Developing the first silicon capacitor series

ROHM has developed new silicon capacitors – the BTD1RVFL series. These devices are increasingly being embraced in smartphones and wearable devices. Silicon semiconductor processing technology cultivated over many years has facilitated higher performance in a smaller size.

Smartphones and other devices with growing functionality need smaller components that support high-density mounting. Silicon capacitors employing thin-film semiconductor technology can supply higher capacitance in a thinner form factor than existing MLCCs. At the same time, stable temperature characteristics, together with exceptional reliability, are accelerating their adoption in various applications. In anticipation of the growth of the global market for silicon capacitors to 300 billion yen (about two billion US dollars) by 2030 (approximately 1.5 times higher than in 2022), the company has developed compact, high-performance silicon capacitors by employing proprietary semiconductor processes.

The company's silicon capacitors manufactured using proprietary RASMID miniaturisation technology allow processing in 1µm increments that eradicate chipping during external formation and enhance dimensional tolerances within ±10µm. This small variation in product size allows mounting with a narrower distance between adjacent components. At the same time, the backside electrode utilised for bonding to the substrate has been extended to the periphery of the package to improve mounting strength.

The first series in the lineup, the BTD1RVFL series (BTD1RVFL102/BTD1RVFL471), consists of the industry's smallest 01005-size (0.1" × 0.05") / 0402-size (0.4mm × 0.2mm) mass-produced surface mount silicon capacitors. The mounting area is decreased by approximately 55% over general 0201-size (0.2" × 0.1") / 0603-size (0.6mm × 0.3mm) products to just 0.08mm2, contributing to greater application miniaturisation. Furthermore, a built-in TVS protection element provides high ESD resistance that minimises the number of person-hours needed for surge countermeasures and other circuit design elements.

Typical applications include smartphones, wearables, compact IoT devices, optical transceivers, and more.