Ceramic Electronic Device Stepped Terminal Electrode Vibration Resistance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional ceramic electronic devices with metal terminals face issues with connection reliability due to vibration, impact, and age-related degradation, leading to potential disconnection between the chip component and the metal terminal.
Innovation Solution
A ceramic electronic device design featuring a chip component with terminal electrodes and metal terminals equipped with engagement arm portions that securely hold the chip component, reducing the need for solder or conductive adhesive and enhancing connection reliability by utilizing a stepped electrode thickness and strategic engagement arm placement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a metal terminal is attached to a chip component using conventional methods (solder, conductive adhesive), then the device can be assembled, but the connection reliability deteriorates under vibration, impact, and age-related degradation
Solution Approach 1:
The metal terminal is divided into a body portion and an engagement arm portion that extends toward the chip component. The engagement arm portion is configured to engage with the terminal electrode, creating a mechanical interlocking structure that segments the connection function from the terminal body, thereby improving reliability under vibration and impact.
Solution Approach 2:
The engagement arm portion extends in a direction toward the terminal electrode of the chip component, creating a three-dimensional mechanical engagement structure. This dimensional extension allows the connection to resist forces from multiple directions, improving reliability against vibration and impact compared to conventional planar solder joints.
2Reliability
If the terminal electrode has uniform thickness, then manufacturing is simplified, but the engagement arm portion cannot effectively prevent disconnection under separating forces
Solution Approach 1:
The terminal electrode is designed with non-uniform thickness, featuring a first side surface with a first thickness and a second side surface with a second thickness different from the first. This local variation in thickness creates an asymmetric structure that effectively prevents the engagement arm portion from disengaging under separating forces, while adding only moderate complexity to the electrode design.
Solution Approach 2:
The terminal electrode employs asymmetric thickness distribution with different thicknesses at different sides. This asymmetry creates a mechanical constraint that prevents the engagement arm portion from being pulled away from the chip component, as the thinner portion allows engagement while the thicker portion provides structural support and prevents disengagement.
3Reliability
If solder or conductive adhesive is used to connect the metal terminal and chip component, then electrical connection is achieved, but vibration transmission and acoustic noise occur
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the mechanical connection function from the solder or conductive adhesive by introducing an engagement arm portion that directly engages with the terminal electrode. This mechanical engagement structure takes over the load-bearing and vibration-resisting functions, allowing the solder or adhesive to be used minimally or omitted entirely, thereby eliminating vibration transmission and acoustic noise.
Data Source
AI summary
A ceramic electronic device includes a chip component and a pair of metal terminals. The component includes a rectangular-parallelepiped element body having dielectrics and internal electrodes and a pair of terminal electrodes covering end surfaces of the body and a part of side surfaces of the body. The pair of metal terminals respectively has an engagement arm portion configured to hold the component. The terminal electrode includes first and second side surfaces. The first side surface has a predetermined side-surface electrode thickness. The second side surface is disposed farther from the end surface of the body than the first side surface and has the side-surface electrode thickness which is smaller than that of the first side surface. The arm portion contacts with the component at a position that is farther from the end surface of the body than the first side surface.