Tantalum Caps Surpass X5R Dielectric Ceramics In CV

By doubling the volumetric efficiency of its tantalum technology, AVX Corp.'s latest TACmicrochip Series capacitors deliver 15 µF/4 V and 10 µF/6 V from a 0402 chip. As a result, they boast a greater CV (capacitance × voltage) than ceramic MLCC devices using the X5R dielectric. The new capacitors’ design eliminates the need for molded plastic from the packaging, which makes it possible to squeeze more capacitance into a given package. This increases volumetric efficiency from less than 15% to near 50%. Several series of TACmicrochip are available. The high-CV TLC caps will find homes in miniature applications such as hearing aids, ultra-thin smartphones, and tablet PCs. The TBC Series targets high-reliability applications, such as those in the military (specifically, mil-standard CWR15, COTS-Plus, and SRC9000 devices).

AVX CORP.