Taxes may be one of the few certainties in life, but here’s another: in the 5G era, the importance of MLCCs will grow with the emergence of new electronic devices, self-driving cars and the expansion of the Internet of Things.
These devices and applications will require more passive parts to handle greater functions and a broader range of frequencies. That, in turn, will necessitate MLCCs – which regulate the current's flow in a circuit and prevent electromagnetic interference between components – to become smaller and thinner as space inside the devices becomes more cramped.
Samsung Electro-Mechanics has begun to supply a three-socket MLCC in the 1209-class (1.2 millimeters in length and 0.9 millimeters in width) with a thickness of 0.65 millimeters – 18 percent thinner than its previous 0.8mm-wide products, whose dimensions were restricted by limitations in minimizing the internal dielectric layer.
Three-terminal capacitors are multilayer ceramic chip capacitors used in EMC / RFI suppression situations. A 3-terminal MLCC has one more terminal between the two terminals that connect to ground. This allows the electricity path to become shorter.
Samsung says it has managed to come up with a thinner three-terminal version by applying independent thin-layer molding and precision lamination technology. In realizing a 0.65mm thickness for 1209-sized 3-socket MLCCs, said to be the thinnest in the industry.
Last year, Murata developed the world’s first MLCC with a capacitance value of 1.0µF in the 01005 inch size (0.4×0.2mm). Mass production of the Murata GRM022R60G105M with a rated voltage of 4Vdc has already started, while mass production of the GRM022R60J105M with a rated voltage of 6.3Vdc is set to start this year.
Thanks to Murata’s thin-layer technology for ceramic elements and thin-sheet formation technology, these products had achieved approximately 35 percent reduction in footprint and a 50 percent reduction in volume ratio compared to Murata’s existing product with the same capacitance value. In addition, their capacity has increased by about 2.1 times compared to Murata’s conventional product of the same size.
With these components being utilized in more smartphones and other mobile electronics (including 5G flagship phones from Apple), Murata is now producing a small 0402 size (1.0×0.5mm) three-terminal MLCC, as well as a three-terminal low-ESL MLCC with 10µF in the 0603 size (1.6×0.8mm) for ADAS and autonomous driving.
Less High-Frequency Noise
Capacitors, in general, generate noise, Samsung claims that its new MLCC solution removes the high-frequency noise that can occur from a 5G network-enabled smartphone. In particular, it says these MLCCs reduce noise from the Application Processor (AP) power unit.
Samsung also says these components have increased internal space efficiency since one 3-terminal MLCC can replace three or four general MLCCs, which is advantageous in securing space for mounting parts.
In a 3-terminal capacitor, the shape of the lead terminals is altered to improve the high-frequency characteristics of 2 terminal capacitors. One lead in a 3-terminal capacitor has two projections; with this configuration, the projections of the 2-terminal lead are connected to an input and an output of power sources or signal lines, respectively, and the other lead is connected to the ground terminal.
High-speed processing devices are typically designed on small geometry semiconductor processes and therefore require lower impedance as compared to general MLCCs. Three-terminal capacitors are an excellent replacement for multiple general purpose capacitors in parallel to effectively reduce impedance.
5G Bounces Back
Given that approximately 900 to 1,100 multilayer ceramic capacitors are installed in a single high-end smartphone, a considerable need exists for capacitors that combine smaller size with larger capacity.
5G-enabled smartphones, in particular, will pack in more MLCCs than 4G ones. Examples include a Sub-6Ghz 5G smartphone that typically uses 10 percent-15 percent more MLCCs and an mmWave 5G phone adding 20 percent-30 percent.
Worldwide sales of smartphones to end users will total 1.5 billion units in 2021, a 11.4 percent growth year over year, according to Gartner, Inc. 5G smartphones are forecast to account for 35 percent of the total.
Mature Asia-Pacific, Western Europe and Latin America markets are expected to exhibit the strongest growth, Gartner reports, with forecast sales of 5G smartphones totaling 539 million units worldwide in 2021, representing 35 percent of total smartphone sales.
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