Taiyo Yuden’s New Wire-Wound Inductor Achieves 3.0A At 10µH

Taiyo Yuden (U.S.A) Inc. announced the NR6045T series of 6 x 6 x 4.5mm height (max) wire-wound power inductors for dc-dc converter choke coil applications in LCD/plasma TVs and other flat panel displays (FPDs). The 14 models in the NR6045T series offer a selection of low dc resistance (0.014 – 0.5 Ω), high inductance (1.0 – 100µH) and high current ratings (0.8 – 8.5A).

The NR6045T-100M device, for example, offers what is described as the industry’s highest rated current (3.0A @ 10µH) in the 6 x 6mm form factor. With the equivalent performance of larger 7 to 10mm square devices, the 26% to 64% smaller footprint, respectively, of NR6045T series devices are said to facilitate more compact dc-dc converters and thinner-profile product designs.

According to the company, greatly increased numbers of IC chips are now required for the I/O, image processing and information processing circuits of flat panel displays. Power supply circuits are likewise increasingly used for each IC chip to more efficiently use power and lower overall consumption as much as possible. These circuits, however, are said to require costly multi-layer boards that have grown in size due to the increase in the number of power supply circuits, a factor that has also driven up FPD prices. The company claims that this has resulted in a corresponding demand for choke coils – the main component in dc-dc converters – with higher current capacity, lower dc resistance (RDC) and smaller physical size. Boosting current capability, however, requires increasing the size of the core and thickening the windings inside the inductor, both of which are said to make reducing the device’s size very difficult.

Taiyo Yuden states that it responded to this design challenge by improving the round drum/sleeve core technology used by conventional inductor designs. The company states that a unique sleeveless, square-core winding was developed for use by the NR series inductors that successfully eliminated all wasted space and thickened the lead wire inside the inductor to achieve the lowest possible dc resistance.

The devices are available in volume production quantities, with sample pricing at $0.30 each, and a delivery of 2 weeks ARO.