Integrated Inductors and Power Conversion Technologies

Integrated inductors and power conversion technologies lie at the heart of modern electronics, enabling efficient voltage transformation, energy storage and filtering within ever-smaller footprints. By embedding magnetic components directly on silicon or specialised substrates, designers achieve high switching frequencies, reduced electromagnetic interference and enhanced thermal management. Advances in three-dimensional fabrication, additive micro­manufacturing and novel magnetic materials have improved inductance density and quality factors, while minimising parasitic capacitance. These developments support a broad array of applications, from on-chip DC-DC converters for mobile and wearable devices to high-density power supplies in data centres and electric vehicles. The integration of inductors with power semiconductors and control circuitry fosters compact, monolithic power modules, reducing system complexity and cost. As global demands for energy-efficient electronics intensify, interdisciplinary research continues to refine device architectures, material interfaces and fabrication methods, driving the real-world deployment of high-performance integrated power converters.

Research from Nature Portfolio

No recent Nature Portfolio content available.

Research from all publishers

Recent studies in microsystems and nanoengineering have showcased emerging fabrication routes for on-chip inductors. One review of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) techniques surveys top-down surface micromachining and through-substrate-via approaches to produce solenoid and toroidal inductors with exceptional quality factors and power densities, highlighting the potential of 3D additive methods for unconventional geometries. A separate experimental report details a CMOS-compatible process for embedding a multi-turn solenoid inductor within a silicon substrate, achieving an inductance density exceeding 350 nH mm⁻² with iron-core variants and peak quality factors above 35 at tens of megahertz. Another investigation describes scalable fabrication of air-core MEMS inductors for very-high-frequency converters, demonstrating devices with low parasitic capacitance, stable thermal cycling behaviour and superior efficiency in boost converter prototypes operating above 30 MHz. Together, these works illustrate a clear trajectory towards highly integrated, high-frequency power modules with improved performance metrics and robust operational stability.

Integrated Inductors and Power Conversion Technologies publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in integrated inductors and power conversion technologies across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Integrated inductor: Coiled conductor formed within a semiconductor or substrate for energy storage and filtering.

Power conversion: Process of transforming electrical energy between voltage, current or frequency levels.

Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS): Microscale devices combining mechanical structures with electronic circuitry.

Quality factor: Ratio of energy stored to energy dissipated per cycle in an inductor, indicating its efficiency.

Inductance density: Inductance value per unit area or volume, reflecting the compactness of the component.

Parasitic capacitance: Unintended capacitance between conductors, limiting an inductor’s high-frequency performance.

Power density: Amount of power processed relative to device volume, critical for miniaturised converters.

References

1. MEMS inductor fabrication and emerging applications in power electronics and neurotechnologies. Microsystems & Nanoengineering (2021).
2. 3D MEMS In-Chip Solenoid Inductor With High Inductance Density for Power MEMS Device. IEEE Electron Device Letters (2019).
3. Fabrication of 3D air-core MEMS inductors for very-high-frequency power conversions. Microsystems & Nanoengineering (2018).