Surface-mount inductor structures for forming one or more inductors with substrate traces

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed towards an inductor structure having one or more strips of conductive material disposed around a core. The strips may have contacts at a first end and a second end of the strips, and may be disposed around the core with a gap between the contacts. The inductor structure may be mounted on a surface of a substrate, and one or more traces may be formed in the surface of the substrate to electrically couple two or more of the strips of conductive material to one another to form inductive coils. Other embodiments may be described and/or claimed.

1 . An apparatus comprising:
 a substrate having a surface;   an inductor structure coupled to the surface, the inductor structure including
 a core, and 
 a plurality of strips of conductive material having contacts at a first end and a second end, the strips disposed around the core with a gap between the first end and the second end; and 
   one or more traces on the surface of the substrate to electrically couple two or more of the strips of conductive material to one another to form one or more inductors.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a housing covering a portion of the strips and leaving the contacts exposed. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more traces form a first inductor and a second inductor from the plurality of strips of conductive material to form a transformer from the inductor structure. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more traces electrically couple the two or more strips by electrically coupling the contact at the first end of a first strip of conductive material to the contact at the second end of an adjacent strip. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the strips of conductive material include copper wire. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the core includes molded plastic. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the core includes a magnetic material. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the contacts are surface-mount technology (SMT) leads. 
     
     
         9 - 18 . (canceled) 
     
     
         19 . A system comprising:
 a substrate having a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface;   a die coupled to the first surface of the substrate, the die having an input terminal to receive electrical power for the die;   an inductor structure coupled to the second surface of the substrate and coupled to the input terminal to route electrical power from a power source to the die, the inductor structure including
 a core, and 
 a plurality of strips of conductive material having contacts at a first end and a second end, the strips disposed around the core with a gap between the first end and the second end; and 
   one or more traces on the second surface of the substrate to electrically couple two or more of the strips of conductive material to one another to form one or more inductors.   
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 19 , further comprising a housing covering a portion of the strips and leaving the contacts exposed. 
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein the one or more inductors are included in a voltage regulator to convert a supply voltage provided from the power source to an input voltage used by the die. 
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein the one or more traces form a first inductor and a second inductor from the plurality of strips of conductive material to form a transformer to regulate the power routed to the die, wherein the first inductor is configured to be electrically coupled to the power source and the second inductor is configured to be electrically coupled to the die. 
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein the one or more traces electrically couple the two or more strips by electrically coupling the contact at the first end of a first strip of conductive material to the contact at the second end of an adjacent strip. 
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein the strips of conductive material include copper wire. 
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein the core includes molded plastic. 
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein the core includes a magnetic material. 
     
     
         27 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein the inductor structure is disposed on the substrate in a shadow of the die. 
     
     
         28 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein the contacts are surface-mount technology (SMT) leads.