Method of making a multilayer monolithic magnet component

Claim 3

A method for constructing a solid composite magnetic component as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of: forming a composite structure includes providing top and bottom layers of insulating non-magnetic material to form a top and bottom structure of the component.

Claim 4

A method for constructing a solid composite magnetic component as claimed in claim 2, wherein the step of: depositing conductors includes printing conductors on selected layers of the insulating non-magnetic material comprising the top and bottom structure of the component.

Claim 5

A method for constructing a solid composite magnetic component as claimed in claim 1, and further comprising the steps of: preparing the magnetic material in a ceramic tape format; preparing the insulating non-magnetic material in a ceramic tape format; and the step of forming the structure includes layering of the ceramic tapes to form a structure with well defined regions of magnetic and insulating non-magnetic regions; applying pressure to laminate the structure prior to the step of co-firing.

Claim 6

A method for constructing a solid composite magnetic component as claimed in claim 1, and further comprising the steps of: preparing the magnetic material in a ceramic tape format; preparing the insulating non-magnetic material in a ceramic paste format; the step of forming the structure includes the step of layering the magnetic material; and applying pressure to laminate the structure prior to the step of co-firing.

Claim 7

A method for constructing a solid composite magnetic component as claimed in claim 1, and further comprising the steps of: preparing the magnetic material in a ceramic tape format; preparing the insulating non-magnetic material in a ceramic paste and a ceramic tape format; the step of forming the structure includes the step of layering the magnetic and insulating non-magnetic material; and applying pressure to laminate the structure prior to the step of co-firing.

Claim 10

A method for constructing a solid composite magnetic component as claimed in claim 7; wherein the step of preparing the insulating non-magnetic material concludes preparing it in a ceramic paste format.

Claim 11

A method for constructing a solid composite magnetic component as claimed in claim 7; wherein the step of preparing the insulating non-magnetic material includes preparing it in a ceramic tape format.

Claim 12

A method for constructing a composite magnetic component as defined in claim 7; wherein the step of co-firing includes the step of co-firing to a temperature of 800 to 1400 degrees centigrade.

Claim 13

A method for constructing a composite magnetic component as defined in claim 7; wherein the step of preparing an insulating non-magnetic material includes the step of doping the insulating non-magnetic material with a metallic oxide material to cause it to have a sintering rate and sintering temperature substantially identical to the first sintering rate and first sintering temperature.

Claim 14

A method for constructing a composite magnetic component as defined in claim 7; wherein the step of preparing a magnetic material includes the step of doping the magnetic material with a metallic oxide material to cause it to have a sintering rate and sintering temperature substantially identical to the sintering rate and sintering temperature of the insulating non-magnetic material.

Claim 15

A method for constructing a composite magnetic component as defined in claim 7 and further comprising the steps of: doping the insulating non-magnetic material with a metallic oxide material to increase its resistivity and decrease its permeability.

Claim 16

A method for constructing a composite magnetic component as defined in claim 7; and further comprising the steps of: constructing the conducting paths with a conductive material containing Pd which conforms to the firing and sintering characteristics of the magnetic material and the insulating non-magnetic material.

Claim 17

A method for constructing a composite magnetic component as defined in claim 7; and further comprising the steps of: constructing the conducting paths with a conductive material containing a Pd-Ag alloy which conforms to the firing and sintering characteristics of the magnetic material and the insulating non-magnetic material.

Claim 18

A method for constructing a composite magnetic component as defined in claim 7, and further comprising the steps of: constructing the conducting paths with a conductive material containing metallic particles and which conforms to the firing and sintering characteristics of the magnetic material and the insulating non-magnetic material.

Claim 19

A method for constructing a magnetic component as claimed in claim 7, wherein: the magnetic and insulating non-magnetic material includes a spinel ferrite of the form M 1+x Fe 2-y O 4-z .

Claim 20

A method for constructing magnetic component as claimed in claim 17, wherein: the values of x, y, and z may assume positive and negative numerical values.

Claim 21

A method for constructing a solid composite magnetic component as claimed in claim 11; wherein the step of preparing a insulating non-magnetic material includes the steps of preparing a Ni ferrite material and the step of doping includes adding CuO in controlled amounts of 1% mol to 10% mol of the overall composition to adjust its sintering rate and sintering temperature to the first sintering rate and first sintering temperature.

Claim 22

A method for constructing a composite magnetic component as claimed in claim 17; wherein the M material includes at least one of the elements Mn, Mg, Ni, Zn, Fe, Cu, Co, Zr, Va, Cd, Ti, Cr, and Si.

Claim 23

A method for constructing a composite magnetic component as claimed in claim 7; wherein the insulating non-magnetic material is a Ni ferrite material.

Claim 24

A method for constructing a composite magnetic component as claimed in claim 7; wherein the insulating non-magnetic material is a Zn ferrite material.

Claim 25

A method for constructing a composite magnetic component as claimed in claim 7; wherein the insulating non-magnetic material is a Mg ferrite material.

Claim 26

A method for constructing a composite magnetic component as claimed in claim 7; wherein the magnetic material is a MnZn ferrite material.

Claim 27

A method for constructing a composite magnetic component as claimed in claim 7; wherein the magnetic material is a NiZn ferrite material.

Claim 28

A method for constructing a composite magnetic component as claimed in claim 7; wherein the magnetic material is a Ni ferrite material.

Claim 29

A method for constructing a composite magnetic component as claimed in claim 7; wherein the conducting paths are constructed at least in part with a conducting material containing a conductive metallic oxide material.

Claim 30

A process for producing a solid composite magnetic component comprising at least two different materials each comprised of a ferrite matrix; wherein the ferrite materials are of the form M 1+x Fe 2-y O 4-z comprising the steps of: preparing a magnetic material by; providing a first ferrite powder of a substantially MnZn ferrite composition suitable to provide a relatively high permeability in a resulting first ferrite matrix, preparing an insulating non-magnetic material by; providing a second ferrite powder of a substantially Ni ferrite composition suitable to provide a high resistivity and a low permeability in a resulting second ferrite matrix, adding a Cu oxide to the second ferrite powder in an amount ranging from 1% mol to 10% mol of the total amount of the second ferrite powder so that the second ferrite powder has a sintering rate and sintering temperature substantially identical to that of the first ferrite powder, admixing the first ferrite powder with an organic binding material and forming the resulting mixture into a first ceramic tape, admixing the second ferrite powder with an organic binding material and forming the resulting mixture into a second ceramic tape, defining different tape layers with specified first tape layers having certain defined apertures; forming a layered structure with the different first and second ceramic tape layers in which the first tape layers include a geometric structure suitable for a magnetic core and in which the apertures are filled with an insulating non-magnetic material comprising the second ferrite powder; laminating the layered structure by applying a pressure thereto, firing the laminated structure; sintering the resulting structure at a temperature exceeding 800° centigrade to produce a sintered product having two ferrite matrix materials in a single composite structure; cooling the single composite structure to form the solid composite magnetic component.

Claim 31

A process for producing a solid composite magnetic component comprising at least two different materials each comprised of a ferrite matrix; wherein the ferrite materials are of the form M 1+x Fe 2-y O 4-z comprising the steps of: preparing a magnetic material by; providing a first ferrite powder of a substantially MnZn ferrite composition suitable to provide a relatively high permeability in a resulting first ferrite matrix, preparing an insulating non-magnetic material by; providing a second ferrite powder of a substantially Ni ferrite composition suitable to provide a high resistivity and a low permeability in a resulting second ferrite matrix, adding a Cu oxide to the second ferrite powder in an amount ranging from 1% mol to 10% mol of the total amount of the second ferrite powder so that the second ferrite powder has a sintering rate and sintering temperature substantially identical to that of the first ferrite powder, admixing the first ferrite powder with an organic binding material and forming the resulting mixture into a first ceramic tape, admixing the second ferrite powder with an organic binding material and forming the resulting mixture into a second ceramic tape, defining different tape layers with specified first tape layers having certain defined apertures; forming a layered structure with the different first and second ceramic tape layers in which the first tape layers include a geometric structure suitable for a magnetic core and in which the apertures are filled with an insulating non-magnetic material comprising the second ferrite powder; laminating the layered structure by applying a pressure thereto, firing the laminated structure; sintering the resulting structure at a temperature exceeding 800° centigrade to produce a sintered product having two ferrite matrix materials in a single composite structure; cooling the single composite structure to form the solid composite magnetic component.

Claim 32

A process for producing a solid composite magnetic component as claimed in claim 28 and including the further step of: printing conductor patterns on the different tape layers comprising the second ferrite powder so that when the layered structure is formed, the conductor patterns form a winding surrounding at least a portion of the geometric structure of the magnetic core.

Claim 33

A process for producing a solid composite magnetic component as claimed in claim 28, wherein the step of preparing an insulating non-magnetic material includes adding a Mn oxide to the second ferrite powder to increase its resistivity and further reduce its permeability.

Claim 34

A process for producing a solid composite magnetic component as claimed in claim 28, wherein the step of preparing an insulating non-magnetic material includes adding a Zr oxide to the second ferrite powder to increase its resistivity and further reduce its permeability.

Claim 37

A method for constructing a solid composite magnetic component with multilayer ceramic tape layers as claimed in claim 32; and including the step of: doping the second ferrite powder of a Ni ferrite composition with ZrO 2 to lower its permeability and conductivity.

Claim 38

A method for constructing a solid composite magnetic component with ceramic tape layers as claimed in claim 32; and including the step of: depositing conducting paths on selected layers of the composite structure and joining the conducting paths with conducting vias to form windings encircling selected regions of the magnetic material.

Claim 39

A method for constructing a solid composite magnetic component with ceramic tape layers as claimed in claim 32; wherein assemblying the multilayer structure includes the step of: providing conductors within the well defined regions of low permeability to electromagnetically interact with the well defined regions of high permeability, and providing top and bottom layers of insulating non-magnetic material.

Claim 42

A method for constructing a solid composite structure as claimed in claim 36, and further comprising the steps of: preparing apertures in the ceramic tape of magnetic material for accepting the insulating non-magnetic material.

Claim 43

A method for constructing a solid composite structure as claimed in claim 37, and further comprising the steps of: preparing the insulating non-magnetic ceramic material in a ceramic tape format.