Multilayer Ceramic Capacitor Lateral Electrode Plating
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Solution Overview
Problem
The challenge is to maintain the strength of multilayer ceramic capacitors as they are reduced in thickness to accommodate the miniaturization of electronic devices, while ensuring reliable plating deposition onto external electrodes, which is hindered by the decreased likelihood of the metallic medium contacting the leading portions.
Innovation Solution
A multilayer ceramic capacitor design with a stacked body and external electrodes that include dielectric layers and internal electrodes, where the external electrodes are connected to the leading portions of internal electrodes on lateral surfaces, ensuring reliable plating deposition by maintaining a specific ratio of effective layer thickness to the overall thickness, and using undercoating electrode layers and plating layers for enhanced coverage and strength.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the thickness of multilayer ceramic capacitors is reduced to accommodate miniaturization, then the size of electronic devices is reduced, but the strength of the capacitors decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from traditional top-surface electrode placement to lateral-surface electrode placement. By extending internal electrodes to the lateral surfaces and forming external electrodes thereon, the design enables effective use of side surfaces for electrical connections, allowing thickness reduction while maintaining structural integrity and strength through the stacked body configuration.
2Volume of moving object
If the thickness of multilayer ceramic capacitors is reduced, then the size is reduced, but the plating deposition onto external electrodes becomes unreliable
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies undercoating electrode layers to the lateral surfaces before plating deposition. This preliminary action ensures that the metallic medium has a reliable substrate to deposit onto, solving the problem of unreliable plating that occurs when the capacitor thickness is reduced and the metallic medium has difficulty contacting the leading portions of internal electrodes.
3Ease of manufacture
If external electrodes are formed by plating deposition through metallic medium onto leading portions, then external electrodes can be provided, but the reduced thickness decreases the likelihood of medium contact with leading portions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent moves the electrode formation location from the top surface to the lateral surfaces. By extending internal electrodes to lateral surfaces and forming external electrodes thereon, the metallic medium can reliably contact the undercoating electrode layers on the lateral surfaces, maintaining manufacturing ease while improving contact reliability in thin capacitors.
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 achieves reliable plating deposition and maintains the strength of the capacitors, ensuring effective coverage of external electrodes on the lateral surfaces, thus addressing the issue of reduced thickness while enhancing the capacitors' performance and reliability.
Implementation Method 1
external electrodes may be formed by plating deposition through a metallic medium onto leading portions of internal electrodes
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. The dielectric layers include outer layer portions and an effective layer portion. Each outer layer portion is adjacent to a corresponding main surface of the stacked body. Each outer layer portion is a dielectric layer located between a corresponding main surface and an internal electrode closest to the main surface. A ratio of a dimension of the effective layer portion in a stacking direction to a dimension of the stacked body in the stacking direction is not less than about 53% and not more than about 83%.