Sometimes the only way to find out how well your product development program is doing is to endure a period when the tide is going out.
Although the ebb tide caused by Covid-19 has wreaked havoc on production sources – causing shifts in customer preferences and changes to business policies – innovation in capacitor development is booming. This innovation is fueled by a need for efficient, high-performance materials for electrical energy storage that has continued to grow in parallel with an ever-increasing demand for energy in mobile and automotive applications.
As the old saying goes, “Misfortune in life is not so much what one suffers but what one misses.” To bring you up to speed on what’s been happening lately with regard to newly-introduced capacitors, here’s a brief summary of new and notable parts and manufacturing processes that have been recently announced.
Low-Profile Multilayer Ceramic Capacitors
Multilayer ceramic capacitors are placed near IC devices mounted in a smartphone or wearable device for the purpose of decoupling. With the trend toward thinner devices, improved functionality and larger battery size, the mounting area available for parts is shrinking. As such, there is a need for increasing the mounting density, such as by mounting low-profile parts at the back of the IC package rather than the conventional method of mounting parts on the substrate.
In addition, in line with the rollout of 5G services, operating speeds of embedded ICs have been increasing. To ensure stable operation of these ICs, low-ESL decoupling capacitors need to be placed around them.
To meet the need for decoupling IC power supply lines in devices that are required to be thin, Taiyo Yuden has introduced the low-profile multilayer ceramic capacitors AWK105 BJ474MN and PWK105 C6474MN (both 0.52mm x 1mm x 0.1mm, maximum height).
These multilayer ceramic capacitors are well-suited for decoupling the IC power supply lines inside devices such as smartphones and wearables. They achieve a low ESL thanks to the external electrodes placed lengthwise but also feature a capacitance of 0.47 microfarad, about twice the capacity of Taiyo Yuden’s conventional capacitor AWK105 BJ224MN (with the same dimensions and a capacitance of 0.22 microfarad).
Production of the multilayer ceramic capacitors will commence at the company’s Tamamura Plant in June 2021.
High-Temperature Hybrid Aluminum Capacitors
Panasonic’s new EEH-ZU Series conductive polymer hybrid aluminum capacitors are said to be capable of operating at high temperatures with conductive polymer capacitor performance and aluminum electrolytic capacitor safety in a surface-mount package.
These new capacitors are rated for a 135 degrees C operating temperature and feature a 4,000-hour endurance rating. These hybrid capacitors are said to be able to withstand a voltage range of 25 to 63 VDC, have 100-560 microfarads and are available in vibration-proof variants upon request. AEC-Q200 qualification ensures quality and reliability. These parts are well-suited where high temperature and high current capability are demanded by the application.
Metallized Polypropylene AC Filtering Film Capacitors
Vishay Roederstein has introduced a new series of metallized polypropylene AC filtering film capacitors optimized for high humidity environments. MKP1847C AC filtering devices withstand demanding temperature humidity bias (THB) testing – 40 degrees C and 93 percent relative humidity for 56 days at rated voltage – without altering their electrical characteristics.
These capacitors are designed to ensure stable capacitance and ESR values over a long service life under harsh environmental conditions during operation. Compared to previous-generation devices, the MKP1847C AC filtering series capacitors offer higher humidity robustness at a lower cost while maintaining the same footprint. The devices are targeted at input and output filtering in UPS systems, renewable energy inverter grid interfaces and welding equipment.
MKP1847C AC filtering series capacitors feature a capacitance range from 1 microfarad up to 70 microfarads, with tolerance down to +/-10 percent and rated voltages of 230 VAC, 250 VAC, 275 VAC, 310 VAC and 350 VAC. These devices offer self-inductance of <1 nH per milimeter of lead spacing, with peak current capabilities up to 750A and RMS current up to 26A.
Offered in a flame-retardant plastic case with a resin seal, the capacitors feature an operating temperature to 105 C. Samples and production quantities of the MKP1847C AC Filtering series are available now.
High-Voltage Capacitors
Macom Technology Solutions has completed the development of a new high voltage capacitor semiconductor process. Capacitors designed on this process are said to be capable of achieving operating levels in excess of 1,000 volts, a level not previously achieved with silicon semiconductor technology.
Macom will release a range of capacitor values in three separate voltage categories, 200V, 500V and 1,000V, with capacitance values from 2 to 4,700 picofarads. The key technical attributes, according to the company, include small size, stable temperature and voltage performance, low ESR and ESL, high Q and improved reliability when compared to tantalum or MLCC technologies. Macom will introduce this new product line at the International Microwave Symposium (IMS) in June 2021, under the brand name Macom KV CAPS.
Macom KV CAPS are designed and manufactured at Macom’s Massachusetts-based wafer foundry, and will be offered as both standard and customized products screened to commercial, military and space grade quality standards.
High-Capacity MLCCs
A multilayer ceramic capacitor regulates a current’s flow in a circuit, making it a core component within electric devices, such as smartphones, home appliances and electronic vehicles. Around 1,000 capacitors can be found in a mobile device.
Electronic component maker Samsung Electro-Mechanics has developed a high-capacity multilayer ceramic capacitor that is just 0.4 mm long and 0.2 mm wide. The capacitor also has a 1.0 µF capacity and 6.3 voltage.
Utilizing technologies developed by the company’s in-house team launched last year, the part maintains 1.0 microfarad capacity while increasing the rated voltage from 4V to 6.3V, according to the firm.
TDK’s new series of EPCOS power capacitors for DC link applications are available for rated voltages of 700 VDC to 2,000 VDC and cover a capacitance range of 20 to 270 microfarads. The current handling capacity can be up to 60 A at 65 degrees C, with the ability to tolerate current peaks of up to 7.5 kA, according to the company. The maximum permissible hot spot temperature is 85 degrees C.
The capacitors’ ESL values can be as low as 13 nH, depending on the type. Thanks to this and the low ESR values of min. 0.9 milliohm, the capacitors of the B2563xE series are suitable for inverter solutions with fast-switching power modules. The low ESR value is said to remain stable even at high switching frequencies of 100 kHz, while the low parasitic coefficients prevent significant voltage overshoots even when high currents are switched off.
These capacitors’ plastic cylindrical cases conform with UL 94. Two connection types are available, M8 threaded bolts or M5 threaded holes. Typical applications include fast-switching converters and inverters for photovoltaic systems, traction in railway technology and inductive heating systems.
New Brand Announcement
Kyocera and AVX (a wholly-owned subsidiary of Kyocera) announced that the companies have established a new integrated brand, Kyocera AVX, to be used for the Kyocera group’s electronic components business starting in October 2021.
The new brand is being established following the integration of Kyocera’s Corporate Electronic Components Group and AVX into a new Electronic Components Business segment as of April 1.
In addition, sales organizations in the U.S. and Europe will unify starting in October 2021 (or later), and sales in Japan, China and other Asian nations will follow beginning in April 2022 (or later). This consolidation will enhance the firm’s global sales capabilities, and maximize synergy by combining the companies’ resources of manufacture and development for further expansion of its global business.
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