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Design And Performance Of Additively Manufactured In-Circuit Board Planar Capacitors

Aug 21, 2023

Nano Dimension

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Design And Performance Of Additively Manufactured In-Circuit Board Planar Capacitors

This paper presents the design and superior performance of additively manufactured in-circuit board planar capacitors using Nano Dimension’s DragonFly LDM system, demonstrating advancements in RF and high-frequency applications. Written by Daniel Sokol, Minoru Yamada, and Jaim Nulman.

Overview of the Research Paper

The paper "Design and Performance of Additively Manufactured In-Circuit Board Planar Capacitors" presents the design, fabrication, and performance analysis of planar capacitors integrated into PCBs using AM techniques. It investigates the development of capacitors in different geometries and layer configurations that can present capacitance values from a few picofarads up to several nanofarads. These capacitors are fabricated using the Nano Dimension's DragonFly LDM system, employing conductive and dielectric inks. The research underlines the superior performance of such additively manufactured capacitors compared to traditional surface-mount device (SMD) capacitors, especially for high-frequency applications up to 20 GHz. The paper elaborates on the design parameters, fabrication process, and experimental results that prove the efficiency of the AME capacitors in the EMC improvement and reduction of parasitic effects in electronic circuits.

1. Introduction

- Overview of AME devices and their integration into electronic circuits.
- Discussion on the challenges of embedding capacitors in RF PCBs.

2. Design and Tests

Description of the multilayer planar capacitor design.
Overview of the additive manufacturing process using Nano Dimension's DragonFly LDM system.
Details on the materials used, fabrication conditions, and testing methodologies.

3. Capacitor Tests and Results

Analysis of capacitance fabrication repeatability, DC breakdown voltage, AC and RF impedance stability, and Q-factor stability.
Comparison of AME capacitors with commercial SMD capacitors.

4. Conclusion and Discussion

Summary of the benefits of AME capacitors in RF applications.
Future directions for improving AME fabrication equipment and materials.

Most Important Concept

The most important concept in this research is the integration of planar capacitors directly into PCBs using additive manufacturing techniques. This approach significantly enhances the performance of electronic circuits by minimizing parasitic effects, improving EMC, and eliminating the need for additional soldering or packaging of capacitors. The research demonstrates that AME capacitors perform closer to ideal capacitors, particularly in high-frequency applications, making them superior to traditional SMD capacitors.

Nano Dimension Technology Highlight

The central part of the research is the technology of Nano Dimension, especially the DragonFly LDM. The system will be used for the fabrication of the planar capacitors, which includes the conductive and dielectric inks deposited side by side to enable the making of complex, multilayered structures that are directly integrated into a circuit board. It is clear from this paper that the material and printing process are proprietary to Nano Dimension, while the performance of the resulting capacitor seems to be excellent in terms of capacitance, voltage breakdown, and frequency response in particular for RF applications.