Solid electrolytic capacitor with conductive polymer as solid electrolyte and method for fabricating the same

• US 5,729,428 A
• Filed: 04/24/1996
• Issued: 03/17/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: NEC TOKIN Toyama, Ltd. (Yageo Corporation)
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Nagashima, Syuichi, Sakata, Koji, Arai, Satoshi, Aoki, Yuji, Nishiyama, Toshihiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Picard, Leo P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dinkins, Anthony
• Application Number:
  US08/639,111
• Time in Patent Office: 692 Days
• Field of Search: 361/508, 361/509, 361/512, 361/514, 361/523, 361/524, 361/525-530, 361/506, 361/527, 361/528, 361/529, 361/504, 361/534, 29/25.03
• US Class Current: 361/523
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 11/48 Conductive polymers
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 11/56 Solid electrolytes, e.g. gels; Additives therein
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 9/012 specially adapted for solid capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 9/028 Organic semiconducting electrolytes, e.g. TCNQ
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/13 Energy storage using capacitors

Abstract

The solid electrolytic capacitor disclosed has an electron donor organic compound layer of an organic compound provided between an oxide film as a dielectric and a conductive polymer layer and a conductive polymer layer as a solid electrolyte layer. In the step of forming the electron donor organic compound layer, the pellet on which the oxide film is formed, is caused to be exposed to vapor of the electron donor organic compound, and this enables the formation of a thin and uniform electron donor organic compound layer on the oxide film irrespective of the kind of electron donor organic compound. The pellet may alternatively be dipped in a solution of the electron donor organic compound. Where the dipping process uses silane coupling agent, aluminum coupling agent or titanium coupling agent, the thin and uniform electron donor organic compound layer can be formed by using alcohol solution or acidic solution of each coupling agent. The solid electrolytic capacitor having such a conductive polymer as a solid electrolyte is free from leakage current increase under high temperature condition.

Claims

1. A solid electrolytic capacitor comprising:

a valve action metal body as an anode side electrode;

an oxide film as a dielectric obtained by oxidizing a surface of said valve action metal body;

an electron donor organic compound layer formed of an organic compound having an electron donor group covering an entire surface of said oxide film, said electron donor organic compound excluding an ionic surface active agent, a silane coupling agent, an aluminum coupling agent and a titanium coupling agent; and

a conductive polymer layer as a solid electrolyte layer covering an entire surface of said electron donor organic compound layer.

2. The solid electrolytic capacitor according to claim 1, wherein said organic compound contains at least one of carboxyl group and phenoxyl group.

3. The solid electrolytic capacitor according to claim 1, wherein said organic compound is a member selected from the group consisting of fatty acid, aromatic carboxylic acid, phenol and phenol derivatives.

4. The solid electrolytic capacitor according to claim 1, wherein the metal of said valve action metal body is tantalum.

5. A method for fabricating the solid electrolytic capacitor according to claim 1, said method comprising:

forming said oxide film;

forming said electron donor electron compound layer on said oxide film; and

forming said conductive polymer layer on said electron donor organic compound layer;

said forming said electron donor organic compound layer being carried out by exposing said valve action metal body, after said oxide film has been formed thereon, to vapor of said electron donor organic compound.

6. A method for fabricating a solid electrolytic capacitor according to claim 1, said method comprising:

forming said oxide film;

forming said electron donor electron compound layer on said oxide film; and

forming said conductive polymer layer on said electron donor organic compound layer;

said forming said electron donor organic compound layer being carried out such that said valve action metal layer with the oxide film is dipped in a solution of said organic compound.

7. The solid electrolytic capacitor according to claim 1, wherein said electron donor organic compound is a fatty acid.

8. The solid electrolytic capacitor according to claim 1, wherein said electron donor organic compound is an aromatic carboxylic acid.

9. The solid electrolytic capacitor according to claim 1, wherein said electron donor organic compound is a sulfonate.

10. The solid electrolytic capacitor according to claim 1, wherein said electron donor organic compound is selected from the group consisting of phenol and derivatives of phenol.

12. The method for fabricating a solid electrolytic capacitor according to claim 4, wherein the metal of said valve action metal body is tantalum.

15. The method for fabricating a solid electrolytic capacitor according to claim 5, wherein:

the solution of said organic compound is an acidic aqueous solution of a silane coupling agent.

17. The method according to claim 5, wherein said electron donor organic compound layer comprises a silane coupling agent and said solution is an acidic aqueous solution comprising acetic acid.

19. The solid electrolytic capacitor according to claim 6, which further comprises a second conductive polymer layer covering the conductive polymer layer on said oxide film and the electron donor organic oxide layer on said exposed portion of said oxide film.

21. The method for fabricating a solid electrolytic capacitor according to claim 8, wherein said forming said electron donor organic compound layer is carried out by exposing said valve action metal body, after said oxide film has been formed thereon, to vapor of electron donor organic compound.

22. The method for fabricating a solid electrolytic capacitor according to claim 8, wherein said forming said electron donor organic compound layer is carried out such that said valve action metal body with said conductive polymer layer is dipped in a solution of said organic compound.

23. The method for fabricating a solid electrolytic capacitor according to claim 10, wherein said solution of said organic compound is a member of the group consisting of an alcohol solution of a silane coupling agent, an alcohol solution of an aluminum coupling agent and an alcohol solution of a titanium coupling agent.

24. The method for fabricating a solid electrolytic capacitor according to claim 10, wherein the solution of said organic compound is an acidic aqueous solution of a silane coupling agent.

25. The method according to claim 23, wherein the acidic aqueous solution comprises a fatty acid.

26. The method for fabricating a solid electrolytic capacitor according to claim 24, wherein the fatty acid is acetic acid.

11. A method for fabricating the solid electrolytic capacitor having a valve action metal body as an anode side electrode, an oxide film as a dielectric obtained by oxidizing a surface of said valve action metal body, an electron donor organic compound layer formed of an organic compound having an electron donor group and covering an entire surface of said oxide film, and a conductive polymer layer as a solid electrolyte layer covering an entire surface of said electron donor organic compound layer, said method comprising:

forming said oxide film;

forming said electron donor electron compound layer on said oxide film; and

forming said conductive polymer layer on said electron donor organic compound layer;

said forming said electron donor organic compound layer being carried out by exposing said valve action metal body, after said oxide film has been formed thereon, to vapor of said electron donor organic compound.

13. A method for fabricating a solid electrolytic capacitor having a valve action metal body as an anode side electrode, an oxide film as a dielectric obtained by oxidizing a surface of said valve action metal body, an electron donor organic compound layer formed of an organic compound having an electron donor group and covering an entire surface of said oxide film, and a conductive polymer layer as a solid electrolyte layer covering an entire surface of said electron donor organic compound layer, said method comprising:

forming said oxide film;

forming said electron donor electron compound layer on said oxide film; and

forming said conductive polymer layer on said electron donor organic compound layer;

said forming said electron donor organic compound layer being carried out such that said valve action metal layer with the oxide film is dipped in a solution of said organic compound.

14. The method for fabricating a solid electrolytic capacitor according to claim 13, wherein:

the solution of said organic compound is a member of the group consisting of an alcohol solution of a silane coupling agent, an alcohol solution of an aluminum coupling agent, and an alcohol solution of a titanium coupling agent.

16. The method according to claim 13, wherein said electron donor organic compound layer comprises a silane coupling agent and said solution is an acidic aqueous solution comprising a fatty acid.

18. A solid electrolytic capacitor comprising:

a valve action metal body as an anode side electrode;

an oxide film as a dielectric obtained by oxidizing a surface of said valve action metal body;

a conductive polymer layer as a solid electrolyte layer covering said oxide film so as to expose a portion thereof; and

an electron donor organic compound layer formed of an organic compound having an electron donor group and covering said portion of said oxide film exposed from said conductive polymer layer.

20. A method for fabricating a solid electrolytic capacitor having a valve action metal body as an anode side electrode;

an oxide film as a dielectric obtained by oxidizing a surface of said valve action metal body;

a conductive polymer layer as a solid electrolyte layer covering said oxide film so as to expose a portion thereof; and

an electron donor organic compound layer formed of an organic compound having an electron donor group and covering said portion of said oxide film exposed from said conductive polymer layer, said method comprising;

forming said oxide film;

forming said conductive polymer layer on said oxide film so as to expose a portion thereof; and

forming said electron donor organic compound layer.