Information

Internal MLCC cracking
can result in serious
failure modes. If ceramic
capacitors are subjected
to severe mechanical
stress, a bending crack
may occur. This crack
can run through two or
more electrodes of
opposing polarity and
result in a short circuit.
Typical bending cracks
are shown below. In the
worst case scenario,
these short circuits may
lead to the MLCC
overheating and
catastrophic failure.
Bending
Ag/Cu
Plating-Sn
Plating-Ni
PCB
Solder
force
Crack
Typical Applications are power circuit input and output filtering, smoothing…
Standard termination construction may result in cracking during PCB bending, vibration, Depanelizing, etc.
Crack
Crack running through
at least two electrodes.
Surface View
Cross Section View
Actual Examples:
Failure Mode Type 1
The failure mode results
from PCB bending forces.
These cracks may not be
visible on the MLCC
surface. Cross sectional
analysis is required to
determine these internal
cracks.
Failure Mode Type 2 (wetting greater than 2/3 of thickness)
Top View
Cross Section View
MLCC cracking frequently
occurs during the circuit
board depanelizing
process. The root cause is
knife (blade) vibration
during the process.
Crack
C
rack
Reducing Short Circuit Risks – Super Term
Holy Stone
- 58 -
Super Term Advantages
Super Term Advantages
Super Term Advantages
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“
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F
lexible
Flexible
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Termination Layer incorporated
Termination Layer incorporated
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Reduce Cracking due to Mechanical Stress
Reduce Cracking due to Mechanical Stress