Samsung Electro-Mechanics MLCC
Leading Technology and Market Change
Multilayer Ceramic Capacitors (MLCCs) act as a ‘dam’ that charges and discharges certain amounts of electricity, and many layers must
be stacked as thinly as possible in a thin interior to accumulate a lot of electricity. Samsung Electro-Mechanics possesses high
technological capability to produce high-capacity MLCCs stacked up to 600 layers. In the 5G era, the importance of MLCCs is expected
to grow with the development of electronic devices, self-driving cars, and the expansion of IoT. In line with market trends,
Samsung Electro-Mechanics is striving to develop high-technology-intensive MLCCs that are ultra-small,
ultra-high capacity/high reliability, and high quality.
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Ultra Small,
Ultra High Capacity -
Quality
Reliability -
Global
Market Leader
Lineup
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- Normal
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A general MLCC temporarily
charges and removes noise
in electronic circuits and
is the most widely available
chip-type capacitor.
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- LSC
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To accommodate thin devices or
modules, this can be mounted
between the solder balls
to reduce module thickness
or secure the mounting area.
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- High Bending Strength
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Thermal and mechanical stress
on the chip can be reduced by the
ductile properties of
soft termination, which is
resistant to stresses caused
by board bending.
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- ESD Protection
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Specially designed for use
in protecting circuits from ESD,
this product guarantees
a higher level of ESD
than general MLCC products.
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- Fail Safe
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MLCCs are designed to
prevent circuit malfunction even
if a crack occurs in the product,
causing an internal short circuit.
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- Low Acoustic Noise
- It is a solution that can effectively reduce noise when MLCC tremors are caused by piezoelectric phenomena in electronic devices.
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- Low ESL
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MLCCs with ESLs can sufficiently
replace high-speed ICs with
a smaller quantity of MLCCs,
which is useful in circuits
with limited mounting area.
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- Array
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As various electronic products
such as portable devices have
gotten smaller, it is a product that
combines multiple chips into one
to secure mounting space.
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- MFC (Molded Frame Capacitor)
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A capacitor with a molded frame
structure that reduces audible
noise, reduces the mounting
area for the same capacitance
when using a stacked structure,
and is more resistant to
cracking caused by PCB bending.
Curation
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FAQ
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When a DC voltage is applied to the MLCC, a small leakage current flows and the corresponding resistance value is called the insulation resistance (IR).
In general, the insulation resistance of an MLCC is very high, and if the insulation resistance is too low, it can cause the circuit to malfunction.
When measuring IR, the rated voltage is applied to the MLCC and the resistance value is measured at the time when the leakage current stabilizes (60 seconds or more), and SEMCO manages the IR value by specifying it for each MLCC product.For example, the following items are listed in the specification sheet for the CLR1A103MQ1NNN model.Test item
Judgement
Test condition
Insulation
Resistance
10,000MΩ or 50MΩ·μF
Whichever is smaller
Rated Voltage 60~120 sec
The IR value of the product is based on the smaller of 10,000 MΩ or 50 MΩ·µF (depending on the model).
For 50 MΩ·µF, you can calculate it as follows.
Since the product has a capacity of 10 nF, we can say that the IR is 50 MΩ / (0.01 µF) = 5,000 MΩ.
Therefore, the lesser of 10,000 MΩ and 5,000 MΩ is the basis for the specification, and the IR value of the CLR1A103MQ1NNN model is guaranteed to be “5,000 MΩ or more”.
Calculating the leakage current in reverse, the leakage current flowing through the MLCC when a 6.3 Vdc voltage is applied is 6.3V/5,000MΩ = 1.26 nA or less.
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First, let's briefly introduce the ideal frequency characteristics of the passive elements (R, L, and C).
Resistance (R) has the property of impeding the flow of current, causing a voltage drop proportional to the magnitude of its impedance.
The impedance value is the same regardless of the frequency.
Inductance (L) has the characteristic that the current gradually increases when a voltage is applied, and the impedance increases as the frequency of the applied electrical signal increases.
Capacitive reactance (C) has the characteristic that the voltage gradually increases when current is applied, and the impedance decreases as the frequency of the applied electrical signal increases.In a real MLCC, there are parasitic components (resistance and inductance) as well as capacitance.Here, the resistive component of the dielectric or electrode is called the equivalent series resistance (ESR), and the inductive component of the electrode or lead wire is called the equivalent series inductance (ESL).An equivalent model of these components can be constructed as a circuit with C, ESR, and ESL in series, as shown below.A graphical representation of the MLCC's impedance (Z) as a function of frequency shows two distinct regions centered on the self-resonant frequency (SRF) as shown below.In the low frequency region, capacitive reactance dominates, and dielectric loss is also observed.The impedance of parasitic components such as ESL is small enough and can be neglected.However, in the high frequency region, the parasitic inductance can no longer be neglected, and resistive losses due to the skin effect and proximity effect of the current also start to appear.The frequency at which the capacitive and inductive reactance components cancel out is called the self-resonant frequency (SRF).Capacitors whose function is to remove noise from the power line and suppress voltage fluctuations are often required to have a specific target impedance in high frequency noise sensitive applications such as PDN.In general, MLCCs have lower ESL and ESR characteristics than electrolytic capacitors and film capacitors, allowing for more efficient noise cancellation by using MLCCs in these locations.As the performance requirements of the APs increase, MLCCs are often used in parallel or placed as close to the AP as possible to achieve smaller ESL and ESR characteristics.In addition, Samsung Electro-Mechanics has 3-terminal MLCCs and Reverse type MLCCs in the Low ESL product family, which provide a solution that saves space with a smaller mounting area than typical MLCCs, and reduces the number of components to be placed. -
MLCC (Class II) product has the characteristic that capacitance is decreased when DC voltage is applied, This could be measured using the typical LCR meter.
- Measurement equipment : LCR meter E4980A + Test Fixture 16034G/E (Keysight Technologies Corp.)
- Test conditions
1) Frequency : refer to SPEC sheet for each product (e.g., 1kHz, 120Hz)
2) AC voltage: refer to SPEC sheet for each product (e.g., 1Vrms, 0.5Vrms)
3) DC voltage : from 0Vdc to Rated voltage, keep time(60sec) by each point
4) ambient temperature : 25℃ ± 3 ℃
※ Caution
1) Measurement should be proceeded after ‘pre-treatment at 150℃ for 1hour and keep at room temperature for 24hour’
*refer to FAQ “MLCC Aging phenomenon”
2) Because the voltage source of LCR meter has internal resistor, the voltage between DUT terminals may differ from setting voltage. This equipment(E4980A) provides ALC(Auto level control) function to control DUT voltage. Therefore, capacitance should be measured while ALC function is activated. If ALC function is not activated, the capacitance value may be a little low. (Figure a, b, c, d)
3) Since parasitic of the test fixture can affect on capacitance value, Short status and Open status of fixture and cable length must be properly corrected. (figure e, f)
Please refer to the user guide of the equipment for detailed measurement setting methods.
[Reference]
- Impedance Measurement Handbook, Keysight Technologies Corp. 6th Edition, 2020
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