Multi-Layer Permanent Magnets for On-Chip Miniaturized Power Inductors with High Saturation Current

该项目的主要目标是研究和开发多层永磁体和/或用于开关功率转换器的两倍饱和电流的片上小型化功率电感，开关功率转换器是电气平台和系统中不可或缺的部件。开发的多层永磁体和基于永磁体的功率电感将产生占地面积更小、总体体积和重量更小的高效开关电源转换器和逆变器，同时保持所有其他所需的特性。该项目的性质将有助于许多应用中的电源和能源管理，这些电源电感和电源转换器是可再生能源系统、计算平台、通信和移动系统、医疗系统、电动汽车、电子、军事系统、能源采集系统、航空航天系统以及大多数其他外围设备和设备的关键和不可或缺的组成部分。该项目确定并解决了当永磁层垂直磁化以及永磁体厚度与表面积变小时，不希望出现的不均匀和不受控制的磁通分布问题，这会阻止实际的永磁型功率电感实现饱和电流的增加或翻倍。将采用不同的方法传播该项目的成果，包括参考期刊和会议出版物、课堂教学内容、研讨会讲座和公开演示。这些活动和其他活动也将被用来吸引专门来自少数群体和农村地区的学生进入工程和科学领域。项目团队计划通过以下方式实现该项目的主要目标：(1)制造基于永磁体的集成磁力装置结构，其导致在其他情况下不可能实现的饱和电流翻倍；(2)开发多层永磁体概念，其允许通过控制每一层的尺寸和厚度来控制永磁体磁场，这对于通过磁通分配和消除来实现饱和电流加倍非常重要，(3)开发实现多层永磁体和多层永磁体功率电感的制作方案；(4)生长磁性材料以满足多层永磁体功率电感器件的预期性能；(5)作为实际实验开关功率转换器的一部分，对这些功率电感进行测试和评估；(6)对多层永磁体和多层永磁体功率电感进行理论分析、电路模型和物理建模，以便在制造之前进行设计优化和性能预测。

The main goal of the project is to investigate and develop multi-layer permanent magnets and/for on-chip miniaturized power inductors with twice the saturation current for switching power converters which are indispensable parts in electrical platforms and systems. The developed multi-layer permanent magnets and permanent magnet-based power inductors will result in efficient switching power converters and inverters with smaller footprint and overall volume and weight while maintaining all other desired characteristics. The nature of this project will make contributions to power and energy management in many applications that these power inductors and power converters are critical for and indispensable part of including renewable energy systems, computing platforms, communication and mobile systems, medical systems, electric vehicles, electronics, military systems, energy harvesting systems, aerospace systems, and most other peripherals and devices. This project identifies and addresses the issue of undesired non-uniform and uncontrolled flux distribution when the permanent magnet layer is vertically magnetized and as the permanent magnet thickness-to-surface area becomes smaller which prevents a practical permanent magnet-based power inductor from achieving an increase in or doubling the saturation current. The results of the project will be disseminated using different methods that include refereed journal and conference publications, classroom educational components, seminar lectures and public demonstrations. These and other events will also be used to attract students specifically from minority groups and rural districts to engineering and science.The team of the project plans to achieve the main goal of the project by (1) fabricating permanent magnet-based integrated magnetic power device structures which result in practically doubling the saturation current which otherwise will not be possible, (2) developing multi-layer permanent magnet concepts which allow for the control of the permanent magnet magnetic field by controlling the dimensions and thickness of each layer which is very important to achieving the doubling of the saturation current by flux distribution and cancellation, (3) developing fabrication schemes to realize the multi-layer permanent magnets and multi-layer permanent magnet power inductors, (4) growth of magnetic materials in order to meet the desired properties in the multi-layer permanent magnet power inductor devices, (5) testing and evaluating these power inductors while operating as a part of real experimental switching power converters, and (6) performing theoretical analysis, circuit models, and physical modeling for the multi-layer permanent magnets and multi-layer permanent magnet power inductors for design optimization and performance prediction before fabrication.