INTEGRATED PLANAR MAGNETIC DEVICES FOR MEGA-HERTZ FREQUENCY HIGH DENSITY POWER SUPPLIES

RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN VERY HIGH SPEED INTEGRATED CIRCUITS (VHSIC) HAVE LED TO THE NEED FOR HIGH EFFICIENCY AND POWER DENITY RESONANT MODE AND SWITCHED MODE POWER SUPPLIES, OPERATING AT FREQUENCIES IN EXCESS O 1 MEGAHERTZ (MHZ). THE SPECIFICATIONS FOR THESE POWER SUPPLIES ARE STINGENT DUE TO REQUIREMENTS NECESSARY FOR RELIABLE POWER SOURCES. THESE REQUIREMENTS ARE DRIVING OPERATING FREQUENCIES TO GREATER THAN 1 MHZ; HIGHER OPERATING FREQUENCIES RESULT IN REDUCED COMPONENT VOLUME. TO REDUCE POWER SUPPLY VOLUME, AMERICAN RESEARCH CORPORATION OF VIRGINIA SUGGESTS THE DEVELOPMENT OF PLANAR INDUCTORS AND TRANSFORMERS WITH REDUCED DEVICE LOSSES. THE INNOVATION CONTAINED IN THIS PROPOSAL IS THE DEVELOPOMENT OF A HOT ISOSTATIC PRESS (HIP) PROCEDURE TO DENSIFY PLASMA-SPRAYED FERRITE THICK FILMS CAPABLE OF OPERATING WITH LOW LOSSES AT HIGH OPERATING FREQUENCIES AND FLUX DENSITIES. THE PLANAR MAGNETIC COMPONENTS WILL BE DESIGNED TO BE COMPATIBLE WITH FLEXIBLE INTEGRATED CIRCUIT WINDINGS. TECHNICAL OBJECTIVES INCLUDE FABRICATION OF FERRITE POWDERS, DETERMINATION OF PLASMA SPRAY CONDITIONS, ESTABLISHMENT OF HIP PARAMETERS, CHARACTERIZATION OF MAGNETIC THICK FILMS AND DESIGN AND TEST OF INTEGRATED PLANAR COMPONENTS AND DEVICES. THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE PROGRAM IS DERIVED FROM THE REDUCED VOLUME, INCREASED EFFICIENCY AND HIGHER POWER DENSITY AFFORDED BY INTEGRATED PLANAR MAGNETIC CIRCUITRY.