PCB substrate with embedded inductor for point-of-load power
This technology is a miniaturized power converter—the component that steps voltage down to usable levels inside electronics—built by embedding a magnetic inductor directly into a printed circuit board rather than mounting it as a separate bulky part on top. The inductor's magnetic material is made from specially oriented metal flakes suspended in a resin, pressed into a thin layer that integrates seamlessly with the PCB stack. The result is an extremely compact four-layer board assembly that can deliver power densities approaching 1,000 watts per cubic inch, far exceeding conventional designs. This lets engineers shrink power supplies in devices where space and heat are critical constraints.
What you could build
An embedded-inductor PCB substrate sold as a drop-in power module for data center server boards, high-performance computing cards, or compact defense electronics—bought by board designers at server OEMs, GPU manufacturers, or defense electronics integrators who need more power in less space.
Who in Virginia should care
Defense electronics primes and their suppliers in Northern Virginia and the Hampton Roads corridor—such as companies supporting Navy shipboard power systems or DoD computing programs—would find compact, high-density power conversion directly relevant.
Readiness: Prototype likely
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
- Yipeng Su, Qiang Li, Fred C. Lee, Wenli Zhang
- Granted
- February 7, 2017
- Status
- Granted patent
- Patent number
- 9564264
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.