Embedded Inductor Electrode Design for Mounting Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing inductor components have unstable mounting postures due to the protrusion of underlying layers and coating films, leading to a high center of gravity and potential detachment from mounting substrates.
Innovation Solution
The inductor component design embeds the underlying layers and at least part of the coating films within the element body, ensuring they do not protrude, which stabilizes the mounting posture by lowering the center of gravity and preventing detachment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the underlying layer and coating film protrude from the bottom surface of the element body, then the coating film can be easily formed by plating process, but the center of gravity position becomes high and the mounting posture becomes unstable
Solution Approach 1:
The underlying layer and coating film are embedded within the element body rather than protruding from it. The outer electrode structure is nested inside the element body, with the coating film forming on the inner surface, creating a recessed configuration that lowers the center of gravity while maintaining manufacturing feasibility through controlled plating processes.
2Ease of manufacture
If the underlying layer is positioned on the cut line during manufacturing, then the plating process can access the surface easily, but the bottom surface is apart from the mounting substrate by the thickness of the coating film
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of positioning the underlying layer on the cut line to facilitate plating, the patent inverts the approach by forming the coating film on the inner surface of the element body. The plating process is adapted to plate the inner surface, resulting in the coating film being embedded rather than protruding, thereby reducing the distance to the mounting substrate.
3Reliability
If the coating film covers the entire bottom surface, then electrical connection is improved, but the center of gravity rises and detachment risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The coating film is applied selectively to specific regions where electrical connection is needed, rather than covering the entire bottom surface. This localized plating approach maintains necessary electrical conductivity while minimizing the amount of material that would raise the center of gravity and create detachment risk.
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 stabilizes the mounting posture of the inductor component on a substrate, reducing the likelihood of detachment and improving the electrical characteristics by embedding the outer electrodes and coil within the element body.
Implementation Method 1
the coating film is formed on the exposed surface of the underlying layer by a plating process
Data Source
AI summary
An inductor component includes an element body, a coil provided in the element body, and an outer electrode provided at the element body and electrically connected to the coil. The element body includes a bottom surface that faces the mounting substrate when the element body is mounted, the outer electrode includes an underlying layer and a coating film that covers the underlying layer. At the bottom surface of the element body, the underlying layer is embedded in the element body and does not protrude from the element body, and at least part of the coating film is embedded in the element body.