Composite Electronic Component Merging MLCC and Tantalum Capacitors

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

The increasing demand for high-performance decoupling capacitors in power supply circuits of large-scale integrated circuits (LSI) due to increased current consumption and miniaturization requirements is not met by existing capacitors, which struggle with high equivalent series inductance (ESL) and resistance (ESR), and require increased capacitance and reduced impedance.

Innovation Solution

A composite electronic component is formed by encapsulating a multilayer capacitor and a tantalum capacitor, electrically connected through a lead frame, which provides stable DC-bias characteristics, low ESL and ESR, and decreased high-frequency impedance, and is mounted on a substrate with electrode pads connected to the lead frame using solder.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a single capacitor type (multilayer or tantalum) is used, then the structure is simple, but the performance cannot simultaneously achieve low ESL, low ESR, stable DC-bias characteristics, and reduced high-frequency impedance

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepower supply stabilityVSAvoidcapacitor structure

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines a multilayer capacitor and a tantalum capacitor into a single composite electronic component. The multilayer capacitor provides low ESL and low ESR characteristics, while the tantalum capacitor provides stable DC-bias characteristics. Both capacitors are electrically connected through a lead frame and encapsulated together, allowing the component to simultaneously achieve low impedance across different frequency ranges and stable performance under DC bias, effectively resolving the contradiction between performance requirements and structural simplicity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Reliability

If capacitance is increased to meet higher current consumption demands, then power supply stability improves, but equivalent series inductance (ESL) increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepower supply stabilityVSAvoidequivalent series inductance

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The composite structure combines a multilayer capacitor with low ESL characteristics and a tantalum capacitor with stable DC-bias characteristics. This combination allows the system to achieve high effective capacitance for power supply stability while maintaining low equivalent series inductance through the multilayer capacitor's contribution, thus resolving the contradiction between increasing capacitance and controlling ESL.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent utilizes the different electrical parameter characteristics of two capacitor types. The multilayer capacitor contributes low ESL and low ESR parameters, while the tantalum capacitor contributes stable capacitance under DC bias. By combining these components with different parameter profiles, the system achieves both high effective capacitance and low equivalent series inductance simultaneously.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Speed

If driving frequency is increased to improve LSI performance, then processing speed improves, but overcurrents are rapidly generated requiring lower ESL and ESR

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprocessing speedVSAvoidovercurrent

Core Design Contradiction:

SpeedVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The composite electronic component combines a multilayer capacitor (providing low ESL and low ESR) with a tantalum capacitor (providing stable DC-bias characteristics). This combination enables the decoupling circuit to rapidly respond to overcurrents generated by high-frequency LSI operation, as the low ESL and ESR characteristics allow faster current discharge, thus supporting higher processing speeds while effectively suppressing overcurrent effects.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

4Volume of moving object

If miniaturization is pursued to reduce component size, then portability improves, but achieving high performance with low impedance becomes more difficult

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecomponent sizeVSAvoidimpedance performance

Core Design Contradiction:

Volume of moving objectVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent integrates a multilayer capacitor and a tantalum capacitor into a single composite component with shared encapsulation and lead frame structure. This merging approach allows the component to maintain small size for miniaturization requirements while achieving high performance through the complementary characteristics of the two capacitor types, specifically low impedance across frequency ranges and stable DC-bias characteristics.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The composite electronic component uses a composite structure combining two different capacitor technologies (multilayer ceramic capacitor and tantalum capacitor) within a single封装. This composite approach enables the component to achieve superior electrical performance including low impedance and stable characteristics while maintaining a compact form factor suitable for miniaturized portable devices.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

Data Source

PatentUS10028386B2Composite electronic component and board having the same

Publication Date: 2018.07.17 SAMSUNG ELECTRO MECHANICS CO LTD

AI summary

A composite electronic component includes a multilayer capacitor; a tantalum capacitor; a lead frame disposed between the multilayer capacitor and the tantalum capacitor and electrically connecting the multilayer capacitor and the tantalum capacitor to each other; and an encapsulation member encapsulating the multilayer capacitor and the tantalum capacitor so that a portion of the lead frame is exposed.