MLCC are a key circuit component of electronic devices, and hundreds of MLCC are required for these devices to function. With the growth of mobile devices such as smart phones, MLCC are required to be smaller, have higher capacitance and be less expensive. As shown in Fig. 1, a typical structure of MLCC consists of many alternate layers of BaTiO_3 (a dielectric substrate) and Ni, which is a metallic electrode layer. This gives MLCC high reliability and a compact size when compared to an electrolytic capacitor. In the 1990s, the material of the inner electrode was changed from Ag-Pd to Ni. This utilization of Ni required a rapid heat up in the sintering process to compensate for the differences in shrinkage between the dielectric and the nickel. The ability of a furnace to achieve this high rate of temperature rise has now become an important parameter of MLCC manufacturing technology.
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