TDK develops small, compact thin-film power inductors for automotive power circuits

     TDK Corporation has developed a series of thin-film metal power inductors for automotive power circuits. The mounting area of the new TFM201210ALMA inductor is approximately 22% smaller than that of TDK's conventional product, the TFM201610ALMA (2.0 mm (L) x 1.6 mm (W) x 1.0 mm (H)),the TFM series includes a range of 40 V rated products that allow direct connection to 12 V batteries on the automotive power circuit side.

     Recently, the demand for ECU installation has increased for the purpose of electrification, autonomous driving, and information communication of various vehicle control functions. Small inductors for power circuits help save space on mounting substrates, while rapid advances in ADAS performance have increased the number of components typically used in system architectures.

     In addition to the compact 2.0 mm (length) x 1.25 mm (width) dimensions of this series of inductors, the core material of the inductors also uses TDK's unique metal magnetic material. This thin film inductor supports a wide operating temperature range from -55°C to +150°C, the highest in the industry. In addition, it is robust against mechanical stresses such as vibration and shock induced by the resin electrode structure.