Solid electrolytic capacitor with enhanced mechanical stability under extreme conditions

摘要

Described is a capacitor assembly that is thermally and mechanically stable under extreme conditions. Thermal stability is provided by enclosing and hermetically sealing the capacitor element within a housing in the presence of a gaseous atmosphere that contains an inert gas, thereby limiting the amount of oxygen and moisture supplied to the solid electrolyte of the capacitor. To provide good mechanical stability, the assembly contains at least one external termination (e.g., anode and/or cathode termination) extending beyond an outer periphery of a surface of the housing. The degree to which the external termination extends beyond the outer periphery relative to the dimension of the housing is selectively controlled to increase the surface area available for soldering to a circuit board.

主权项

1. A capacitor assembly comprising:
a capacitor element comprising an anode formed from an anodically oxidized, sintered porous body and a solid electrolyte coating the anode; a housing that defines an interior cavity within which the capacitor element is positioned and hermetically sealed, wherein the housing contains a surface having a dimension in a longitudinal direction and a dimension in a transverse direction, the surface further defining an outer periphery; an anode termination that is in electrical connection with the anode body, the anode termination containing an external anode termination portion that is located adjacent to the surface of the housing, a cathode termination that is in electrical connection with the solid electrolyte, the cathode termination containing an external cathode termination portion that is located adjacent to the surface of the housing; wherein the external anode termination portion, the external cathode termination portion, or both extend outwardly beyond the outer periphery of the housing surface in the transverse direction by a first distance, wherein the ratio of the first distance to the dimension of the housing surface in the transverse direction is from about 0.05 to about 3.0.