Capacitor Electrode Layout and Etchant Recovery for Flatness
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing capacitor fabrication methods face issues such as mechanical waviness and brittleness due to masking during electrode formation, and the disposal of spent etching solutions containing sodium perchlorate, which is costly and environmentally harmful.
Innovation Solution
The capacitor design incorporates inactive regions with projections on the electrode to reduce mechanical strain and uses a recovery process to regenerate etching solutions by precipitating metal ions and adjusting chemical components, allowing for efficient reuse.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If masking is applied to the welded region during etching and oxide formation, then welding capability is enabled, but mechanical waviness and strain are introduced in the electrode
Solution Approach 1:
The electrode surface is segmented into active regions (with tunnels) and inactive regions (without tunnels) through selective masking. The inactive regions are strategically positioned to serve as strain relief zones that compensate for the mechanical waviness caused by masking during fabrication, thereby enabling welding while maintaining overall electrode flatness.
Solution Approach 2:
The etching parameters are modified in the inactive regions compared to the active regions. By controlling the etching process to create inactive regions without tunnels, the mechanical properties of these regions are changed to provide strain relief, counteracting the waviness introduced by the masking process itself.
2Reliability
If tunnels are widened before oxide formation, then oxide clogging is prevented, but mechanical strain and waviness are increased
Solution Approach 1:
The electrode is segmented into regions with different tunnel characteristics. Inactive regions are created where no tunnels are formed, providing mechanical stability and strain relief that compensates for the waviness caused by tunnel widening in the active regions during oxide formation.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If spent etching solution is discarded, then contamination is avoided, but costly chemicals are wasted and environmental harm occurs
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of discarding the spent etching solution, the process recovers and reuses the etching chemicals. The etching solution is filtered to remove dissolved metal ions and then reused for subsequent etching operations, preventing environmental contamination while eliminating chemical waste and reducing costs.
Solution Approach 2:
The etching process is designed to be self-sustaining through solution recovery and reuse. The system automatically filters and recirculates the etching solution, maintaining its effectiveness for multiple cycles without requiring constant replacement, thereby preventing waste and environmental harm.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The new capacitor design minimizes mechanical waviness and warping, while the recovery process recovers valuable chemicals, reducing fabrication costs and environmental impact.
Implementation Method 1
In electrochemical etching and/or electrochemical drilling, a sheet of a material is at least partially immersed in a bath of etching solution
Implementation Method 2
adding a precipitant to the spent etching solution so as to cause precipitation of a compound in a precipitation solution. The compound includes the metal ions from the sheet of material
Data Source
AI summary
Fabricating a capacitor include using a first etching solution to etch a first sheet of material so as to generate a spent etchant. At least one chemical component is recovered from the spent etchant. A second etching solution is used to etch a second sheet of material. The second etchant includes at least one of the chemical components that was recovered from the spent etchant.