Stacked Inductor Structure for Larger Coil Diameter on Small Substrates
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing chip-type electronic components with inductors require a larger substrate area to increase coil diameter, limiting the number of components that can be produced from an aggregate substrate.
Innovation Solution
The inductor is erected perpendicular to the stacking direction of conductor layers, with horizontal and vertical sections, allowing for increased coil diameter without expanding the substrate area, and incorporating a capacitor structure with adjacent conductor layers and capacitive insulating films to maintain flatness and ensure terminal electrode area.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of moving object
If the substrate area is increased to increase the coil diameter of the inductor, then the coil diameter is improved, but the number of electronic components to be produced from an aggregate substrate is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The inductor is configured with a coil axis extending in a third direction perpendicular to both the first direction (stacking direction of conductor layers) and the second direction (mounting surface extension). This three-dimensional vertical configuration allows the coil diameter to be increased without expanding the substrate area in the first and second directions, thereby maintaining high productivity while achieving larger coil diameter.
2Area of moving object
If the number of conductor layers is increased to increase the coil diameter, then the coil diameter is improved, but the device complexity is increased
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of increasing the coil diameter by expanding in the plane of the substrate (first and second directions), the invention utilizes the third direction (vertical direction) by stacking conductor layers. The coil axis extends in this third direction, creating a vertical inductor structure that achieves larger coil diameter without proportionally increasing the number of conductor layers or overall device complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed herein is an electronic component that includes an element body having a structure in which a plurality of conductor layers are stacked in a first direction on a surface of a substrate with insulating layers interposed therebetween, and a plurality of terminal electrodes provided on a mounting surface of the element body. The mounting surface extends in the first direction and in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. The element body includes an inductor constituted by the plurality of conductor layers and has a coil axis extending in a third direction perpendicular to both the first and second directions.