Download White Paper | ROHM's first silicon capacitor achieves both miniaturization and high performance using silicon semiconductor technology

The new ROHM product " BTD1RVFL " introduced this time is a surface mount mass-produced product that achieves the industry's smallest size of 0402 (0.4mm×0.2mm)※1. Compared with conventional products with a 0603 size (0.6mm×0.3mm), the mounting area can be reduced by approximately 55% (Figure 2).

※1）Roma survey on May 22, 2024

In terms of appearance production, ROHM's own miniaturization technology "RASMID™" is used, which can achieve 1μm-level processing. By eliminating burrs and notches on the periphery of the package, the dimensional tolerance is improved to within ±10μm, which is 50% smaller than standard products and has higher dimensional accuracy. By suppressing product size fluctuations, the spacing between devices can be reduced when installed on the circuit board.

By improving the dimensional accuracy of the package, the edge of the back electrode (i.e., the contact surface with the circuit board) was successfully designed to be closer to the periphery of the device. In this way, the total area of ​​the back electrode reaches about 0.032mm², accounting for about 40% of the bottom area of ​​the device, and the mounting strength is about 8% higher than that of ordinary products of 0603 size, reaching about 2.6N.

In addition, this series has a built-in TVS diode and has excellent ESD tolerance. This not only helps reduce the time and effort required for circuit design such as surge countermeasures, but also eliminates the need for an external TVS diode.

Smaller device size and higher dimensional accuracy enable high-density mounting, and together with the built-in TVS diode, this series will help save mounting area on circuit boards such as communications circuits (Figure 3).

This series of products uses a small and thin package, so it is suitable for use in applications such as smartphones and wearable devices that require smaller and thinner housings and internal components. In addition, it can also be used as a decoupling capacitor for small IoT devices and optical modules, etc., contributing to the miniaturization of application products.

In addition, it is expected that as future communication standards have higher requirements for performance and functions, the demand for small and thin products for high-frequency applications such as smartphones and wearable devices will increase, so ROHM is developing models that support high-frequency applications, and plans to sell samples in September 2024. The target specifications are also to be able to support applications in ultra-thin devices such as smart cards and RFID tags, as well as ultra-high-speed, large-capacity transmission equipment such as optical fiber transceivers. It is hoped that the newly developed products will have a wider range of applications, expanding from decoupling capacitors to support use in high-frequency circuits and other applications.

In addition, with the market development trends such as the electrification of automobiles, the expansion of wireless communication coverage to the sea and air, and the increase in the number of data centers, the demand for products for automotive and industrial equipment is increasing.

In this context, ROHM is planning to develop products that take advantage of the high reliability of silicon capacitors. Products for automotive and industrial equipment require not only high reliability, but also requirements for withstand voltage, capacitance, size, and structure that are significantly different from those for consumer electronics devices. Therefore, ROHM will continue to expand its product lineup to meet these market needs (Figure 4).

Figure 4. Future product development roadmap

In order to create a sustainable society and enrich people's lives, it is necessary to continuously improve the performance of existing equipment and launch unprecedented new services and applications in the context of the rapid development of communication technology. Silicon capacitors are small, thin, large in capacitance, and have excellent temperature characteristics, so they are expected to become one of the high-performance devices that are indispensable in future development. ROHM not only promotes the advancement of application products by developing high-performance components, but also continues to work hard to develop new products that can promote the development of the silicon capacitor market.

For more information about this product, please click Go to the official website Get it.

・RASMID™ is a trademark or registered trademark of ROHM Co., Ltd.