RUBYCON's Future Targets for PML Capacitors

Features of the PML Capacitor

• Surface mount type design, small dimensions with high capacitance
• Stable properties within a wide temperature range (-55°C to +125°C)
• Flow/Reflow soldering (Pb Free) is available due to better heat resistance than general film capacitors
• The risk of ignition and smoking is avoided by using non-self-igniting materials
• No magnetic materials are used, so that signal processing supports original sound quality
• No piezo effect occurs, which eliminates acoustic interference

Goals of the PML Capacitor

The PML capacitor has three main targets for future development and one of them is miniaturization. Today, the PML capacitor is already the smallest film capacitor with a size of only 1.6x0.8mm. The PML capacitor has already gained recognition in the high sound qulity market as an alternative to MLCC since it does not have capacitance change from DC-bias and harmonic distortion due to piezoelectric effect. PML miniaturization enables high sound quality in small size audio applications.

Another targets are higher voltage and higher ripple current. Recently, the PML capacitor reached a rated voltage of 200V. The final goal is to reach 500V, which is required for smoothing circuits inside inverters. Today, this application often requires film capacitor in a big box size. However, with the PML capacitor, further significant downsizing is possible.

The last target is higher reliability. Besides higher voltage, the PML capacitor withstands severe automotive conditions, such as engine control units etc. These applications require extremely high temperatures up to 175°C. This capacitor can already operate within -55°C to +125°C in unprotected constructions and does not use self-igniting materials. This reduces any risk in automotive safety applications significantly while offering compact sizing at the same time.

Your Contact Person

For more information, please contact Yasunobu Ikuno.