Solid Electrolytic Capacitor Containing A Vapor-Deposited Barrier Film

• US 20190318880A1
• Filed: 03/29/2019
• Published: 10/17/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyocera AVX Components Corporation (Kyocera Corporation)
• Original Assignee: AVX Corporation (Kyocera Corporation)
• Inventors: Petrzilek, Jan, Weaver, Mitchell D., Uher, Miloslav
• Granted Patent: US 11,049,664 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/0245 by etching with a plasma
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45525 Atomic layer deposition [ALD]
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 11/26 characterised by their structure, e.g. multi-layered, porosity or surface features
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 2009/05 consisting of tantalum, niobium, or sintered material; Combinations of such electrodes with solid semiconductive electrolytes, e.g. manganese dioxide
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 9/0032 formation of the dielectric layer
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 9/0036 Formation of the solid electrolyte layer
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 9/025 Solid electrolytes H01G11/54 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 9/028 Organic semiconducting electrolytes, e.g. TCNQ
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 9/052 Sintered electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 9/07 Dielectric layers
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 9/15 Solid electrolytic capacitors H01G11/00 takes precedence

Abstract

A capacitor comprising a solid electrolytic capacitor element that contains a sintered porous anode body, a dielectric that overlies the anode body, and a solid electrolyte that overlies the dielectric. The capacitor further contains a barrier film that is formed by vapor deposition and that is positioned between the dielectric and the solid electrolyte or overlies the dielectric.

Claims

1. A capacitor comprising a solid electrolytic capacitor element that contains a sintered porous anode body, a dielectric that overlies the anode body, and a solid electrolyte that overlies the dielectric, wherein the capacitor further contains a barrier film that is formed by vapor deposition, the barrier film being positioned between the dielectric and the solid electrolyte or overlying the solid electrolyte.

2. The capacitor of claim 1, wherein the barrier film has a thickness of about 10 nanometers or more.

3. The capacitor of claim 1, wherein the barrier film is formed by atomic layer deposition, molecular layer deposition, physical vapor deposition, plasma-enhanced physical vapor deposition, chemical vapor deposition, plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition, or a combination thereof.

4. The capacitor of claim 1, wherein the vapor-deposited barrier film is formed from a precursor compound.

5. The capacitor of claim 4, wherein the precursor compound includes a polyarylene.

6. The capacitor of claim 5, wherein the polyarylene has the following general structure:

7. The capacitor of claim 5, wherein the polyarylene is 1,4-dimethylbenzene, 1,3-dimethylbenzene, 1,2-dimethylbenzene, toluene, 4-methyl styrene, 3-methylstyrene, 2-methylstyrene, 1,4-divinylbenzene, 1,3-divinylbenzene, 1,2-divinylbenzene, chlorinated polyarylene, [2,2]paracyclophane, or a combination thereof.

8. The capacitor of claim 4, wherein the barrier film is formed from the precursor compound and a co-reactant.

9. The capacitor of claim 8, wherein the co-reactant includes a fluorohydrocarbon compound.

10. The capacitor of claim 1, wherein the solid electrolyte contains a polypyrrole, polythiophene, polyaniline, or a combination thereof.

11. The capacitor of claim 1, wherein the solid electrolyte contains a plurality of conductive polymer particles.

12. The capacitor of claim 11, wherein the conductive polymer particles contain poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) or a derivative thereof.

13. The capacitor of claim 11, wherein the particles also contain a polymeric counterion.

14. The capacitor of claim 1, wherein the solid electrolyte contains a conductive polymer formed by in situ solution phase polymerization.

15. The capacitor of claim 1, wherein the capacitor element further comprises a cathode coating that contains a metal particle layer that overlies the solid electrolyte, wherein the metal particle layer includes a plurality of conductive metal particles dispersed within a resinous polymer matrix.

16. The capacitor of claim 1, wherein the anode body includes tantalum and the dielectric includes tantalum pentoxide,

17. The capacitor of claim 1, further comprising an anode termination that is in electrical connection with the anode body, a cathode termination that is in electrical connection with the solid electrolyte, and a housing that encapsulates the capacitor element and leaves exposed a mounting surface of the anode termination and the cathode termination.

18. The capacitor of claim 1, wherein the barrier film is positioned between the dielectric and the solid electrolyte.

19. The capacitor of claim 1, wherein the barrier film overlies the solid electrolyte.

20. The capacitor of claim 19, wherein the barrier film covers the entire solid electrolyte.

21. A method for forming a solid electrolytic capacitor element, the method comprising:

positioning a capacitor element with a reactor vessel, wherein the capacitor element comprises a sintered porous anode body and a dielectric overlying the anode body;

forming a barrier film on the capacitor element by a vapor deposition process, the process including subjecting the capacitor element to a reaction cycle that includes contacting the capacitor element with a gaseous precursor compound that bonds to a surface of the dielectric; and

applying a solid electrolyte over the film.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the vapor deposition process includes atomic layer deposition, molecular layer deposition, physical vapor deposition, plasma-enhanced physical vapor deposition, chemical vapor deposition, plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition, or a combination thereof.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein precursor compound includes a polyarylene.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the polyarylene has the following general structure:

25. The method of claim 23, wherein the polyarylene is 1,4-dimethylbenzene, 1,3-dimethylbenzene, 1,2-dimethylbenzene, toluene, 4-methyl styrene, 3-methylstyrene, 2-methylstyrene, 1,4-divinylbenzene, 1,3-divinylbenzene, 1,2-divinylbenzene, chlorinated polyarylene, [2,2] paracyclophane, or a combination thereof.

26. The method of claim 21, wherein the reaction cycle further comprises contacting the capacitor element with a gaseous co-reactant.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the co-reactant includes a fluorohydrocarbon compound.

28. The method of claim 21, wherein the capacitor element is heated to a temperature of about 200°

C. or less during the reaction cycle.

29. The method of claim 21, further comprising subjecting the capacitor element to one or more additional reaction cycles that include contacting the capacitor element with a gaseous precursor compound.

30. The method of claim 21, wherein the solid electrolyte includes a layer formed from a dispersion of conductive polymer particles.

31. The method of claim 21, wherein the solid electrolyte includes a layer formed by solution phase polymerization.

32. The method of claim 21, wherein the anode body includes tantalum and the dielectric includes tantalum pentoxide.

33. A method for forming a solid electrolytic capacitor element, the method comprising:

positioning a capacitor element with a reactor vessel, wherein the capacitor element comprises a sintered porous anode body and a dielectric overlying the anode body;

applying a solid electrolyte over the film; and

forming a barrier film on the capacitor element by a vapor deposition process, the process including subjecting the capacitor element to a reaction cycle that includes contacting the capacitor element with a gaseous precursor compound that bonds to the solid electrolyte.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the vapor deposition process includes atomic layer deposition, molecular layer deposition, physical vapor deposition, plasma-enhanced physical vapor deposition, chemical vapor deposition, plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition, or a combination thereof.

35. The method of claim 33, wherein precursor compound includes a polyarylene.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein the polyarylene has the following general structure:

37. The method of claim 35, wherein the polyarylene is 1,4-dimethylbenzene, 1,3-dimethylbenzene, 1,2-dimethylbenzene, toluene, 4-methyl styrene, 3-methylstyrene, 2-methylstyrene, 1,4-divinylbenzene, 1,3-divinylbenzene, 1,2-divinylbenzene, chlorinated polyarylene, [2,2]paracyclophane, or a combination thereof.

38. The method of claim 33, wherein the reaction cycle further comprises contacting the capacitor element with a gaseous co-reactant.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein the co-reactant includes a fluorohydrocarbon compound.

40. The method of claim 33, wherein the capacitor element is heated to a temperature of about 200°

C. or less during the reaction cycle.

41. The method of claim 33, further comprising subjecting the capacitor element to one or more additional reaction cycles that include contacting the capacitor element with a gaseous precursor compound.

42. The method of claim 33, wherein the solid electrolyte includes a layer formed from a dispersion of conductive polymer particles.

43. The method of claim 33, wherein the solid electrolyte includes a layer formed by solution phase polymerization.

44. The method of claim 33, wherein the anode body includes tantalum and the dielectric includes tantalum pentoxide.