PCB transformer with embedded Litz-wire traces for
This technology reimagines how transformers are built into circuit boards by embedding a Litz-wire-like winding structure directly into the PCB itself. Traditional Litz wire — which bundles many thin strands to reduce energy losses at high frequencies — is hand-assembled and difficult to integrate into compact electronics. Here, the same multi-strand effect is achieved using standard PCB layers and microscopic vias (vertical electrical connections) that link strand segments across layers, forming a continuous winding without any separate wire. The result is a transformer that can be mass-manufactured using ordinary PCB production equipment, runs more efficiently at high frequencies, and fits inside the same board as the rest of the circuit.
What you could build
A drop-in PCB transformer design for high-frequency power converters — used in EV charging systems, data center power supplies, and wireless power modules — sold as a licensable layout standard or embedded in custom power-electronics PCBs by contract manufacturers and power IC companies.
Who in Virginia should care
Defense and aerospace electronics suppliers in Northern Virginia and the Hampton Roads corridor, plus data center power infrastructure companies concentrated around Loudoun County, would have direct use for more efficient PCB-integrated magnetics.
Readiness: Concept
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
- Zheqing Li, Qiang Li, Fred C Lee, Eric Hsieh
- Filed
- Patent pending — filed December 20, 2024
- Status
- Application
- Publication number
- US20250210246A1
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.