Electronic Component Outer Electrode Ridge Thickness Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Reducing the thickness of outer electrodes in electronic components to increase capacitance rate leads to insufficient thickness on ridge portions, compromising moisture resistance and causing issues like solder intrusion and tombstoning during mounting.
Innovation Solution
A method involving conductive paste application with an affinity-reducing process to prevent upward spreading, ensuring sufficient thickness on ridge portions and reducing bulge differences between outer electrodes, using plasma processing to apply a material with low solvent affinity and subsequent heat treatment to form thick, reliable outer electrodes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the thickness of outer electrodes is reduced to increase volume capacitance rate, then the volume capacitance rate is improved, but the thickness on ridge portions becomes insufficient leading to reduced moisture resistance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different paste compositions to different regions of the electrode. Specifically, a first conductive paste is applied to ridge portions with higher metal powder content (80-90 wt%) to ensure sufficient thickness and moisture resistance, while a second conductive paste with lower metal powder content (60-70 wt%) is applied to other areas to maintain overall volume capacitance rate. This local differentiation resolves the contradiction by ensuring critical areas have adequate thickness while maintaining overall efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary shaping of the electrode structure before final plating. The conductive paste is applied in multiple layers with controlled drying and heating steps to pre-form the electrode thickness distribution. This preliminary action ensures that ridge portions have sufficient thickness before the final wet plating process, preventing moisture intrusion while maintaining volume capacitance rate.
2Length of moving object
If conductive paste with low viscosity is used to reduce outer electrode thickness, then the outer electrode thickness is reduced, but the paste spreads upward along side surfaces causing bulge differences
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies viscosity control locally by using different paste formulations for different applications. The first conductive paste has higher viscosity characteristics due to higher metal powder content (80-90 wt%), which prevents upward spreading on side surfaces. The second paste has lower viscosity (60-70 wt% metal powder) for areas where spreading is less critical. This local quality differentiation maintains manufacturing precision while achieving reduced overall thickness.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the composition parameters of the conductive paste, specifically the metal powder content and viscosity characteristics. By adjusting these parameters between 60-90 wt% metal powder content depending on the application area, the patent achieves precise control over paste behavior during application, preventing unwanted spreading while maintaining reduced electrode thickness.
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 enhances moisture resistance and prevents tombstoning by maintaining sufficient electrode thickness on ridge portions and reducing bulge differences, ensuring reliable electronic component performance during soldering.
Implementation Method 1
at least the side surface of the component body is subjected to plasma processing
Implementation Method 2
a heat treatment is performed on the conductive paste to form outer electrodes
Data Source
AI summary
In a method for manufacturing an electronic component, when conductive paste used to form outer electrodes is applied to a component body, a side surface of the component body is subjected to an affinity-reducing process to reduce an affinity for solvent, and then an end surface of the component body is dipped into the conductive paste. Accordingly, spreading of the conductive paste stops at ridge portions of the component body, and the conductive paste is applied to a large thickness. After that, the end surface of the component body is dipped deeper into the conductive paste. Also in this step, the affinity-reducing process prevents upward spreading of the conductive paste along the side surface.