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Advanced Magnetic Materials and Geometries

T07.8 - Hybrid Planar Inductor with Thin-Film Magnetic Core and Homogeneous Current-Density Windings in MHz Power Converters

Tuesday, March 24, 2026
11:20 AM - 11:40 AM CT
Location: 217C
This work presents a hybrid inductor configuration that integrates thin-film magnetic cores with variable-width, multi-turn planar windings in a laminated structure to achieve a highly compact and cost-effective magnetic solution for power converters. The proposed winding design evolves from a singleturn layout to a homogeneous-current-density, multi-turn configuration, maximizing the window area utilization and minimizing winding loss for the inductor in the 1–10 MHz operating range. To validate the proposed configuration and the design methodology, inductor prototypes were fabricated and characterized. These inductors were also implemented in a 12 V–3 V/1.7 A buck converter prototype. The 180-um-thick 35.2 nH inductor operating at 10 MHz achieved enhanced converter efficiency and a temperature rise of 44 °C lower than that of a comparable design using equal-width windings. The results demonstrate a promising approach toward ultra-low-profile, high-performance magnetic components for next-generation integrated power converters.