Low profile tantalum capacitor for embedded electronics

The full line of TACmicrochip capacitors, which has also reportedly offered the industry’s lowest-profile 1206-06 tantalum capacitors since early 2015, is currently available in 11 case sizes with footprints spanning 1005 to 3528, heights ranging from 0.5 to 1.5mm, capacitance values spanning 0.10 to 150μF, and voltage ratings spanning two to 25V.

In addition to exhibiting high capacitance in an extremely low profile package designed to contribute to overall space and weight reductions in end products, the new 3216-05 ‘I’ case TACmicrochip capacitors also deliver all of the standard benefits of tantalum technology, including: inherent immunity to piezoelectric noise and higher stability, reliability, and temperature performance than comparable MLCCs.

Capable of being embedded in 0.8mm-thick PCBs or designed into the latest generation of extremely thin handheld devices, TACmicrochip capacitors are ideal for use in a wide variety of medical applications, including hearing aids and other non-life-support devices, as well as in audio and power amplifier modules, embedded electronics applications, including near field communication (NFC) systems and smart cards, and as coupling/decoupling capacitors in industrial, handheld, and wearable electronics.

Mitch Weaver, a member of the technical staff at AVX, said: “Market demand for smaller and lighter electronic products remains consistent and, despite regular component innovation and the on-chip integration of many components, also remains challenging for design engineers.

“Discrete passive components still occupy a majority of board space in PCB designs, so we are now penetrating the PCB with a new generation of embeddable components, like our new 3216-05 TACmicrochip capacitor, that allow engineers to reliably achieve the small, thin, mechanically robust, and electrically stable designs that next-generation applications demands.”

Manufactured using a tantalum wafer process to achieve the high levels of mechanical tolerance required for ultra-miniature devices, TACmicrochip capacitors feature an enhanced internal construction that eliminates the space-consuming elements of conventional molded J-leaded tantalum capacitors, including the anode wire, lead frame, and the need for larger wall thicknesses.

Rated for use in temperatures spanning -55 to +125°C, the series is generally supplied with tin over nickel terminations, but gold over nickel options are available as well.