Small claims for tantalum chips

The 0402 TACmicrochip series tantalum chip capacitor is not only the smallest ever tantalum device, it also offers the highest volumetric efficiency.

The 0402 TACmicrochip series tantalum chip capacitor is not only the smallest ever tantalum device, it also offers the highest volumetric efficiency, being capable of delivering 0.47 to 10uF.

Key to the excellent capacitance rating of the TACmicrochip series surface mount capacitors is the construction of these devices which borrows from semiconductor processing.

Traditional moulded tantalum devices are based on a leadframe which results in proportionally larger space wastage as the size of the chip is reduced.

AVX's TACmicrochip series - which are also available in 0603, 0805 and 1206, or L, R and A case sizes as well as the 0402 (K) format - are produced from a tantalum capacitor "wafer" which is then diced into the required chip size, resulting in less wasted space and higher capacitance values.

Like many of the capacitors that AVX currently offers, the 0402 tantalum chips are lead free and feature soft terminations which avoid any cracking if a PCB flexes - a problem which especially affects ceramic devices.

As with all tantalum devices, TACmicrochip capacitors are not subject to piezo effects which can result in electrical noise.

One of the key benefits of tantalum technology is capacitance stability over temperature.

Whereas with ceramic products you might expect to half the capacitance across the temperature range due to the high K dielectrics used, the TACmicrochip 0402 devices have a stable capacitance range from -55 to +125C.

TACmicrochip 0402 tantalum chip capacitors are suitable for any application that requires high volumetric efficiency.

As they also exhibit very low leakage, they are especially useful for battery-powered equipment, and are suited for use in medical appliances such as heart pacemakers.

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