Power Inductor TFM Series

Figure 1 shows an overview of the TFM series. Starting with the TFM‑ALM series, we offer a lineup of additional series with further enhanced performance characteristics.

The TFM series inductors are designed and produced utilizing TDK's thin-film processing. 
The coils are formed by Cu plating, enabling support for highly flexible designs, and the use of resin in terminal electrodes helps in reducing the potential stress caused by heat and board flexing.

The features of each TFM series are shown in Figure 3. The TFM-ALMA, BLEA, and ALVA series are automotive-grade products capable of withstanding temperatures up to 150°C.

In the TFM series for consumer applications, there is a wide lineup ranging from high-current types that improve DC superposition characteristics and are effective for enhancing power supply efficiency in high-load regions, to low core-loss types that are effective for improving power supply efficiency in light-load regions.

The newly added TFM-BLEA series for automotive applications achieves lower resistance and higher current capability compared to the conventional ALMA series, significantly improving power supply efficiency in high-load regions, which is crucial in automotive environments. Additionally, the temperature rise characteristics when current flows through the inductor are better than those of previous products, resulting in less heat generation and enabling a reduction in mounting area by replacing with more compact shapes.

The TFM-ALVA series has been added to the lineup for automotive-grade products, which has been possible through the development of new  metallic magnetic materials.
This makes this series suitable for battery lines that were previously difficult to support with compact power inductors.

Example applications which use the TFM series are shown in Figure 8. Due to their compact size, and large current ratings they are ideal for applications requiring high-density mounting such as smartphones and automotive ECUs.

A list of products by series and shape is shown in Figure 8. Detailed information can be viewed and samples can be purchased by clicking on the product type name.

A power inductor is an inductor used in power circuits such as DC-DC converters, and is sometimes called a power coil or a power choke. Inductors have the property of storing energy through self-induction, and DC-DC converters, such as chopper-type converters, use a combination of this inductor and switching elements to convert voltage. (Refer to Figure 10). 
Inductors are classified into multilayer, thin-film, and wire-wound types according to their construction methods. The wire-wound type, which can carry large currents, is the mainstream for power inductors This type can be integrated with a variety of products that have either ferrite or soft magnetic metal cores. In recent years, smaller and thinner multilayer and thin-film types are also becoming capable of handling large currents.