Embedded Tantalum Capacitor Structure for Thin Medical Electronics
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Solution Overview
Problem
The miniaturization of implantable medical devices (IMDs) requires smaller and more compact electronic components, such as capacitors, to increase density and reduce size, while maintaining reliability and capacitance density, which is challenging with traditional capacitors that add significant thickness to integrated circuit boards.
Innovation Solution
The development of an electrical component featuring tantalum material with tantalum particles disposed within a cavity of a substrate, a dielectric layer, and an electrolyte cathode layer, allowing for a thinner and more compact capacitor design that can be embedded within integrated circuit boards, with a thickness of no greater than 600 micrometers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional capacitors are used to maintain high capacitance density, then reliability is improved, but the thickness and overall size of the electronic component increases
Solution Approach 1:
The capacitor is embedded within a cavity of a substrate, nesting the capacitor structure inside the substrate rather than placing it on the surface. This nesting approach reduces the overall thickness of the electronic component while maintaining the capacitor's functional volume and capacitance density, directly resolving the contradiction between reliability and thickness.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from a surface-mounted capacitor configuration to an embedded three-dimensional structure within a substrate cavity. By utilizing the vertical dimension and embedding the capacitor within the substrate thickness rather than adding to it, the design achieves reduced overall component thickness while preserving capacitor performance and reliability.
2Volume of moving object
If capacitor size is reduced to enable miniaturization of implantable medical devices, then device compactness is improved, but capacitance density is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
By nesting the capacitor within a substrate cavity, the design maximizes the utilization of available three-dimensional space. This allows the capacitor volume to be reduced for miniaturization while maintaining high capacitance density through efficient spatial arrangement and optimal use of the embedded volume, preventing the inverse relationship between size reduction and capacitance density.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the physical configuration parameters of the capacitor by embedding it within a substrate cavity rather than using traditional surface-mounted configurations. This parameter change enables reduced capacitor volume while maintaining or improving capacitance density through optimized electrical field distribution and electrode arrangement within the embedded structure.
3Ease of manufacture
If traditional capacitor configurations are used, then ease of manufacture is maintained, but device complexity increases due to additional thickness requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The capacitor manufacturing process is merged with the substrate fabrication process, integrating capacitor formation into the existing substrate manufacturing workflow. This merging eliminates the need for separate capacitor assembly steps and reduces overall device complexity by combining multiple functions into a single integrated manufacturing process, while maintaining ease of manufacture through standardized fabrication techniques.
Solution Approach 2:
By nesting the capacitor within the substrate during the substrate fabrication process itself, the invention simplifies the overall manufacturing流程. The capacitor is formed as an integral part of the substrate structure rather than as a separate component requiring additional assembly steps, thereby reducing device complexity while maintaining manufacturing ease through process integration.
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 enables the creation of smaller electronic packages and assemblies by reducing the thickness of capacitors, allowing for more compact IMDs while maintaining high capacitance density and reliability, suitable for use in implantable medical devices.
Implementation Method 1
Such capacitors are passive components that store potential energy in an electric field and are designed to add capacitance to circuits
Data Source
AI summary
Various embodiments of an electrical component and a method of forming such component are disclosed. The electrical component includes a substrate having a first major surface, a second major surface, and cavity disposed in the substrate. The cavity extends between the first major surface and a recessed surface. Tantalum material is disposed within the cavity. Further, the tantalum material includes tantalum particles. The electrical component also includes a dielectric layer disposed on the tantalum particles and an electrolyte cathode layer disposed on the dielectric layer. The electrical component further includes a cathode electrode disposed on the electrolyte cathode layer and over the cavity.