Ceramic Electronic Component Plating Growth Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for forming plating films on ceramic electronic components face challenges in controlling plating growth, particularly in areas without exposed internal electrodes, leading to undesired plating and increased costs due to the need for conductive films and layers like glass or water repellents, which can be difficult to form and may dissolve in plating solutions.
Innovation Solution
The use of a ceramic electronic component with distinct high and low plating growth regions, where the plating film growth is limited to avoid crossing boundaries between these regions, eliminating the need for additional layers and allowing controlled plating growth without variations or inhibition, thereby simplifying the manufacturing process and avoiding issues with dissolved layers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a conductive paste is applied to form a conductive film as a base for plating, then plating can be formed on areas without exposed internal electrodes, but the device complexity and manufacturing cost increase due to additional layers and steps
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and removes the unnecessary conductive paste layer and glass layer from the conventional structure. By using electroless plating directly on the ceramic surface without these intermediate layers, the patent eliminates complexity while maintaining plating coverage on areas without exposed internal electrodes.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces an organic-inorganic hybrid coating as a new intermediary layer that serves multiple functions: it provides a base for electroless plating, ensures adequate adhesion, and prevents ceramic dissolution in plating solutions. This single layer replaces the conventional conductive paste and glass layer combination, simplifying the structure while maintaining functionality.
2Manufacturing precision
If glass layer or water repellent layer is formed to prevent undesired plating growth, then plating control is improved, but manufacturing difficulty increases due to coating and immersion steps
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the chemical and physical parameters of the ceramic surface by applying an organic-inorganic hybrid coating with specific properties: low solubility in plating solutions, appropriate surface energy for plating nucleation, and controlled porosity. This parameter modification enables precise plating growth control without requiring complex coating or immersion processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses an organic-inorganic hybrid coating that combines the advantages of both organic materials (processability, adhesion) and inorganic materials (chemical stability, dissolution resistance). This composite material provides controlled plating growth while simplifying manufacturing compared to conventional glass or water repellent layers.
3Volume of stationary object
If the paste electrode film thickness is reduced to increase effective volume for capacitance, then component volume efficiency improves, but the external terminal electrode may not provide adequate electrical connection
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces the conventional thick paste electrode film (mechanical/conductive connection) with a plating film formed by electroless plating (electrochemical deposition). The plating process ensures adequate thickness and conductivity for reliable electrical connection while occupying minimal volume, thus increasing the effective volume available for capacitance.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the deposition mechanism from paste firing to electroless plating, which allows precise control of film thickness and composition. This enables the formation of a thin but highly conductive and adherent plating film that provides adequate electrical connection without consuming excessive volume.
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 precise control over plating growth, reducing costs and complexity by eliminating the need for additional layers, ensuring consistent plating film formation and preventing undesired growth, thus enhancing the design freedom of the plating bath.
Implementation Method 1
a plating film including a plated material that is deposited with the conductive surface as a starting point and grown on the ceramic surface
Data Source
AI summary
When an external terminal electrode of a ceramic electronic component such as a laminated ceramic capacitor is formed by plating, plating growth may be also caused even in an undesired location. The ceramic surface provided by a component main body is configured to include a high plating growth region of, for example, a barium titanate based ceramic, which exhibits relatively high plating growth, and a low plating growth region of, for example, a calcium zirconate based ceramic, which exhibits relatively low plating growth. The plating film constituting a first layer to define a base for an external terminal electrode is formed in such a way that the growth of a plated deposit deposited with conductive surfaces provided by exposed ends of internal electrodes as starting points is limited so as not to cross over a boundary between the high plating growth region and the low plating growth region toward the low plating growth region.