Voltage regulation module

Abstract

This invention relates to a voltage regulation module, comprising: a power element; a passive element; a first printed circuit board, including a first surface and a second surface disposed opposite to each other, the power element being disposed on the first surface and the passive element being disposed on the second surface; an inductor module, including a magnetic core and a winding, the magnetic core including a top surface and a bottom surface opposite to each other, the top surface being connected to and fitted with the second surface, the magnetic core further including a groove, the groove being recessed inward from the top surface towards the bottom surface to accommodate the passive element on the second surface, the winding being embedded in the magnetic core and partially exposed on the top surface to form a pin, the pin being electrically connected to the power element via the second surface; and a conductor disposed on the magnetic core for transmitting electrical power and electrical signals.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This case belongs to the field of power electronics technology, and in particular relates to a voltage regulation module. [Previous Technology]

[0002] The function of the voltage regulator module (VRM) is to convert the output voltage (e.g., 12V) from the front-end power supply unit into the voltage required by the subsequent processor. In recent years, with the continuous improvement of processor performance, the requirements for voltage regulator modules are mainly high efficiency, high power density and fast dynamic response, as well as larger output current and more circuit units.

[0003] Multiphase coupled buck topologies, due to their larger equivalent steady-state output inductance and smaller equivalent dynamic output inductance, can achieve higher efficiency and faster dynamic response, and are therefore commonly used in voltage regulation modules. Currently, most multiphase coupled buck topologies in voltage regulation modules on the market are two-phase, achieving high efficiency and fast dynamic response. The commonly used two-phase coupled buck topologies have inductors with two side pillars, requiring the use of two DrMOS transistors. Therefore, the equivalent dynamic output inductance is larger, resulting in poorer electrical performance indicators such as dynamic response speed and output current. Furthermore, the use of two DrMOS transistors requires more input and bootstrap capacitors, increasing the overall product size and significantly reducing power density.

[0004] Therefore, how to develop a voltage regulation module that overcomes the above-mentioned deficiencies is the most urgent issue to be addressed at present. [Summary of the Invention]

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide a voltage regulation module in which the magnetic core of the inductor module includes a groove. When the magnetic core is connected and attached to the second side of the first printed circuit board, all passive components on the second side of the first printed circuit board can be accommodated in the groove. In this way, the size of the entire voltage regulation module is reduced and the power density is increased.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, some embodiments of this invention provide a voltage regulation module, including: at least one power element; at least one passive element; a first printed circuit board, including a first surface and a second surface disposed opposite to each other, the at least one power element being disposed on the first surface and the at least one passive element being disposed on the second surface; an inductor module, including a magnetic core and at least one winding, the magnetic core including a top surface, a bottom surface and a groove, the top surface and the bottom surface being disposed opposite to each other and connected and fitted to the second surface, the groove being recessed inward from the top surface toward the bottom surface to accommodate all the passive elements on the second surface, the at least one winding being embedded in the magnetic core and partially exposed on the top surface to form at least one pin, the exposed at least one pin being electrically connected to at least one power element via the second surface; and at least one conductor disposed on the magnetic core for transmitting electrical power and electrical signals.

[0007] In some embodiments of this invention, the voltage regulation module further includes a second printed circuit board, the second printed circuit board including a third side and a fourth side disposed opposite to each other, the third side being connected to and attached to the bottom side, and a conductor being used to electrically connect the first printed circuit board and the second printed circuit board.

[0008] In some embodiments of this invention, the voltage regulation module includes a plurality of power elements, and the inductor module includes a plurality of windings, each winding including two pins, which are partially exposed on the top and bottom surfaces respectively. The plurality of power elements and the plurality of windings are the same in number and are electrically connected in a one-to-one correspondence.

[0009] In some embodiments of this case, the second surface includes a plurality of passive elements, and the plurality of passive elements are all disposed in the groove. The part of the top surface without the groove is in direct contact with the second surface, or indirect contact through the pins of the winding and the conductor.

[0010] In some embodiments of this invention, the depth of the groove is greater than or equal to the height of the highest passive element among the plurality of passive elements on the second surface.

[0011] In some embodiments of this invention, the conductor is a C-shaped metal sheet disposed on at least one side of the top surface, bottom surface and magnetic core.

[0012] In some embodiments of this invention, the groove includes at least three sequentially connected inner walls, a break, and a bottom wall, the break being formed on the side of the magnetic core where no conductor is provided.

[0013] In some embodiments of this case, the groove on the side of the magnetic core forming the fracture is a trapezoidal structure.

[0014] In some embodiments of this case, the conductor includes a first conductor and a second conductor, the first conductor being used to transmit electrical power and the second conductor being used to transmit electrical signals.

[0015] In some embodiments of this invention, the conductor includes a plurality of first conductors for providing electrical connections between the voltage regulation module and the input voltage and the ground terminal, respectively, and the conductor includes a plurality of second conductors for providing electrical connections between the voltage regulation module and the signal terminal.

[0016] In some embodiments of this invention, the power element is a DrMOS, which includes two switches and a driver, and at least one of the plurality of first conductors is electrically connected to the power supply terminal and the driver respectively to supply power to the driver.

[0017] In some embodiments of this case, all passive elements are disposed within the groove.

[0018] In some embodiments of this invention, the passive element includes a capacitor and / or a resistor.

[0019] In some embodiments of this invention, the capacitor includes an input capacitor, a bypass capacitor, and a bootstrap capacitor.

[0020] In some embodiments of this case, the passive element located in the groove and the bottom wall are isolated by air.

Implementation Method

[0028] Some typical embodiments embodying the features and advantages of this invention will be described in detail in the following description. It should be understood that this invention can include various variations in different forms, all of which do not depart from the scope of this invention, and the descriptions and illustrations therein are essentially for illustrative purposes and not intended to limit this invention.

[0029] The voltage regulation module 1 of this invention can be applied in electronic devices. Depending on the different output current requirements of the electronic device, the voltage regulation module 1 of this invention can also be applied in one-phase or multi-phase boost, buck, or buck-boost conversion circuits. The voltage regulation module includes at least one power element, at least one passive element, and at least one inductor module. Taking a two-phase buck converter circuit as an example, Figure 1 shows a schematic diagram of the circuit architecture of the voltage regulation module in some embodiments of this invention. The voltage regulation module 1 includes two power elements, DrMOS1 and DrMOS2, one passive element, a capacitor Cin, and an inductor module including two inductors L1 and L2. DrMOS refers to a driver metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor. DrMOS1 and DrMOS2 each include two MOS transistors and a driver for driving the MOS transistors. It should be noted that the structure of the passive component of the voltage regulation module 1 in this case can be implemented in different ways depending on actual needs. In some embodiments of this case, the passive component further includes components such as capacitors and / or resistors.

[0030] Referring again to Figure 1, the midpoints of the two MOS transistors in each of DrMOS1 and DrMOS2 are connected to the first terminals of the corresponding inductors L1 and L2, respectively, forming a one-phase buck converter circuit. Since the voltage regulation module 1 includes a first-phase buck converter circuit to a second-phase buck converter circuit from top to bottom, the number of DrMOS and inductors are two each. In other embodiments of this invention, the number of DrMOS and inductors can be adjusted according to the output current requirements. In addition, inductors L1 and L2 can be coupled to each other (positive coupling or anti-coupling) to improve electrical performance. As shown in Figure 1, the two-phase buck converter circuit can be used alone, and in some embodiments of this invention, it can also be combined with several other two-phase or other phase circuit units to meet different practical needs.

[0031] Please refer to Figures 2-7, where Figure 2 is a structural schematic diagram of the voltage regulation module in the circuit architecture shown in Figure 1, Figure 3 is an exploded structural schematic diagram of the voltage regulation module shown in Figure 2 from a top view, Figure 4 is an exploded structural schematic diagram of the voltage regulation module shown in Figure 2 from a bottom view, Figure 5 is a three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of the inductor module shown in Figure 4, Figure 6 is a top structural schematic diagram of the inductor module shown in Figure 5, and Figure 7 is a bottom structural schematic diagram of the inductor module shown in Figure 5. In the actual structure, taking a two-phase buck converter circuit as an example, the voltage regulation module 1 includes two power components, DrMOS1 and DrMOS2, a passive component, such as capacitor Cin, a first printed circuit board 2, and an inductor module 3. The first printed circuit board 2 includes a first surface 20 and a second surface 21 arranged opposite to each other. As shown in Figure 2, the power components, such as DrMOS1 and DrMOS2, are disposed on the first surface 20 of the first printed circuit board 2. The passive component, such as capacitor Cin, is disposed on the second surface 21 of the first printed circuit board 2. In some embodiments, the first printed circuit board 2 may be a multilayer printed circuit board. Referring again to Figures 2-7, the inductor module 3 includes a magnetic core 30 and at least one winding. The magnetic core 30 is approximately a cuboid structure and includes a top surface 300, a bottom surface 301, four side surfaces 3021-3024 located between the top surface 300 and the bottom surface 301, and a groove 303. The top surface 300 and the bottom surface 301 are disposed opposite each other, and the top surface 300 is connected and attached to the second surface 21 of the first printed circuit board 2 by soldering. The groove 303 is recessed inward from the top surface 300 toward the bottom surface 301. The space of the groove 303 is approximately large enough to accommodate all the passive components located on the second surface 21 of the first printed circuit board 2, such as the plurality of capacitors Cin shown in Figures 2-7. In other embodiments, it may also include components such as resistors. It should be noted that Figure 1 only shows one capacitor Cin as an example, which can be the input capacitor of a two-phase buck converter circuit. In some embodiments of this invention, Cin may include, in addition to the input capacitor, bypass capacitors, bootstrap capacitors, and other capacitors required in the circuit. The groove 303 includes at least three sequentially connected inner walls 304, a break 305, and a bottom wall 306. The break 305 is formed on one side 3021 of the magnetic core. By forming the break 305 on one side 3021 of the magnetic core, the passive component housed in the groove 303 can be directly observed, facilitating subsequent soldering of the passive component. In some embodiments of this invention, the groove 303 has a trapezoidal structure on the side 3021 of the magnetic core where the break 305 is formed. By manufacturing the groove 303 as a trapezoidal structure on the side 3021 of the magnetic core where the break 305 is formed, it is easier to shape the groove 303 during manufacturing and prevents the magnetic core from cracking due to excessive pressure when creating the groove 303.In other embodiments of this invention, the groove 303 on the magnetic core side surface 3021 forming the break 305 can also be rectangular, arc-shaped, triangular, or other shapes. When the top surface 300 of the magnetic core 30 is connected and abutted to the second surface 21 of the first printed circuit board 2, all passive components on the second surface 21 of the first printed circuit board 2 will be housed within the groove 303, as shown in FIG2. The capacitor Cin disposed on the second surface 21 of the first printed circuit board 2 will be housed within the groove 303. In this way, the size of the entire voltage regulation module 1 can be reduced and the power density increased. Therefore, the second surface 21 corresponding to the portion of the top surface 300 without a groove is not provided with a passive component. Thus, the portion of the top surface 300 without a groove is in direct contact with the second surface 21, or indirectly in contact through the pins and conductors of the inductor module 3 winding. In some embodiments, the depth of the groove 303 is greater than or equal to the height of the highest passive component housed in the groove 303 on the second surface 21 of the first printed circuit board 2. More specifically, the depth of the groove 303 refers to the distance between the second surface 21 and the bottom wall 306. In one embodiment, the passive element located within the groove 303 and the bottom wall 306 are isolated by air, but this is not a limitation.

[0032] In some embodiments, the magnetic core 30 may be formed by pressing together a magnetically conductive material, such as ferrite or magnetic powder core.

[0033] As shown in Figure 5, at least one winding includes a first winding 31 and a second winding 32, which are embedded in the magnetic core 30 by pressing. The first winding 31 is exposed from inside and outside the magnetic core 30 to form a first pin 310 and a second pin 311, and the second winding 32 is exposed from inside and outside the magnetic core 30 to form a third pin 320 and a fourth pin 321, wherein the first pin 310 and the third pin 320 are located on the side surface 3023 and the top surface 300 of the magnetic core 30 opposite to the side surface 3021 forming the break 305, and are connected to the second surface 21 of the first printed circuit board 2, and are electrically connected to DrMOS1 and DrMOS2 on the first surface 20 of the first printed circuit board 2 through the first printed circuit board 2. The second pin 311 and the fourth pin 321 are located on the side surface 3021 and the bottom surface 301 forming the break 305 of the magnetic core 30, respectively. The first winding 31 can be combined with the magnetic core 30 to form the inductor L1 shown in Figure 1, and the second winding 32 can be combined with the magnetic core 30 to form the inductor L2 shown in Figure 1.

[0034] As shown in Figures 5-7, at least one conductor includes a first conductor 33 and a second conductor 34. Both the first conductor 33 and the second conductor 34 are C-shaped metal sheets, and each conductor is respectively disposed on the top surface 300, the bottom surface 301, and a side surface 3022-3024 without a break 305 on the magnetic core 30. The first conductor 33 and the second conductor 34 can respectively provide the necessary electrical connection paths for the voltage regulation module 1. For example, the first conductor 33 is used to provide electrical connection between the voltage regulation module 1 and the input voltage, and electrical connection between the voltage regulation module 1 and the ground terminal, and the second conductor 34 is used to provide electrical connection between the voltage regulation module 1 and the signal terminal, etc. In some embodiments of this invention, one of the first conductors 33 can also be electrically connected to a power supply terminal (not shown in the figure) and the driver of the DrMOS to supply power to the driver. In addition, the first conductor 33 and the second conductor 34 are also respectively attached to the second surface 21 of the first printed circuit board 2 and connected by soldering to ensure the flatness of the soldering surface. In some embodiments, the first conductor 33 and the second conductor 34 may each be composed of conductive pillars, such as copper pillars. In some embodiments of this invention, the first conductor 33 may include a plurality of first conductors, such as first conductors 331-333, wherein the first conductor 331 is partially disposed on the side 3023 opposite to the side 3021 forming the break 305, and the first conductors 332 and 333 are respectively partially disposed on two side surfaces 3022 and 3024 adjacent to the side 3021 forming the break 305. The second conductor 34 may also include a plurality of second conductors, such as second conductors 341-348, and the second conductors 341-344 and the second conductors 345-348 are respectively partially disposed on two side surfaces 3022 and 3024 adjacent to the side 3021 forming the break 305.

[0035] In some embodiments, the voltage regulation module 1 further includes a second printed circuit board 4, which includes a third surface 40 and a fourth surface 41. The third surface 40 can be connected and bonded to the bottom surface 300 of the magnetic core 30 by soldering to ensure the flatness of the soldering surface. The fourth surface 41 is used to bring out the various input and output pins of the voltage regulation module 1 for connection with the subsequent circuit (not shown) and the front-end system board (not shown) of the voltage regulation module 1. In addition, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, the third surface 40 of the second printed circuit board 4 further includes a plurality of first pads 400, and the fourth surface 41 further includes a plurality of second pads 410. Each first pad 400 is connected to one of the first conductor 33, the second conductor 34, the second pin 311, and the fourth pin 321. The plurality of second pads 410 can be connected to the subsequent circuit and the front-end system board of the voltage regulation module 1.

[0036] In summary, this invention is a voltage regulation module. The magnetic core of the inductor module of the voltage regulation module includes a groove. When the magnetic core is connected and attached to the second side of the first printed circuit board, all passive components on the second side of the first printed circuit board can be accommodated in the groove. In this way, the size of the entire voltage regulation module is reduced and the power density is increased. [Simplified Explanation of the Diagram]

[0021] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the circuit architecture of the voltage regulation module in some embodiments of this case.

[0022] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the voltage regulation module in the circuit architecture shown in Figure 1.

[0023] Figure 3 is an exploded view of the voltage regulation module shown in Figure 2 from the top perspective.

[0024] Figure 4 is an exploded view of the voltage regulation module shown in Figure 2 from the bottom.

[0025] Figure 5 is a three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of the inductor module shown in Figure 3.

[0026] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the top structure of the inductor module shown in Figure 5.

[0027] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the bottom structure of the inductor module shown in Figure 5.

Claims

1. A voltage regulation module, comprising: a power element; a passive element; a first printed circuit board including a first surface and a second surface disposed opposite to each other, the power element being disposed on the first surface and the passive element being disposed on the second surface; an inductor module including a magnetic core and a winding, the magnetic core including a top surface and a bottom surface disposed opposite to each other, the top surface being connected to and abutting the second surface, the magnetic core further including a groove recessed inward from the top surface toward the bottom surface for accommodating the passive element on the second surface, the winding being embedded in the magnetic core and partially exposed on the top surface to form a pin, the pin being electrically connected to the power element via the second surface; and a conductor disposed on the magnetic core for transmitting electrical power and electrical signals.

2. The voltage regulation module as claimed in claim 1, wherein the voltage regulation module further includes a second printed circuit board, the second printed circuit board including a third side and a fourth side disposed opposite to each other, the third side being connected to and attached to the bottom side, and the conductor being used to electrically connect the first printed circuit board and the second printed circuit board.

3. The voltage regulation module as claimed in claim 1, wherein the voltage regulation module includes a plurality of the power elements, the inductor module includes a plurality of the windings, each winding including two pins, which are respectively partially exposed on the top surface and the bottom surface, wherein, The number of power elements and the number of windings are the same and are electrically connected in a one-to-one correspondence.

4. The voltage regulation module as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second surface includes a plurality of the passive elements, and the plurality of the passive elements are all disposed in the groove, and the portion of the top surface without the groove is in direct contact with the second surface, or indirect contact with the conductor through the pin of the winding.

5. The voltage regulation module as claimed in claim 4, wherein the depth of the groove is greater than or equal to the height of the highest passive element among the plurality of passive elements on the second surface.

6. The voltage regulation module as claimed in claim 1, wherein the conductor is a C-shaped metal sheet disposed on at least one side of the top surface, the bottom surface, and the magnetic core.

7. The voltage regulation module as claimed in claim 6, wherein the groove includes at least three sequentially connected inner walls, a break, and a bottom wall, the break being formed on the side of the magnetic core where the conductor is not disposed.

8. The voltage regulation module as claimed in claim 7, wherein the groove on the side of the magnetic core forming the break is trapezoidal in shape.

9. The voltage regulation module as claimed in claim 1, wherein the conductor includes a first conductor and a second conductor, the first conductor being used to transmit electrical power and the second conductor being used to transmit electrical signals.

10. The voltage regulation module as claimed in claim 9, wherein the conductor includes a plurality of the first conductors for providing electrical connections between the voltage regulation module and an input voltage and a ground terminal, respectively, and the conductor includes a plurality of the second conductors for providing electrical connections between the voltage regulation module and a signal terminal.

11. The voltage regulation module of claim 10, wherein the power element is a DrMOS comprising two switches and a driver, and at least one of the plurality of the first conductors is electrically connected to a power supply terminal and the driver to supply power to the driver.

12. The voltage regulation module as claimed in claim 1, wherein all of the passive components are disposed within the recess.

13. The voltage regulation module as claimed in claim 12, wherein the passive element includes a capacitor and / or a resistor.

14. The voltage regulation module as claimed in claim 13, wherein the capacitor includes an input capacitor, a bypass capacitor, and a bootstrap capacitor.

15. The voltage regulation module as claimed in claim 7, wherein the passive element located within the recess and the bottom wall are isolated by air.

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