Metal Power Inductor
TAIYO YUDEN MCOIL™ Series
Product Overview
TAIYO YUDEN's MCOIL™ metal power inductors are key devices that contribute to higher efficiency and power density in electronic power circuits. This is achieved through superior electrical characteristics and miniaturization technology. Featuring low loss, high current capability, and excellent DC bias characteristics, MCOIL™ is adopted across a wide range of applications, from smartphones and IoT devices to next-generation electronics such as automotive systems and AI servers.
As electronic devices continue to demand higher performance and lower power consumption, power circuits must achieve further miniaturization, higher efficiency, and reduced energy usage. MCOIL™ addresses these market needs, contributing to improved energy efficiency and the realization of a sustainable society.
Market Trend
Consumer Device Market
Miniaturization and Efficiency: The Dual Demands of Next-Generation Power Supply Design
As electronic devices continue to become smaller, more powerful, and more energy‑efficient, power inductors used in power circuits are expected to deliver high current and high efficiency while maintaining a compact size. However, conventional products have struggled to balance miniaturization with strong electrical performance.
TAIYO YUDEN’s MCOIL™ Series overcomes these challenges through proprietary metal materials, processing technologies, and structural design. This enables compact size, high‑current capability, low resistance, and low core loss, supporting further miniaturization and efficiency improvements in modern electronic devices.
High‑Reliability Device Market
Thermal Management: A Key Design Challenge as More Components Are Packed into Limited Space
In recent years, the advancement of autonomous driving and connected cars has led to the integration of numerous Electronic Control Units (ECUs) in the automotive industry, handling sensors, meter clusters, infotainment, and telematics. In these applications as well, thermal management resulting from increased functionality and ensuring high reliability have become critical challenges. As functionality continues to advance and devices become increasingly compact, the need for smaller, highly reliable, and high-performance electronic components is becoming more urgent.
Concurrently, industrial and medical equipment are evolving through real-time monitoring, AI-driven robotics, manufacturing and agricultural digitization, and portable remote healthcare. In these applications as well, thermal management resulting from increased functionality and ensuring high reliability have become critical challenges. As functionality continues to advance and devices become increasingly compact, the need for smaller, highly reliable, and high-performance electronic components is becoming more urgent.
TAIYO YUDEN MCOIL™ Flagship Models
Based on metal material technology, TAIYO YUDEN's MCOIL™ series offers high-performance power inductors that leverage the distinct advantages of two manufacturing methods: wire-wound and multilayer structures.
The wire-wound metal power inductor LSEU / LCEN series achieve low resistance, low loss, and high current capabilities through proprietary material and high-density molding technologies, supporting high-efficiency and heavy-load power supply applications.
On the other hand, the multilayer metal power inductor LSCN / LCCN / LACN series combine metal materials with a multilayer manufacturing process to achieve both miniaturization and high current capability. This makes it ideal for applications requiring high power supply performance within limited mounting space.
MCOIL™ Series Introduction (download)
Metal Wire-Wound Power Inductors: LSEU / LCEN Series
These metal power inductors combine a wire-wound structure with high-performance metal materials to deliver low resistance, low core loss, and high current capabilities. Through proprietary metal materials and high-density molding technology, they reduce power circuit loss and suppress heat generation—making them ideal for applications demanding high power density, such as high-performance processors and automotive systems.
Key Features
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Low DCR: Reduces conduction loss to contribute to higher efficiency
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Low Core Loss: Minimizes losses during high-frequency switching operations
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High Rated Current: Supports heavy current loads to boost power circuit performance
Ideal for applications requiring high current and efficiency, such as AI servers, VRMs for CPU/GPUs, and automotive DC-DC converters.
1. Differences in Characteristics: Ferrite vs. Metal Inductors
TAIYO YUDEN offers both ferrite and metal wire-wound power inductors. Metal power inductors excel in handling high current, achieving low DCR, and enabling miniaturization, whereas ferrite power inductors demonstrate their strength in applications where high inductance is prioritized. The key differences in product characteristics based on materials are summarized below:
Feature
Ferrite Inductor
Metal Inductor
Relative Permeability (μ)
High. Easily achieves high inductance with fewer turns; suitable for high-inductance applications.
Low. Disadvantageous for high inductance, but demonstrates superior performance in low-to-medium inductance power applications.
Saturation Magnetic Flux Density
Low. Susceptible to magnetic saturation at high currents, leading to inductance drops.
High. Resistant to magnetic saturation even under high currents; suitable for high-current applications.
Inductance Characteristics
Allows for a wide range of designs, including high-inductance offerings.
Delivers high performance in the low-to-medium inductance range.
DC Bias Characteristics
Inductance tends to drop due to magnetic saturation as DC current increases.
Inductance drop is minimal even under applied DC current, maintaining stable power circuit characteristics.
DC Resistance (DCR)
Advantageous for high-inductance applications, but faces constraints for high-current handling.
Suited for low-DCR designs; advantageous for reducing loss during high-current operation.
Miniaturization & High-Current Capability
May require larger package sizes when increasing inductance.
High saturation magnetic flux density makes it easier to achieve both miniaturization and high-current capacity.
While ferrite excels in high-inductance regions, metal inductors—with their high saturation magnetic flux density, low DCR, and excellent DC bias characteristics—are ideal for modern power supply applications that demand high current, high efficiency, and compact form factors.
2. Heat Generation Factors Under Varying Load Conditions and Optimal Inductor Selection
Inductor loss in power circuits is generally categorized into core loss and copper loss. Because these heat generation factors vary significantly depending on the power supply's load state and operating conditions, selecting the optimal inductor tailored to the application is essential.
Inductor Loss = Core Loss + Copper Loss
a) Primary Heat Generation Factors by Load Condition
Operating State
Dominant Loss
Primary Heat Generation Factor
Required Characteristics
Light Load
Core Loss
Magnetic loss caused by AC ripple current from switching
Low core loss characteristics
Heavy Load
Copper Loss
Resistance loss (I2 R loss) caused by large DC currents
Low DCR & high current capability
b) Importance of Application-Specific Inductor Selection
Maximizing power supply efficiency requires selecting components based on actual load conditions and operating environments, rather than focusing solely on nominal inductance (uH) values.
If
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Devices are frequently operating under light loads, or
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Efficiency in standby or low-power modes is critical,
Low core-loss inductors are suitable.
If
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Power supplies are handling high currents, primarily focused on heavy-load operations, such as CPUs/GPUs, automotive, and server applications,
Inductors with low DCR and high saturation current characteristics are suitable.
The ideal inductor characteristics depend on the applied load conditions. Balancing core loss and copper loss according to the specific application optimizes power efficiency, reduces heat generation, and enables smaller form factors.
Applications
Metal power inductors utilize metallic magnetic materials to deliver superior DC bias characteristics, high current capability, and low-loss performance. Their primary use is in DC-DC converters within switching power supply circuits, while also being used for power line smoothing, noise suppression, and energy storage beyond standard voltage conversion.
In recent years, as electronic devices have grown higher-performing and more compact, demand has risen for higher power density, increased efficiency, and lower power consumption, driving the expanded adoption of metal power inductors. Across a wide range of applications, including AI servers, EVs/ADAS, high-performance computing equipment, and mobile/IoT devices, both wire-wound and multilayer metal power inductors are utilized to meet specific application requirements.
AI Servers & HPC
In AI servers and HPC, power inductors are mounted on each phase of the VRMs (multi-phase step-down power supplies) for GPUs and CPUs. Because cutting-edge AI GPUs handle massive currents exceeding 600A at the 1,000W class, more than 20 to 30 power inductors are used per GPU. Requiring high saturation current, low DCR, low core loss, and high heat dissipation, this is one of the applications where metal wire-wound inductors perform at their best.
Required Characteristics
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High Saturation Current (High Isat): Suppresses inductance drops (DC bias characteristics) even when a large current is applied.
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Low DCR: Reduces conduction loss, contributing to higher VRM efficiency and lower heat generation.
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Low Core Loss: Maintains high efficiency at high switching frequencies from 500 kHz to 2 MHz.
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Superior Heat Dissipation: Ensures stable operation and high reliability even in the high-temperature environment surrounding the GPU.
Robotics
In robotics and Physical AI, robots incorporate a wide range of electronic systems, including AI processors for perception and inference, as well as motors, actuators, sensors, and communication devices. In particular, humanoid robots and autonomous mobile robots must perform AI computing and motor control within limited space and battery capacity, creating a strong need for compact, highly efficient power solutions capable of handling high currents.
For AI processors and SoCs, high current capability, fast transient response, and low power loss are required, while motor and actuator systems require high saturation current, low DCR, high efficiency, and excellent thermal performance. Because robots frequently experience rapid motor acceleration/deceleration and changes in mechanical load during operation, their power systems are subject to significant load transients. As a result, metal power inductors offering high saturation current, low DCR, fast transient response, low core loss, and excellent thermal characteristics are promising components for robotics and Physical AI applications.
Required Characteristics
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Low Core Loss and High Efficiency: Maintains high efficiency even at high switching frequencies, reducing overall power consumption.
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Low DCR: Reduces conduction losses and heat generation, improving power efficiency and battery life.
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High Saturation Current (High Isat): Maintains stable inductance under high-current loads and rapid load changes.
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Compact and Low-Profile Design: Enables high current capability within the limited space of robotic control boards and joints.
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Excellent Thermal Performance and Temperature Characteristics: Ensures stable operation under high-temperature conditions and helps reduce heat generation in compact systems.
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High Reliability and Vibration Resistance: Maintains stable performance under repeated vibration and mechanical shock during continuous operation.
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Fast Transient Response: Supports rapid current changes caused by motor acceleration/deceleration and AI workload fluctuations.
Application Guide: Servo Motor
Product Video
MCOIL™ Power Inductor - LCEN Series
MCOIL™ Power Inductor - LACN and LCCN series
MCOIL™ Power Inductor - LSCND1005CCTR47MH
MCOIL is a registered trademark or trademark of TAIYO YUDEN CO., LTD. in Japan and other countries.
The names of series noted in the text are excerpted from part numbers that indicate the types and characteristics of the products, and therefore are neither product names nor trademarks.
