A Class of Ceramic-Based Chip Inductors for Hybrid Integration in Power Supplies

A review of some of the available technologies for inductor hybrid integration is given in this paper. In accordance with low voltage and high current requirements, low-temperature co-fired ceramics (LTCC) technology is identified to be a suitable candidate for power electronics passives integration. This paper will discuss the various limitations of the current LTCC processing technique and introduce a fabrication technique which will open a new field for chip inductors for hybrid power electronics integration. The design of an LTCC inductor will also be presented. This inductor exhibits an inherent current dependent inductance, leading to high efficiency at low loads as an important systems advantage in portable electronics.