BACKGROUND

The operation of the buck converter is fairly simple, with an inductor and two switches (usually a transistor and a diode) that control the inductor. It alternates between connecting the inductor to source voltage to store energy in the inductor and discharging the inductor into the load.

However, inefficiencies exist in the state of the art related to this technology and thus, a strong need exists for a new inductor component to facilitate integration of switched mode buck voltage regulators in system on chips (SOCs) to facilitate integrated power delivery.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The subject matter regarded as the invention is particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the concluding portion of the specification. The invention, however, both as to organization and method of operation, together with objects, features, and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following detailed description when read with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a SMD inductor according to one embodiment of the present invention.

It will be appreciated that for simplicity and clarity of illustration, elements illustrated in the figures have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements are exaggerated relative to other elements for clarity. Further, where considered appropriate, reference numerals have been repeated among the figures to indicate corresponding or analogous elements.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following detailed description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the invention. However, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known methods, procedures, components and circuits have not been described in detail so as not to obscure the present invention. An algorithm, technique or process is here, and generally, considered to be a self- consistent sequence of acts or operations leading to a desired result. These include physical manipulations of physical quantities. Usually, though not necessarily, these quantities take the form of electrical or magnetic signals capable of being stored, transferred, combined, compared, and otherwise manipulated. It has proven convenient at times, principally for reasons of common usage, to refer to these signals as bits, values, elements, symbols, characters, terms, numbers or the like. It should be understood, however, that all of these and similar terms are to be associated with the appropriate physical quantities and are merely convenient labels applied to these quantities.

Embodiments of the present invention combine the two discrete components in an advantageous way to deliver a desired inductance with a lower equivalent series resistance (ESR), which delivers improved efficiency and reducing the physical size of implementation. More specifically, embodiments of the present invention provide a new inductor component to facilitate integration of switched mode buck voltage regulators, which may be integrated into system-on-chips (SOC). Embodiments of the present invention address a number of performance/integration issues identified during development of power delivery technology. To name a few, benefits may include: 1) Enables a biphase buck regulator to be implemented in a similar footprint to a single phase regulator (A buck converter is a step-down DC to DC converter. Its design is similar to the step-up boost converter, and like the boost converter it is a switched-mode power supply that may use two switches (a transistor and a diode in one embodiment - and in a preferred embodiment used in the synchronous buck converter of embodiments of the present invention, the diode may be replaced by a transistor which may effectively be switched in anti phase to the first transistor), an inductor and a capacitor); 2) Reduces ESR for a given inductance so increasing regulator efficiency; and 3) Biphase implementation with this coupled component offers some improvement in line in voltage ringing and thus enables reduction in silicon area for decoupling capacitance which is typically applied to reduce such ringing.

Looking now at FIG. 1, shown generally as 100, is a basic structure of embodiments of the present invention provide at least two counter wound aircoils 105 and 110 formed on the same SMD former 1 15. The coils are connected to three terminals 120, 125 and 130, on the SMD former 1 15. A single terminal is connected to a common node 130 of both windings with two independent terminals 120 and 125 accessing the other winding node. A preferred embodiment provides where node A 130 is the common node and node B 120 and C 125 are connected to other terminals of counter wound coils 105 and 110.

The principal electrical advantage in this component is the benefits afforded by mutual inductive coupling which is achieved as the windings are switched in antiphase (i.e. the signal current in winding 105 boosts the inductance in winding 2 1 10 and vice versa. Now for a given performance balloon there will be an optimum value of inductance. This will be determined by factors including efficiency, delivered power, voltage ripple, response time etc.

The advantage of this invention is that the physical size of the winding to deliver a given inductance will be smaller due to the benefits of mutual inductance. This in turn will lead to a reduction in equivalent series resistance (ESR), hence an improvement in efficiency and a reduction in the material content which will have a fractional cost implication. In addition there will be a physical size benefit in that since both phases of the bi-phase buck regulator are co- located, the substrate area required for component placement will be reduced, and in addition the routing from the SoC to the bi-phase inductor will occupy a narrower corridor, which is of benefit in a congested IO routing arrangement.

While certain features of the invention have been illustrated and described herein, many modifications, substitutions, changes, and equivalents will now occur to those skilled in the art. It is, therefore, to be understood that the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications and changes as fall within the true spirit of the invention.