New fabrication method for planar multilayer windings used in low-profile magnetic components

A new design and fabrication method for planar windings with multilayers is presented. This method can virtually eliminate external soldering or conductive vias, thus reducing dc resistance and increasing reliability. Compared to the previously reported folding methods for winding fabrication, this method maximizes the use of the window height and minimizes the waste of copper area in manufacturing. The winding pattern is cut using a computer numerically controlled machine, or the punching/pressing process, which is cleaner than the commonly used etching process. The whole winding assembly is completed by a folding process. The primary and secondary windings in a transformer can be interleaved, resulting in low leakage inductance. Practical examples of low-profile transformers and inductors were constructed and tested in an active-clamped forward dc-dc converter with self-driven synchronous rectifiers. Experimental results are presented to show that such transformers/inductors are particularly useful for the design of low-profile and high power density converter modules.