductors 20 and 30 shown in Figure 16(c) are merely examples.

[0172] [3-9. Example 9] Next, the specific configuration of the coupling inductor 7 according to Example 9 will be described. In the following description, the differences from Example 6 will be the main focus, and the similarities will be omitted or simplified.

[0173] Figure 18 shows a plan view and a front view of the coupled inductor 7 according to Embodiment 9. Figure 18(a) is a plan view, (b) is a front view, and (c) is a perspective view. The plan view of the coupled inductor 7 is the same as the plan view of the coupled inductor 5 according to Embodiment 6 shown in Figure 13(a). In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 18(b), terminals 21, 23, 31 and 33 are provided on the lower surface 16, and terminals 22, 24, 32 and 34 are provided on the upper surface 15. In other words, the coupled inductor 7 is configured to be suitable for a vertically powered voltage converter, similar to Embodiment 4.

[0174] Specifically, terminals 21 and 33 are provided continuously on the side surface 11 and the bottom surface 16. More specifically, terminals 21 and 33 are provided so as to protrude from the side surface 11 and be embedded in the bottom surface 16. The bottom surfaces of terminals 21 and 33 and the bottom surface 16 of the magnetic material 10 are flush. Terminals 21 and 33 may also protrude downward from the bottom surface 16.

[0175] Terminals 31 and 23 are provided continuously on the side surface 13 and the bottom surface 16. Specifically, terminals 31 and 23 are provided so as to protrude from the side surface 13 and be embedded in the bottom surface 16. The bottom surfaces of terminals 31 and 23 and the bottom surface 16 of the magnetic material 10 are flush. Terminals 31 and 23 may also protrude downward from the bottom surface 16.

[0176] Terminals 22 and 34 are provided continuously on the side surface 12 and the top surface 15. Specifically, terminals 22 and 34 are provided so as to protrude from the side surface 12 and be embedded in the top surface 15. The top surfaces of terminals 22 and 34 and the top surface 15 of the magnetic material 10 are flush. Terminals 22 and 34 may also protrude upward from the top surface 15.

[0177] Terminals 32 and 24 are provided continuously on the side surface 14 and the top surface 15. Specifically, terminals 32 and 24 are provided so as to protrude from the side surface 14 and be embedded in the top surface 15. The top surfaces of terminals 32 and 24 and the top surface 15 of the magnetic material 10 are flush. Terminals 32 and 24 may also protrude upward from the top surface 15.

[0178] In this embodiment, the coupled inductors 7 are arranged in multiples along the x-axis direction in a plan view, similar to Embodiment 6 shown in Figure 14. Alternatively, the multiple coupled inductors 7 may have a mirror-reversal structure between two adjacent inductors, similar to Embodiment 7 shown in Figure 15.

[0179] Furthermore, in the coupled inductor 7, terminals 21, 22, 31, and 32 are provided on the upper surface 15 or lower surface 16 of the magnetic material 10. Therefore, the input capacitance Cin and FET circuit located below the multiple coupled inductors 7 can be connected to terminal 21 with short wiring or directly connected. Similarly, the output capacitance Cout located above the multiple coupled inductors 7 can be connected to terminal 22 with short wiring or directly connected.

[0180] Furthermore, multiple coupling inductors 7 may be stacked vertically (up and down). Since terminals 31 and 32 are provided on the upper surface 15 or lower surface 16, one terminal 31 and the other terminal 32 can be connected with a short wire or directly connected. This reduces the wiring length of the coupling line.

[0181] In this embodiment, terminals 21 and 31 are close together, and terminals 22 and 32 are close together, which allows for a high coupling coefficient, but the embodiment is not limited to this. For example, terminals 31 and 32, which constitute the secondary coil (coupling line), do not have to be located on either the upper surface 15 or the lower surface 16. For example, terminal 31 may be located in the center of the side surface 13, and terminal 32 may be located in the center of the side surface 14. Also, for example, terminals 23, 24, 33 and 34, which are used as auxiliary terminals, do not have to be located on the upper surface 15 or the lower surface 16.

[0182] In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 18(c), the conductors 20 and 30 are arranged to run parallel to each other in the x-axis, y-axis, and z-axis directions, respectively, within the magnetic material 10. Specifically, the conductors 20 and 30 have a shape that combines the example shown in Figure 12(c) and the example shown in Figure 13(c). By increasing the distance over which they run parallel within the magnetic material 10 in this way, the coupling coefficient can be increased. Note that the shape and layout of the conductors 20 and 30 shown in Figure 18(c) are merely examples.

[0183] [3-10. Example 10] Next, the specific configuration of the coupling inductor 8 according to Example 10 will be explained using Figure 19. In the following explanation, the differences from Example 1 will be the main focus, and the explanation of the common points will be omitted or simplified.

[0184] Figure 19 shows a plan view and a front view of the coupled inductor 8 according to Embodiment 10. Figure 19(a) is a plan view, (b) is a front view, and (c) is a perspective view.

[0185] As shown in Figure 19, terminals 21, 22, 31, and 32 are positioned so as to be embedded in each of the sides 11 to 14, and do not protrude from them. Specifically, terminal 21 does not protrude from the magnetic material 10 when viewed from a direction perpendicular to side 11 (e.g., the positive side of the z axis). Terminal 22 does not protrude from the magnetic material 10 when viewed from a direction perpendicular to side 12 (e.g., the positive side of the z axis). Terminal 23 does not protrude from the magnetic material 10 when viewed from a direction perpendicular to side 13 (e.g., the positive side of the z axis). Terminal 24 does not protrude from the magnetic material 10 when viewed from a direction perpendicular to side 14 (e.g., the positive side of the z axis). More specifically, each of the sides 11 to 14 is provided with a groove, and the corresponding terminals 21, 22, 31, and 32 are provided in the groove.

[0186] For example, terminal 21 is housed in a groove provided on side surface 11. The outer surface of terminal 21 is flush with side surface 11. Terminal 22 is housed in a groove provided on side surface 12. The outer surface of terminal 22 is flush with side surface 12. Terminal 31 is housed in a groove provided on side surface 13. The outer surface of terminal 31 is flush with side surface 13. Terminal 32 is housed in a groove provided on side surface 14. The outer surface of terminal 32 is flush with side surface 14. Note that parts of each of terminals 21, 22, 31, and 32 may protrude from the grooves.

[0187] Furthermore, the magnetic material 10 may be housed in a resin housing. A step difference between the housing and the surface of the magnetic material 10 may form grooves for housing the terminals 21, 22, 31, and 32.

[0188] A groove may be provided for each terminal, or a groove larger than that of a single terminal may be provided to accommodate multiple terminals. For example, as shown in Examples 6 to 9, when terminals 23, 24, 33 and 34 are provided as auxiliary terminals, grooves for accommodating two terminals may be provided on each side.

[0189] According to this embodiment, since each terminal does not protrude from the side surface of the magnetic material 10, the coupling inductor 8 can be miniaturized. In addition, mechanical shocks are less likely to be directly applied to the terminals, and damage to the terminals can be suppressed. In other words, a coupling inductor 8 that is resistant to shock can be realized.

[0190] Furthermore, a portion of each terminal may protrude from the groove. That is, a portion of each terminal may be housed in the groove, while another portion protrudes outward from the groove. In this case as well, the amount of terminal protrusion can be reduced, thereby enabling miniaturization and improved reliability of the coupled inductor 8.

[0191] Furthermore, although this embodiment shows an example in which the magnetic material 10 is provided with grooves substantially the same size as each terminal, it is not limited to this. For example, the magnetic material 10 does not have to have grooves. A part of the magnetic material 10 may be provided to protrude so as to cover the terminals (forming an overhang).

[0192] In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 19(c), conductors 20 and 30 are arranged to run parallel along a rectangular ring approximately 1.5 times around at different heights within the magnetic material 10, similar to Figure 4(c). For example, the rectangular ring portion of conductor 20 and the rectangular ring portion of conductor 30 overlap when viewed from the z-axis direction. Note that the shapes and layouts of conductors 20 and 30 shown in Figure 19(c) are merely examples.

[0193] [4. Power converter] Next, the configuration of a power conversion device equipped with the voltage converter 100 or 200 described above will be explained using Figure 20.

[0194] Figure 20 shows the configuration of the power converter 300 according to this embodiment. As shown in Figure 20, the power converter 300 includes a PDU (Power Distribution Unit) 310, a PSU (Power Supply Unit) 320, and a voltage converter 100. The power converter 300 may also include a voltage converter 200 instead of the voltage converter 100.

[0195] The PDU310 is a power distribution unit and is configured to change the destination of the AC power supplied from the AC power source 301. For example, the PDU310 has multiple switches. In this embodiment, the PDU310 supplies AC power to the PSU320. The AC power source 301 is, for example, a general commercial power supply.

[0196] The PSU320 is a power supply unit that converts the AC power supplied from the PDU310 into DC power and supplies it to the voltage converter 100. The PSU320 includes, for example, an AC / DC converter and a DC / DC converter.

[0197] The voltage converter 100 converts the DC power supplied from the PSU 320 and supplies it to the load, the XPU 150.

[0198] As described above, the power converter 300 is equipped with a voltage converter 100 or 200, which helps to suppress the deterioration of electrical characteristics. Specifically, the wiring length of the coupling line formed by multiple inductors can be shortened, which not only reduces losses but also reduces ringing and stabilizes operation. In addition, the shorter wiring length reduces parasitic inductance, thus improving load responsiveness.

[0199] (Other embodiments) Although coupled inductors, inductor units, voltage converters, and power converters according to one or more embodiments have been described above based on embodiments, this disclosure is not limited to these embodiments. Without departing from the spirit of this disclosure, various modifications to these embodiments that a person skilled in the art could conceive, as well as configurations constructed by combining components from different embodiments, are also included within the scope of this disclosure.

[0200] For example, the magnetic material 10 may be composed of a combination of multiple magnetic materials. Figure 21 is a perspective view of a coupled inductor according to a modified example of the embodiment.

[0201] As shown in Figure 21, the magnetic material 10 includes a first magnetic material 41 and a second magnetic material 42. The first magnetic material 41 and the second magnetic material 42 are combined in the yz plane represented by the line XXII-XXII in Figure 21 to constitute the magnetic material 10. The line XXII-XXII is a line that bisects the magnetic material 10 in the x-axis direction.

[0202] Figure 22 is a plan view showing the surfaces of the first magnetic material 41 and the second magnetic material 42 that are combined with each other. Figure 22(a) represents the first magnetic material 41, and (b) represents the second magnetic material 42.

[0203] As shown in Figure 22(a), the first magnetic material 41 is provided with a groove 43 for accommodating at least a portion of the conductor 20. As shown in Figure 22(b), the second magnetic material 42 is provided with a groove 44 for accommodating at least a portion of the conductor 30.

[0204] Figure 23 is a plan view showing the state in which the conductors 20 and 30 are housed in the first magnetic body 41 and the second magnetic body 42, respectively, as shown in Figure 22. As shown in Figure 23, with at least a portion of the conductor 20 housed in groove 43 and at least a portion of the conductor 30 housed in groove 44, the surface of the first magnetic body 41 shown in (a) and the surface of the second magnetic body 42 shown in (b) are brought together facing each other. At this time, the first magnetic body 41 and the second magnetic body 42 are fitted together with a gap between them so that the magnetic flux does not saturate. Although not shown in the figure, the surfaces of the first magnetic body 41 and the second magnetic body 42 that face each other are provided with a recessed structure that allows them to fit together. Note that each of the conductors 20 and 30 may be covered with an insulating film to ensure insulation.

[0205] The first magnetic material 41 and the second magnetic material 42 are made of the same magnetic material. For example, the first magnetic material 41 and the second magnetic material 42 are each made of ferrite. By using ferrite, core losses at high frequencies can be reduced. However, the first magnetic material 41 and the second magnetic material 42 may be made of different magnetic materials.

[0206] In Figures 22 and 23, grooves 43 and 44 are provided to accommodate the portions of conductors 20 and 30 that run parallel to each other along the y-axis. Therefore, the portions of conductors 20 and 30 that do not run parallel to each other are exposed from the lower surface of the magnetic material 10. The shape of grooves 43 and 44 is not limited to the example shown in Figure 22.

[0207] Figure 24 is a plan view showing modified examples of the surfaces of the first magnetic material 41 and the second magnetic material 42 that are combined with each other. Figure 24(a) represents the first magnetic material 41, and (b) represents the second magnetic material 42. Figure 25 is a plan view showing the state in which the conductors 20 and 30 are housed in the first magnetic material 41 and the second magnetic material 42 shown in Figure 24.

[0208] As shown in Figure 24, grooves 43a and 44a may be provided, each shaped to accommodate portions of conductors 20 and 30 that do not run parallel to each other. In this case, as shown in Figure 25, almost all of conductors 20 and 30 (excluding terminals not shown) can be housed in the first magnetic body 41 and the second magnetic body 42, respectively. As a result, the lower surface of the magnetic body 10 becomes flush, which contributes to ease of mounting and miniaturization.

[0209] Furthermore, the magnetic material 10 may be composed of a combination of three or more magnetic materials. Also, although Figure 21 shows an example where it is divided into two equal parts, the size and shape of the multiple magnetic materials may differ from one another.

[0210] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, for example, the power supply method for the voltage converter may be a horizontal power supply method. For example, in the inductor unit 120 including a plurality of coupled inductors 1 according to Embodiment 1 shown in Figure 5, the FET circuit and input capacitance Cin may be mounted on the negative side of the y-axis. Since the terminal 21 of each of the plurality of coupled inductors 1 is located on the negative side of the y-axis, the wiring length can be shortened.

[0211] Furthermore, although the above embodiment shows an example where sides 11 and 12 are smaller than sides 13 and 14, it is not limited to this. Sides 11 and 12 may be the same size as sides 13 and 14, or they may be larger than sides 13 and 14. Also, the positional relationship between sides 11 and 12 may be reversed. That is, side 11 may be the plane located on the positive side of the y-axis, and side 12 may be the plane located on the negative side of the y-axis. Also, the positional relationship between sides 13 and 14 may be reversed. That is, side 13 may be the plane located on the positive side of the x-axis, and side 14 may be the plane located on the negative side of the x-axis.

[0212] Furthermore, although the above embodiment shows an example where the upper surface 15 and lower surface 16 are larger than the sides 11-14, it is not limited to this. The upper surface 15 and lower surface 16 may be the same size as the sides 11-14, or they may be smaller than the sides 11-14.

[0213] Furthermore, each of the above embodiments may be modified, replaced, added, or omitted in various ways within the scope of the claims or equivalent thereof. [Industrial applicability]

[0214] This disclosure can be used as a coupled inductor that can suppress the deterioration of electrical characteristics when multiphase is used, and can be used in, for example, inductor units, voltage converters, power supply circuits, power conversion devices, etc. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0215] 1, 2, 2a, 2b, 3, 4, 5, 5a, 5b, 6, 7, 8 Coupled Inductors 10 Magnetic material 11, 12, 13, 14 Side view 15 Top side 16 Bottom side 20, 30 conductors Terminals 21, 22, 23, 24, 31, 32, 33, 34 41. The first magnetic material 42. The second magnetic material 43, 43a, 44, 44a groove 100, 200V Voltage Converter 110 circuit boards 111, 112 Main surface 120, 121, 122, 123, 124, 125, 126 Inductor Units 130, 140 chip capacitors 131 Integrated Circuits 150 XPU 160 Wiring 300 Power converter 301 AC power supply 310 PDU 320 PSU

Claims

1. Magnetic materials and, A first conductor, at least a portion of which is provided within the magnetic material, A second conductor, at least a portion of which is provided within the magnetic body and coupled to the first conductor, The magnetic material has a first surface and a second surface facing away from each other, and a third surface and a fourth surface that are perpendicular to each of the first surface and the second surface and facing away from each other. The first conductor is The first terminal provided on the first surface, It has a second terminal provided on the second surface, The second conductor is The third terminal provided on the third surface, It has a fourth terminal provided on the fourth surface, The first conductor described above is further, A fifth terminal provided on the same surface of the magnetic material as the surface on which the third terminal is provided, The magnetic material has a sixth terminal provided on the same surface as the surface on which the fourth terminal is provided, The second conductor described above is further, A seventh terminal provided on the same surface of the magnetic material as the surface on which the first terminal is provided, The magnetic material has an eighth terminal provided on the same surface as the surface on which the second terminal is provided, Coupled inductor.

2. The first terminal is provided on the first surface at a position closer to the third surface than to the fourth surface. The second terminal is provided on the second surface at a position closer to the fourth surface than to the third surface. The third terminal is provided on the third surface at a position closer to the first surface than to the second surface. The fourth terminal is provided on the fourth surface at a position closer to the second surface than to the first surface. The coupled inductor according to claim 1.

3. Magnetic materials and, A first conductor, at least a portion of which is provided within the magnetic material, A second conductor, at least a portion of which is provided within the magnetic body and coupled to the first conductor, The magnetic material has a first surface and a second surface facing away from each other, and a third surface and a fourth surface that are perpendicular to each of the first surface and the second surface and facing away from each other. The first conductor has a first terminal and a second terminal provided on the fourth surface, The second conductor is A third terminal provided on the second surface, It has a fourth terminal provided on the first surface, The first conductor described above is further, A fifth terminal provided on the same surface of the magnetic material as the surface on which the third terminal is provided, The magnetic material has a sixth terminal provided on the same surface as the surface on which the fourth terminal is provided, The second conductor described above is further, A seventh terminal provided on the same surface of the magnetic material as the surface on which the first terminal is provided, The magnetic material has an eighth terminal provided on the same surface as the surface on which the second terminal is provided, Coupled inductor.

4. The fourth surface is the surface closer to the load to which the current flowing through the first conductor is supplied, compared to the third surface. The coupled inductor according to claim 3.

5. A coupled inductor, Magnetic materials and, A first conductor, at least a portion of which is provided within the magnetic material, A second conductor, at least a portion of which is provided within the magnetic body and coupled to the first conductor, The magnetic material has a third surface and a fourth surface facing away from each other, and a fifth surface and a sixth surface that are perpendicular to each of the third surface and the fourth surface and facing away from each other. The fifth surface is the surface facing the substrate on which the coupling inductor is mounted, The first conductor is The first terminal provided on the sixth surface, It has a second terminal provided on the fifth surface, The second conductor is The third terminal provided on the third surface, It has a fourth terminal provided on the fourth surface, The first conductor described above is further, A fifth terminal provided on the same surface of the magnetic material as the surface on which the third terminal is provided, The magnetic material has a sixth terminal provided on the same surface as the surface on which the fourth terminal is provided, The second conductor described above is further, A seventh terminal provided on the same surface of the magnetic material as the surface on which the first terminal is provided, The magnetic material has an eighth terminal provided on the same surface as the surface on which the second terminal is provided, Coupled inductor.

6. The third terminal is provided continuously on the third surface and the sixth surface. The fourth terminal is provided continuously on the fourth surface and the fifth surface. The coupled inductor according to claim 5.

7. The first terminal does not protrude from the magnetic material when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the surface on which the first terminal is provided. The second terminal does not protrude from the magnetic material when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the surface on which the second terminal is provided. The third terminal does not protrude from the magnetic material when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the surface on which the third terminal is provided. The fourth terminal does not protrude from the magnetic material when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the surface on which the fourth terminal is provided. A coupled inductor according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. A first coupling inductor which is a coupling inductor according to claim 1 or 2, The device comprises a second coupling inductor disposed opposite the fourth surface of the first coupling inductor, The second coupled inductor has a mirror-reversal structure of the structure of the first coupled inductor. Inductor unit.

9. A coupled inductor according to claim 5 or 6, Switching element and Input capacitance element, It comprises an output capacitive element, The input capacitance element or the switching element is arranged facing the sixth surface, The output capacitance element is arranged facing the fifth surface, Voltage converter.

10. A coupled inductor according to any one of claims 1 to 6, Voltage converter.

11. A power conversion device comprising the voltage converter described in claim 9.

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