Embeddable Semiconductor Capacitor With Opposed PCB Terminals
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing semiconductor-based capacitors are not suitable for embedding within printed circuit boards due to their large surface area requirements and vulnerability to mechanical and environmental stress, which limits their miniaturization and reliability in applications like military and aerospace.
Innovation Solution
A miniaturized semiconductor-based capacitor design with a substrate, conductive layers, and insulator layers, featuring coplanar upper terminals and a lower terminal, which can be embedded within a recessed opening in a circuit board, reducing surface area and enhancing reliability by minimizing physical damage from mounting processes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If existing semiconductor-based capacitors are surface-mounted with coplanar terminals, then they can be easily manufactured and connected, but they occupy increased surface area and are not suitable for embedding within substrates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions the capacitor from a surface-mounted configuration to an embeddable configuration by changing the terminal arrangement from coplanar to non-coplanar. The first terminal is positioned on the first surface while the second terminal is positioned on the second surface opposite the first surface, enabling the capacitor to be embedded within a substrate without requiring excessive surface area.
2Reliability
If through-hole mounting is used to ensure reliability under mechanical stress, then connection reliability improves, but the drilling process compromises capacitor integrity by causing physical damage
Solution Approach 1:
The capacitor is designed with non-coplanar terminals that are pre-positioned to protrude from opposite surfaces of the substrate in a direction perpendicular to said surfaces. This preliminary configuration allows the capacitor to be securely mounted through the substrate without requiring drilling operations that would damage the capacitor, thereby ensuring connection reliability while avoiding physical damage during the mounting process.
3Area of stationary object
If capacitor size is reduced for miniaturization, then space efficiency improves, but embedding capability and reliability under stress deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent achieves miniaturization while maintaining reliability by transitioning to a vertical terminal arrangement where terminals protrude from opposite surfaces of the substrate in a perpendicular direction. This three-dimensional configuration reduces the capacitor's footprint on the substrate surface while the terminals extending through the substrate provide mechanical stability and reliable connections under stress.
Data Source
AI summary
A semiconductor-based capacitor can include a substrate including a semiconductor material, an oxide layer formed on a surface of the substrate, a conductive layer formed over at least a portion of the oxide layer, a plurality of distinct coplanar upper terminals, and at least one lower terminal formed. Each of the upper terminals and the at least one lower terminal can be exposed along the top and bottom surfaces of the substrate, respectively, for embedding the capacitor in a substrate such as a circuit board. The semiconductor-based capacitor can be sufficiently miniaturized to be embeddable within a circuit board while providing superior capacitance values. For example, a ratio of the length to the width of the substrate can be in a range from about 3:1 to about 1:3 and an area of the substrate can be less than about 3 mm2.