Pioneering resin moulding MLCCs for high-volt EV powertrains

Murata has launched MLCC products that successfully draw on the company’s advanced resin moulding capabilities. The resulting EVA series of MLCCs have properties that will be highly appealing to EV manufacturers. Among the places where these capacitors are certain to prove invaluable are OBCs, inverters and DC-DC converters, plus BMS and wireless power transfer implementations.

Developed in accordance with IEC60384-14 specifications, the new safety-certified Y2 class MLCCs will be highly effective at suppressing common mode noise in next-generation EVs. Housed in surface-mount packages (each with a 12.7mm x 6mm footprint, plus a 3.7mm profile, these compact components have 305VAC/1500VDC voltage ratings and support industry-leading 10mm creepage distances. Consequently, they can address the greater isolation migration to 800V powertrains will require, yet remain aligned with the demand for miniaturisation in modern automotive systems.

The capacitance values of the EVA series range from 0.1nF to 4.7nF. These MLCCs are AEC-Q200 qualified, with an -55C to+125C operation temperature range covered. They have elevated withstand voltages of 2000VAC/60s and 4000VDC/60s. In addition, they exhibit low ESL, so performance is not impaired at high frequencies. The metal terminal arrangement utilised in these capacitors provides greater elasticity. The formation of solder and deflection cracks is mitigated to ensure long-term reliability.

“With EV powertrains moving to higher voltages, longer creepage distances are now being required. Unfortunately, at the same time, constituent components need to take up less physical space,” explains Takahiro Yoshida, general manager of Ceramic Capacitor Business Unit, Marketing Group, Marketing Department at Murata. “This is why our EVA series MLCCs will have a real impact, as the use of resin moulding allows them to combine compactness with extended creepage.”