Powder Cores Provide Lowest Losses at High Frequencies for GaN and SiC Converters

For designers targeting superior efficiency and who need inductors with the lowest losses at high frequency, Magnetics, Inc. has developed a breakthrough powder alloy material: Kool Mµ® Hƒ. Kool Mµ Hƒ is a sendust powder alloy similar to Kool Mµ®, Magnetics' economical power inductor material, and Kool Mµ® MAX, which offers superior dc bias under current loading, especially in gallium-nitride and silicon-carbide (GaN and SiC) power supplies.

With the availability of Kool Mµ Hƒ, engineers have a third option when considering a Kool Mµ core inductor, an option which optimizes for best ac core loss at any frequency.

Kool Mµ Hƒ was developed based the growing need for efficient power inductors in GaN and SiC power supplies. Although customer demand influenced a target operating range of 200- to 500-kHz, Kool Mµ Hƒ losses are dramatically improved at all frequencies.

Kool Mµ Hƒ displays improved losses as high as 2- to 3-MHz for high efficiency inductors while matching MPP (molypermalloy powder) losses at traditional lower frequencies (20- to 200-kHz). Therefore, Kool Mµ Hƒ can be attractive for any high efficiency power supply design, not only those using GaN and SiC switching at high frequency.

Kool Mµ Hƒ is currently available in permeabilities of 26 and 60 and in standard toroid sizes up to 40mm diameter. Additional permeabilities and larger cores are in development for release in late 2020.  AL values, dimensions, coatings, and dielectric guarantees for Kool Mµ Hƒ are the same as both Kool Mµ and Kool Mµ MAX.

(click on table to enlarge)

Information on Kool Mµ Hƒ is available here.