Multi-layer Ceramic Capacitor Side Margin Crack Resistance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Multi-layer ceramic capacitors with thin side margins are prone to cracks and short circuits due to external impacts, which can lead to moisture ingress and internal electrode failure, compromising their miniaturization and capacitance enhancement goals.
Innovation Solution
A multi-layer ceramic electronic component design featuring a ceramic body with a multi-layer unit and side margins, where the side margins include a glass-rich inner layer for high adhesiveness and a glass-poor outer layer with ridges to suppress crack progression, ensuring high impact resistance even at thicknesses of 13 μm or less.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If side margins are thinned to achieve miniaturization and increase capacitance, then device size is reduced and capacitance is increased, but impact resistance deteriorates and cracks are more likely to reach internal electrodes
Solution Approach 1:
The side margin is divided into two regions with different glass component concentrations: a first region with high glass component concentration (6-12 wt%) adjacent to the multi-layer unit for strong adhesion, and a second region with low glass component concentration (0-4 wt%) at the outer surface to suppress crack propagation. This local differentiation allows the thin side margin to simultaneously achieve strong bonding and high impact resistance.
Solution Approach 2:
The side margin is constructed as a composite material with spatially varying composition, combining glass-rich and glass-poor regions within the same structure. The glass-rich first inner layer provides adhesive bonding to the multi-layer unit, while the glass-poor first outer layer and ridge provide crack resistance, creating a functionally graded composite structure that resolves the contradiction between thinness and impact resistance.
2Length of moving object
If side margins are thinned, then miniaturization is achieved, but crack propagation is facilitated and short circuits are more likely to occur
Solution Approach 1:
The side margin incorporates a ridge structure at its outer surface with low glass component concentration, creating a local region that is specifically optimized for crack resistance. This local quality differentiation allows the thin side margin to prevent crack propagation without requiring increased overall thickness.
Solution Approach 2:
The ridge with low glass component concentration is positioned at the outer surface of the side margin, which is the location most susceptible to external impacts and crack initiation. This preliminary arrangement of crack-resistant material at the critical location prevents crack propagation before it can reach the internal electrodes, counteracting the vulnerability introduced by thinning.
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 high impact resistance and adhesiveness while maintaining capacitance performance by controlling crack propagation along crystal grain boundaries, preventing short circuits and moisture ingress, thus enhancing the reliability of thin-side-margin capacitors.
Implementation Method 1
high sinterability is obtained by an action of the glass component in the first inner layer of the side margin
Implementation Method 2
This can ensure high adhesiveness of the side margin to the side surface of the multi-layer unit
Implementation Method 3
the ridge of the side margin, which is likely to receive an external impact in the ceramic body, has a small amount of glass component and can thus suppress the progress of cracks along the crystal grain boundary
Data Source
AI summary
A multi-layer ceramic electronic component includes: a ceramic body including a multi-layer unit having a side surface facing in a direction of a first axis and including internal electrodes laminated in a direction of a second axis orthogonal to the first axis and having end portions on the side surface, and a side margin including a first inner layer adjacent to the side surface and including a first region containing a glass component, a first outer layer outside of the first inner layer, and a ridge positioned at an end portion of the first outer layer in the direction of the second axis and including a second region containing a glass component at a lower concentration than a concentration of the glass component of the first region, the side margin having a dimension of 13 μm or less in the direction of the first axis; and an external electrode.