Patent Description:
A condenser includes a dielectric interposed between electrodes, and has properties that accumulate electric charges. Condensers have a wide range of application including equipment, power source, electric and electronic components, and automobile components.

Generally a condenser has a structure in which a dielectric (insulator) is interposed between two electrodes as shown in <FIG>. Also, the electrostatic capacitance C[F] of the condenser is expressed as the following equation <NUM>, in which the electrode area is A[m<NUM>], the permittivity of the dielectric is ε[F/m], and the distance between the electrodes is l[m]. <MAT>
(In the above equation <NUM>, εr is a specific permittivity).

Thus, to obtain a high electrostatic capacitance of the condenser,.

Recently, with the development and widespread of hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) and electric vehicles (EVs), there is a demand for a condenser with smoothing high capacity and high voltage withstand to remove overlapping ripple factors (voltage, current) of the direct current from a motor and an inverter circuit. As their typical example, a film condenser is proposed in which a flexible resin film is used as a dielectric, a metal film is arranged along each main surface of the resin film such that the metal films face each other with the resin film interposed therebetween, the metal films forming first and second facing electrodes (Non-Patent Literature <NUM>).

For example, Non-Patent Literature <NUM> proposes a condenser in which two metals are vacuum-deposited in vacuum on one surface of a polypropylene film to form an electrode, and two such films are prepared and stacked in overlapping manner such that the polypropylene film as a dielectric is interposed between the two electrodes (<FIG>). Also, Non-Patent Literature <NUM> proposes a condenser in which a metal electrode is formed on a polymer film as a dielectric by vacuum deposition, a pair of two such films are overlapped in layers and wound (<FIG>), and metal spraying (Metalicon) is performed on the end surfaces to form outer electrodes.

As disclosed in Non-Patent Literatures <NUM> and <NUM>, for uses in HEVs and EVs, high voltage withstand and low loss (tan σ=dielectric loss tangent) is required for the film condenser. This is because if the dielectric loss tangent (tan σ) is high, problems occur such as an energy loss or heat generation involved therein, causing a unstable operation problem of a high frequency circuit. Under this background, in film condensers for high frequency uses, a polypropylene film (PP) having an extremely low dielectric loss tangent (tan σ) of <NUM>% or less at <NUM> is being mainly used as a dielectric film material. Also, it is general to use aluminum, aluminum alloys, zinc, zinc alloys, copper, and copper alloys as a metal electrode material due to having electrical properties and corrosion resistance and consideration related to costs.

However, the polypropylene film (PP) has a very low permittivity (ε) of about <NUM> (<NUM>, <NUM>), and obtaining sufficient electrostatic capacitance from this film condenser is very difficult. In addition, for film condensers, the permittivity and the dielectric loss tangent is significantly determined by the dielectric film, so controlling the capacitance and voltage withstand in the design is difficult. Furthermore, to obtain high capacitance, it is necessary to stretch the polypropylene film (PP) into a thin film, but an ultra thin film of <NUM> or less is susceptible to blocking and breakdown by introversion, unsuitable for high speed winding, and difficult to handle in the manufacturing process, such as, for example, occurrence of offset at end surfaces and wrinkles during winding.

Also, a stacked ceramic condenser has been developed in which a dielectric layer of a high permittivity and an inner electrode are stacked in multiple layers in alternating manner.

For example, Patent Literature <NUM> proposes a stacked ceramic condenser of low cost, high capacity unit area and small size, in which a high permittivity magnetic layer (high permittivity ceramic layer) having a specific permittivity higher than or equal to <NUM>,<NUM> is formed and used as a dielectric layer of a particular composition having a relatively low sintering temperature.

However, this stacked ceramic condenser has a problem of a change in capacity depending on materials used for the dielectric layer, for example, as the temperature changes, a change in electrostatic capacitance is larger, or when an electric current flows, the electrostatic capacitance is lower, and thus, the stacked ceramic condenser was unsuitable for uses requiring precise capacity. Furthermore, because it is stacked, but not wound in the form of a film condenser, the inner electrode area for each facing pair is small, and accordingly, the total electrostatic capacitance of the condenser was not necessarily higher than the film condenser.

On the other hand, Patent Literatures <NUM> to <NUM> propose a winding-type ceramic condenser manufactured by printing an electrode on an unsintered ceramic sheet made of a ceramic dielectric, and by winding a pair of two.

However, this winding-type ceramic condenser uses a ceramic sheet for a dielectric layer, the ceramic sheet formed by wet-coating a ceramic dielectric on a release film and peeling it off from the film after drying, and it was necessary to sinter the dielectric at the high temperature of one thousand and several hundreds °C in a post-process. In addition, the film thickness of the ceramic sheet is about <NUM>, and it is difficult to reduce the distance between electrodes to <NUM> or less, making it impossible to obtain condensers of high capacity and small size in demand in recent days. Further, because a dielectric loss tangent (tan σ) is a few %, high voltage withstand and low loss characteristics required for HEVs or EVs cannot be obtained.

<CIT> describes a double-sided metallized film with metal films formed at both sides of a film body and a one-sided metallized film with the metal film formed only at one side of the film body, wherein the film body is a strip-shaped insulating film made of inorganic oxide added to PVDF. The one-sided metallized film and the double-sided metallized film are superposed and wound.

<CIT> describes a film composed of ceramics of <NUM>-<NUM> wt. % and super high polymeric polyethylene of <NUM>-<NUM> wt. % with rectangular electrode patterns formed thereon by screen printing, and two rolls of such film are wound on a cylindrical bobbin.

<CIT> discloses a wound capacitor comprising a first flexible structure and a second flexible structure. The first and the second flexible structure comprise a metal substrate and a layer of dielectric material deposited on the metal substrate, wherein the layer of dielectric material has a thickness of <NUM> and a relative dielectric constant of <NUM>.

<CIT> discloses a method of manufacturing parts of a film capacitor comprising forming a bilayer of a conductive film and a dielectric film on a peelable sheet. The conductive film may comprise aluminum or copper, and the dielectric film may comprise aluminum oxide and have a thickness of <NUM> or less, preferably <NUM> to <NUM>.

The invention is defined in the independent claim.

From the above, there is an urgent need for development of a stacked body for a condenser and a condenser that can be still replaced with film condensers and stacked ceramic condensers, has high electrostatic capacitance and high voltage withstand, can achieve miniaturization and is easy to manufacture.

At the time when the present invention was made, the inventors obtained knowledge that a winding-type stacked body for a condenser with high electrostatic capacitance and high voltage withstand, of small size, and easy to manufacture (easy to handle) and a condenser using the same can be obtained when the winding-type stacked body for a condenser includes a metal layer and a dielectric layer formed thereon and does not have a plastic film. The present disclosure was devised based on this knowledge.

The winding-type stacked body for a condenser proposed by the present disclosure is characterized in that it includes a metal layer and a dielectric layer, the dielectric layer is present on the metal layer (primarily representing an electrode) and a pair of two metal layers each having the dielectric layer are stacked and wound, and a plastic film is absent.

The winding-type stacked body for a condenser shown in <FIG> has a first metal layer A1 and a second metal layer A2, and a first dielectric layer B1 and a second dielectric layer B2 facing each other, wound around a winding axis, as well as a first outer terminal electrode <NUM> and a second outer terminal electrode <NUM> electrically connected to the first metal layer A1 and the second metal layer A2, respectively.

The first outer terminal electrode <NUM> and the second outer terminal electrode <NUM> are formed by spraying, for example, metal such as zinc, on each cross section of the winding-type stacked body for a condenser with a cylindrical shape obtained as described in the foregoing or a pillar shape with flat end surfaces obtained by applying the pressure. In this instance, the first outer terminal electrode <NUM> comes into contact with an exposed end of the first metal layer A1, and is thus electrically connected to the first metal layer A1. On the other hand, the second outer terminal electrode <NUM> comes into contact with an exposed end of the second metal layer A2, and is thus electrically connected to the second metal layer A2. Accordingly, one example of the present disclosure, the stacked winding-type condenser, can be proposed.

According to the winding-type stacked body for a condenser in accordance with the present disclosure, the electrostatic capacitance per unit area is theoretically higher <NUM> times, achieving high electrostatic capacitance. In addition, because dielectric ceramic can be used for the dielectric layer, in the respect that there is freedom to select and combine the materials for the metal layer and the dielectric layer, desired permittivity and dielectric loss tangent can be set. Further, there is no need to handle the dielectric layer of an ultra thin plastic film, making it very easy to handle and manufacture.

A winding-type stacked body for a condenser according to the present invention is as defined in the independent claim <NUM>.

In a winding-type stacked body for a condenser according to the present invention a plastic film is absent.

The plastic film generally refers to one formed of a polymer substance such as synthetic resin in the shape a thin film. The shape of the plastic film includes a membrane, a foil, and a sheet, as well as a film.

The synthetic resin forming the plastic film includes thermoplastic resins, for example, polyethylene (PE), polyester (PL) such as polyethyleneterephthalate (PET), polypropylene (PP), polyvinylchloride (PVC), polyvinylidene chloride (PVDC), polystyrene (PS), polyvinyl acetate (PVAC), polyurethane (PUR), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene resin (ABS resin), styrene acrylonitrile copolymer resin (AS resin), and acrylic resin (PMMA). In addition, thermosetting resins are available, for example, phenol resin (PF), epoxy resin (EP), melamine resin (MF), urea resin (UF), unsaturated polyester resin (UP), alchide resin, polyurethane (PUR), and thermosetting polyimide (PI).

The present disclosure excludes, particularly, a dielectric plastic film among the above.

The dielectric layer acts as a dielectric, and may be formed of a single layer or multiple layers. Materials for the dielectric layer include one of the dielectric materials defined in the independent claim <NUM>.

The layer thickness of the dielectric layer is higher than or equal to <NUM> and lower than or equal to <NUM>.

When the layer thickness of the dielectric layer is higher than or equal to <NUM>, a short circuit between electrodes is impeded and sufficient insulation can be obtained. When the layer thickness of the dielectric layer is lower than <NUM>, high electrostatic capacitance is easy to obtain. Further, when winding is performed after forming the dielectric layer on the metal layer, it is easy to prevent any crack in the dielectric layer.

Preferably, the present disclosure uses a vapor deposition method as a method of forming the dielectric layer on the metal layer to obtain a uniform, dense, and ultra thin dielectric layer. The vapor method may be any one of a physical vapor deposition (PVD) method and a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method.

Specific methods of PVD include a vacuum deposition method, an electron beam (EB) deposition method, a molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) method, an ion plating method, an ionized cluster beam (ICB) method, a sputtering method, ion beam deposition and pulse laser deposition, and among them, at least one of an electron beam (EB) deposition method, an ion plating method and a sputtering method may be used as a preferable method.

Also, specific methods of CVD include thermal CVD (APCVD and LPCVD), plasma CVD, optical CVD, a sol-gel method and an atomic layer deposition (ALD) method, and among them, thermal CVD, plasma CVD and an atomic layer deposition (ALD) method can be used as a preferable method.

Further, in addition to PVD and CVD, an aerosol deposition (AD) method can be used as a preferable method for forming the dielectric layer.

The metal layer of the present disclosure acts as an (inner) electrode, and may be formed of a single layer or multiple layers.

Materials for the metal layer are not limited to a particular type of material, and for example, a metal foil, a metal membrane, and a metal film can be used, and a metal film may be formed on a release film. Metals used for the metal layers include aluminum, aluminum alloy, zinc, zinc alloy, copper or copper alloy.

The layer thickness of the metal layer is higher than or equal to <NUM> and lower than or equal to <NUM>, and preferably a lower limit value is higher than or equal to <NUM> and an upper limit value is lower than or equal to <NUM>, and more preferably the lower limit value is higher than or equal to <NUM> and the upper limit value is lower than or equal to <NUM>.

When the layer thickness of the metal layer is higher than or equal to <NUM>, if the dielectric layer is formed on the metal layer by roll-to-roll, breakdown in the metal layer is prevented and high speed winding is easy. When the layer thickness of the metal layer is lower than or equal to <NUM>, size- and weight-reduction of the condenser can be easily achieved, and high electrostatic capacitance can be obtained.

The metal layer can be a foil, a membrane, or a film. Also, a metal film may be formed on a release film, and a film forming method may be any of the above described physical vapor deposition (PVD), chemical vapor deposition (CVD) and aerosol deposition (AD) methods.

The release film includes a polymer film having good heat resistance, for example, a polypropylene film (PP) and a polyethylene terephthalate film (PET), and to enhance the release performance, a film having a coating of silicon on the film is used.

Also, if needs arise, the metal layer is preferably divided by patterning for the purpose of insulation recovery by removing a separated electrode at a location blown by the fuse function when a dielectric breakdown occurred.

The present disclosure is attained by stacking condenser devices, each including the metal layer and the dielectric layer (condenser device) as a basic unit in a sequential order. According to the preferred embodiment of the present disclosure, it is preferable to stack the end parts of the condenser devices in a staggered manner as shown in <FIG>.

According to the preferred embodiment of the present disclosure, a stacked winding-type condenser using the winding-type stacked body for a condenser may be proposed. The stacked winding-type condenser includes the winding-type stacked body for a condenser which comprises the metal layer and the dielectric layer, in which the dielectric layer is present on the metal layer (primarily acting as an electrode), and a pair of two metal layers each having the dielectric layer are stacked and wound, and a plastic film is absent.

The present disclosure may have outer electrodes on both side end surfaces of the stacked winding-type condenser. Preferably, the outer electrode is formed by metal spraying.

The present disclosure may propose sealing using resin after attaching leads to the outer electrodes.

Although the description of the present disclosure is hereinafter provided through embodiments, the scope of the present disclosure shall not be construed as limiting to the embodiments. Also, the present disclosure relates to a winding-type stacked body for a condenser and a stacked winding-type condenser using the same as described above, and the preferred embodiment has outer electrodes on both side end surfaces of the stacked winding-type condenser, attaches leads, and seals using resin, and in the embodiments described hereinafter, a simple characteristics evaluation as a condenser was conducted, and comparative evaluation was conducted using a simple cell with a simplified device structure. Simplifying this device structure is just for the purpose of simplifying characteristics evaluation, and does not impose any limitation in practicing the present disclosure.

As a metal layer, (a1): an aluminum foil available from Sumikei Aluminum Foil; 1N30 (foil thickness <NUM>) was used, and a dielectric layer was formed on (a1) using a DC magnetron sputtering system. Specifically, the following process was performed.

In a Ulvac magnetron sputtering system SX-<NUM>, an aluminum oxide (Al<NUM>O<NUM>) target with purity of 4N was installed at a cathode, and the pressure was reduced to the reachable degree of vacuum of <NUM>×<NUM>-<NUM> Pa. Subsequently, argon gas was introduced, and (b1): an Al<NUM>O<NUM> layer having a film thickness of <NUM> was formed by controlling the sputtering time with power of 1000W and a film forming rate of <NUM>/min while rotating a stage on which the (a1) substrate is placed at <NUM> rpm. In this instance, the distance between the target and the sample was <NUM>, the rotation speed of the stage was <NUM> rpm, the flow rate of Ar gas was <NUM> sccm, and the pressure within the chamber after gas introduction was <NUM> Pa.

As a metal layer, (a2): an aluminum foil available from Sumikei Aluminum Foil; <NUM> (BESPA, foil thickness <NUM>) was used, in a Ulvac magnetron sputtering system SX-<NUM>, a silicon oxide (SiO<NUM>) target with purity of 4N was installed at a cathode, and as a dielectric film, (b2): a SiO<NUM> layer having a film thickness of <NUM> was formed by controlling the sputtering time with power of 1000W and a film forming rate of <NUM>/min, and a simple condenser cell was fabricated in the same way as Example <NUM> except the above.

As a metal layer, (a3): an ultra thin copper foil having an added carrier available from Mitsui Mining & Smelting; Micro Thin MT18Ex (foil thickness <NUM>, carrier thickness <NUM>) was used, and as a dielectric layer, (b3): an Al<NUM>O<NUM> layer having a film thickness of <NUM> was formed by controlling the sputtering time in Example <NUM>, and after film formation, the carrier was peeled off to fabricate a cell, and a simple condenser cell was fabricated in the same way as Example <NUM> except the above.

An aluminum film having a film thickness of <NUM> was formed on a stretched polypropylene (PP) film having a film thickness of <NUM> by a vacuum deposition method. Using this, a simple condenser cell was fabricated in the same way as Example <NUM>.

The following evaluation was conducted using, as samples, the simple condenser cells fabricated in the above examples and comparative example. The results are as described in the following table <NUM>.

Characteristics evaluation of the simple condenser cell samples was conducted using an impedance measuring device.

The impedance measuring device was used to connect SOLARTRON 1255B FREQUENCY RESPONSE ANALYSER available from Toyo Corporation to SOLARTRON SI1287 ELECTROCHEMICAL INTERFACE available from the same company, and ZPlot was used as interpretation software. The evaluation measured an electrostatic capacitance and a dielectric loss tangent (tan σ) at the frequency of <NUM> at room temperature (<NUM>), and calculated a specific permittivity.

A high temperature voltage withstand test of the simple condenser cell samples was conducted in the following order.

First, the device was pre-heated at the test temperature (<NUM>) for <NUM> hour, and before the test, an initial capacitance was set to be the same as the above Item <NUM>. and evaluation was conducted using the impedance measuring device. Subsequently, DC <NUM> kV voltage was applied to the simple condenser cell for <NUM> minute in a high temperature tank of <NUM> using a high voltage power source. The capacitance of the simple condenser cell after terminating the application of voltage was measured by the impedance measuring device, and a capacity change ratio before and after the application of voltage was calculated. Subsequently, the device was put in the high temperature tank again, application of voltage in the second cycle was carried out, a second cycle capacity change (accumulation) was calculated, and this process was repeated four times. A fourth cycle capacity change ratio was used in the evaluation. The fourth cycle capacitance change ratio is preferably less than or equal to -<NUM>% in practical aspects.

Hereinabove, the results shown in Table <NUM> were obtained. As compared to the conventional film condenser using a polypropylene film as a dielectric (comparative example <NUM>), the results that the electrostatic capacitance and high temperature voltage withstand characteristics were greatly enhanced in all the embodiments were obtained.

Furthermore, in the respect that a value of dielectric loss tangent (tan σ) is quite as low as <NUM>% or less, it can be seen that a problem with malfunction in a high frequency circuit caused by an energy loss or heat generation involved therein occurs on level as low as the conventional film condenser using a polypropylene film as a dielectric.

Claim 1:
A winding-type stacked body for a condenser, comprising:
a pair of two metal layers (A1, A2),
wherein metals used for the metal layers (A1, A2) include aluminum, aluminum alloy, zinc, zinc alloy, copper or copper alloy,
wherein a dielectric layer (B1, B2) is present on each metal layer (A1, A2),
wherein a layer thickness of the dielectric layer (B1, B2) is higher than or equal to <NUM> and lower than or equal to <NUM>; and
wherein materials for the dielectric layer include one of molybdenum oxide, zinc oxide, magnesium silicate, magnesium oxide and silicon oxide, metal hydroxide, metal nitride, talc, mica, calcium silicate, potassium silicate, calcinated clay, barium sulfate, aluminum oxide, magnesium carbonate, calcium carbonate and barium carbonate,
and wherein the metal layer (A1, A2) is divided by patterning, and the metal layers (A1, A2) are stacked and wound,
and
a plastic film of polymer substance is absent.