High-current co-fired ceramic inductor for power electronics
This technology is a manufacturing method for ceramic inductors — components that store and regulate electrical energy — that can handle much higher electrical currents than previous ceramic designs. By cutting slots directly into unfired ceramic sheets and filling them with conductive paste before firing everything together in a single kiln step, the resulting conductor is thicker and more robust than traditional approaches. The inductance of these components naturally decreases as current increases, which turns out to be a useful property: voltage regulators using this design waste less energy when the load is light, while still performing well under heavy load. The result is a compact, high-current ceramic inductor suited for power electronics in applications like microprocessor voltage regulators or DC-DC converters.
What you could build
A high-current ceramic inductor component for DC-DC converters and point-of-load voltage regulators; target buyers would be power electronics component manufacturers and OEMs designing server, telecom, or industrial power supply hardware.
Who in Virginia should care
Defense and government electronics contractors in Northern Virginia (e.g., suppliers to data center and military power electronics programs) would have interest in compact, efficient power conversion components.
Readiness: Lab validated
Concept — described but not yet demonstrated. Lab validated — supported by experimental results in the patent. Prototype likely — the text describes a built, working embodiment.
Readiness is inferred from the patent text, not from a lab visit.
The record
- Inventors
- Michele H. Lim, J.D van Wyk
- Granted
- October 8, 2013
- Status
- Granted patent
- Patent number
- 8549731
Ready to talk?
Virginia Tech Intellectual Properties handles licensing for this technology.
Prosim summaries are generated from public patent text and are not legal advice.