Greatbatch Ltd.

Wilson Greatbatch Technologies, Inc.

Kemet Electronics Corporation

Avx Corporation

Nec Tokin Corporation

Kyocera Avx Components Corporation

Yanming Liu

Barry C Muffoletto

Jason T Hahl

Edward J Gloss

Eric Stemen

Brandon Summey

Joseph E Spaulding

Douglas P Eberhard

Rodney E Stringham

David Goad

Ashish Shah

Neal N Nesselbeck

William B Elliott

Laurie O'Connor

Jason Laforge

Peter Par Blais

Troy P Lindke

J Michael Druding

Donald Monroe

Keith W Seitz

Anthony C Perez

Yuji Yoshida

Satoshi Iwai

Ken Talamine

Eric Ziarniak

Takashi Mizukoshi

Doug Eberhard

Chris Ziarniac

Eric Ziarniac

Louis Marinaccio

Jessica P Love

Christopher J Ziarniak

Hayato Ueda

Daisuke Takada

Don Monroe

Chris Ziarniak

The present invention is directed to an electrolyte for an electrolytic capacitor. The capacitor has an electrolytic anode and an electrochemical cathode. The electrolyte has water, a water soluble organic salt, and a relatively weak organic acid. This electrolyte is chemically compatible to aluminum and tantalum oxide dielectrics and withstands higher voltage while maintaining good conductivity. This makes the electrolyte especially useful for high voltage applications, such as occur in an implantable cardiac defibrillator.

Electrolytes for capacitors

Tantalum powders produced using a tantalum fiber precursor are described. The tantalum fiber precursor is chopped or cut into short lengths having a uniform fiber thickness and favorable aspect ratio. The chopped fibers are formed into a primary powder having a controlled size and shape, narrow/tight particle size distribution, and low impurity level. The primary powder is then agglomerated into an agglomerated powder displaying suitable flowability and pressability such that pellets with good structural integrity and uniform pellet porosity are manufacturable. The pellet is sintered and anodized to a desired formation voltage. The thusly created capacitor anode has a dual morphology or dual porosity provided by a primary porosity of the individual tantalum fibers making up the primary powder and a larger secondary porosity formed between the primary powders agglomerated into the agglomerated powder.

High voltage tantalum anode and method of manufacture

Tantalum powders produced using a tantalum fiber precursor are described. The tantalum fiber precursor is chopped or cut into short lengths having a uniform fiber thickness and favorable aspect ratio. The chopped fibers are formed into a primary powder having a controlled size and shape, narrow/tight particle size distribution, and low impurity level. The primary powder is then agglomerated into an agglomerated powder displaying suitable flowability and pressability such that pellets with good structural integrity and unifrom pellet porosity are manufacturable. The pellet is sintered and anodized to a desired formation voltage. The thusly created capacitor anode has a dual morphology or dual porosity provided by a primary porosity of the individual tantalum fibers making up the primary powder and a larger secondary porosity formed between the primary powders agglomerated into the agglomerated powder.

Method for manufacturing a high voltage tantalum anode

A method of forming a capacitor is described as is an improved capacitor formed with a one-sided capacitor foil. The method includes:

One-sided capacitor foils and methods of making one-sided capacitor foils

An improved array of capacitors is provided wherein the improvement includes improved electrical properties and improved packing density. The array has an anode foil and a dielectric on a surface of the anode foil. A multiplicity of areas are defined on the dielectric wherein each area is circumvented by an isolation material and the isolation material extends through the dielectric. A conductive cathode layer in each area forms a capacitive couple. At least one substrate vacancy is in the anode foil and the substrate vacancy electrically isolates adjacent anodes of adjacent capacitive couples. A carrier film is attached to the capacitive couples.

Method of manufacturing a capacitor array

A wet electrolytic capacitor that contains a casing that contains a sidewall extending to an upper end to define an opening is provided. The sidewall further defines an inner surface that surrounds an interior. At least one anode and at least one cathode are positioned within the interior of the casing, wherein the cathode contains an electrochemically-active material and further wherein an anode lead extends from the anode. A working electrolyte is in electrical contact with the anode and the electrochemically-active material. The capacitor also comprises a lid assembly that contains a lid positioned on an upper end of the casing sidewall, wherein the lid defines an orifice through which a tube extends. The tube accommodates the anode lead that extends from the anode. A dielectric layer is formed on a surface of the tube.

Wet electrolytic capacitor

A wet electrolytic capacitor that contains a casing that contains a cylindrical sidewall is provided. The cylindrical sidewall defines an inner surface that surrounds an interior. First and second outer anodes are positioned within the interior of the casing. The first outer anode has a radiused sidewall and an opposing planar sidewall and the second outer anode has a radiused sidewall and an opposing planar sidewall. A central anode is also positioned within the interior of the casing between the first and second outer anodes. The central anode contains opposing first and second outer sidewalls intersecting with opposing first and second inner sidewalls. The first and second inner sidewalls are planar, and the first planar inner sidewall of the central anode faces the planar sidewall of the first outer anode and the second planar inner sidewall of the central anode faces the planar sidewall of the second outer anode.

Wet electrolytic capacitor for use in a subcutaneous implantable cardioverter-defibrillator

Capacitor array and method of manufacture

An outer insulation member made of a first resin packs a part of an anode terminal. The packed part of the anode terminal has a predetermined section. All surfaces of the predetermined section consist of a front surface, a back surface and edges connecting between the front surface and the back surface. The front surface includes a connection area. An anode lead wire is connected to the connection area while being not connected to the anode terminal other than the connection area. The all surfaces of the predetermined section are completely covered with a mask layer made of a second resin except for the connection area. The second resin is different from the first resin in at least one of composition thereof, content of an inclusion, size of an inclusion and shape of an inclusion.

Solid electrolytic capacitor

A capacitor assembly comprising a casing, an anode pack housed within the casing and comprising two or more anode pellets of anode active material electrically connected to each other by a bridge, and a cathode comprised of cathode current collectors including major faces with cathode active material provided thereupon is described. The bridge, which spans between sidewalls of the anode pellets, helps maintain them in a parallel alignment. The bridge is also a convenient location to connect the feedthrough wire that exits the casing through a glass-to-metal seal. The cathode current collectors are disposed between adjacent anode pellets and are electrically connected to each other and to the casing. A feedthrough wire electrically connected to the anode pack extends outside the casing in electrical isolation there from. An electrolyte is provided to activate the anode and the cathode.

Wet tantalum capacitor with multiple anode connections

A method for anodizing valve metal structures to a target formation voltage is described. The valve metal structures are placed in an anodizing electrolyte and connected to a power supply that generates a source voltage to at least one current limiting device. If at least two current limiting devices are used, they are in series with the valve metal structures with the one current limiting device connected to at least one structure. The valve metal structures are then subjected to a current that decreases over time, a formation voltage that increases over time to a level below the voltage from the power supply and a power level that is self-adjusted to a level that decreases excessive heating in the structure. The invention also includes the components for the method.

Anodizing valve metals by self-adjusted current and power

A capacitor a casing of first and second casing members, a feedthrough electrically insulated from the casing and extending there from, first and second anodes electrically connected to each other within the casing, a cathode, and an electrolyte is described. The first anode is electrically connected in parallel to the second anode by a first anode wire having opposite ends contacting the respective first and second anodes. A feedthrough wire extending outside the casing and electrically isolated there from is electrically connected to the first anode wire intermediate the first and second anodes. The cathode is disposed between the first and second anodes.

Dual anode capacitor with internally connected anodes

An oxygen plasma process for treating a dielectric oxide layer, particularly an anodic oxide, subsequent to its incorporation into an electrolytic capacitor is described. The present treatment reduces DC leakage and improves shelf life stability of the resulting capacitor in comparison to anodic oxides treated in a conventional manner. This is important for critical applications such as implantable cardioverter defibrillators where capacitor charging time and charge/discharge energy efficiency are critical.

Plasma treatment of anodic oxides for electrolytic capacitors

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Simpsonville, SC, United States of America

Yanming Liu