Munich, August 09, 2017 – ALPS Electric has developed the “GLU Series” LiqualloyTM Power Inductor. The product will contribute to energy savings in mobile devices fitted with OLED panels, for which demand has risen in recent years. Mass production already began in May 2017. Typical applications which will benefit from the new power inductors are smartphones, tablets and other mobile devices equipped with OLED technology.

Today’s smartphones and other mobile devices increasingly make use of organic light-emitting diode (OLED) panels to realize better image quality. By 2020, more than half of all such devices are expected to use this technology. It is also now commonplace for users to listen to music and watch videos on tablets. The power requirement of mobile devices thus continues to grow, spurring end product manufacturers to search for ways to make their tablets more energy-efficient.

Already in mass production, Alps Electric’s GLU Series Liqualloy Power Inductor has 25% lower DC resistance than the company’s existing product, achieved through use of next-generation materials and coil technology advancement. The new power inductor employs original low-core-loss material with excellent soft magnetic characteristics, realizing low loss during power conversion.

This improves power conversion efficiency, especially with a heavy power requirement. Excellent characteristics are demonstrated even when OLED panels are set on high brightness or during video playback, thereby helping to extend the life of mobile device batteries.

As a chip type component, electrodes of the GLU Series are located on the base, which is useful for achieving low height. Because there are no electrodes located on the top of the power inductor, noise suppression components or other parts can be installed in close proximity to it. This improves flexibility in end product design.