Ceramic Capacitor External Electrode Plating Transfer
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for producing laminated ceramic capacitors face challenges in reducing the thickness and controlling the length of the external electrode layer, which hinders scale reduction and capacitance increase due to cumbersome production steps and difficulties in maintaining consistent dimensions.
Innovation Solution
A method involving the formation of a plated layer on a separate member, followed by heat processing to transfer the plated layer onto the ceramic element body, allowing for precise control of the external conductor layer's thickness and length without the need for masking and etching steps, using either electrolytic or non-electrolytic plating processes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If an electrically conductive paste is applied and fired to form an external electrode layer, then the external electrode layer can be formed on the ceramic laminate body, but the thickness becomes several tens to several hundreds of μm which is too thick for scale reduction and capacitance increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the conventional paste application and firing process with a plating process. A plated layer is formed on a mold member, then transferred to the ceramic element body through heat processing. This substitution of the formation mechanism enables precise thickness control at micrometer or sub-micrometer levels, resolving the contradiction between achieving thin external electrode layers and maintaining manufacturability.
Solution Approach 2:
The plated layer is formed in advance on the mold member before the ceramic element body is placed. This preliminary formation of the conductor layer on the mold allows for precise thickness control during the plating process, and the layer is subsequently transferred to the ceramic element, achieving thin external electrodes without compromising manufacturing precision.
2Manufacturing precision
If conventional paste application method is used to form external electrode layer, then the layer can be formed, but the length of wrap-around ends cannot be easily controlled and varies among products
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the paste application method with a plating and transfer method. The plated layer is formed on the mold member with precise dimensional control, then transferred to the ceramic element body. This substitution enables accurate control of the wrap-around end lengths, reducing variation among products and improving manufacturing precision for length parameters.
Solution Approach 2:
The plated layer formed on the mold member serves as a template or copy that is transferred to the ceramic element body. The mold member's geometry defines the precise shape and dimensions of the external electrode layer, including the wrap-around end lengths. This copying mechanism ensures consistent length control across all produced components.
3Volume of moving object
If the thickness of external electrode layer is reduced for scale reduction, then capacitance increase with smaller volume can be achieved, but the external electrode layer becomes too thin to be formed reliably by conventional paste firing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the paste firing process with electroplating or non-electrolytic plating followed by heat transfer. These plating processes can reliably form layers at micrometer or sub-micrometer thicknesses, enabling the external electrode layer to be sufficiently thin for scale reduction and capacitance increase while maintaining manufacturing precision and reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the formation parameters of the external electrode layer from paste firing (which produces tens to hundreds of micrometers thickness) to plating processes (which produce micrometer or sub-micrometer thickness). This parameter change in the formation method enables reliable production of ultra-thin external electrode layers, achieving scale reduction and increased capacitance density.
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
This approach enables the production of ceramic electronic components with a thinner, more uniformly controlled external conductor layer, facilitating scale reduction and increased capacitance while maintaining reliability and preventing defects.
Implementation Method 1
performing heat processing on the ceramic element body in a state in which the surface of at least the portion of the ceramic element body is in contact with the plated layer, thereby to form an external conductor layer made of the plated layer
Data Source
AI summary
A method for producing a laminated ceramic capacitor allows a surface of at least a portion of a ceramic element body chip to be brought into contact with a plated layer formed in advance in a mold member, and performs heat processing on the ceramic element body chip in that contact state, thereby to form an external conductor layer made of the plated layer on the surface of at least the portion of the ceramic element body chip. Thus, a method and an apparatus for producing a ceramic electronic component accurately and precisely controls the thickness of the external conductor layer to be small, and easily controls the length of the external conductor layer.