3-Terminal Multilayer Ceramic Capacitor with Insulating Overlap
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Solution Overview
Problem
Multilayer ceramic capacitors face performance deterioration due to increased equivalent series inductance (ESL), especially in miniaturized electronic products, which affects the performance of integrated circuits and requires a solution to decrease inductance while maintaining or improving contact properties and protecting internal electrodes.
Innovation Solution
A 3-terminal, vertical multilayer ceramic capacitor design with exposed lead portions and insulating layers between external electrodes, where the insulating portions cover external electrodes, reducing the current path and inductance while ensuring reliable contact and protection against short-circuits and moisture exposure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the distance between external terminals is decreased to reduce current flow path and inductance, then equivalent series inductance (ESL) is reduced, but contact properties and reliability may deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The capacitor is divided into multiple functional layers: dielectric layers for capacitance, internal electrodes for current conduction, and insulating layers for electrical isolation. This segmentation allows the current path to be optimized through internal electrode arrangement while maintaining reliable external terminal contacts through separate external electrode structures.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from a planar 2-terminal structure to a 3-dimensional vertical multilayer structure with 3 terminals. The internal electrodes are stacked vertically with alternating polarities, and external electrodes are positioned at different heights and locations on the ceramic body, creating a three-terminal configuration that reduces the current loop area and inductance while maintaining contact reliability.
2Reliability
If insulating portions cover external electrodes to protect internal electrodes, then protection against short-circuits and moisture is improved, but the overlap area reduces effective contact area
Solution Approach 1:
Insulating layers are applied selectively in specific regions where they are most needed for protection, rather than covering the entire external electrode surface. This localized insulation approach protects critical areas from short-circuits and moisture while preserving contact area in regions where electrical connection is required.
Solution Approach 2:
The insulating layers serve as intermediary elements between the external electrodes and the environment (moisture, contaminants). These intermediary layers provide protective functionality while being designed with controlled thickness and coverage to maintain adequate electrical contact area for reliable connections.
Data Source
AI summary
A multilayer ceramic capacitor has a 3-terminal, vertical, multilayer structure in which portions of lead portions are not covered by external electrodes but are exposed to a mounting surface of a ceramic body. Insulating portions are disposed between the external electrodes on the mounting surface of the ceramic body. The insulating portions have an overlap portion covering portions of the external electrodes. 0.005≦i/e≦0.7 is satisfied, where i is a width of the overlap portion, and e is a width of the external electrode partially covered by the overlap portion.