Thin-film inductors boost efficiency in power supply circuits

The power supply voltage requirements in smartphones and tablets are growing due to a constant increase in functionality. And that is leading to a rise in the number of inductors in power supply circuits.

Apparently, for battery-powered devices like smartphones, these inductors should be small in size, support high current levels, and carry low losses. So TDK has released a thin-film inductor for power supply circuits that boast a high-rated current of 2.6 A and an inductance of 0.47 μH.

The TFM160808ALC inductors — available in a compact size of 1.6 x 0.8 x 0.8 mm — feature lower losses due to a newly developed metal core. Furthermore, the new thin-film inductors feature a maximum dc resistance (DCR) of 62 mΩ, which is 30% lower than the existing inductor series.

TDK's thin-film inductor exhibits improved efficiency over a broad output current range of 10 mA to 2.5 A. So the inductor, for example, can improve the efficiency of dc/dc converter power supplies by nearly 1%.

The component maker has leveraged a thin-film technique that it developed for passive components used in HDD heads boasting advanced material technologies. In this design, TDK has optimized a metal material for compact components with low losses and high current capabilities.