Multilayer Ceramic External Electrode Oxide-Coated Copper
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Solution Overview
Problem
Multilayer ceramic devices are vulnerable to physical and thermal impacts, leading to cracks and delamination issues, particularly during high-temperature manufacturing processes, which affect their heat-resistant characteristics and operational reliability.
Innovation Solution
A multilayer ceramic device design featuring an external electrode with an intermediate layer made of a copper metal and epoxy resin mixture, where the copper surface is coated with an oxide film of specific thickness, acting as a soft electrode layer to absorb impact and prevent delamination, while maintaining electrical connectivity and heat resistance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If an intermediate layer made of metal and polymer resin mixture is used to absorb impact, then the device can operate despite bending cracks, but the polymer resin undergoes thermodegradation during high temperature manufacturing processes causing voids and delamination
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameters of the intermediate layer by using metal particles with oxide coatings instead of polymer resin. This parameter change allows the layer to withstand high temperature manufacturing processes without thermodegradation, while still maintaining the ability to absorb impact and prevent crack propagation through the metal-resin composite structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a composite material structure where metal particles with oxide coatings are combined with polymer resin to form the intermediate layer. This composite approach allows the metal oxide-coated particles to provide thermal stability during manufacturing while the polymer resin provides impact absorption capabilities, thus resolving the contradiction between operational reliability and compositional stability.
2Strength
If the intermediate layer is made of polymer resin to provide flexibility and impact absorption, then the device can withstand external impacts, but the resin thermodegrades at high temperatures causing delamination between layers
Solution Approach 1:
The patent modifies the thermal parameters of the intermediate layer by incorporating metal particles with oxide coatings that have high melting points and thermal stability. These oxide-coated metal particles maintain structural integrity at high manufacturing temperatures while the polymer resin matrix provides the necessary flexibility and impact absorption, thus resolving the temperature-strength contradiction.
Solution Approach 2:
The intermediate layer is designed as a composite material where oxide-coated metal particles are dispersed in a polymer resin matrix. The metal oxide coating on the metal particles provides high temperature stability preventing thermodegradation, while the polymer resin provides ductility and impact absorption, thereby achieving both heat resistance and impact resistance simultaneously.
3Temperature
If a thick oxide film is applied on copper metal in the intermediate layer to improve heat resistance, then thermodegradation is prevented, but the flexural strength and impact absorption capability are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the oxide film thickness parameter on the copper metal particles to a specific range that balances heat resistance and mechanical properties. By controlling the oxide layer thickness, the material achieves sufficient thermal stability to prevent resin thermodegradation while maintaining adequate flexural strength and impact absorption through the metal particle reinforcement.
Solution Approach 2:
The oxide coating is applied locally on the surface of copper metal particles rather than as a thick uniform layer throughout the intermediate layer. This local quality approach allows the oxide film to provide heat resistance at the particle surfaces where thermal degradation occurs, while the bulk metal particles and polymer matrix maintain the mechanical strength and flexibility required for impact absorption.
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 solution enhances the device's flexural strength, humidity resistance, and heat-resistant characteristics, preventing critical failures due to crack propagation and thermodegradation, ensuring operational integrity despite external impacts.
Implementation Method 1
a copper surface coated with an oxide film
Implementation Method 2
the intermediate layer is separated from the internal metal layer to absorb the impact
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed herein is a multilayer ceramic device, including a device body; an inner electrode arranged in the device body; and an external electrode arranged at outside of the device body and being electrically connected to the inner electrode; wherein the external electrode includes: an inner layer covering the device body; an outer layer covering the inner layer and being exposed to the outside; and an intermediate layer arranged between the inner layer and the outer layer, and made of a mixture of a copper metal and a resin, a surface of the copper metal being coated with an oxide film.