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KYOCERA Starts Mass Production of CU02 Series High-Q 01005 Size Multilayer Ceramic Capacitors

Achieving world's highest Q value for 01005 size MLCCs, new series contributes to reduction in power consumption of high-frequency circuits

July 16, 2014

Kyocera Corporation (Goro Yamaguchi) announced that it has succeeded in developing the new CU02 series 01005 size multilayer ceramic capacitor (MLCC) with the world's highest*1 Q value*2 in the high-frequency band, for power amplifier circuits mainly used in smartphones and other telecommunications equipment. The company started mass production of the new series this month.

Series name CU02 Series
Size 01005 size(0.4×0.2×0.2mm)
Temperature characteristics CH (EIA)
Capacitance 0.2 to 22pF
Tolerance

0.2 to 9.9pF : B(±0.1pF)C(±0.25pF) 10 to 22pF : G(±2%)J(±5%)

Rated voltage 16V DC
Start of mass production July 2014
Production facility Kagoshima Kokubu Plant (Japan)

Development Background
Due to an increase in power use of highly-functional and multiband devices in the telecommunications equipment market such as smartphones, efforts are being made to reduce power consumption by applying large-capacity batteries and adopting power-saving components to improve battery life. Specifically, high-frequency circuits including power amplifiers (amplifiers for radio signals) consume an increased amount of power due to constant Internet connectivity and rapid development of high-speed and high data rate communication. This requires countermeasures such as reduction in energy loss inside the MLCCs and improvement of impedance mismatches (transmission loss in electrical signals) between circuits.

New CU02 Series
MLCCs with high Q values have lower energy loss and are effective in improving impedance mismatches in high-frequency transmitting circuits and other applications. Kyocera has succeeded in improving the Q value in the high-frequency band approximately threefold*3 by replacing the internal electrode material in MLCCs from nickel (Ni) to copper (Cu) as well as optimizing the internal structural design. Achieving the world's highest Q value for 01005 size MLCCs, this product will contribute to a reduction in power consumption of high-frequency circuits and an improvement in battery efficiency in mobile phones.

Main Features
1. 01005 Size MLCC with world's highest Q value
The development of this product focused on improving the Q value in the high-frequency band (GHz band) used specifically for wireless communications. In the measurement of 01005 size MLCCs with capacitance of 4pF and at a frequency of 1GHz, the Q value has been improved roughly threefold compared with the company's conventional products, to approximately 290, realizing the world's highest value.

2. Broad product lineup with capacitances between 0.2 to 22pF, supporting a wide range of design specifications
To improve impedance mismatches in high-frequency circuits including power amplifiers for radio transmission, there is a need for the precise adjustment of impedances. This requires MLCCs with highly accurate, finely and evenly distributed capacitances. To meet this requirement, Kyocera offers a product lineup with capacitances between 0.2 to 22pF, with products in 0.1pF intervals for those with capacitances in the range of 0.2 to 10pF commonly used for circuit matching.

*1 World's highest Q value for 01005 size MLCCs. As of July 1, 2014. Based on research by Kyocera.
*2 Q value: An index to show the degree of energy loss inside a capacitor. A higher value indicates lower energy loss.
*3 Measurement of a 01005 size MLCC with a capacitance of 4pF and at a frequency of 1GHz.
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