Patent ID: 7481850

Claim:
A method comprising: forming a plurality of solid electrolytic capacitor elements on a surface-roughened aluminum frame by performing a process comprising: forming an anodic oxide film on one of: (i) a first predetermined portion of the aluminum frame, said first predetermined portion including portions of upper and lower surfaces of the aluminum frame, and (ii) an entirety of upper and lower surfaces of the aluminum frame, including the first predetermined portion; forming a solid electrolyte, comprising a conductive polymer film, at the first predetermined portion on the anodic oxide film; forming, at the first predetermined portion, a first metal plating layer on the conductive polymer film, to form a cathode portion; forming a second metal plating layer at a second predetermined portion, other than the first predetermined portion of the aluminum frame, to form an anode portion, said second predetermined portion including portions of upper and lower surfaces of the aluminum frame; and forming alloy plating layers on the first metal plating layer at the cathode portion and the second metal plating layer at the anode portion, respectively; performing said process of forming the plurality of solid electrolytic capacitors on the surface-roughened aluminum frame for at least one additional surface-roughened aluminum frame, such that a plurality of said frames each having a plurality of said solid electrolytic capacitors thereon are formed; stacking the plurality of frames such that the respective alloy plating layers on adjacent frames in the stack abut each other; fixing the stacked plurality of frames together by performing heating to fuse the respective alloy plating layers of the adjacent frames; and cutting the fixed-together plurality of frames at at least one predetermined position to form at least one stacked capacitor.