A soft magnetic alloy powder contains soft magnetic alloy particles. The soft magnetic alloy particles contain Fe and Si. The soft magnetic alloy particles each include crystal grains and crystal grain boundary between the crystal grains. At least one of the crystal grains has a Si segregation part.

A core component is made of a sintered body of an inorganic powder, in which the core component includes a columnar winding portion and a flange portion integrally formed with the columnar winding portion at both axial ends of the columnar winding portion, in which when observed in a cross section perpendicular to an axial direction, a surface layer portion of the columnar winding portion and a surface layer portion of the flange portion have a void occupancy area smaller than a void occupancy area of an inside of the columnar winding portion and of an inside of the flange portion, respectively.

A system for forming a bulk material having insulated boundaries from a metal material and a source of an insulating material is provided. The system includes a heating device, a deposition device, a coating device, and a support configured to support the bulk material. The heating device heats the metal material to form particles having a softened or molten state and the coating device coats the metal material with the insulating material from the source and the deposition device deposits particles of the metal material in the softened or molten state on the support to form the bulk material having insulated boundaries.

A dust core includes large particles having an average particle size of 8-15 μm, medium particles having an average particle size of 1-5 μm, and small particles having an average particle size of 300-900 nm when a cross section thereof is observed. An area ratio occupied by the large particles is 50% to 90%, an area ratio occupied by the medium particles is 0% to 30%, and an area ratio occupied by the small particles is 5% to 30%, when a total area ratio occupied by the large particles, the medium particles and the small particles is 100% in the cross section. Vickers hardness (Hv) of the large particles, the medium particles and the small particles is 150-600 respectively. The small particles are alloy powder containing Fe and at least Si or N. The dust core may be included in an inductor element.

A dust core includes large particles having an average particle size of 8-15 μm, medium particles having an average particle size of 1-5 μm, and small particles having an average particle size of 300-900 nm when a cross section thereof is observed. An area ratio occupied by the large particles is 50% to 90%, an area ratio occupied by the medium particles is 0% to 30%, and an area ratio occupied by the small particles is 5% to 30%, when a total area ratio occupied by the large particles, the medium particles and the small particles is 100% in the cross section. Vickers hardness (Hv) of the large particles, the medium particles and the small particles is 150-600 respectively. The small particles are alloy powder containing Fe and at least Si or N. The dust core may be included in an inductor element.

A soft magnetic powder contains a particle having a composition represented by Fe.sub.xCu.sub.aNb.sub.b(Si.sub.1-yB.sub.y).sub.100-x-a-b, and 0.3≤a≤2.0, 2.0≤b≤4.0, and 75.5≤x≤79.5, and y is a number satisfying f(x)≤y≤0.99, and f(x)=(4×10.sup.−34) x.sup.17.56. The particle includes a crystal grain having a grain size of 1 nm to 30 nm, a Cu segregation portion, and a crystal grain boundary. A content proportion of the crystal grain is 30% or more. When the Cu segregation portion positioned in a surface layer portion and having a grain size of 2 nm to 10 nm is referred to as a first Cu segregation portion, and the Cu segregation portion positioned in an inner portion and having a grain size of 2 nm to 7 nm is referred to as a second Cu segregation portion, a number proportion of the first Cu segregation portion is 80% or more, a number proportion of the second Cu segregation portion is 80% or more, and the number of the second Cu segregation portion is twice or more the number of the first Cu segregation portion.

A soft magnetic powder contains a particle having a composition represented by Fe.sub.xCu.sub.aNb.sub.b(Si.sub.1-yB.sub.y).sub.100-x-a-b, and 0.3≤a≤2.0, 2.0≤b≤4.0, and 75.5≤x≤79.5, and y is a number satisfying f(x)≤y≤0.99, and f(x)=(4×10.sup.−34) x.sup.17.56. The particle includes a crystal grain having a grain size of 1 nm to 30 nm, a Cu segregation portion, and a crystal grain boundary. A content proportion of the crystal grain is 30% or more. When the Cu segregation portion positioned in a surface layer portion and having a grain size of 2 nm to 10 nm is referred to as a first Cu segregation portion, and the Cu segregation portion positioned in an inner portion and having a grain size of 2 nm to 7 nm is referred to as a second Cu segregation portion, a number proportion of the first Cu segregation portion is 80% or more, a number proportion of the second Cu segregation portion is 80% or more, and the number of the second Cu segregation portion is twice or more the number of the first Cu segregation portion.

A soft magnetic alloy powder includes soft magnetic alloy particles having an amorphous phase. Each of the soft magnetic alloy particles has chemical composition represented by Fe.sub.aSi.sub.bB.sub.cC.sub.dP.sub.eCu.sub.fSn.sub.gM1.sub.hM2.sub.i, where M1 is one or more elements of Co and Ni, M2 is one or more elements of Ti, Zr, Hf, Nb, Ta, Mo, W, Cr, Al, Mn, Ag, V, Zn, As, Sb, Bi, Y, and a rare earth element, and 79≤a+h+i≤86, 0≤b≤5, 7.2≤c≤12.2, 0.1≤d≤3, 7.3≤c+d≤13.2, 0.5≤e≤10, 0.4≤f≤2, 0.3≤g≤6, 0≤h≤30, 0≤i≤5, and a+b+c+d+e+f+g+h+i=100 (parts by mol) are satisfied.

Disclosed are a core, a transformer, a power converting apparatus, and a photovoltaic module including the same. The core includes: a base; outer wall formed on the base; a first protruding member protruding on the base and disposed within the outer wall; and a second protruding member protruding on the base, disposed within the outer wall, and separated from the first protruding member, wherein a length of an edge of the second protruding member opposing the first protruding member is less than an outer circumference of the first protruding member. Accordingly, the second protruding member may be machined so easily that a leakage inductance can be easily controlled according to design specification.

In an embodiment a core component includes a base plate, a plurality of members arranged on corners of the base plate and delimiting an inner region of the core component and a center piece located in the inner region and having an oval basic shape.