INDUCTOR ASSEMBLIES AND STACKED POWER SUPPLY CONFIGURATIONS

1 . An inductor assembly comprising:

first material;

a first electrically conductive path extending through the first material;

second material, the second material being magnetically permeable material; and

a second electrically conductive path extending through the second material.

2 . The inductor assembly as in claim 1 , wherein the first material envelops the first electrically conductive path; and

wherein a first portion of the second material envelops the first material.

3 . The inductor assembly as in claim 2 further comprising:

a third electrically conductive path extending through the second material;

wherein a second portion of the second material envelops the first material.

4 . The inductor assembly as in claim 3 , wherein the first electrically conductive path is disposed in the inductor assembly between the second electrically conductive path and the third electrically conductive path.

5 . The inductor assembly as in claim 1 further comprising:

a first surface;

a second surface;

wherein the first material extends between the first surface and the second surface; and

wherein the second material extends between the first surface and the second surface.

6 . The inductor assembly as in claim 5 , wherein the first electrically conductive path extends between the first surface and the second surface; and

wherein the second electrically conductive path extends between the first surface and the second surface.

7 . The inductor assembly as in claim 1 , wherein the first material is magnetically permeable material having a first magnetic permeability;

wherein the second material has a second magnetic permeability; and

wherein the second magnetic permeability is greater than the first magnetic permeability.

8 . The inductor assembly as in claim 1 , wherein the first material is non-magnetically permeable material.

9 . The inductor assembly as in claim 1 further comprising:

a third electrically conductive path extending through the second material;

a fourth electrically conductive path extending through the second material;

a fifth electrically conductive path extending through the second material;

wherein the first electrically conductive path is disposed between the second electrically conductive path and the third electrically conductive path; and

wherein the first electrically conductive path is disposed between the fourth electrically conductive path and the fifth electrically conductive path.

10 . The inductor assembly as in claim 9 , wherein the first electrically conductive path is disposed at a center of the first material.

11 . The inductor assembly as in claim 1 further comprising:

a third electrically conductive path extending through the first material, the third electrically conductive path enveloped by the first material.

12 . A circuit assembly including the inductor assembly of claim 1 , the circuit assembly further comprising:

a first switch coupled between a first node of the first electrically conductive path and a first node of the second electrically conductive path; and

wherein the first node of the first electrically conductive path and the first node of the second electrically conductive path extend through a first facing of the inductor assembly.

13 . The circuit assembly as in claim 12 further comprising:

a second switch coupled between the first node of the second electrically conductive path and an input voltage source; and

a controller operative to control operation of the first switch and the second switch to convert an input voltage into an output voltage.

14 . The circuitry assembly as in claim 13 , wherein the controller is operative to receive a feedback signal indicating a magnitude of the output voltage outputted from a second node of the second electrically conductive path.

15 . A circuit assembly including the inductor assembly of claim 1 , the circuit assembly further comprising:

a load coupled to receive an output voltage generated by the second electrically conductive path; and

switch circuitry operative to control current through the second electrically conductive to produce the output voltage.

16 . The apparatus as in claim 1 , wherein an inductance of the first electrically conductive path is substantially less than the inductance of the second electrically conductive path.

17 . An inductor assembly comprising:

first material enveloping a first electrically conductive path;

second material enveloping the first material, the second material being magnetically permeable material;

a second electrically conductive path extending through the second material, the second electrically conductive path operative to convey first current to power a load; and

wherein the first electrically conductive path is a return path operative to convey the first current received from the load to a reference voltage.

18 . The inductor assembly as in claim 17 further comprising:

a third electrically conductive path extending through the second material, the third electrically conductive path operative convey second current to power the load; and

wherein the first electrically conductive path is operative to convey the second current received from the load to the reference voltage.

19 . A method comprising:

conveying first current over a first electrically conductive path extending through first material of an inductor assembly, the first material enveloped by second material of the inductor assembly; and

conveying second current over a second electrically conductive path extending through the second material of the inductor assembly, the second material being magnetically permeable material.

20 . A method of fabricating an inductor assembly, the method comprising:

receiving first material;

receiving second material, the second material being magnetically permeable material; and

fabricating the inductor assembly to include: i) a first electrically conductive path extending through the first material, and ii) a second electrically conductive path extending through the second material.