Thin-Film Coil Component Structure to Prevent Plating Bleeding
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Solution Overview
Problem
The challenge is to prevent plating bleeding and reduce magnetic material loss in thin film power inductors, especially when nickel and tin plating is performed on magnetic metal powder particles, while also increasing the insulating layer application area to accommodate miniaturization trends in electronic components.
Innovation Solution
A coil component design featuring a body with recesses, a support substrate, a coil portion, an oxide insulating layer, and multiple insulating layers to prevent plating bleeding and enhance insulation, including a first insulating layer covering the body's surface and a second insulating layer further reducing magnetic material loss.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If nickel and tin plating is performed on magnetic metal powder particles, then external electrodes are formed on the body, but plating bleeding occurs on the body
Solution Approach 1:
An insulating layer is introduced as an intermediary between the magnetic metal powder particles and the plating layer. This insulating layer prevents direct contact between the plating solution and the magnetic particles, thereby preventing plating bleeding while still allowing external electrodes to be formed on the body surface.
Solution Approach 2:
The insulating layer is applied selectively to specific regions where plating bleeding is problematic, while maintaining conductive regions where electrode formation is needed. This localized application allows precise control over where plating occurs and where it is prevented.
2Volume of moving object
If the body volume is reduced for miniaturization, then electronic component size is reduced, but insulating layer application area decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The insulating layer structure transitions from a two-dimensional surface coating to a three-dimensional configuration that extends into recesses formed on the body surface. By utilizing the vertical dimension and creating recess structures, the insulating layer maintains adequate application area even as the overall component volume is reduced for miniaturization.
Solution Approach 2:
The body surface is segmented into multiple regions with recesses, allowing the insulating layer to be applied in distributed locations throughout the component volume. This segmentation strategy increases the total insulating layer application area within a compact form factor, supporting miniaturization while maintaining insulation functionality.
3Reliability
If magnetic metal powder particles with high conductivity are used, then inductor performance is improved, but plating bleeding occurs during external electrode formation
Solution Approach 1:
The insulating layer serves as a mediator that decouples the electrical conductivity requirement from the plating process. High-conductivity magnetic metal powder particles can be used to improve inductor performance, while the insulating layer barrier prevents these same particles from causing plating bleeding during external electrode formation.
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 design effectively prevents plating bleeding and reduces magnetic material loss, allowing for increased insulating layer application area, thus addressing the miniaturization needs and stability of electronic components.
Implementation Method 1
an oxide insulating layer disposed on a surface of the body
Implementation Method 2
a first insulating layer disposed along a surface of the oxide insulating layer to cover the surface of the body
Data Source
AI summary
A coil component includes a body having one surface and the other surface, opposing each other, and one side surface and the other side surface, each connecting the one surface and the other surface to each other, opposing each other, a recess formed in each of the one side surface and the other side surface of the body to extend to the one surface of the body, a support substrate disposed inside the body, a coil portion, disposed on the support substrate, having one end portion and the other end portion exposed to the recess, an oxide insulating layer disposed on a surface of the body, and a first insulating layer disposed along a surface of the oxide insulating layer to cover the surface of the body.