High-Rate, Large-Area Deposition of Magnetic Materials for Next-Generation Energy Technologies

Many emerging technologies demand power converters with smaller form factors and lower cost. Most efficient power converter designs rely on magnetic components (inductors or transformers) which often dominate the size, losses, and cost. Monolithically fabricated on-chip magnetic components have the potential to replace traditional wire-wound components to enable dense (in volume and mass), high-frequency power converters with low production cost and high reliability. This benefits existing power converters and enables new, highly-granular architectures. Fabricating these components has faced a difficult tradeoff -- materials that are easy and inexpensive to deposit are less suitable to the very high operating frequencies (tens of megahertz (MHz)) needed for miniaturization to chip-scale size, while materials that are suitable to such high frequencies have been slower and more expensive to deposit. This research aims to lessen or eliminate this tradeoff by: (1) developing a high-rate, large-area deposition process for a promising magnetic material CoZrO and (2) characterizing and optimizing the proposed material for power conversion.To accomplish these objectives, we will optimize both the process and material based on a physics-based model of the material and characterization of real samples. The proposed research will provide a faster and reliable method for manufacturing on-chip magnetic components, enabling the miniaturization of magnetic components and power converters. The integration of magnetics and entire power converters on-chip supports NASA's interests in creating more decentralized and less massive power distribution systems.

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