Thick Outer Electrodes for Low ESL Capacitor Water Ingress
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Solution Overview
Problem
There is a demand for improving the reliability of electronic components, particularly low ESL capacitors, as existing designs face issues with water ingress and reliability due to the entry of moisture, which affects their performance and stability.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates an electronic component with specific configurations of internal and external electrodes on lateral surfaces, including thicker external electrodes on the outermost sides to prevent water ingress and optimize magnetic field cancellation, thereby enhancing reliability and reducing equivalent series inductance (ESL).
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If external electrodes are made thinner to reduce device complexity, then manufacturing cost decreases, but water ingress reliability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different thickness specifications to different external electrodes based on their functional requirements. Specifically, at least one external electrode is configured with a thickness greater than 10 μm to provide water ingress protection, while other electrodes may have standard thickness. This local differentiation allows the device to achieve enhanced reliability at critical locations without uniformly increasing device complexity and cost across all electrodes.
2Reliability
If external electrodes on outermost sides are made thicker to prevent water ingress, then reliability improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements local quality by specifying that external electrodes located on the outermost sides in the length direction have a thickness greater than 10 μm, while internal electrodes maintain standard thickness. This targeted approach concentrates the reliability enhancement measure only where water ingress risk is highest (outermost surfaces), thereby improving water ingress prevention without unnecessarily complicating the overall electrode configuration.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent incorporates preliminary action by pre-configuring the external electrode thickness during the manufacturing process. The thicker external electrodes (greater than 10 μm) are formed in advance as part of the electrode structure, creating a built-in protective barrier against water ingress before the device is deployed. This eliminates the need for additional protective measures or post-manufacturing modifications.
3Reliability
If internal electrodes are extended to middle portions of lateral surfaces, then ESL is reduced, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the internal electrode structure into distinct functional zones: terminal portions that extend to the lateral surfaces for electrical connection, and middle portions that are positioned at specific locations (with a distance of 10 μm or more from the lateral surface) for magnetic field cancellation. This segmentation allows each zone to be optimized independently, achieving low ESL performance through precise positioning without requiring uniform high-precision manufacturing across the entire electrode structure.
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 configuration effectively prevents water entry, improves reliability, and achieves a low ESL, leading to enhanced performance and stability of electronic components like capacitors.
Implementation Method 1
optimize magnetic field cancellation, thereby enhancing reliability and reducing equivalent series inductance (ESL)
Implementation Method 2
the end portions of the electronic component body where the water or the like is likely to enter the electronic component body are covered with the thick external electrodes, and thus the water or the like is difficult to enter the electronic component body
Data Source
AI summary
An electronic component having excellent reliability includes a first lateral surface and two external electrodes on an outermost side in a length direction among three or more external electrodes on the first lateral surface that are thicker than the other external electrode. On a second lateral surface, two external electrodes that are located on the outermost side in the length direction among three or more external electrodes disposed on the second lateral surface are thicker than the other external electrode.