Multilayer Ceramic Component Buffer Layer Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Multilayer ceramic electronic components face reliability issues due to decreased compactness of external electrodes, which allows plating liquids to penetrate, leading to deterioration in performance, especially when the thickness of external electrodes is reduced and glass content decreases during the sintering process.
Innovation Solution
A multilayer ceramic electronic component design incorporating a buffer layer with a boron content of 50% or more, formed between internal and external electrodes, where the thickness of the external electrodes is controlled to be less than or equal to 10 μm, and the buffer layer's thickness is maintained at 5 μm or less, using a glass paste with regulated alkali metal and vanadium oxide content, and a controlled temperature increase rate during sintering to prevent glass diffusion and maintain electrode compactness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the thickness of external electrodes is reduced to achieve miniaturization, then the size of the electronic component is decreased, but the compactness of external electrodes deteriorates allowing plating liquid penetration
Solution Approach 1:
A buffer layer is introduced as an intermediary between the external electrode and the ceramic body. This buffer layer prevents direct contact and interaction between the external electrode materials and the ceramic body, thereby preventing glass component diffusion and maintaining external electrode compactness even when the external electrode thickness is reduced for miniaturization.
Solution Approach 2:
The external electrode structure is designed as a composite system consisting of the external electrode itself, the buffer layer with specific glass composition, and the ceramic body. The buffer layer contains glass components with controlled composition (specific SiO2, B2O3, Al2O3 ratios) that prevent harmful diffusion while maintaining structural integrity and compactness.
2Reliability
If glass content in external electrodes is increased to improve compactness, then resistance to plating liquid penetration is improved, but the thickness of external electrodes must be increased reducing miniaturization
Solution Approach 1:
The buffer layer serves as a mediator that contains the necessary glass components to prevent diffusion, allowing the external electrode to maintain high compactness and penetration resistance without requiring increased thickness. The buffer layer absorbs the functional requirement for glass content, enabling the external electrode to be thinner.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the electronic component have different glass compositions optimized for their specific functions. The external electrode region has controlled glass content for compactness, while the buffer layer region has specific glass composition (with SiO2: 30-70 wt%, B2O3: 10-40 wt%, Al2O3: 5-20 wt%) optimized for preventing diffusion and maintaining structural integrity.
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
The solution effectively enhances the reliability of multilayer ceramic electronic components by preventing plating liquid penetration and maintaining electrode compactness, ensuring stable performance even at reduced external electrode thicknesses, thereby improving the overall reliability of the components.
Implementation Method 1
the glass component may be diffused and penetrate into a ceramic body during a sintering procedure
Implementation Method 2
during a sintering procedure
Data Source
AI summary
There is provided a multilayer ceramic electronic component including a ceramic body having internal electrodes formed therein, external electrodes formed on external surfaces of the ceramic body and connected to the internal electrodes, and a buffer layer formed on surfaces of contact between the internal electrodes and the external electrodes among external surfaces of the ceramic body, in an interior direction of the ceramic body, wherein when a thickness of the external electrode is denoted by T, a thickness of the buffer layer is denoted by t, a thickness of an active region is denoted by TA, and a thickness of the ceramic body is denoted by Tc, T≦10 μm, TA/TC>0.8, and t≦5 μm, so that a multilayer ceramic electronic component having excellent reliability may be realized.