Optimized electromagnetic inductor component design and methods including improved conductivity composite conductor material

Abstract

Electromagnetic inductor components include a magnetic core and a conductor assembled with the core and defining a winding completing a number of turns. The conductor is fabricated from a composite material including carbon nanotubes having an improved conductivity. The conductor has a cross section defined by an effective diameter. The conductor is fabricated to have performance parameters that are selected in view of a function of a ratio of conductivity and/or a function of a ratio of effective diameter of the composite conductor material relative to a reference conductor material as conventionally used in an inductor fabrication.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An electromagnetic inductor component comprising:
 a magnetic core; and   a conductor fabricated from a conductive material having a first electrical conductivity, the conductor shaped to form a coil defining a winding completing a number of turns; and   the conductor further shaped with a first cross sectional area and corresponding effective diameter that is determined by a ratio of electrical conductivity (β) of the first electrical conductivity of the conductor relative to a second electrical conductivity of a reference conductor in a reference electromagnetic inductor component;   wherein the first electrical conductivity is greater than the second electrical conductivity.   
     
     
         2 . The electromagnetic inductor component of  claim 1 , wherein the ratio of electrical conductivity (β) is within the range of about 1.1 to about 10. 
     
     
         3 . The electromagnetic inductor component of  claim 1 , wherein the conductive material having the first electrical conductivity comprises a composite conductive material including carbon nanotubes. 
     
     
         4 . The electromagnetic inductor component of  claim 3 , wherein the conductive material includes 0.1% to 100%, by weight, of carbon nanotubes. 
     
     
         5 . The electromagnetic inductor component of  claim 4 , wherein the reference conductor material is one of copper and a copper alloy. 
     
     
         6 . The electromagnetic inductor component of  claim 1 , wherein the conductive material having a first electrical conductivity comprises an ultra-conductive material. 
     
     
         7 . The electromagnetic inductor component of  claim 6 :
 wherein the reference conductor is fabricated from one of copper, copper alloy, aluminum, aluminum alloy, silver, or silver alloy.   
     
     
         8 . The electromagnetic inductor component of  claim 1 , wherein the component is configured as a power inductor. 
     
     
         9 . The electromagnetic inductor component of  claim 1 , wherein the component is configured as a non-power inductor. 
     
     
         10 . The electromagnetic inductor component of  claim 1 , wherein the cross sectional area is not round. 
     
     
         11 . The electromagnetic inductor component of  claim 1 :
 wherein the ratio of electrical conductivity (β) defines an upper limit and a lower limit for the effective diameter of the conductor; and   wherein the effective diameter is selected to be within a range defined by and including the upper and lower limits.   
     
     
         12 . The electromagnetic inductor component of  claim 11 :
 wherein the inductor component is configured to operate with a plurality of performance parameters comprising an inductance value, an effective permeability, a saturation current value, a core size, a number of turns, and a direct current resistance value when connected to electrical circuitry; and   wherein one of the plurality of performance parameters matches a corresponding performance parameter of the reference inductor component, and wherein a performance value of at least one other of the plurality of performance parameters is selected to be within one of a plurality of respective bounded regions defined as a function of at least one of the electrical conductivity ratio (β) and an effective diameter ratio (δ) of the conductor relative to the reference conductor material.   
     
     
         13 . The electromagnetic inductor component of  claim 12 , wherein a plurality of the performance parameters is each respectively selected to be within the respective one of the plurality of bounded regions. 
     
     
         14 . The electromagnetic inductor component of  claim 12 , wherein the saturation current value matches a saturation current value for the reference inductor component. 
     
     
         15 . The electromagnetic inductor component of  claim 14 , wherein the effective diameter ratio (δ) is within a range of about 1 to about β( −1/2) . 
     
     
         16 . The electromagnetic inductor component of  claim 15 , wherein the effective diameter ratio (δ) is within a range of about 1 to about β −1/4 . 
     
     
         17 . The electromagnetic inductor component of  claim 16 , wherein the inductance value is selected from or determined by a bounded region defined by and between an upper boundary value defined by a function (δ −2 ) and a lower boundary value of 1.0. 
     
     
         18 . The electromagnetic inductor component of  claim 16 , wherein the direct current resistance (DCR) value is selected from or determined by a bounded region defined by and between an upper boundary valued defined by the function [β (−1) *δ (−4) ] and a lower boundary value defined by a function [β (−1) *δ (−2) ]. 
     
     
         19 . The electromagnetic inductor component of  claim 16 , wherein a core volume of the magnetic core is selected from or determined by a bounded region defined by and between an upper boundary value of 1 and a lower boundary value defined by a function (δ 2 ). 
     
     
         20 . The electromagnetic inductor component of  claim 16 , wherein the effective permeability of the magnetic core is selected from or determined by a bounded region defined by and between an upper boundary defined by a function (δ 2/3 ) and a lower boundary value defined by a function (δ 2 ). 
     
     
         21 . The electromagnetic inductor component of  claim 16 , wherein a number of turns in the winding is selected from or determined by a bounded region defined by and between an upper boundary defined by a function (δ −2 ) and a lower boundary value defined by a function (δ (−2/3) ). 
     
     
         22 . The electromagnetic inductor component of  claim 16 :
 wherein the reference electromagnetic inductor component further has a reference core and a reference core size;   wherein a core size in the magnetic core is proportionally reduced relative to the reference core size; and   wherein the core size in the magnetic core is selected from or determined by a bounded region defined by and between an upper boundary value of 1 and a lower boundary value defined by a function δ 2 .   
     
     
         23 . The electromagnetic inductor component of  claim 16 :
 wherein the reference electromagnetic inductor component further has a reference core and a reference core size including a reference Window Area;   wherein the height of the Window Area in the magnetic core is linearly reduced relative to the reference Window Area; and   wherein the height of the Window Area in the magnetic core is selected from or determined by a bounded region defined by and between an upper boundary value defined by a function (δ −2 ) and lower boundary value of 1.   
     
     
         24 . The electromagnetic inductor component of  claim 16 :
 wherein the reference electromagnetic inductor component further has a reference core and a reference core size;   wherein a core size in the magnetic core is proportionally reduced relative to the reference core size; and   wherein an effective permeability of the magnetic core is selected from or determined by a bounded region defined by and between an upper boundary value defined by a function (δ 2/3 ) and a lower boundary value defined by a function (δ (2) ).   
     
     
         25 . The electromagnetic inductor component of  claim 16 :
 wherein the reference electromagnetic inductor component further has a reference core and a reference core size including a reference Window Area;   wherein the height of the Window Area in the magnetic core is linearly reduced relative to the reference Window Area; and   wherein an effective permeability of the magnetic core is selected from or determined by a bounded region defined by and between an upper boundary value of 1 and a lower boundary value defined by a function (δ (−2) ).   
     
     
         26 . The electromagnetic inductor component of  claim 15 , wherein an effective diameter ratio (δ) of the conductor relative to the reference conductor material is within a range of about β −1/4  to about β −1/2 . 
     
     
         27 . The electromagnetic inductor component of  claim 26 , wherein an inductance value of the component is selected from or determined by a bounded region defined by and between an upper boundary value defined by a function [β*δ 2 ] and a lower boundary value of 1. 
     
     
         28 . The electromagnetic inductor component of  claim 26 , wherein a direct current resistance (DCR) value of the component is selected from or determined by a bounded region defined by and between an upper boundary value of 1 and a lower boundary value defined by a function [β (−1) *δ (−2) ]. 
     
     
         29 . The electromagnetic inductor component of  claim 26 ,
 wherein the reference electromagnetic inductor component further has a reference core and a reference core size;   wherein a core size in the magnetic core is proportionally reduced relative to the reference core size; and   wherein a core size of the magnetic core is selected from or determined by a bounded region defined by and between an upper boundary value defined by a function [β*δ (4) ] and a lower boundary value defined by a function (δ 2 ).   
     
     
         30 . The electromagnetic inductor component of  claim 26 :
 wherein the reference electromagnetic inductor component further has a reference core and a reference core size including a reference Window Area;   wherein the height of the Window Area in the magnetic core is linearly reduced relative to the reference Window Area; and   wherein the height of the Window Area in the magnetic core is selected from or determined by a bounded region defined by and between an upper boundary value defined by a function (β*δ 2 ) and lower boundary value of 1.   
     
     
         31 . The electromagnetic inductor component of  claim 26 :
 wherein the reference electromagnetic inductor component further has a reference core and a reference core size;   wherein a core size in the magnetic core is proportionally reduced relative to the reference core size; and   wherein an effective permeability of the magnetic core is selected from or determined by a bounded region defined by and between an upper boundary value defined by a function δ 2/3  and a lower boundary value defined by a function [β (−2/3) *δ (−2/3) ].   
     
     
         32 . The electromagnetic inductor component of  claim 26 :
 wherein the reference electromagnetic inductor component further has a reference core and a reference core size including a reference Window Area;   wherein the height of the Window Area in the magnetic core is linearly reduced relative to the reference Window Area; and   wherein an effective permeability of the magnetic core is selected from or determined by a bounded region defined by and between an upper boundary value defined by a value of 1 and a lower boundary value defined by a function (β −1 *δ −2 ).   
     
     
         33 . The electromagnetic inductor component of  claim 26 :
 wherein the reference electromagnetic inductor component further has a reference core and a reference core size;   wherein a core size in the magnetic core is proportionally reduced relative to the reference core size; and   wherein the number of turns is selected from or determined by a bounded region defined by and between an upper boundary value defined by a function [β (2/3) *δ (2/3) ] and a lower boundary defined by a function (δ (−2/3) ).   
     
     
         34 . The electromagnetic inductor component of  claim 26 :
 wherein the reference electromagnetic inductor component further has a reference core and a reference core size including a reference Window Area;   wherein the height of the Window Area in the magnetic core is linearly reduced relative to the reference Window Area; and   wherein the number of turns of the winding is selected from or determined by a bounded region defined by and between an upper boundary value defined by a function [β*δ 2 ] and a lower boundary value of 1.   
     
     
         35 . The electromagnetic inductor component of  claim 1 :
 wherein the magnetic core defines a core volume containing the winding;   wherein the core volume includes a Window Area (WA), a Mean Length Per Turn (MLT), and a Cross sectional Area (AC); and   wherein one of the core volume and the selected number of turns is selected in view of one of the ratio of electrical conductivity (β) and the effective diameter ratio (δ) of the conductor relative to the reference conductor material.   
     
     
         36 . A method of manufacturing an electromagnetic inductor component comprising:
 selecting a reference inductor component including a reference magnetic core and a reference conductor material and having a plurality of reference performance parameters selected from the group of at least an inductance value, an effective permeability, a saturation current value, and a direct current resistance value when connected to electrical circuitry;   providing a composite conductive material having a conductivity greater than a conductivity of the reference conductor material;   determining a ratio of electrical conductivity (β) of the composite conductor relative to the electrical conductivity of the reference conductor material;   based on the determined ratio of electrical conductivity (β), determining an upper limit and lower limit of an effective diameter of the composite conductive material; and   selecting an effective diameter within the determined upper and lower limit.   
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 36 , further comprising fabricating a coil from the provided composite conductive material having the selected effective diameter and otherwise configured similarly to a reference coil in the reference inductor component. 
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 36 , wherein the electromagnetic inductor component is configured to operate with performance parameters corresponding to the reference performance parameters when connected to electrical circuitry;
 wherein the method further comprises:   determining an effective diameter ratio (δ) of the composite conductor relative to the reference conductor material; and   selecting a value of at least one of the performance parameters from within a respective region of values defined by a function of at least one of the ratio of electrical conductivity (β) and the effective diameter ratio (δ).   
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 36 , further comprising selecting a core volume value and a number of turns of the coil to be within a respective bounded region of values defined by at least one function of the ratio of electrical conductivity (β) and the effective diameter ratio (δ). 
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 39 , further comprising:
 fabricating a magnetic core having the selected core volume; and   assembling a coil with the fabricated magnetic core, the coil being fabricated from the provided composite conductive material having the effective diameter, and the coil having a winding including the selected number of turns.   
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 40 , wherein fabricating the magnetic core comprises fabricating a magnetic core having a shape and volume that is proportionally decreased relative to the reference core of the reference inductor. 
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 40 , wherein fabricating the magnetic core comprises fabricating a magnetic core having a window area height that is proportionally changed relative to the reference inductor. 
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein selecting values of at least one of the performance parameters comprises selecting one of the performance parameters to match a corresponding one of the reference performance parameters, and selecting at least one other of the remaining performance parameters from one of the respective bounded regions of values, wherein each bounded region of values is defined by at an upper boundary or a lower boundary that is a function of at least one of the ratio of electrical conductivity (β) and the effective diameter ratio (δ). 
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 44 , further comprising fabricating an electromagnetic inductor component having a selected effective diameter and the selected conductivity value to achieve at least one of the selected performance parameters.