Fully integrated multi-phase buck converter with coupled air core inductors

An n-phase buck power supply converter comprising:

• n/2 driving stages, each driving stage comprising:
• a first driver circuit receiving a first pulsed signal used for driving an output load at a first phase of said n-phases, the first driver controlling switching of a first power transistor switching circuit coupled to a first air-core inductor for driving said output load at the first phase;
• a second driver circuit receiving a second pulsed signal used for driving the output load at a second phase of said n-phases, the second driver controlling switching of a second power transistor switching circuit coupled to a second air-core inductor for driving said output load at the second phase, the first and second phases being spaced 180° apart,
• said first air-core inductor being magnetically coupled with said second air-core inductor such that a polarity of the first driver circuit and second driver circuit driving the respective first air-core and second air-core inductors relative to the magnetic coupling of the inductors results in a net increase in effective inductance per unit volume of each first and second air-core inductor when supplying a current to said load,
• wherein each said coupled first air-core inductor and said second air-core inductor is a respective metal slab formed spaced apart in a semiconductor substrate, the metal slabs being coplanar having a same length, a same width and a same thickness, said metal slabs of said coupled first air-core and said second air-core inductors are in a same physical orientation such that respective lengthwise edges of respective said first air-core inductor and said second air-core inductor are aligned in parallel, and respective widthwise edges of respective said first air-core inductor and said second air-core inductor are co-linear, and the metal slab defining said first air-core inductor connecting the first power transistor switching circuit to said load, and the metal slab defining said second air-core inductor connecting the second power transistor switching circuit to said load, and
• wherein the first power transistor switching circuit of said first driver circuit drives said output load through a physical connection to a first end of said first air-core inductor metal slab at a first phase of 0 degrees phase when supplying said current, and said second power transistor switching circuit of said second driver circuit of the group pair drives said output load through a physical connection to an opposite end of said second air-core inductor metal slab at a second phase of 180 degrees when supplying said current to said output load.