Piezoelectric Multilayer Component External Electrode

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing piezoelectric multilayer components face challenges in making electrical contact without damaging the layers, particularly due to the need for additional soldering and welding processes at the surface, which can be costly and prone to errors.

Innovation Solution

A piezoelectric multilayer component with an external electrode that has a first region fixed to the stack and a second region projecting beyond, where the external electrode is pressure-deformed to adapt to specific geometrical and mechanical requirements, allowing for a slender and space-efficient connection without surface soldering or welding, using a common conductive element that can be formed integrally and deformed to ensure reliable electrical contact.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If additional soldering and welding processes are performed at the surface to make electrical contact, then reliable electrical contact is achieved, but the risk of damaging the piezoelectric layers increases and manufacturing complexity rises

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveelectrical contact reliabilityVSAvoiddamage to piezoelectric layers

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The harmful soldering and welding processes are extracted and removed from the manufacturing process. Instead of performing these processes at the surface of the piezoelectric component, the patent uses a press-fit mechanism where the external electrode is directly pressed into a receptacle, eliminating the need for thermal processes that could damage the piezoelectric layers.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

A receptacle structure serves as an intermediary element between the external electrode and the internal electrode. The receptacle receives the external electrode and establishes electrical contact with the internal electrode, mediating the connection without requiring direct soldering or welding to the piezoelectric layers.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Volume of moving object

If external electrodes are made slender and space-efficient, then structural space restrictions are addressed, but manufacturing precision and adaptation to geometrical requirements become more difficult

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveexternal electrode volumeVSAvoidgeometrical adaptation precision

Core Design Contradiction:

Volume of moving objectVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The external electrode system is segmented into two distinct parts: the external electrode itself and the receptacle. This segmentation allows the external electrode to be manufactured with simple, consistent geometry while the receptacle is designed to provide the necessary geometrical adaptation and positioning, dividing the manufacturing complexity between two components.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The receptacle is designed as a precise geometric copy or template that defines the required positioning and orientation of the external electrode. By pre-forming the receptacle with the exact geometrical requirements, the manufacturing precision is built into the tooling rather than requiring high-precision manufacturing of each individual electrode.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

3Ease of manufacture

If external electrodes are made integrally formed with pressure-deformed regions, then manufacturing simplicity and cost-effectiveness improve, but the complexity of the electrode geometry increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveexternal electrode manufacturing simplicityVSAvoidexternal electrode geometry

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The pressure deformation of the external electrode is performed as a preliminary action during the assembly process, before final installation. The electrode is inserted in its simple initial form and then deformed in-place within the receptacle, combining manufacturing simplicity with the necessary geometric adaptation in a single integrated step.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

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 solution enables simple, cost-effective, and reliable electrical contact with the electrode layers by avoiding surface soldering and welding, ensuring a stable connection even under mechanical stress and allowing for adaptation to structural space constraints.

Implementation Method 1

the external electrode is at least partly pressure-deformed in the second region

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectPressure deformation: Deformation

Implementation Method 2

The first region of the external electrode is fixed to the stack, preferably to the base metallization, for example by means of a solder material or a conductive adhesive

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectSoldering: Soldering

Data Source

PatentUS9214621B2Piezoelectric multilayer component and method for forming an external electrode in a piezoelectric multilayer component

Publication Date: 2015.12.15 TDK ELECTRONICS AG

AI summary

A piezoelectric multilayer component is specified. At least one external electrode is fixed to a stack of piezoelectric layers and electrode layers arranged therebetween. At least one region of the external electrode projects beyond the stack and the external electrode is at least partly pressure-deformed in said region. Furthermore, a method for forming an external electrode in a piezoelectric multilayer component is specified.