Air-Core PCB Toroid for Switching Converters: Design and Comparison with Other Inductor Topologies

This study examines the design, manufacturing, and testing of planar PCB inductors (spiral and toroid), including multilayer PCB toroid configurations. These inductors are intended for environments with strong magnetic fields, such as high-energy physics experiments and medical applications, where traditional inductors with ferromagnetic cores are unsuitable. Twelve inductor samples were manufactured and tested. The focus was on maximizing inductance and evaluating performance in a high-frequency DC-DC step-down converter. Key parameters measured included inductance, resistance, thermal performance, electromagnetic interference (EMI), and frequency-dependent behavior in multilayer PCB implementations. The results showed that planar spiral inductors handled higher currents and achieved better efficiency, reaching up to 74.86%. Planar toroid inductors were more tolerant of added shielding, maintaining their inductance, while multilayer toroid designs exhibited reduced DC resistance but increased frequency dependence and sensitivity to parasitic effects. Overall, planar inductors were found to be viable for applications where ferromagnetic cores are unsuitable. Further optimization of geometry, layer configuration, and manufacturing processes could enhance their performance.