Paumanok Publications, Inc. Electronic Industries Alliance May/June 2003 An affiliate publication of the A sector of the Electronic Industries Alliance The Only Magazine Dedicated Exclusively To The Worldwide Passive Electronic Components Industry Top Tantalum Capacitor Suppliers Tantalum: Cash Cow or Ground Beef? The Business of Mining Tantalum TABLE OF CONTENTS Volume 5, No. 3 May/June 2003 The Only Magazine Dedicated Exclusively To The Worldwide Passive Electronic Components Industry FEATURE STORIES 6 Top Tantalum Capacitor Suppliers The global tantalum capacitor industry has been under siege since late 2000, when shortages led to allocations and a substantial increase in average unit pricing for all tantalum capacitor case sizes. 9 Tantalum: Cash Cow or Ground Beef? The market for passive components is starting to show some signs of life. 10 Lead, Follow, or Get Out of the Way! The constant need to become smaller, faster and cheaper drives a never-ending search for technologies that promote miniaturization. 14 Lowest ESR Tantalum Capacitors with High CV Values Standard tantalum capacitor technology offers high capacitance per volume in combination with high rated voltages. 16 The Business of Mining Tantalum It is a better than even money bet that the tantalum used to make the powder currently going into tantalum capacitors in 2003 comes from one of two mines operated by Sons of Gwalia Ltd (SGW) in Western Australia. DEPARTMENTS 4 Letter from the Publisher The Paumanok passive component revenue index. 5 Letter from ECA The supply chain is a “disaster,” there’s a commerce lesson in SARS, and maybe, just maybe, this is will be the year when the second-half rebound actually occurs. 22 Featured Technical Paper Surface mount technology tantalum capacitors are increasingly being used in new circuit designs because of their volumetric efficiency, basic reliability and process compatibility. 34 Newsmakers New product offerings and important developments in the passive components industry. Cover Photo: Courtesy of Sons of Gwalia Ltd. PASSIVE COMPONENT INDUSTRY MAY/JUNE 2003 3 LETTER FROM THE PUBLISHER T he Paumanok passive compo- differed about Vishay’s reporting nent revenue index for the was that their operating profit marfirst quarter of 2003 grew by gins in their passive components 3.2% in value, but this was primarily sector increased by almost 100% due to the inclusion of BCcom- from the first quarter of 2002, ponents in Vishay’s quarterly earn- catching many analysts by surings statement. Without the added prise. Equally important, Vishay value from the BCcomponents acqui- stated they had seen an increase in sition, the passive component rev- sales in Asia, while all other passive enue index (which is included in component vendors cited a substanPaumanok’s monthly report series) tial slowdown in Asia (they generally would have been down by 1.8% on a blamed SARS in China but were not quarter-to-quarter basis in the first sure that would have affected first quarter revenues). quarter of 2003. The industry consensus is that Of equal importance are industhe Vishay model, of try statements that April manufacturing one of was not a good month, the broadest product leading many to believe lines in passives, is exthat the second quarter tremely attractive to the of 2003 will be either large contract electronic flat, or down slightly on a m a n u f ac tur ers ( w ho quarter-to-quarter basis. have an increasingly Continued price erosion larger number of assets on a quarter-to-quarter in Asia). The compartbasis has been discussed mentalized passive comas the primary reason. ponent solution (oneEPCOS, for example, Dennis M. Zogbi s t o p sh o p p i n g ) i s reported in December that new orders were up by 16% extremely beneficial to a large-scale heading into the first quarter, but customer, especially when they do subsequently that did not turn into not have to pay distributor markadded revenues due to severe price ups. Traditionally, distributors erosion in the first quarter (thus solved many of the large CEM probunits are up for all passive products lems by offering a broad product around the globe, but price erosion line from multiple vendors. But no is keeping revenues in check). matter how much the customer EPCOS’ revenues dropped by 2.1% squeezed the distributor on price, there would always be costs associon a quarter-to-quarter basis. AVX also reported a downturn ated with the overhead of distribuin the first quarter of 2003, with tion. Thus, the Vishay model does revenues dropping by 7.8% on a away with the middleman, so quarter-to-quarter basis. KEMET’s Vishay can charge a bit more for revenues grew slightly, by 2.9% on offering such a broad product catea quarter-to-quarter basis, but no gory. In effect, Vishay becomes both one in Greenville was happy with the manufacturer and the distriburevenue growth because their tor in their high end-customer base. Paumanok estimates that there quarterly operating margins were are 55 companies in the world that too high to make a profit. Vishay, on the other hand, was buy $100 million worth of passive the most upbeat, with quarterly components per year, and it is this revenue growth of 13.9%, due largely market in which Vishay is having to the addition of BCcomponents on the greatest success. Let’s see what their financial statements. What the future holds. 4 PASSIVECOMPONENT INDUSTRY MAY/JUNE 2003 PUBLISHER DENNIS M. Z OGBI DIRECTOR OF ADVERTISING SAM COREY EDITOR JOHN D. AVANT ART DIRECTOR AMY DEMSKO MARKETING CAROLYN HEROLD RESEARCH EDITOR NAUREEN SYED ADVISORY BOARD Glyndwr Smith Vishay Intertechnology, Inc. Ian Clelland ITW Paktron Pat Wastal Avnet Jim Wilson MRA Laboratories Michael O’Neill Heraeus Inc. Bob Gourdeau Vishay BCcomponents Dan Persico Passives Strategist Editorial and Advertising Office 130 Preston Executive Drive, Suite 101 Cary, North Carolina 27513 (919) 468-0384 (919) 468-0386 Fax www.paumanokgroup.com The Electronic Components – Assemblies – Materials – Association (ECA) represents the electronics industry sector comprised of manufacturers and suppliers of passive and active electronic components, component arrays and assemblies, and commercial and industrial electronic component materials and supplies. ECA, a sector of the Electronic Industries Alliance, provides companies with a dynamic link into a network of programs and activities offering business and technical information; market research, trends and analysis; access to industry and government leaders; standards development; technical and educational training; and more. The Electronic Industries Alliance (EIA) is a federation of associations and sectors operating in the most competitive and innovative industry in existence. Comprised of over 2,100 members, EIArepresents 80% of the $550 billion U.S. electronics industry. EIA member and sector associations represent telecommunications, consumer electronics, components, government electronics, semiconductor standards, as well as other vital areas of the U.S. electronics industry. EIA connects the industries that define the digital age. ECA members receive a 15% advertising discount for Passive Component Industry. For membership information, contact ECA at (703) 907-7070 or www.ec-central.org; contact EIAat (703) 907-7500 or www.eia.org. LETTER FROM ECA Supply Chain “Disaster,’’ Lesson of SARS, Part of Information Exchange of ECA Spring T he supply chain is a “disaster,” there’s a commerce lesson in SARS, and maybe, just maybe, this is will be the year when the second-half rebound actually occurs. These were just a few of the thoughts, projections and information points exchanged during ECA’s Spring Meeting in Washington, D.C. The meeting, part of the Electronic Industries A lliance’s annual Spring Gala, brought together representatives from electronic components manufacturers, distributors and EMS providers. They used the opportunity to exchange information, network socially, find out about trends that will define the future, and try to gain a competitive advantage in navigating choppy business waters. EMS Grows and Shifts Jeff Bloch, a vice president of iSuppli, provided an overview of the state of the EMS industry, including the following information: • The trend toward outsourcing continues to grow. A likely outsourcing scenario of the future has ultra high-volume manufacturing being done in China by EMS and ODM (original design manufacturers); high-volume products made by EMS and ODM in Mexico, China and Southeast Asia, and Eastern Europe; and medium- to low-volume manufac turing in North America and Western Europe by EMS. • SARS has provided a painful reminder that companies cannot produce everything in one region, no matter how enticing the economics. • Manufacturing continues to shift rapidly to lowcostregions, increasing to an estimated 70 percent from 30 percent in FY 2000. • The Americas are losing steam as electronic consumers while Asia gains momentum; by 2005, the Americas and Asia will generate equal revenues. • Second- and third-tier manufacturing in the Americas is still strong, accounting for $18 billion in goods today and expected to grow to $30 billion in 2006. •Just as it did in the past in Japan, lowest-price manufacturing could give way in some sectors to flexibility and “total landed cost” – the complete cost of manufacturing and shipping a product. Bloch presented results of a recent supply chain survey, which included the following findings: • OEMs plan to retain control of high-volume components, but give EMS more control of multisourced components and lower-technology PCB andmechanical parts. • There remains a perception gap between OEMs and EMS in the supply chain, and there are no clear rules of engagement. • OEMs are not convinced of EMS’ skill sets, systems and processes. Real Growth or False Read? The roundtable discussion centered primarily on the state of the market and relationships among different elements in what ECA calls the “electronics flow wheel.” Most participants reported revenue growth tempered by price erosion. The pricing of commodity parts was characterized by one participant as “devastating.” There is also some concern that the perceived growth could be a “false read” due to replacement of inventory instead of inventory turnover. One manufacturer expressed hope that after three years of soothsayers predicting a second-half rebound, this will be the year it actually happens. Surviving the Disaster The roles of manufacturers, OEMs, EMS, reps and distributors continue to be muddled, so much so that one manufacturer called the supply chain a “disaster.” With products passing through so many hands, it becomes increasingly difficult to track rep sales. This is a byproduct of general problems with global business tracking. One manufacturer said his U.S. division is doing an “incredible amount of design work” that is not being captured. This creates a tainted picture of the ROI the U.S. division delivers for its Asian parent company. One OEM said a fight continues among EMS and large OEMs for demand and supply chain management rights. A major trend, he said, is second-tier OEMs turning the AVL (approved vendor list) process to EMS. Most of the large OEMs, however, want as much control Continued on page 21 PASSIVE COMPONENT INDUSTRY MAY/JUNE 2003 5 FEATURE Top Tantalum Capacitor Suppliers: 2002 T he global tantalum capacitor industry has been under siege since late 2000, when shortages led to allocations and a substantial increase in average unit pricing for all tantalum capacitor case sizes. These shortages in 2000 led to extreme problems in some of the prime end-use market segments, resulting in factory production delays and bitter resentment on the part of many capacitor buyers and design engineers. Subsequently, in many end-use market segments where the performance of tantalum was not mission critical, design engineers were instructed to design tantalum capacitors out in favor of high capacitance ceramic capacitors, aluminum V-chip designs, solid polymer aluminum alternatives and, in some instances, the new niobium capacitors. There was also a general perception among capacitor buyers and design engineers at the customer level that the supply chain related to raw materials consumed in the tantalum capacitor industry was too narrow, with only a limited number of suppliers of quality tantalum ore and capacitor-grade tantalum metal powder and wire. Ironically, it was the shortages, allocations and higher tantalum capacitor prices in 2000 that led many major global OEM and CEM customers to take a d etailed look at the viability of the tantalum supply chain. The results were not encouraging, and this added to the skepticism about the continued use of tantalum capacitors in specific market segments, especially in the computer market and its various subassembly segments (i.e. hard disc drives, power supplies) and the wireless communications segment. The subsequent negative effects on tantalum capacitor producers worldwide in calendar year 2001 and 2002 were significant. The downturn in the tantalum market was more pronounced than any other capacitor segment; and this was reflected in the public financial statements issued by the major tantalum capacitor producers– KEMET, AVX and Vishay Intertechnology. However, in 2003 it has become apparent that tantalum capacitors cannot be readily dismissed as a dielectric for the future of the high-tech economy. Ceramic capacitors, with their high individual ceramic layer count, represent the greatest threat to tantalum, but 6 PASSIVE COMPONENT INDUSTRY MAY/JUNE 2003 have caused some concerns among design engineers as they move from 100µF to the higher 220µF range. The high layer counts suggest to design engineers that these multilayered high capacitance devices may face mechanical stability issues. Such concerns have also been voiced regarding niobium capacitors; and while aluminum capacitors offer a viable field-tested alternative, they are not as volumetrically efficient, nor do they offer the same performance longevity as tantalum. Thus, it is highly likely that end-use segments such as automotive, telecom infrastructure, medical and defense are less likely to move to alternative dielectrics. Also, in Japan, there has been a noted movement toward the new extremely small case size tantalum capacitors in the P and J case sizes for applications in digital video circuits (i.e. streaming video in wireless phones and digital video cameras at Sony and Cannon). Thus, the future of tantalum is not in as dire straits as many believe. The most probable scenario is that tantalum capacitors will be a smaller unit market in the future, but with higher overall average unit pricing because customers will consolidate their demand in areas where high cap ceramics are not a threat, or where the performance of tantalum is required in a missioncritical application. In the second quarter of 2003 many of our tantalum capacitor vendors have embarked on a strategy of continued severe price erosion to combat encroachment of ceramics and other electrochemical dielectrics into their market spectrum. This aggressive price cutting is also designed to get more engineers to design in tantalum instead of an alternative product. Changes in Market Share In 2002 According to a detailed industry analysis on behalf of Paumanok Publications, Inc. it is apparent that KEMET Electronics lost market share in 2002. All companies involved in the tantalum spectrum lost substantial amounts of revenues and unit sales between 2000 and 2002, but some suppliers realized slightly greater declines than others. Companies like Vishay counteracted their decline in unit shipments by securing additional tantalum capacitor manufacturers in the specialty component Continued on page 8 Top Tantalum Capacitor Suppliers Continued from page 6 erosion will slow to a point where unit shipments will exceed the drop in prices on a percentage basis, thus sector (i.e. tantalum wets from Tansitor and Mallory), resulting in increased revenues for the industry. Howthus cushioning their overall decline. It is also apparent ever, Paumanok expects no great instances of recovery that the gap between KEMET and AVX narrowed in for the year as a whole. 2002, although Paumanok still believes KEMET to be the largest supplier of tantalum capacitors in the world. The difference between KEMET and AVX can be measured in less than 1 percentage point (revenues for tantalum capacitors at both these 2002 Global Market Share Estimates companies is very close). (Based on Revenue) In Japan, innovation came from two of the Tantalum Capacitors Capacitors 2002 Rank Tantalum 2002 Rank smaller tantalum capacitor sources, Matsuo and Nichicon, who invested in the development of KEMET Electronics 20.9% 1 extremely small case size tantalum capacitors in AVX Corporation 20.5% 2 the P case, J case and the 1005 case (EIA case sizes 0805, 0603 and 0402). Other companies Vishay Intertechnology 19.0% 3 have small case tantalum capacitors, but Matsuo NEC/Tokin 15.4% 4 and Nichicon are offering the broadest product portfolios now when it comes to extremely small EPCOS 4.8% 5 case sizes. Tantalum Capacitor Suppliers Tantalum Forecasts Paumanok believes that in 2003 there will be some minor recovery in the tantalum capacitor segment. This is, of course, dependent upon how much additional price erosion occurs in 2003 for tantalum capacitors. Unit shipments should continue to increase on a quarter-to-quarter basis, but price erosion will be the variable. It is b elieved that in the second half of 2003 price Matsuo 4.8% 6 Hitachi AIC 4.4% 7 Nichicon 4.4% 8 Matsushita 3.7% 9 Other 2.1% 10 Total 100.0% Source: Paumanok Publictions, Inc. Monthly Tantalum Capacitor Report, April 2003 Would you like to receive future editions of this magazine? If so, fax your name, company, postal address, phone, fax and e-mail address to us at (919) 468-0386 or send e-mails to sale s@ paumanokgroup.com . Passive Com po ne nt Industr y (ISSN 1527-9170) is published bimonthly by PaumanokPublications, Inc. 130 Preston Executive Drive, Suite 101 Cary, North Carolina 27513 USA 2003 Paumanok Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part without written permission is prohibited. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Paumanok Publications, Inc. at 109 Kilmayne Drive, Suite A, Cary, NC 27511. Annual subscription rates for nonqualified individuals: $65.00, U.S.; $75.00, Mexico; $85.00, Canada; $130.00, other countries. Back issues $25.00, when available. 8 PASSIVE COMPONENT INDUSTRY MAY/JUNE 2003 FEATURE Tantalum: Cash Cow or Ground Beef? Daniel F. Persico, Ph.D. Abstract: Significant overcapacity and considerable not-in-kind competition exists in the traditional solid tantalum capacitor world (MnO2 as a counter-electrode).As the industry hopefully moves into a sustained period of economic prosperity, will the demand for tantalums rebound to the point where they can once again carry their own weight as well as that of other products in the portfolio? T he market for passive components is starting to show some signs of life. Inventories seem to be burned down to the point where true demand is starting to show up on the trend charts and the abatement of military activities in the mid-east appears to have eased the minds of the consumer, if at least for a while. However, even with these positive indicators, the specter of significant industry overcapacity remains. With it comes the realization that the highs seen at the peak of the bubble are not likely to be enjoyed again in many participants’ lifetimes. So the question is; “what does one do with all that shiny new stainless that was put on the floor during the bubble?” The economic boom of the 1990’s was a product of the confluence of many independent factors, a situation not likely to be duplicated. Just as the run-up of the 1990’s stock market and subsequent crash is most likely to be followed by many years of relatively unambitious but stable market growth (so say some), the electronics market is most likely looking forward to more stable and ultimately more predictable and manageable growth. After all, the two phenomena were inextricably tied, so why shouldn’t their future also be juxtaposed? While this does not answer the ultimate questions concerning the future for tantalum, it does form the backdrop, and certainly influences significantly the demand for tantalum capacitors and all passives in general. The electronics industry will continue to see pockets of high growth, innovation will take care of this; however, the most recent shakeout, largely fueled by speculation in what I will broadly call information technology, was just what was needed and in fact not unprecedented. W. Brian Arthur of the Sante Fe Institute has the following general comments regarding technology and this type of shakeout: “In the first stage of a technology revolution, a period of speculation is followed by a crash. Then comes a build out period – the golden age of the technology…after a crash much of the glamour of the new technology is lost. The mood is different. Investment profits begin to reflect real returns.” [1] In his article, Arthur discusses the UK canal mania of the 1790’s and the railway enthusiasm of the 1840’s, and how they showed similar patterns of over-enthusiasm, crash, and manageable long-term growth. There are significant similarities among all three situations, Continued on page 12 PASSIVE COMPONENT INDUSTRY MAY/JUNE 2003 9 FEATURE Lead, Follow, or Get Out of the Way! Al Arcidy RCD Components Inc. Y ou may have seen the bumper sticker that reads, “Lead, follow, or get out of the way!” The constant need to become smaller, faster and cheaper drives a never-ending search for technologies that promote miniaturization. Surface mount resistors and capacitors are being used in a wide range of applications including current sensing, de-coupling, filtering and energy storage. As the number of passives used per system is on the rise, the relentless march to unparalleled processing speeds mandates shrinkage of the distance between components to eliminate inductance and processing delay times. The need for smaller, faster, and cheaper passives has always been a driving force behind the boundless requirement for increased passive miniaturization. Most cell phone manufacturers implement 0201 into their latest designs and, in the near future, other industry areas will adopt the same technology. Wireless communication products in the automotive industry use 0201 technology in global positioning systems (GPS), sensors and communication devices. Additionally, companies use 0201 technology in multichip modules (MCM) to reduce overall package size. Today, the focus is on higher density requirements and embedded resistors and capacitors technology. One result is the 01005 size, which is about 2/3 smaller than 0201, currently the industry’s smallest known passive. Modules like the one shown in Figure 1 are an example of how passive devices can actually be co-designed with ICs to make an optimized module. Multichip modules like this are often required for Figure 2 RF applications, to include both gallium arsenide and silicon ICs, and passive devices are critical in RF applications. Co-designing all components and making the passives part of the substrate is a natural 10 PASSIVE COMPONENT INDUSTRY MAY/JUNE 2003 design synergy. All electronic systems continue to be subject to the trend of added functionality in an ever-shrinking envelope. Consumers have become accustomed to the benefits of increased functionality that are enabled by the evolution of silicon integrated circuits. Unfortunately, passive components have not kept up with ICs in this regard. Peripheral passive Figure 1 components are not as functionally space-efficient as ICs and are seen as one of the major roadblocks in increasing the functional density of electronic systems. Clearly, the need for functional density will force designers to look at creative packaging alternatives. If the historical rate of passive component density continues, by 2010 it is reasonable to expect passive component density of 20 to 30 passives/cm2. To put this into per- spective, Figure 2 charts the passive component density over time for cellular phones, the most complex, high volume passive systems to date. Miniaturization There is a wide range of solutions available to the design engineer to meet functional density challenges with respect to passives. Historically, the industry has kept up with these demands by reducing the size of discrete surface mount components. While the move to 0201 (and soon 01005) size passives can bring about many manufacturing process challenges, several OEMs have had success in implementing these components into embedded modules. Embedded passives and co-designed chip modules are considered to be the Holy Grail of passive integration. Integrated passive devices, where arrays of resistors or capacitors are swept into a component, have also gained in popularity. These devices have been used by the computer industry for quite some time as an effective way to implement resistors at a high I/O port interface. However, these devices are only available for arrays of standard values or commonly used functional blocks, and customized designs are expensive and offer a limited supply base. Still, the resistor, capacitor and inductor value of a discrete is very much the function of physical size. The inability to create high value embedded devices in a space-efficient manner puts limitations on the amount of integration possible. Most embedded advances will continue to suffer primarily from component density and tolerance limitations when compared to discretes. Because the tolerance of most discrete chip resistors is in the range of 1%, a design with 15% or more variation is not an attractive proposition. If we gaze at the transition of various surface mount sizes, we find that smaller (nominal) packages become mainstream about every five years. Currently, 0603 is the highest usage component. A close second is 0402, which should become the most widespread size within the year. Usage of 0201 discretes has accelerated and is becoming most popular in higher density systems. The initial hesitation among OEMs in moving to the 0201 package is subsiding and the manufacturing challenges have been overcome. RCD predicts the same historical trend to continue in discrete passives. If we were to develop this trend line past 01005s, we can forecast that embedded passives are still about 7 to 10 years away. Of course, this prediction assumes that the technology Not just the car. EPCOS components inside. HigPherformance Documented Performance: •QS-9000 •FMEA •PPAP • APQP • AEC-Q200 •Bluebook Qualification • ISO/TS-16949 EPCOS components perform reliably, even under extreme conditions. For a proven automotive track record with documented performance, count on EPCOS electronic components: Capacitors Varistors Thermistors/Sensors Gas Discharge Tubes Inductors SAW Filters • • • • • • For immediate assistance, log on to www.usa.epcos.com EPCOS, Inc., Iselin, NJ 08830 U.S.A. 800-888-7729 EPCOS – just everywhere… PASSIVE COMPONENT INDUSTRY MAY/JUNE 2003 11 Tantalum Future Continued from page 9 the canals, the railways and the electronics industry. Therefore, by overlaying this model on the electronics industry one can reasonably expect a similar long-term response in all that encompasses this broad and important market segment. So, if there are no other perturbations to the system, can we expect tantalum volumes to rebound to precrash equivalents? Picking an individual reference point may be the hard part; however, the reference point really is not important as it is much more complicated than that. There are a number of pertinent factors that complicate the picture, among them: 1) the impact and hangover associated with “aggressive marketing” by both tantalum capacitor manufacturers and powder suppliers, 2) bold and assertive product innovation focused on taking advantage of market trends and this “aggressive marketing,” and 3) the advances in electronic circuitry which have increased the need for low ESR and ESL solutions and introduced the models such as distributed capacitance. Let’s look at each of these factors on an individual basis. Aggressive Marketing When determining what the market will bear in a tight supply or shortage situation, a product’s place in its life cycle should be considered. This is Marketing 101. Mature technologies, with significant in-kind and not-in-kind competition, are very susceptible to the realities of price-volume elasticity. The consequences do not manifest themselves when the products are all in short supply (real or otherwise), as the customer has no choice under these conditions. Only when the situation evolves to equilibrium or an over-supply situation are the consequences observed. It is easy to say, or at least hope, that customers have short memories; however, this is not always the case. Independent of the reasons for the tantalum capacitor shortage (perception vs. reality) the compounding factor of large price increases pushed many customers to a point not achieved in prior cycles. The result, in many cases, was the elimination of tantalums wherever possible or across the board. What made this possible and sustainable was the proliferation of in-kind and not-in-kind technologies. Aggressive Product Innovation Tantalum polymer capacitors, aluminum polymer capacitors, niobium capacitors, and high capacitance ceramics are all coming into their own and challenging the domain of the traditional tantalum capacitor. The bubble, coupled with higher operating frequencies, allowed tantalum polymer capacitors to gain a foothold that would have otherwise taken more time and had less impact on tantalums. In addition, aluminum polymer capacitors, wound and stacked, are also aggressively 12 PASSIVE COMPONENT INDUSTRY MAY/JUNE 2003 attacking tantalums. One can only imagine the impact these products would have had on tantalums if they were available from multiple sources and on a mass scale during the period of high demand. In addition, many pundits see high capacitance ceramics as the capacitor product of the future. These devices are already aggressively attacking the 1-10mF range, on an economic basis, and will soon achieve economic parity at 22mF. The fact that continual product innovation is the lifeblood of any business and part of the natural evolutionary process is not news. What is of additional concern for tantalum is the potentially destabilizing effects of niobium. The point is that it is potentially foolhardy to ignore niobium in an attempt to maintain “business as is.” There are many opinions concerning the economics of niobium vs. tantalum; however, independent of opinion, there does appear to be room for niobium, should customers be willing to compromise on certain electrical performance criteria. Other than cost, it is not obvious that niobium offers anything over tantalum. That said, price might be enough. Market share being king in a down market, the perception is that the purer tantalum players are willing to meet price to protect their share position until something closer to market equilibrium is achieved. The strategic side of niobium is an opportunity to take power away from the traditional tantalum powder suppliers. As a tactic, this is reasonable and justifiable if it ultimately settles down the tremendous swings in tantalum powder pricing over the long term. There is nothing like introducing alternate materials of construction as well as alternate suppliers to settle down an oligopoly. And who is to say that niobium is the final word in volumetrically efficient materials? Volumetric efficiency is the domain of, and the single most important virtue of tantalum. If another material seizes this moniker from tantalum, its future potential dims significantly. Advances in Circuit Design As operating frequencies increase, so do the needs for products with low ESR and ESL. Parasitics become more problematic with increased circuit speeds, requiring changes in the physical structure and placement of components. Necessity being the mother of invention, there has been a proliferation of low ESR solutions available to designers. These low ESR solutions diminish the need for tantalum as a whole. Requirements for bulk capacitance will continue to decline as operating frequencies increase, further opening up opportunities for not-in-kind solutions. Additionally, models for distributed capacitance, which are being articulated and promulgated, will serve to only further diminish the need for bulk capacitance solutions. Continued on page 32 FEATURE Lowest ESR Tantalum Capacitors with High CV Values V. Döge and W. Braunwarth, EPCOS AG, Capacitor Division Background Standard tantalum capacitor technology offers high capacitance per volume in combination with high rated voltages. The demand for low ESR values in short-term switching and filtering applications increases year by year. Every new generation of processors requires higher electrical characteristics on the DC/DC converter. The working voltages of modern CPUs are getting lower, while voltage stability and power requirements are rising. Therefore, the corresponding in-series connected capacitor arrays have to lower their overall ESR and ESL values, and the sum capacitance has to increase. One promising approach to these challenges is to combine polymer technology with multiple anode technology. Multiple anode developments at EPCOS are not only focused on lower ESR, but also on the implementation of higher CV powders to get higher capacitance values. New powders will offer the opportunity to extend the capacitance range significantly above 1000mF. Thanks to the variety of capacitor technologies, it is possible to combine all these new technologies with amazing results. For example, a 1000µF with 10mΩ ESR multiple anode polymer capacitor is already in mass production. Introduction A popular trend in capacitor design is to reach lower ESR values while raising the capacitance values. Worldwide, there has been much research activity to meet the actual low ESR demand. One result is the development of molded SMD tantalum capacitors offering new low ESR values. All of these new products represent new technical solutions that differ more or less from classical ones. Standard tantalum anodes are made out of porous cylindrical or cuboid-like pellets. An electrochemical process forms the amorphous Ta2O5 dielectric layer. The negative side of the dielectric is commonly coated by manganese dioxide or a conducting polymer. The outer part of the resulting anodized body is contacted with graphitic and silver paint layers. In a common mechanical construction an in-sintered tantalum wire builds the electrical positive contact to 14 PASSIVE COMPONENT INDUSTRY MAY/JUNE 2003 Figure 1: Schematic structures of a tantalum capacitor body. the sintered pellet. This wire is welded to the outer metallic terminal. The negative side of the capacitor element is represented by the outer paint layer. The electrical contact of this layer to the negative terminal is formed by conductive glue. Figure 1 shows the cross section of a tantalum chip capacitor that represents standard tantalum or niobium mounting technology. Origin of ESR and Capacitance The ESR of a capacitor is determined by the sum of effective ohmic series resistances in the overall capacitor arrangement. It is represented by the real part of the complex impedance Z. Z = ESR + iωLeff - i/(ωCeff) ω angular frequency Leff effective inductance of the capacitor Ceff effective capacitance of the capacitor The impedance of an electrolytic capacitor is determined by its microstructure. A realistic electrical equivalent circuit has to be built with three dimensional interconnected transmission line elements representing the pore structure of the capacitor pellet. Simplified, one can discuss the impedance response in terms of a linear RC-transmission line. Therefore, the ESR of a tantalum or niobium capacitor is frequency dependent. Low ESR It is a result of geometric effects in electromagnetic wave propagation and the frequency dependency of loss mechanisms. The ESR value commonly mentioned in tantalum data books is specified for the frequency of 100kHz. Every electric path from the negative to the positive capacitor terminal has a certain contribution to the ESR. Main ESR contributions result from: • the MnO 2 or conducting polymer layer • the graphite and silver paint layer • the conductive adhesive • contact resistances between adjacent layers • the dielectric layer • the metallic terminals Replacing MnO 2 by conducting polymers with metallic-like electric conductivity was a very important step on the way to lowest ESR capacitors. The commonly used conductive polymers reveal a specific electric conductivity that is two to five orders higher than that of MnO2. The usage of a conducting polymer will reduce the ESR level at 100kHz of a certain capacitor type by approximately 30% to 60 %. A loss mechanism in tantalum and niobium electrolytic capacitors is typically found in addition to the electronic bulk and contact resistances polarization in the dielectric. The electrical capacitance C of a certain tantalum capacitor element is mainly determined by its microscopic surface, the thickness of the dielectric layer and, more generally, the dielectric constant of the effective dielectric. C = e 0 e rA/d dielectric constants e0 , e r A effective surface of the dielectric d thickness of the dielectric Because of stability aspects, one needs a minimum thickness in the dielectric layer. Therefore the capacitance of certain pellet geometry can only be raised by using powder of higher specific charge. Currently, powder suppliers offer powders up to 150mC/g. The higher specific charge results from using powder particles with smaller grain sizes. Smaller grain sizes lead to smaller average pore sizes. The result is that high capacitance powder is limited to rated voltages up to 10-16 volts. Lowest ESR – Highest Capacitance ESR optimization of the standard tantalum capacitor design has been done for decades. It involves the variation of the pellet design and the adjustment of coating processes. However, essential progress in decreasing the ESR-level is only possible when processes or designs undergo major changes. New technologies now provide the lowest ESR and highest capacitance, or “Multiple Anode Polymer.” Let our Amitron unit’s world-class LTCC service get you a prototype ASAP: Send for our new, free design guide! Need a multilayer network for a high-density, highfrequency application? Looking at a complex design full of interconnects? Our Amitron subsidiary will do the job right — and right quick! • $1 million in new, world-class LTCC equipment manned by an experienced staff • 200 mm format capability • Established DuPont, Ferro & Heraeus materials and systems • Stringent process control guarantees performance • For added integration, we also offer: – High-performance, advanced etched photolithography conductor processing – Passive element tuning by YAG lasers – Gold and solder plating for robust manufacturing – 100% continuity testing and brazing capabilities – Plus world-renowned microwave-circuit design and testing, by Anaren To learn more about Amitron LTCC — call the number below or e-mail ltcc@anaren.com Multiple Anode Design Typical 2- to 6-polymer low profile anodes with close contact to each neighbor are put between the inner metallic terminals (Figure 2). The result is an inner parallel connection of individual capacitor elements. When three elements are combined, the ESR value of the complete component is reduced to one third of the single element. The larger surface of the conductive paint contributes to the good ESR behavior Continued on page 30 PASSIVECOMPONENT INDUSTRY MAY/JUNE 2003 15 ® 800-411-6596 > www.anaren.com In Europe, call 44-2392-232392 ISO 9001 certified Visa/MasterCard accepted (except in Europe) FEATURE The Business of Mining Tantalum David Paull, Sons of Gwalia Ltd. I t is a better than even money bet that the tantalum used to make the powder currently going into tantalum capacitors in 2003 comes from one of two mines operated by Sons of Gwalia Ltd (SGW) in Western Australia. Given the significant supply position and the importance of SGW’s mining operations in terms of reserves and production capabilities to support the global tantalum industry, it is important that consumers have an understanding of where this tantalum comes from, how it is produced and what the future holds for these tantalum assets. Sons of Gwalia • Market capitalization of US$225M • Reserves of nearly 100Mlb Ta2O5 managed for a specific volume of production, whereas byproduct-mining production is dependent on the markets for the principal product. The Benefits of Hard Rock Mining One of the principal benefits of hard rock mining is that the contained resources, which are the building blocks of any mining operation, are more readily quantifiable. This means that there is a high degree of confidence that the tantalum is in the rocks and, with economic analysis, that it can be recovered in a commercially viable manner. The size of the resources can either be limited by the geological structure concerned or, as is the case in both Greenbushes and Wodgina, by the data. There is continuing scope with additional drilling at the Greenbushes and Wodgina mines to continue to increase reserves and resources with additional data. With the high level of confidence regarding the size of the resources, engineering can then be undertaken to design a mining operation and a processing combination that meet the business objectives of the mine’s owner. • Production capacity of 3.0Mlb Ta2O5 per annum • Mine lives of +20 years • Quality and Environmental management processes ISO accredited • Consistent, dependable producer of high quality tantalum concentrates “Sons of Gwalia’s strategy is to provide the global tantalum industry a base load of tantalum minerals at consistent and reasonable pricing in order for the entire industry to maintain its attractive rate of growth.” Figure 1: Hard rock mining SGW owns the Greenbushes and Wodgina tantalum mines. These are hard rock mines developed solely for their tantalum content. Many other mining sources of tantalum are a result of chasing other minerals, such as tin, where the tantalum is a valuable byproduct. This differentiation is important, as SGW’s mines are 16 PASSIVE COMPONENTINDUSTRY MAY/JUNE 2003 Readers should understand that we are talking about relatively low concentrations of tantalum in ore. Grades at the high-grade Wodgina mine, for instance, average around 350 parts per million. In addition, to achieve economic concentrations of tantalum, approximately 3 tons of rock need to be removed for every ton of the ore. A hard rock mine requires drilling and blasting of the Continued on page 18 Sons of Gwalia Continued from page 16 rock, then digging and hauling to the treatment facility. Then, the ore is crushed and ground to assist with liberation of the tantalum minerals from the host rock. Other sources of tantalum are principally alluvial in nature, whereby panning and other forms of surface extraction can gather pure tantalite crystals. These normally require a measure of beneficiation before packaging and shipment to tantalum processors. Due to the often random distribution of tantalite across quite large surface areas, it is often difficult to quantify grades and tons available to alluvial miners and hence mine life. SGW’S Tantalum Mines SGW’s mines support significant processing facilities, with a 3 million tons per annum treatment capability at the Wodgina mine in the northwest of Western Australia, and a 4 million tons per annum treatment capability at the Greenbushes mine in the southwest of Western Australia. Gre enbushes The Greenbushes mine is based on the geologically famous Greenbushes pegmatite, which is the largest zoned mineralized pegmatite in the world and is some 3.5km long by 0.5km wide. Reserves at Greenbushes total around 44Mlb Ta2O5 with an additional 64Mlb in resources. The ore body also contains tin and lithium, which are economically recovered as a byproduct or co-product. gravity and magnetic separation techniques. The mineral assemblage is a key, as processing requires the ability to remove impurity elements based on relative specific gravity. As the specific gravity of tantalum and niobium is quite similar, the tantalum and niobium are concentrated to a similar extent. Hence, to produce a tantalum concentrate the ratio of niobium to tantalum in the original mineral assemblage usually needs to be around 1:1 or less. Only certain pegmatites, such as the Greenbushes and Wodgina ore bodies, have the mineral species that can achieve a high percentage tantalum concentrate. The Greenbushes mine is certified ISO14002 for environmental management and ISO9001 for quality, and was one of the first mines in Australia to achieve such status. The Importance of Concentrated Tantalum There are numerous deposits around the World that contain high quantities of tantalum and niobium. Many of these deposits, however, have niobium to tantalum ratios of 10:1 or more. Low cost separation techniques like those used at Greenbushes and Wodgina are not effective in achieving a high tantalum concentrate in these circumstances. Therefore, more costly and complex hydro-metallurgical flowsheets are required in order to achieve a tantalum product attractive to the secondary processes. In 1992, the mine was developed as a hard rock operation, which required more sophisticated and substantial crushing and grinding capabilities to extract the contained tantalum minerals. Over time and through continual investment, the Greenbushes operation has Figure 2: Greenbushes production The Greenbushes mine has a long history, with mining activities commencing in 1888. Mining of Greenbushes was initially for the near-surface tin deposits, which covered the top of the pegmatite. It was only in the 1960s and early 1970s that mining specifically for tantalum overtook the importance of tin in terms of revenues. Processing of Greenbushes ore is achieved through 18 PASSIVECOMPONENT INDUSTRY MAY/JUNE 2003 Figure 3: Greenbushes aerial photo Continued on page 20 Sons of Gwalia Continued from page 18 increased its production capabilities from 400,000lb/pa to more than 1.2Mlb/pa. The Greenbushes mineralized pegmatite is massive, and the current operation is at a relatively low extraction rate given the size of the deposit. If the deposit was copper or nickel and the market demand did not limit the economic development of this deposit, the Greenbushes pegmatite is capable of supporting a mining operation some three times the size producing more than 3.5Mlb/pa, for more than 20 years. Due to depressed market conditions, the Greenbushes underground mining operation, which was near completion in terms of development, was deferred in 2002. All ore is now being treated from the relatively lower grade open pit. Should the market require, the higher-grade Greenbushes underground mine can be restarted on relatively short notice, and production from the operation increased from 0.9Mlb to 1.3Mlb. Figure 5: Wodgina aerial photo Wo dgina The Wodgina mine first operated as a tin mine around World War I. During World War II, it was opened by the British Metal Company, which mined the area for surface deposits of tantalum. The tantalum was used in the construction of the early radar systems that helped protect England during the Battle of Britain. The Wodgina mine is actually the first mine developed solely for its tantalum. It was reopened in the mid 1980s and SGW purchased this property in June, 1996. SGW Figure 6: Mining at Wodgina SGW’S Marketing Strategy Figure 4: Wodgina production subsequently conducted a significant drilling program and increased reserves/resources tenfold, which has enabled three progressive expansions to be completed. Given the reduced production at Greenbushes, the Wodgina mine at 1.2Mlb per annum is now the largest producing tantalum mine in the world. It can maintain this level of production for at least 20 years, and the size of the resource is limited by the amount of drilling data required. 20 PASSIVE COMPONENT INDUSTRY MAY/JUNE 2003 Since 1996, SGW’s two tantalum mines have increased production by 200%. This remarkable growth was achieved by having very large and high-quality resources, and by the market support provided by SGW’s two customers, Cabot Corporation and HC Starck. Since 1992, SGW has entered into long-term fixed price and quantity contracts with these two customers, which has allowed SGW to continue to invest with confidence in its mining resources. This investment was important to support the industry’s transition from dependence on tin slag retreatment and byproduct production to the sustainable and predictable long-term ore sources provided by hard rock mining. Given the small nature of the tantalum market and the level of consolidation that has occurred over time, such investments by SGW would not be justifiable without these customer commitments. Because of these commitments and the company’s successful investment Sons of Gwalia Letter From ECA Continued from page 5 over the demand and supply as possible. Another Opportunity Figure 7: Tantalum product shipments of over A$300M in these high-quality tantalum assets, during the last 4-5 years SGW has been able to support the growth aspirations of the tantalum industry. Since the mid 1990s, the use of tantalum in electronics has grown considerably to the point where more than 60% of tantalum is consumed in the electronics sector. This steady increase in tantalum usage in electronics is driven by the increase in the volume of tantalum capacitors consumed in the electronics industry. These increases owe as much to the increasing availability of raw materials at consistent pricing from miners such as SGW, as they do to the technology road maps followed by designers during this time. SGW’s strategy is to provide a base load feed for the tantalum industry at a stable and consistent cost, so the tantalum industry can predict, with confidence, the cost and supply of tantalum raw materials used in various end products. As the tantalum industry, and the tantalum capacitor industry in particular, start to recover, SGW intends to remain a responsible longterm provider of tantalum raw materials. The company plans to continually reinvest in its production capability and its resources, to allow the tantalum industry to grow in confidence. It is through this continued growth that all participants in the industry will prosper. ECA meetings such as the one in the spring provide access to information from leaders within all sectors of the electronic flow wheel. Participants have the opportunity to exchange information and viewpoints, and to network with competitors, business associates, and potential partners. The next opportunity will be the ECA Summer Meeting the week of June 16 in Hilton Head Island, S.C. For more information, visit www. ec-central.org. —Bob Willis is president of ECA, the electronic components sector of the Electronic Industries Alliance (EIA). He can be reached at rwillis@ecaus.org. PASSIVE COMPONENT INDUSTRY MAY/JUNE 2003 21 FEATURED TECHNICAL PAPER Basic Tantalum Capacitor Technology John Gill AVX Ltd., Tantalum Division Introduction Surface mount technology tantalum capacitors are increasingly being used in new circuit designs because of their volumetric efficiency, basic reliability and process compatibility. Additionally, they are replacing aluminum electrolytics, which use a wet electrolyte. This electrolyte tends to have problems with drying out during the manufacturing reflow of components to a circuit board. The steady state and dynamic reliability of a tantalum capacitor are influenced by several factors under the control of the circuit design engineer. These factors are maximum operating temperature and circuit impedance. It is also of interest that because of the solid nature of the tantalum capacitor’s construction, there is no known wear out mechanism in tantalum capacitors. This paper has been written to provide the user of tantalum capacitors with an idea of the effect of design criteria on the capacitor, and the methods used in their production. high voltage capacitors. This is because when the dielectric is produced, it grows out of the surface of the tantalum powder by about one third of the thickness and into the powder by around two thirds, thus if small particle size powders were used, each particle would quickly become consumed and isolated. The production of the dielectric will be discussed in more detail later. Since capacitance is proportional to surface area, the larger the surface area the more final capacitance. Over the past ten years the powder CV (capacitance/voltage product), which is a measure of the volumetric efficiency, has increased steadily through joint development programs between AVX and the powder suppliers. This increase has been brought about by changing the particle shape from spheres to flakes, and in recent years to a coral type structure, as shown in the stylized drawings in Figure 1. Figure 2 shows scanning electron microscope (SEM) photographs of a low CV, a medium CV and a high CV powder. The change in particle size is easily apparent. Low CV Medium CV High CV Tantalum Powder Tantalum capacitors are manufactured from a powder of pure tantalum metal. A typical particle size for a high voltage powder would be 10µm. By carefully choosing which powder is used to produce each capacitance/voltage code the surface area can be controlled. Powders with large particle size are used to produce (8000 CV/g) (18000 CV/g) Magnification x 4k (27000 CV/g) Figure 2: Particle size variation in CV powder. Manufacture (a) Pre ssing Figure 1: Development of high gain tantalum powders. 22 PASSIVE COMPONENT INDUSTRY MAY/JUNE 2003 The powder is mixed with a suitable binder/lubricant to ensure that the particles will adhere to each other when pressed to form the anode, and flow easily into the press tool. The powder is then compressed under high pressure around a tantalum wire to make a tantalum Continued on page 24 ECA’s Distribution WhereHouse is a comprehensive online catalogue of products available through authorized distribution. The WhereHouse complements ECA’s programs that promote the distribution channel as a major sales and marketing vehicle for manufacturers. Users can search by product or manufacturer. ECA Resource Central is the one place where you can find any information you need about electronic components in real time. The Distribution WhereHouse makes the product distribution channel visible to customers. It also provides an opportunity for ECA members to market their products. To find out more, visit the ECA Resource Central Distribution WhereHouse. www.ec-central.org 2500 Wilson Blvd. Arlington, VA 22201 Tel: 703-907-7500 • Fax: 703-875-8908 Technical Paper Continued from page 22 “slug”. The term “slug” is used in the tantalum capacitor manufacturing industry to refer to the tantalum. The riser wire will eventually become the anode connection to the capacitor. Figure 3 shows an SEM picture showing how the particles have been bound together. The binder/lubricant is driven off by heating the slugs under vacuum at temperatures around 150°C for several minutes. Figure 3: SEM of pressed Pressing is followed by powder particles. sintering at high temperature (typically 1500°C-2000°C) under vacuum. This causes the individual particles to join together to form a sponge-like structure. This structure is of high mechanical strength and density, but is also highly porous, giving a large internal surface area. If the anodes are sintered too long or at too high a temperature, the particles fuse together too much, and thus the final capacitance of the anode will be too low. Similarly if the anodes are sintered for too short a time, or the furnace temperature is too low, the capacitance will be too high. A verification is made on each sinter lot by anodizing several quality control anodes and performing a wet capacitance check. To illustrate how much surface area is inside a common value tantalum capacitor, let us take the example of a typical 22mF 25 volt rated part: Capacitance, C = E Eo A / d where E is the dielectric constant for tantalum pentoxide (about 27 ) Eo is the dielectric constant for free space ( 8.855 x 10-12 Farads / m) A is the surface area in m2 and d is the dielectric thickness in m (b) Sintering The dielectric thickness is given by the equation: d = Typical formation ratio x Rated voltage x Dielectric growth rate in meters / V = 4 x 25 x 1.7 x 1O-9 = O.17µm Substituting this value into equation 1 and rea rranging gives: Surface area, A = (Cd) / Eo = (22 x 10 -6 x O.17 x 10 -6) / (27 x 8.855 x 10-12) = 0.0156 m 2 or 156 cm 2 24 PASSIVE COMPONENT INDUSTRY MAY/JUNE 2003 which is the same size as a standard 6″x 4″ photograph or birthday card. The sintering process also helps to drive off the majority of the impurities within the powder by migration to the surface. Figure 4 shows the same powder type anode as previously seen in Figure 3, after it has been sintered. The joints between particles are clearly visible. The tantalum slugs are now welded onto a metal carrier strip to enable subsequent processes of manufacture, and a Teflon washer is added to the riser wire. This prevents the manganese dioxide counter electrode from passing up the wire and causing short circuits during manufacture. When the slugs have been welded to the carrier strip Figure 4: SEM showthey are then referred to as a ing how particles “stringer” of anodes. have merged during sintering. (c) Die le ctric Formation The next stage is the production of the dielectric layer of tantalum pentoxide. This is produced by the electrochemical process of anodization. The slugs are dipped into a very weak solution of acid, for example phosphoric acid, at an elevated temperature, for example 85°C, and the voltage and current are controlled to form the pentoxide layer. Tantalum is valve metal, and the amorphous pentoxide grown is able to form a uniform, closely coupled layer over the tantalum surface. Figure 5 shows an SEM picture of a slug that has been cracked into two pieces to show the dielectric layer. The dielectric thickness is controlled by the voltage Tantalum Metal applied during the formation process. Initially the power supply is kept at a constant current until the required formation voltage has been reached. The power supply is then kept at a constant voltage to ensure the correct dielectric thickness is formed all over the Tantalum Pentoxide (Dielectric) Tantalum slug’s surface, and Figure 5: SEM show- therefore the forming current decays. Figure 6 shows the ing dielectric layer. typical voltage and current profiles measured during the formation process. The chemical equations describing the anodization process are as follows: Anode: 2 Ta 2 Ta5+ + 10 e 5 2 Ta + + 10 OH Ta2O5 + 5 H 2O 5H2 +10 OHCathode: 10 H 2O + 10 e Continued on page 26 Technical Paper Continued from page 24 As was stated earlier, the oxide forms on the surface Figure 6: A typical anode formation profile. of the tantalum, but it also grows into the metal. For each unit of oxide one-third grows out and two-thirds grow in. Intrinsic to the dielectric are a low ppm level of impurity sites that are evenly distributed over the anode. The impurity sites give a characteristic leakage signature for the capacitor. For a given dielectric thick ness their statistical distribution will give a characteristic per square, so a capacitor having twice the capacitance value of another of the same voltage rating will typically have twice the leakage current. Because the pentoxide grows into the anode as well as upon its surface, these impurities can be partially isolated as shown in Figure 7, if the formation voltage is increased. There is a limit of how far the formation voltage can be increased, since the capacitance of the part falls as the dielectric thickens. The formation voltage can be checked visually by examining the color of the slug. This is because different The capacitor’s formation voltage is typically 3 to 4 times the capacitor’s rated voltage. This is to ensure good reliability. It is also because when forming the dielectric, one actually produces a semiconducting tantalum oxide region between the wanted pentoxide and the tantalum metal. This region is kept to a minimum by removing the stringers from the formation bath when approximately 90% of the final formation voltage is reached, and placing the stringers in an oven at approximately 350°C to 400°C. This semiconducting region is why tantalum capacitors are polar devices. Figure 8 shows the reverse leakage characteristics of several different voltage rated parts. Note the similarity to the behavior of a diode. The dielectric will be subjected to very large electric field strengths in the finished capacitor. It is for this reason that tantalum capacitor manufacturers recommend derating of at least 50% to further improve the reliability of the product. Consider again a 22mF 25V part: Formation voltage = Typical formation Ratio x Rated Voltage = 4 x 25 = 100 Volts Figure 8: Reverse voltage leakage current. The pentoxide (Ta2O5) dielectric grows at a rate of 1.7 x 10 -9 m / V: Dielectric thickness (d) = 100 x 1.7 x 10-9 = O.17µm Electric Field strength = Working Voltage / d = 25 / 0.17 x 10-6 = 147 kV/mm Figure 7: Isolation of impurities during dielectric growth. thicknesses of dielectric create different interference patterns when light is shown onto them, similar to an oil film on water. For example, a light green color could mean a formation voltage in the range 100 to 104 volts and a light purple color could mean a range of 72 to 76 volts. 26 PASSIVE COMPONENT INDUSTRY MAY/JUNE 2003 (d) Manganizing The next stage of manufacture is the production of the cathode electrode plate. This is achieved by pyrolysis of manganese nitrate into manganese dioxide. The “slug” is dipped into an aqueous solution of manganese nitrate and then baked in an oven at approximately 250°C to produce a dioxide coat. Continued on page 28 Technical Paper Continued from page 26 The chemical equation, simplified, is: Mn (NO 3)2 Mn O 2 + 2 NO 2 This process is repeated several times through varying concentrations of nitrate soManganese lution to ensure good penetraDioxide tion of the anode, and to build up a thick outer coat on the surTantalum Metal face of the capacitor. Figure 9 Tantalum shows a manganized anode. The Pentoxide flake-like outer layer is the manganese dioxide. This has a Figure 9: SEM of resistivity of about 1 to 10 V/cm. manganized anode. frame tab. The stringer is then cut away leaving the element attached to the lead frame. The silver glue is cured and the element is then molded into an epoxy resin case. This ensures excellent pick-and-placeability, and tight control over the component’s dimensions. The molded body is finally coded with its capacitance and rated voltage values, and then tested for all its electrical parameters; capacitance, leakage current, impedance and ESR. Figure 11 shows a sectioned capacitor, with all the areas of interest highlighted. Anode Teflon Washer (e ) Ref o rm Anode Wire The stringers are now dipped into an acid bath, generally of acetic acid, and a voltage applied of approximately half the original forming voltage. This removes manganese from high leakage current areas within the slug and grows a dielectric layer to plug the site. Weld Leadframe (f ) Ex ternal co ntact laye rs The stringer is then dipped into a graphite dispersion and transferred to an oven where it is heated to ensure good adherence to the slug. The process is then repeated with a silver dispersion to proLeadframe vide the final connection layer to the cathode terminal. Figure Silver 10 shows a section through the Loaded Epoxy capacitor with all the external Silver contact layers labeled. Outer Coat The graphite layer is used to Anode Manganese Dioxide Graphite prevent the silver layer from coming into direct contact with Figure 10: External the manganese dioxide. If this contact layers. were to occur a chemical reaction would take place, and the silver would be oxidized to high-resistivity silver oxide, and the manganese dioxide reduced to manganese (III) oxide, which again has a high resistivity. The part would therefore become high resistance, and the capacitor would cease to function adequately. Ag + 2 Mn O2 Ag O + Mn 2O3 The stringer now contains up to 70 finished processed anodes, also known as elements, which can be assembled into the appropriate package. The available packages are many and varied. The two most common are covered here. Packaging a) Surf ace m o unt package The element’s cathode terminals are joined to the cathode lead frame tab using silver loaded epoxy resin, and the anode riser wire is welded to the anode lead 28 PASSIVE COMPONENT INDUSTRY MAY/JUNE 2003 Silver Loaded Epoxy Figure 11: Section of SMD tantalum chip. b) Re sin dippe d package The anode riser wire is welded onto the anode lead wire, and cut away from the stringer. The cathode lead termination is soldered to the silvered anode by dipping the silvered anode and cathode lead wire into a solder bath. The unit is then dipped into an epoxy-based encapsulant, and transferred to an oven for curing. Negative Wire The encapsulation is coded with the capacitor ’s capaciPositive Wire tance and rated voltage values. Finally the capacitor is tested for all its electrical parameters: Anode Weld capacitance, leakage current, impedance and ESR. Figure 12: Section Figure 12 shows a sectioned of resin dipped finished unit. Areas of interest s o l i d t a n t a l u m are highlighted. c a pacitor. Electrical Characteristics The electrical characteristics of a tantalum capacitor are determined by its structure, for example, the ESR of a tantalum capacitor is very dependent on the tantalum pentoxide dielectric at low frequencies and on the internal manganese dioxide at higher frequencies. There are several papers published by AVX that explain in detail the factors affecting capacitor behavior. Continued on page 40 Low ESR EPCOS series in the same case size and with the same CV value. The ESR value at 100kHz is essentially lower when three capacitor elements are used in the multiple anode design, and lowest when polymer-coated elements are used. At the low frequency end of the spectra shown in Figure 4, the ESR of the multiple polymer anode reaches the values of the standard multiple anode type. This behavior is typical for conductive polymer tantalum Continued from page 15 ESR Dispersion of Tantalum Capacitors 470µF / 6.3V Figure 2: Multiple anode polymer capacitor. of this design, as compared to a standard single anode capacitor. This produces a lower resistive contact of the dielectric. Electrical characterization Impedance spectra show the electrical effects of different capacitor designs. Each measurement represents the linear response of the capacitor related to a sinoidal voltage excitation. At the upper and lower end of the shown frequency range in Figure 3, the modulus of the impedance Z is dominated by the capacitive or the inductive contributions. At frequencies around 100kHz up to 1Mhz, the ESR dominates the impedance. Figure 3 shows the ESR and Z curves of the 1000mF 4V type for the high capacitance series and for the two EPCOS multiple anode series. Compared to the single anode capacitor, the MnO2 type multiple anode shows approximately 50% of the ESR value at 100kHz; the polymer type less than 20%. Figure 4 shows the ESR dispersion of three different Figure 3: Impedance spectra comparison of single anode and threefold multiple anode designs. 30 PASSIVECOMPONENT INDUSTRY MAY/JUNE 2003 Figure 4: ESR dispersion of tantalum capacitors. Capacitance Dispersion of Tantalum Capacitors 470µF / 6.3V Figure 5: Capacitance dispersion of tantalum capacitors. Continued on page 32 Low ESR Continued from page 30 capacitors. When coated with polymer, a different selfhealing process appears compared to that at the MnO2 / Ta2O5 interface. The polymer self-healing mechanism results in a slightly higher leakage current level unlike that of the MnO 2, and the corresponding low frequency ESR value rises. In general, a lower specified ESR value of a tantalum capacitor shifts the so-called capacitance roll-off to higher frequencies. A corresponding effect is the decrease of the resonant frequency w0. The resonant frequency w= is defined by the identity of wLeff and 1/(wCeff). The effective capacitance Ceff at w0 is generally different from the specified value. Data book values are related to the frequency of 120Hz. Conclusion Multiple-element, low-ESR design is essential when very low ESR values have to be obtained. Multiple anode technology offers the opportunity to combine lowest ESR values with highest capacitance values. A principle decision is to use either MnO2 or polymer-coated types. Lowest ESR values can only be obtained by using polymercoated capacitor elements. A 1000µF/4V in 10mΩ is already available at EPCOS. A 1500µF/4V with 6mΩ will be available soon. Tantalum Future Dead,” Business 2.0, March 2002, pp.65-72. Continued from page 12 The seeming plethora of solutions, while problematic to some, is to be expected. Independent of the market, solution proliferation is the norm. Product segmentation and sub-segmentation, as with market segmentation, represents an opportunity to add and retain value for the truly innovative company. Conclusion Where does all this discussion leave us relative to the ultimate demand for tantalum capacitors and its corresponding position as a cash cow? It is rather simple: tantalum is on a decline as a percentage of the total pie, but managed correctly, life as a cash cow is still possible. There are a considerable number of competitors in the marketplace, each with their own corporate and product strategy. The rate of new and innovative solutions will continue to increase, with a corresponding impact on this share position. In addition, the synergistic impact of high prices and lack of availability during the bubble have left a negative and lasting impression on customers. The bottom line is the continued erosion of the tantalum market at a rate greater than that consistent with a product at this point in its life cycle. There will always be a place for tantalum as it matures, given the particular benefits it brings to customers. That said, it will not be the cash cow it was in past years. The strategic competitors must look closely at their product portfolio, making certain they have the right mix of mature, growing, and emerging technologies to optimize profit and cash flow, and to guarantee the future. References [1] W. Brian Arthur, “Is the Information Revolution 32 PASSIVECOMPONENT INDUSTRY MAY/JUNE 2003 Dr. Daniel Pe rsico is a strategist for the passive component industry. Dan has 20 years of industrial experience primarily in sales, marke ting, business development and te chnology, most recently with KEMET Electronics.Dan is a contributing editor to Passive Components Industry magazine. Leading Manufacturers of Tantalum Capacitors If interested in submitting an article, contact Eric Gregg by July 11, 2003 at sales@paumanokgroup.com or call (919) 468-0384 NEWSMAKERS RCD Expands Surface Mount Power Resistor Line RCD Components has expanded its MWM resistor family with six new models of molded wirewound resis tors. RCD Series MWM features inherent wirewound performance (per MIL-R-26) designed for applications that are too demanding for film resistors. The MWM product line includes eleven sizes ranging from 0.5-watt to 5-watts including three new low-profile models. RCD’s new mini low-profile package sizes include a 0.5-watt (MWM1/2L), 1-watt (MWM1L) and 2-watt (MWM2L) specifically designed for ultra-low ohmic applications and available in a limited resistance range from 0.002W to 0.2W, with tolerances from 0.01% to 10%. Dimensions are .200″ long x .100″ x wide x .053″ high for the MWM1/2 (0.5W), .250″ long x .126″ wide x .057″ high for the MWM1L (1W) and .330″ x .157″ x .057″ for MWM2L (2W). Additionally, RCD released 3 new intermediate sizes, including a 2-watt (MWM2S), 2.7-watt (MWM27) and a 3-watt (MWM3S) that offer package savings of nearly 40% when compared to their traditional counterparts. RCD’s MWM2S, MWM27 and MWM3S models are available in a wide resistance range from 0.005W to 25KW, and tolerances from 0.01% to 10%. Typical pricing is less than $.39 each at 1000 piece level for the 0.5-watt and about $.90 for the 5-watt version. Available through RCD’s SWIFT™ delivery program (Ship WIthin Fifty Two hours) for faster delivery requirements with a modest price premium, or standard production lead-times of six to eight weeks. Vishay Develops Thin-Film Back Contact Resistors for Film Stability Vishay Intertechnology announced a series of thinfilm resistors designed to help makers of commercial- and military-grade hybrid assemblies create more compact designs while significantly reducing assembly costs. 34 PASSIVECOMPONENT INDUSTRY MAY/JUNE 2003 The Vishay Electro-Films Back Contact Resistor (BCR) series combines film stability over time and temperature with a single-bond design that reduces the number of steps required to manufacture hybrid circuits and minimizes the resistor footprint, ultimately reducing board space. With dimensions of just 0.020″ by 0.020″ (0.50mm by 0.50mm) the BCR devices are among the smallest resistor chips available on the market. The resistor chips require just one wire bond because a second electrical connection is made through the back of the chip, which may be attached to the substrate either eutectically or with conductive epoxy. Available in a resistance range from 10W to 1MW, with tight tolerance values down to 0.1% and TCR values ranging from ±250ppm/°C down to ±25ppm/°C, the new BCR resistor chips feature a maximum operating voltage of 75V, a breakdown voltage of 200V, and a DC power rating of 250mW at +70°C. Samples and production quantities of the BCR series are available now, with lead times of two weeks for stock orders and 12 weeks for custom orders. Pricing for U.S. delivery in 1,000-piece quantities with a tolerance of 1% and TCR of ±250ppm/˚C is $0.60. For more information, visit www.vishay.com. AVX Introduces Microwave SLC with Tighter Temperature Characteristics AVX Corporation introduced a microwave single layer X7S dielectric capacitor (SLC) family. The new dielectric, designated “Z”, was developed as a replacement for Z5U and Y5V dielectrics currently used in SLC capacitors, to improve on the inherent weaknesses of these systems – namely limited operating temperature range and widely variable temperature characteristics. The new SLC family can operate over an expanded temperature range of -55˚C to +125˚C, and offers much tighter temperature characteristics of ±22%. “This new series provides a range of dielectric constants from 2,500 to 15,000 and features dissipation factors less than 2.5% at 1KHz, thereby offering another advantage over both Z5U and Y5V dielectrics,” said Larry Eisenberger, AVX Senior Applications Engineer. “This capacitor can be used in high frequency broadband applications where other SLCs would be less than ideal. The broadband characteristics and high dielectric constants make the “Z” dielectric ideal for use in wireless and optical communications products.” Applications for the “Z” dielectric include decoupling, wireless LANs, and use in the telecommunications Newsmakers market. Made from fine grained, high-density ceramic dielectric, the surface finish is especially well suited for thermo compression wire bonding. In addition, sputtered electrodes provide exceptional termination strength. Typical pricing for the “Z” dielectric capacitors ranges from $0.25 to $1.00 with lead times from stock to four weeks. The cost and lead time of the units varies depending on the quantity and specifications desired. For more information on the AVX single layer capacitor series, see www.avxcorp.com. the company’s four major categories of inductors, including surface mount RF inductors, surface mount power inductors, leaded RF inductors and leaded power inductors. A glossary of terms, views of applicationspecific base designs, and information about technical data available at the company’s website are also provided in the 80-page catalog. Included in the catalog are more than a dozen new products introduced since the last printing. They include five SMP Molded Power Surface Mount Inductors for power applications (including vertical mount and shielded designs), four SMT Toroidal Surface Mount Inductors for power applications (including low profile and high current designs), two SMRF Surface Mount Inductors for RF applications (unshielded and shielded designs) and two CC Ceramic Chip Inductors for RF applications. For additional information, visit www.gowanda.com. Littlefuse Offers High-Power Transient Suppressor Littelfuse is now offering the AK series high-current silicon transient suppressor, for more efficient electrical and electronic device protection against destructive Gowanda Publishes Inductor Catalog Gowanda Electronics published a comprehensive product catalog that addresses technical specifications, design details, custom products and designer kits for higher power transient voltages. The AK series replaces the ganging of between 40 and 150 5000-watt silicon avalanche diodes (SAD), virtually eliminating manufacturing errors caused by incorrect board placement and connection of individual components. The series also simplifies design configuration and testing, while increasing operating efficiency with less capacitance, leakage and resistance. The AK series offers current handling up to 10,000 amps (using 8/20µS wave shape pulse as defined in IEC 61000.4.5) in a compact 16.5mm leaded package. The configuration allows module manufacturers to fit high levels of surge capacity into smaller envelopes, for example, a 10KA product into a slim DIN rail package. The device PASSIVE COMPONENT INDUSTRY MAY/JUNE 2003 35 Newsmakers utilizes Littelfuse’s exclusive FoldbakTM technology, that further lowers clamping voltage levels below the diode’s inherent “avalanche” state, providing increased protection levels. Offered in both an AK6 (6 kiloamp) and AK10 (10 kiloamp) series, the devices can be used for AC line protection in susceptible applications such as TVSS panels, motor controls, UPS, and power conversion, where both space and performance can be an issue. Littlefuse reports the AK series has been shown to increase manufacturing yields by up to 10 times by eliminating placement errors and rework during the board assembly process. For more information, see www.Littelfuse.com. J. W. Miller Introduces Multi Six Pack SMT I nductor/ Transformer Series J.W. Miller introduced the Multi Six Pack surface mount Inductor/Transformer Series. The series features dual functionality by acting as either an inductor or a transformer, and includes three sizes to provide a multitude of connection options for optimum connection versatility. The devices’ six-winding design allows engineers to wire each coil differently to create a wide range of values for individual application requirements. Functions can be changed without the need to add additional components to the board, saving space and providing more versatility for designing and modifying the board. This new series is offered in three sizes with the smallest measuring just 12.2 x 12.7 x 6.2mm (W x D x H), and is available in 32 part numbers. The six winding design allows over 20 different connection combinations per part number, providing over 600 inductor or transformer configurations. As an inductor, the series is suited for a wide range of applications including buck, boost, coupled, input, 36 PASSIVE COMPONENT INDUSTRY MAY/JUNE 2003 output, choke, filter, resonant, high-Q, EMI/RFI filtering, differential, forward, and common mode chokes. When used as a transformer, typical applications include fly back, forward, push-pull, bridge, multiple outputs, inverter, step-up, step-down, gate drive, base drive, signal, wide band, pulse, impedance, isolation and converter. Performance characteristics include a frequency range to over 1MHz, operating temperature range of -40°C to +105°C, and dielectric strength of 500Vrms between each winding. Other features include: low profile, low core loss at high frequency applications and low noise radiation. Multi Six Pack surface mount devices are shipped in tape and reel or tray packages priced from $0.95 in production quantities. For more information, see www.jwmiller.com. NESSCAP Announces Electric Double-Layer Capacitors NESSCAP announced new 4.6V Electric DoubleLayer Capacitors (EDLCs) in capacities of 1.5 farad and 3.5 farad, to act as a power bridge between conventional capacitors and batteries. The EDLCs are designed to supply peak power for portable and handheld devices that transmit data for 10 seconds of more. The NESS EDLC bridges the gap between the battery and capacitor by providing energy bursts that neither batteries nor traditional capacitors can provide efficiently. The EDLC relieves the battery of peak power functions to extend battery life and reduce battery size and cost. Delivering energy bursts that are 300 times that of conventional capacitors, NESSCAP says the new EDLCs offer significant advantages in applications such as mobile electronics where power, size and cost are at a premium. The 4.6V EDLC provides a seamless solution for retrofitting portable designs that commonly operate in the 4.5V-5V range. The EDLC is characterized by its high energy density (twice that of comparable products) made possible by a proprietary electrode and sp e c ia ll y d eve l op ed electrode manufacturing process. The 3.5F 4.6V EDLC exhibits capacitance of 3.5F and an ESR value of only 150mΩ (DC) at currents over 1 amp. Prices begin at $2 in OEM quantities of 2,000. For more information, see www.nesscap.com Newsmakers Frontier Releases SMD Low Profile Inductor Frontier Electronics introduced a series of low profile CSC042A-XXX SMD power inductors. The inductors are designed for SMD IR re-flow soldering and measure 6.5mm (length) x 5.3mm (width) x 2.0mm (height). Key specifications include: • Inductance from 1µH to 22µH • Low DCR from 0.11Ω to 0.8Ω • Operating current from 0.8A to 2.0A • Saturation current from 1.0A to 3.0A • Operating temperature from -40ºC to +85ºC • Self-shield • Inductance drops 30% max. of the initial value at Isat current • Temperature rise 40ºC max. Typical application is power supply filters, packaging is tape and reel, and delivery is 8-10 weeks ARO. For more information, see www.frontierusa.com. SEI Develops SM Series Wirewound Resistors Designed to provide power supply, automotive design and component engineers with true surface mount (SMD) precision high-power resistors rated at 1W to 3W, SEI Electronics introduced its SM Series of wirewound resistors. The series delivers resistance values from 0.01Ω to 3KΩ in tolerances from .1% to 5% and a standard temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR) of ±100 ppm/˚C to ± 20 ppm/˚C. The devices feature high-temperature molded encapsulation and all welded construction with tinned copper terminals to provide flex termination for absorbing thermal expansion. The SM Series is available in inductive and non-inductive styles and come in four types: • SM1 with a power rating of 1.0W @ 70˚C, max imum working voltage of 25V, TCR of ±100 ppm/˚C to ± 20 ppm/˚C, resistance range and tolerance of 0.01Ω to 1KΩ and to 0.1% with 10 to 1K R-values. • SM2 with a power rating of 2.0W @ 70˚C, max imum working voltages of 50V, TCR of ±100 ppm/˚C to ± 20 ppm/˚C, resistance range and tolerance of 0.01Ω to 2KΩ at 1% and 10Ω to 1KΩ at 0.1%. • SM2A with a power rating of 2.0W @ 70˚C, maximum working voltage of 60V, TCR of ±100 ppm/˚C, resistance range and tolerance of 0.01Ω to 0.1Ω at 1%. • SM3 with a power rating of 3.0W @ 70˚C, max imum working voltage of 100V, TCR of ±100 ppm/˚C to ± 20 ppm/˚C, resistance range and tolerance of 0.01Ω to 3KΩ at 1% and 5%. Special TCRs and 0Ω (jumpers) are available in all four types. Typical volume pricing for the SM Series wirewound resistors is in the mid $.20 to $.30 range, with a lead-time from 4 to 6 weeks. For more information about the SM Series wirewound resistors visit www.marketing@seielect.com. EPCOS Extends 3-Line EMC Filters to 150A EPCOS extended its 8A to 50A types of 3-line EMC filters by adding four new ratings: 66A, 90A, 120A and 150A. Designed to suppress interference in frequency converters and power electronics components, B84143-A**R105 standard series 3-line filters offer volume reduction and an approximate 30% price reduction compared to other line filters. Because of their low weight and compact design, the company said the filters are especially suited for applications where space is at a premium, such as switching cabinets. The entire series is currently available from stock. For more information, see www.epcos.com. Selco Introduces Custom Thermistors and Probes Selco Products Company introduced customizable CS Series Thermistors and CP Series Probes. These negative (NTC) temperature coefficent thermistors and probes can be modified from Selco’s standard thermistor product line to completely custom designs. The company said it has virtually unlimited options in materials, configurations, connections, lead types and lengths, and can provide versatile packaging options to provide labor saving cost economies and value-added convenience for OEM manufacturers. “Working from the OEM’s drawing and specifications, Selco can produce the most specialized product that allows easy incorporation into the end-product,” said James Reed, Director of Operations for Selco Products. “OEMs looking for special thermistor/probe packaging requirements can request virtually any configuration and obtain a turn-key product that saves labor costs and speeds product time to market.” The new CS Series Thermistors are available in point matched or interchangeable tolerances of ±0.10ºC, ±0.20ºC, ±0.25ºC, ±0.50ºC, ±1.00ºC, ±1º%, ±2º%, ±3º%, ±5º%, and ±10º%. Resistance values at 25ºC can be PASSIVECOMPONENT INDUSTRY MAY/JUNE 2003 37 Newsmakers specified from 300Ω to 1 MΩ. Lead customization allows for selection of lengths, AWG, and lead diameter in materials of tinned copper, nickel, tinned alloy 180, red Teflon alloy 180, and Ag/Cu twisted kynar, including any other wire insulation options available on the market. Chip coatings can be manufactured uncoated or with epoxy or phenolic. The Custom CP Series Thermistors Probes features standard tolerances of ±0.5ºC, ±0.10ºC, ±0.20ºC, ±0.25ºC, ±1.00ºC, ±1º%, ±2 º%, ±3º%, ±5º%, ±10º% and are available in all resistance-temperature curve materials. The probes may be intermittently cycled at temperatures from -50ºC to 150ºC. Optimum stability is achieved when stored at temperatures below 50ºC and operated continuously in temperatures below 100ºC. Pricing ranges from $0.50 to $10.00 each, with lead times from 4-5 weeks for initial deliveries. For more information visit www.selcoproducts.com. Cooper Releases Dual Winding Inductor/ Transformers Cooper Electronic Technologies, a business unit of Cooper Bussmann, introduced the Coiltronics® brand of DRQ Series dual winding inductor/transformers. The devices can be used as single inductors or in coupled inductor/transformer applications. Inductor uses include buck, boost or coupled inductor. Transformer uses include SEPIC or flyback. Additional applications include DC/DC converters, VRM inductors for CPU or DDR memory power supplies, and input and output filter chokes. Windings can be connected in series or parallel to offer a broad range of inductance ratings (0.33mH to 4.02mH), peak current ratings (0.13Amps to 56.0Amps) and RMS current ratings (0.128Amps to 17.9Amps). The DRQ Series of shielded drum core inductors is available in four surface mount sizes with 200 VAC 38 PASSIVECOMPONENT INDUSTRY MAY/JUNE 2003 isolation between windings. The DRQ is available in tape and reel packaging on a 13″ diameter reel; DRQ731,350, DRQ74 1,100, DRQ125 600 and DRQ127 350 parts per reel. For more information about Cooper Electronic Technologies and its products, see www.cooperET.com. Murata Wins Intel’s Preferred Quality Supplier Award Murata Manufacturing Co., LTD. was named a recipient of Intel Corporation’s Preferred Quality Supplier (PQS) award for outstanding performance in providing products and services deemed essential to Intel’s success. The company was cited for its efforts in supplying Intel with ceramic capacitors, ferrite beads, inductors, and other passive components. "Murata has been an integral part of Intel's success. Murata has consistently provided Intel with leading edge capacitor technology, outstanding quality, and strong technical support. Murata has also demonstrated a strong commitment to Intel’s business by focusing continuous improvement on customer support and cost reduction initiatives," said Mostafa Aghazadeh, Intel Platform, Material and Enabling Technology Development director. "We are pleased to present the 2002 PQS award to Murata in testimony of their leadership in both technology and quality." The PQS awards are part of Intel’s Supplier Continuous Quality Improvement (SCQI) process that encourages suppliers to strive for excellence and continuous improvement. To qualify for PQS status, suppliers must score 80 percent on a report card that assesses performance and ability to meet cost, quality, availability, delivery, technology and responsiveness goals. Suppliers must also manage and deliver on a challenging improvement plan and a quality systems assessment. Taiyo Yuden Introduces Ceramic Chip Antenna for Ultra Wideband (UWB) Technology TRDA Inc., the US-based R&D arm of Taiyo Yuden Co, Ltd, announced the development of the world's first ceramic chip antenna for Ultra Wideband (UWB) applications. UWB is widely recognized as the next-generation short-range wireless communications technology that will provide simultaneous high data rate and low power consumption. Taiyo Yuden said the successful antenna miniaturization opens the floodgate to new commercial implementations, including greater downsizing of portable devices and the availability of streaming video for the 3.1GHz to 10.6GHz frequency band. The chip antenna measures 10mm x 8mm x 1mm. Engineering samples are being released to standardiza- Newsmakers 10 Plus, as well as DC Hipot testing to 6000VDC and a current detection range from 0.1µA to 5mA. • Sentry 30 Plus includes all features of the Sentry 20 Plus, as well as Insulation Resistance (IR) measurement capability over the range of 100k to 50G, at test voltages from 50VDC to 1000VDC The units meet UL Hipot tester requirements by employing both visual and audible fail indicators as well as the necessity to reset the unit after a failure, prior to making another measurement. Besides fast device discharge and rapid shutdown on fail, the Sentry Plus includes the Ground Fault Interruption (GFI) circuit, a safety feature designed to shut down the unit should an operator inadvertently come in contact with the output. Other features include: • Ground continuity test with displayed results • 60 memory locations & entry of a device name • Front and rear panel connections • Selectable 3mA current limiting per EN 50191 • Pause mode with operator prompts tion working groups in various locations, including Japan. Taiyo Yuden said the UWB antenna completes its total 1mm antenna solution for the full range of a p p l i c ations from current products to the next generation of high-frequency ceramic antenna-based solutions. The company has previously released products for 2.4GHz (Bluetooth and wireless LAN), 5.2GHz (wireless LAN), dual band (2.4/5.2GHz) and others. About UWB (Ultra Wideband) Technology Assumed by many to be the next-generation shortrange wireless communication standard, UWB utilizes a data transmission frequency band of 3.1GHz to 10.6GHz. UWB is different from traditional carrierwave technology in sending very low power pulses below the transmission noise threshold. Traditionally used in military applications, UWB technology was released for commercial use by the FCC in February 2002. UWB guidelines are currently being formulated under the auspices of the IEEE standardization process as well as undergoing development in a number of countries. The Sentry Plus can run one or more stand-alone continuity tests, with programmable pass/fail limits and display of measured results over the range of 0.1Ω to 5Ω. The instrument is capable of performing 10 individual tests in sequence with the push of one button, and pause if necessary (with prompt messages) allowing an operator to change lead connections to the devices under test. With its remote start input and pass/fail outputs the Sentry Plus adapts to most manufacturers’ production test environments. The price for the Sentry Plus Series starts at $1,195, which includes a NIST traceable calibration certificate and a set of test leads for connecting to a variety of devices. For more information visit www.quadtech.com. QuadTech Adds Three Hipot Testers QuadTech announced it has added three Hipot testers to its family of Sentry Hipot Testers, for electrical safety testing of appliances, motors, cables, medical devices, and a multitude of electronic products and components. The Sentry Plus Series includes three models: • Sentry 10 Plus performs AC Hipot tests over a programmable voltage range from 50VAC to 5000VAC with a pass/fail leakage current detection range from 1µA to 20mA. • Sentry 20 Plus includes all features of the Sentry Raychem Announces Resettable Devices for Line Voltage Applications at 240VAC Raychem Circuit Protection, a unit of Tyco Electronics, announced the LVR series of PolySwitch® resettable devices. Designed for use in line voltage applications, the polymeric positive temperature coefficient (PPTC) devices are rated at 240VAC, permitting maximum voltages of up to 265VAC, and are available in hold currents from 50mA to 400mA. The thermally active devices can help protect against both overcurrent and overtemperature faults on the primary side of power PASSIVECOMPONENT INDUSTRY MAY/JUNE 2003 39 Newsmakers supplies and transformers. The LVR device was developed to help prevent damage to control boards and components by limiting current in the event of a load-side short-circuit or overdraw, or improper incoming voltage. Unlike a singleshot current fuse, the resettable LVR device can help protect against conditions where faults may cause a rise in temperature with only a slight increase in current draw. When installed on the primary side of the circuit, in proximity to potential heat-generating components such as magnetics, FETs, or power resistors, the LVR device can help provide both overcurrent and overtemperature protection with a single installed component. “For many years, circuit designers have relied on PPTC devices for secondary-side protection. This devel- opment makes possible, for the first time, resettable PPTC circuit protection on the primary side of power circuitry,” said Karin Kinsman, product manager for radial-leaded PPTC devices for Tyco Electronics Power Components. “Higher voltage ratings and the thermal characteristics of the LVR series PolySwitch device make it a logical and innovative solution for power supply and charger designs,” she added. The LVR devices are available in straight-lead or kinked-lead configurations, and can be supplied in tape-and-reel packaging for compatibility with highvolume assembly. The LVR parts have UL and TUV certifications, and CSA certification is currently pending. Starting price is $0.15 – 0.25 each in 250K/yr volumes, delivery lead-time is 8 weeks ARO. For more information see www.circuitprotection.com/lvr. Littelfuse Introduces Nickel Barrier Termination Option for Varistors Littelfuse introduced a nickel barrier termination option for its complete line of 0402 (EIA 1005) size multilayer varistor (MLV) products. This feature enhances 40 PASSIVECOMPONENT INDUSTRY MAY/JUNE 2003 the solderability of the MLV’s by improving the wetting characteristics of the termination and thus resisting sliding and tombstoning during the board assembly process. The company said the option helps answer growing concerns about manufacturing yields for printed circuit boards populated with increasingly smaller components. The improved solderability feature is especially important in the manufacture of digital consumer technology products (handheld devices, computers, game consoles, etc.) where board space is at a premium. The Littelfuse nickel barrier treatment (enabled by a soonto-be patented process) provides a component with greater flexibility in board layout and processing. It maintains high quality solder coverage, superior fillet heights and resistance to tombstoning. In addition to its 0402 sizes, Littelfuse is now offering the nickel barrier option for all of its MLV products. For samples and additional information, visit www.Littelfuse.com. Featured Technical Paper Continued from page 28 These include: 1. “Equivalent series resistance of tantalum capacitors” by R. W. Franklin 2. “Thermal management of surface mounted tantalum capacitors” by I. Salisbury 3. “Surge in solid tantalum capacitors” by J. A. Gill 4. “An exploration of leakage current” by R. W. Franklin 5. “Capacitance tolerances for solid tantalum capacitors” by R. W. Franklin These papers are available through the AVX worldwide sales offices.