Multilayer Ceramic Capacitor Electrodes for Thin-Body Solder Strength
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Solution Overview
Problem
The challenge is to maintain the strength of multilayer ceramic capacitors while reducing their thickness, as thinner capacitors with uneven external electrode formation can lead to low solder wetting and contact area, resulting in reduced fixation strength and reliability.
Innovation Solution
A multilayer ceramic capacitor design with external electrodes formed by plating deposition on the lateral surfaces, ensuring a balanced surface area distribution on the main surfaces, and using undercoating electrode layers and plating layers to enhance solder wettability and contact area.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the thickness of multilayer ceramic capacitors is reduced, then the size of electronic devices can be reduced, but the strength of the capacitors deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the configuration of external electrodes from being only on main surfaces to extending onto lateral surfaces, utilizing additional dimensional space to increase electrode area and improve strength without increasing capacitor thickness
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a composite structure with undercoating electrode layers and plating layers on external electrodes, combining different materials to achieve both thin profile and high strength through enhanced solder contact area
2Ease of manufacture
If external electrodes are formed by plating deposition on reduced thickness capacitors, then manufacturing is simplified, but the external electrodes may not be equally formed on main surfaces
Solution Approach 1:
By extending external electrodes to lateral surfaces, the patent creates additional contact areas that compensate for non-uniform plating on main surfaces, ensuring adequate solder contact even when plating thickness varies
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different treatments to different surfaces: undercoating electrode layers on main surfaces and plating layers on lateral surfaces, optimizing each area's contribution to solder contact and overall reliability
3Volume of moving object
If external electrodes have small area, then capacitor thickness can be reduced, but solder wetting degree and contact area are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extends external electrodes onto lateral surfaces of the stacked body, adding contact area in a new dimension without increasing the footprint or thickness of the capacitor, thereby maintaining solder wetting degree while achieving thin profile
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a composite electrode structure with undercoating layers and plating layers that work together to maximize solder contact area and wetting, ensuring reliable fixation strength even when the capacitor body is thin
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 design achieves reliable fixation strength and improved reliability of multilayer ceramic capacitors by ensuring uniform external electrode formation and enhanced solder contact, even at reduced thicknesses.
Implementation Method 1
external electrodes formed by plating deposition
Data Source
AI summary
A multilayer ceramic capacitor includes a stacked body and external electrodes. The stacked body includes stacked dielectric layers and internal electrodes. The external electrodes are disposed on lateral surfaces of the stacked body and are connected to the internal electrodes. A ratio of min to max is not less than about 36% and not more than about 90%, where A1, A2, A3, and A4 respectively denote the surface areas of first, second, third, and fourth external electrodes that are located on the first or second main surface of the stacked body.