Coil Component Recesses and Plating for Thin Electrodes
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing coil components face challenges in achieving a lighter, thinner, and smaller form factor while maintaining effective electrode and shielding structures, particularly in reducing leakage flux and optimizing electrode formation processes.
Innovation Solution
A coil component design featuring a body with internal insulating layers, recesses, and external electrodes that are strategically positioned to reduce thickness and increase bonding force, incorporating magnetic materials and conductive layers to enhance performance and reliability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If an external electrode is formed using a conductive paste, then the electrode can be formed directly, but the coil component increases in thickness
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the conventional conductive paste application method with a plating process. Instead of applying thick conductive paste layers mechanically, the invention uses electrochemical plating to deposit thin conductive layers, thereby reducing electrode thickness while maintaining conductivity and simplifying the overall structure.
2Length of stationary object
If an external electrode is formed through a plating process, then the electrode thickness is reduced, but the number of processes increases due to plating resist formation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple functions into the body structure itself. The body is designed with recesses that directly expose the coil lead-out portions, eliminating the need for separate plating resist formation and pattern transfer steps. The body structure serves both as mechanical support and as the electrode pattern definition, merging structural and electrical functions.
Solution Approach 2:
The body structure with its recesses automatically defines the electrode locations and shapes. The recesses are formed to expose specific portions of the coil, and the plating process naturally deposits material in these exposed areas, eliminating the need for external masking or resist patterns. The structure itself guides the manufacturing process.
3Length of stationary object
If the coil component is made lighter and thinner, then the component size is reduced, but the bonding force of external electrodes may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from planar electrode surfaces to three-dimensional recess structures. By forming recesses in the body that expose the coil lead-out portions, the electrode bonding surface extends into the depth dimension. This increases the effective bonding area and volume without increasing the component's external footprint, thereby maintaining bonding strength while reducing overall size.
Data Source
AI summary
A coil component includes a body having one surface and another surface opposing each other and a plurality of wall surfaces each connecting the one surface to the other surface of the body. A pair of recesses are disposed in a respective end surface of a pair of opposing end surfaces of the body and each extend to the one surface. A coil portion includes first and second lead-out portions disposed on a surface of an internal insulating layer embedded in the body, and the coil portion is exposed to an internal wall and a bottom surface of each of the pair of recesses. First and second external electrodes are each disposed along the internal wall of a respective recess and along the one surface of the body to be connected to the coil portion, and are spaced apart from each other on the one surface of the body.