Why nickel is the preferred material for MLCC production?
The basic form of MLCC is composed of two or more parallel metal plates (electrodes) that are electrically isolated by an insulating material (i.e. an insulator). Currently, MLCC can parallel 600 electrodes with a thickness of less than 1 micron.
MLCC came out more than 40 years ago and replaced the ceramic disk capacitor. The circular ceramic capacitor has two separate leads, usually mounted through holes in the printed circuit board. They are not conducive to the fast installation or miniaturization of electronic products. Rectangular MLCC can be mounted on a fast surface.
Early MLCC used Ag-Pd as electrodes and was replaced by a nickel at the beginning of the 21st century. Nickel electrodes have several advantages over Ag-Pd, including:
* Thinner insulation layer
* More capacitance (better volumetric efficiency)
* Lower cost
Currently, nickel is the preferred material for MLCC production. it thins the thickness of the insulation layer, reduces the volume of MLCC, and keeps the capacitance constant.
MLCC containing nickel is used in wearable electronics such as smartphones, smartwatches and fitness handrings, aerospace systems, and smart cars, especially those carrying Advanced Driving Assistance Systems (ADAS). In fact, there is MLCC in any microelectronic product. MLCC produces 4 trillion pieces a year, 40% of which are used for smartphones. In 2020, 4,800 tons of nickel were used to make MLCC, these mini-components keep us in touch at all times. Without them, our electronic equipment will not work.
