Capacitor Plate Teeth for Misalignment Compensation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Manufacturing misalignment between plates in capacitors reduces their capacitance, affecting the performance of devices that rely on capacitive elements, such as radio front end modules in user devices.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating small cuts or 'teeth' at the perimeters of the plates to compensate for misalignment, increasing the effective overlapping area and maintaining capacitance levels.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If plates are manufactured with standard alignment tolerances, then manufacturing complexity is reduced, but capacitance decreases due to misalignment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-configuring interdigitated teeth structures on the plate edges before assembly. These teeth are designed in advance to automatically compensate for expected misalignment ranges, allowing the capacitor to maintain capacitance without requiring ultra-precise alignment during manufacturing. The teeth geometry is calculated beforehand based on anticipated tolerance variations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the geometric parameters of the plates by adding interdigitated teeth with specific dimensions (depth, width, spacing). This parameter modification transforms the plate geometry to create overlapping regions that compensate for misalignment. The teeth parameters are optimized to provide capacitance compensation within the expected misalignment tolerance range.
2Reliability
If teeth are added to plate perimeters to compensate for misalignment, then capacitance is maintained, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the plate perimeter into multiple segments with interdigitated teeth rather than using a continuous edge. This segmentation creates multiple small overlapping regions that collectively compensate for misalignment. The teeth are distributed around the plate perimeter, breaking down the complex compensation requirement into multiple simpler geometric features.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from a two-dimensional plate surface to a three-dimensional interdigitated structure by adding teeth with depth and spacing dimensions. This dimensional change creates additional overlapping volume between misaligned plates, providing capacitance compensation that cannot be achieved with simple planar geometry alone.
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 teeth compensate for capacitance reduction due to misalignment, ensuring consistent performance in capacitors used in RFEMs and other devices by maintaining the overlapping area and thus the capacitance.
Implementation Method 1
The capacitance of a plate capacitor is based upon the area of the plates and the distance between the plates. As plates become misaligned, due to manufacturing issues or other issues, the effective amount of area decreases and capacitance decreases
Data Source
AI summary
Apparatuses and methods are provided for a capacitor including two more plates. The capacitor includes one or more teeth cut in an edge of at least one plate of the two or more plates. The one or more teeth extends from the edge of the at least one plate to a point at a length into the at least one plate. Other aspects are described.