TDK Soft Termination
TDK Soft Termination is a type of MLCC in which a conductive resin layer is provided between the Cu and Ni plating layer. In the terminal electrode of a regular MLCC, the Cu underlayer is plated with Ni and Sn. The resin layer absorbs stress accompanying expansion or shrinkage of the solder joints due to thermal shock or flex stress on the board and prevents cracking of the capacitor element. TDK's soft termination capacitors not only improve vibration resistance and withstand tumbling shock, but even more so prevent bending and thermal cycling.
Features
- Tumbling Test
- Conditions
- 1m dropping height
- 16 times/min dropping frequency
- 10,000 times of dropping
- Results
- No abnormalities in properties and appearances
- Humidity load test: (+85ºC/85%/RH/WV/1000hrs)
- Conditions
- Improves resistance to bending, flex, and drop impacts of the board
- Conductive resin absorbs external stress, including thermal shock or mechanical stress, and protects components
Applications
- Countermeasures against flex-cracking of units that require handling of boards to which MLCCs have been soldered
- Electric circuits mounted to aluminum circuit boards, SMT applications requiring strong resistance to bending, in which reliability of solder joints can become an issue
- Smart phones
- PCs
- Smart keys
- Wearable devices
- Car multimedia
- Switching power supplies
- Base stations
- Automotive applications (EPS, ABS, EV, HEV, LED lamps, etc.
No cracks developed after the board was flexed up to 10mm
Comparison of flex strength in 3216 size products (comparison between a regular electrode product and Soft termination)
Flex Strength Comparison
Data of a board flex resistance (critical bending) test. In a conventional product, cracks developed on the ceramics element even with a flex of about 4mm. Soft termination can safely withstand twice as much flex.
Capacitor element does not develop cracks, but the terminal electrodes peel off due to the fail-safe function, even under excessive stress.
Cracks developed on the ceramics element in a conventional product when excessive stress was continuously applied. In Soft termination, no cracks developed on the element, even though there was peeling of the nickel plating layer and the conductive resin layer, indicating the conductive resin layer has an excellent effect to prevent element cracks.
No Cracks Under Pressure
Thermal cycling test results
After 3000 cycles TDK's soft termination capacitor is the only one that is still connected to the solder, whereas Competitor A and B start losing complete solder contact at just 2000 cycles. This is a true advantage of TDK's soft termination technology.
Testing conditions were set to -55ºC to +125ºC for 30 minutes in 1000, 2000, and 3000 cycle increments.
Related Products
TDK CEU Automotive Soft Termination Capacitors
Two capacitors are housed inside one body for increased reliability.
TDK CGA汽車用MLCC
AEC-Q200認證、高達50V的普通電壓、高達630V的中等電壓，以及高達150°C的工作溫度。