Coil Component With Segmented Bottom Electrode
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Solution Overview
Problem
The challenge is to secure a sufficient volume of a magnetic material layer in coil components while maintaining a large exposed area of the bottom electrode, especially as chip sizes decrease, and to reduce DC resistance and prevent short circuits in high-density implementations.
Innovation Solution
A coil component design featuring a spiral conductor with a magnetic material layer, through-hole conductors, and conductor layers where the second conductor layer has lower resistance than the first, allowing for a larger exposed area and reduced DC resistance, and the use of flexible first conductor layers for enhanced reliability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of stationary object
If the diameter of the bump-shaped bottom electrode is reduced to secure sufficient magnetic material layer volume, then the magnetic material layer volume is improved, but the exposed area of the bottom electrode decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The bottom electrode is divided into two functional parts: a bump-shaped portion embedded in the magnetic material layer for providing magnetic coupling, and a plate-shaped portion extending on the lower surface for providing electrical connection. This segmentation allows the magnetic material layer volume to be optimized independently from the electrode connection area.
Solution Approach 2:
The bottom electrode transitions from a conventional single-layer bump structure to a multi-dimensional structure with vertical stacking (bump in magnetic layer) and horizontal extension (plate on lower surface). This dimensional change enables sufficient magnetic material volume above the bump while maintaining large exposed area through the plate extension.
2Device complexity
If planar spiral conductors are concentrically wound to simplify structure, then manufacturing complexity is reduced, but magnetic coupling rate adjustment becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from planar concentric winding to three-dimensional stacked winding with vertical separation. The inner peripheral ends of the stacked spiral conductors are connected in common, creating magnetic coupling in the stacking direction while maintaining simple planar projections. This enables independent adjustment of magnetic coupling rate through vertical positioning without affecting planar layout.
Solution Approach 2:
The spiral conductor is segmented into multiple stacked layers with independent winding directions. The inner peripheral ends of these segments are connected in common, allowing each segment to contribute to magnetic coupling independently while maintaining overall structural simplicity.
3Productivity
If external terminals are formed on side faces to enable high-density implementation, then connection density is improved, but short circuit with adjacent components increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of forming external terminals on the side faces as in conventional designs, the patent inverts the terminal location to the bottom surface. The plate-shaped bottom electrode provides external connection terminals on the lower surface, eliminating side-face protrusions that could cause short circuits with adjacent components while maintaining high-density implementation capability.
4Reliability
If wire or foil is used for windings to achieve desired properties, then magnetic properties are improved, but manufacturing process becomes complicated
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical wire or foil winding processes with planar spiral conductor patterns formed by deposition or lamination techniques. The spiral conductors are created as thin-film structures on insulating substrates, eliminating complex manual or automated wire winding operations while achieving the required magnetic properties through controlled conductor geometry and magnetic material placement.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This configuration ensures a sufficient magnetic material volume, reduces DC resistance, and enhances connection reliability by providing a flexible bottom electrode, while minimizing the risk of short circuits in high-density implementations.
Implementation Method 1
when a current flows through one winding, a current also flows through the other winding due to electromotive force
Implementation Method 2
The coupling inductor is formed by magnetically coupling windings that are wound in opposite directions to each other
Implementation Method 3
a through-hole conductor embedded in the through hole and has first region and second regions that are exposed from the magnetic material layer
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed herein is a coil component that includes a spiral conductor, a magnetic material layer covering the spiral conductor and having a through hole exposing an end of the spiral conductor, a through-hole conductor embedded in the through hole and has first region and second regions that are exposed from the magnetic material layer, a first conductor layer formed on an upper surface of the magnetic material layer and covering the first region of the through-hole conductor without covering the second region, and a second conductor layer covering the first conductor layer and the second region of the through-hole conductor, wherein the second conductor layer has a lower resistance than the first conductor layer.