Why Choose Us?

 

Professional Technical Team
The top management of our company has two professors from electric university of Zhejiang university, and we have employed several aerospace and military project level power supply research and develop specialists in 2011, and we found TRR micro power supply research institute, we are professionally design and modify the power supply product scheme for customers, save cost and improve energy efficiency, or replace the lacked IC.

 

Rich Experience
TRR shares has multiply areas core technologies in wafer, package, apparatus test and application design, etc, we devote into research, manufacture, sell and application scheme design in new type components, already obtained more than 80 national authorized invent patents, include the general MB10F bridge in power supply industry, LED industry used UMB10F / B7 bridge, the globe smallest bridge IBS and series high junction temperature products.

 

Wide Product Range
Our company focus on that provide the industry commonly used and customized products and service according to requirements for the users, the products widely applied in many areas such as power supply and adapters (customer: SUNGROW power supply), green lighting (customers: MLS, TOSPO lighting), router (customer: Huawei), smart phone (customers: Huawei, Xiaomi, OPPO) and communication products, automobile electrics (customer: SAIC General Motors), frequency transformer, big and small household electrical appliances (customer: Gree), safety guard area (HIKVISION, DAHUA) and other areas.

 

 

What is Tantalum Capacitor?

 

Tantalum capacitors are a type of electrolytic capacitor that uses the metal tantalum for the anode. They provide higher capacitance in a smaller package than other types of capacitors, and they offer better voltage and temperature characteristics than high-capacitance ceramic capacitors.

 

Benefits of Tantalum Capacitor

Smaller Size for High Capacitance

Tantalum capacitors have thin dielectric layers, allowing them to offer higher capacitance values per unit volume. This compactness makes them ideal for weight-sensitive applications.

Withstands Higher Temperatures

Tantalum capacitors have a wide operating temperature range of -55°C–125°C, making them suitable for various industrial, enterprise, automotive, commercial, and consumer electronics applications. They excel in rugged environments and are commonly used in industrial-grade SSDs.

Excellent Reliability

Tantalum capacitors exhibit a rise in capacitance with temperature and an increase in capacitance as the power supply load becomes heavier. This property makes them well-suited for energy storage and switched-mode power supplies with variable loads, providing long service life and high reliability.

 

Applications of Tantalum Capacitors
 

Capacitors appear in all types of electronic devices from TVs, radios, computer equipment, Wi-Fi routers to mobile phones. Obviously, any piece of electronic equipment has several capacitors inside and those capacitors come in all shapes and sizes. Capacitors are produced using various methods of construction and dielectric materials that considerably affect their performances. Since some types of capacitors work better in some applications than others, understanding the differences between the different types of capacitors is extremely important.

 

Tantalum capacitors are one of the most popular capacitor types in the microelectronics industry. More than 80% of all tantalum electrolytic capacitors are manufactured in surface mount device (SMD) style as tantalum electrolytic chip capacitors. However, niobium based electrolytic capacitors are also getting popular in electronics industry due to abundance of the niobium element in nature. Nowadays, the energy conservation requirements for capacitors is increasing due to the demand for low power applications. Since the equivalent series resistance (ESR) of a tantalum electrolytic capacitor is relatively low, they are still very popular in electronic application where energy saving is vital.

 

 

Construction and Properties of Tantalum Capacitors

Tantalum electrolytic capacitors, just like other electrolytic capacitors, are consisted of an anode, some electrolyte and a cathode. The anode is isolated from the cathode so only a very small leakage DC current may flow through the capacitor. The anode is made of pure tantalum metal. The metal is ground into a fine powder, and sintered into a pellet at high temperatures. This forms a very porous anode with a high surface area. A high surface area directly translates to an increased capacitance value.

 

The anode is then covered with a layer of insulating oxide, which acts as a dielectric. This process is called anodization. This step must be precisely controlled to reduce tolerances and ensure correct capacitance values as the extent of oxide growth determines the dielectric thickness.

 

Electrolyte is added to the anode by means of pyrolysis in the case of solid tantalum capacitors. Solid tantalum capacitors are then dipped into a special solution and baked in an oven to produce a manganese dioxide coat. The process is repeated until a thick coating is present on all internal and external surfaces of the pellet.

 

Finally, the pellet used in solid tantalum capacitors is dipped into graphite and silver to provide a good cathode connection. In contrast to solid tantalum capacitors, wet tantalum capacitors use a liquid electrolyte. After the anode is sintered and dielectric layer is grown, it is dipped into a liquid electrolyte within an enclosure. The enclosure and electrolyte together serve as the cathode in wet tantalum capacitors.

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Tantalum Capacitor Failure Modes

 

Due to their chemistry you also need to derate their voltage capabilities – even small overvoltages will lead to a failure known as Field Crystallization. When tantalum capacitors fail they can do so spectacularly in a fiery pop and potentially fail shorted together, completely removing their benefits from the circuit and potentially presenting a short to ground for power. The general rule for voltages is to derate a tantalum capacitor with an MnO2 electrolyte by 50% and a polymer electrolyte by 20%.

 

So when do you want to use a tantalum capacitor? When you need maximum capacitance in a small space like decoupling next to a microchip, excellent stability over a range of temperatures or voltages, and you are aware of their unique characteristics so they can be designed in properly and not risk your system with a fiery failure.

 

What Are The Uses Of Tantalum Capacitor?
 
 

Tantalum plays a major role in making capacitors. It has an excellent high capacitance, even in a small volume, making it ideal for shrinking electric devices or creating extra room for larger speaker and processors. You can find this element in PS3's, laptops, mobile or cell phones, hard drives, and DVD players.

 
 
 

Tantalum is also perfect for creating the surface acoustic wave filters which are used in televisions and mobile phones for improving the audio quality. In fact, an average mobile phone has 40mg of Tantalum inside. Other uses of this element includes components in rectifiers and electron tubes and an addition to alloys for aerospace materials.

 
 
 

As for medical applications, Tantalum capacitors are known to have low failure rates. This means that it has an ideal use in several medical pieces of equipment, such as hearing aids and pacemakers. Since Tantalum cannot be harmed by bodily fluids and doesn't irritate the human flesh, it can be an excellent metal for creating knee, hip, and any other orthopedic implants.

 

 

Why Use a Tantalum Capacitor Vs. Ceramic?

Surface mount tantalum capacitors typically feature a bottom electrode structure
Tantalum capacitors configured with electrodes on the bottom of the package are not susceptible to shorts, even when mounted close together facing each other. This makes it possible to further decrease set thickness to a level that is difficult or impossible to achieve with ceramic capacitors.

 

The Strength of Tantalum Capacitors
Resin-mold-type tantalum capacitors are typically strong against stress caused by board deflection. In fact, they can be mounted even at the ends of the board which are subjected to extreme deflection, providing added design flexibility. In addition, board handling precautions typically required for ceramic capacitors during assembly are not needed when using tantalum capacitors.

 

Minimal Variation in Capacitance Characteristics
Tantalum capacitors (TC) experience very little change in capacitance characteristics due to circuit DC voltage and/or temperature fluctuations, eliminating the need to verify the effective capacitance - unlike ceramic capacitors (MLCC).

 

No Sound Problems
In many cases when using ceramic capacitors, audible noise is discovered during final evaluation, which require urgent countermeasures before shipment in order to prevent significant damage from occurring. In contrast, because tantalum capacitors themselves do not resonate, no noise is generated, ensuring worry-free operation.

 

 

Why Is Tantalum Capacitor Used in Electronics?

 

The element tantalum (Ta) is a rare grey metal with unique properties. The largest tantalum application, representing some 30% of consumption, is that of tantalum capacitors, which are electronic components that are essential to anything electronic.

 

Tantalum capacitors are recognised for their exceptional stability and reliability in a wide range of temperatures and frequencies. They also have record breaking volumetric efficiency. Tantalum provides the capacitor of choice for high performance technologies and when failure is not an option.

 

Are Tantalum Capacitors Good for Audio?

 

 

Tantalum capacitors are processed from the rare metal tantalum. The tantalum is ground into fine powder and then sintered together with other media. Because of the inherent characteristics of metal tantalum, tantalum capacitors have good stability, do not change with different environmental, and can achieve large capacitance values. In some respects, they have some incomparable characteristics of ceramic capacitors, so ceramics cannot be used in many Tantalum capacitors are widely used in capacitor circuits.

 

As tantalum capacitors are more and more widely used in the market, models and capacity increase, many industries are now replacing aluminum electrolytic capacitors with tantalum capacitors.


The principle of tantalum capacitors is this: tantalum is easily oxidized in the air, and people use its oxide film as the medium. Since tantalum is easily oxidized, tantalum capacitors can automatically "heal wounds", so they are durable and high reliable. Because the oxide film is very thin, the distance between the two plates of the tantalum capacitor is very close, there is almost no inductive reactance, and it is very sensitive, so the charging and discharging speed is fast. These characteristics determine that tantalum capacitors are suitable for high-frequency, low-current, and fastresponse circuits. Therefore, tantalum capacitors are also widely used in missiles, satellites and other circuits that require fast response and high reliability.

 

Tantalum capacitors are very sensitive and charge and discharge quickly, so they are also often used in high-end audio audio circuits, mainly high-frequency circuits. Because they reduce the loss of low and small currents in the high-frequency range, they relatively improve the treble and improve the sound quality.

 

Are Tantalum Capacitors Noisy?

First, ceramic materials have a piezo-electric effect, so Tantalum Capacitor devices share this characteristic. Materials with piezo-electric characteristics physically move or vibrate when electrical signals are applied, and/or create electrical signals when physical pressure is applied. This effect can cause ceramic capacitors to "sing" or "hum" when electrical signals are used, varying by frequency harmonics. Tantalum capacitors do not have a piezo-electric effect.

 
 

DC BIAS VOLTAGE

In an Tantalum Capacitor, capacitance decreases as bias voltage applied increases. Tantalum capacitors do not vary with bias voltage, and they are physically smaller than the same capacitance MLCC devices.

 
 
 

AC VOLTAGE (NOISE)

In an Tantalum Capacitor, the substrate vibrates when an AC voltage or noise is applied. This vibration can cause audible noise. Tantalum substrates do not vibrate, so they cannot create audible noise.

 
 
 

TEMPERATURE

In an Tantalum Capacitor, capacitance is susceptible to temperature, decreasing at low and high temperatures. Tantalum capacitors show stable capacitance across all rated temperatures.

 

 

 
Ultimate FAQ Guide to Tantalum Capacitor
 

 

TRR Electronics Co.,Ltd is one state capital hold controlling interest enterprise which make research, develop, manufacture and sell semiconductor discrete components and products as main operating business. We are subsidiary of A-shares quoted company 600059 and found in 2000,Toexpand oversea market business, Established subsidiary Guangdong TRR Electronics Co., Ltd.

TRR shares has multiply areas core technologies in wafer, package, apparatus test and application design, etc, we devote into research, manufacture, sell and application scheme design in new type components, already obtained more than 80 national authorized invent patents, include the general MB10F bridge in power supply industry, LED industry used UMB10F / B7 bridge, the globe smallest bridge IBS and series high junction temperature products.

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Ultimate FAQ Guide to Tantalum Capacitor
 

Q: What is a tantalum capacitor used for?

A: They are a popular replacement for aluminum electrolytics in military applications because they do not tend to dry out and change capacitance over time. Medical electronics also rely on tantalum because of their high stability. Audio amplifiers sometimes use tantalum capacitors where stability is a critical factor.

Q: What is the difference between normal capacitor and tantalum capacitor?

A: Tantalum capacitors are polarized, meaning they require a specific application of voltage to their positive terminal, just like most electrolytic capacitors. In contrast, ceramic capacitors are unpolarized, so they can be run with AC voltages.

Q: Why do tantalum capacitors explode?

A: When a tantalum capacitor is subjected to overvoltage or overcurrent, it experiences internal heating and eventually reaches a temperature that can cause ignition of the organic materials in the capacitor. This can result in the release of flammable gases, and when ignited, the capacitor can burn or even explode.

Q: Do tantalum capacitors go bad?

A: A transient voltage or a current spike applied to tantalum electrolytic capacitors with solid manganese dioxide electrolyte can cause some tantalum capacitors to fail and may directly lead to a short.

Q: How long do tantalum capacitors last?

A: The capacitance stability achieved by polymer tantalum capacitors exceeds that of MLCCs over time, temperature and voltage. Whilst MLCCs are susceptible to aging, polymer tantalums achieve long-term stability over an operational lifetime of 20 years.

Q: Are all tantalum capacitors polarized?

A: Tantalum capacitors are inherently polarized components. Reverse voltage can destroy the capacitor. Non-polar or bipolar tantalum capacitors are made by effectively connecting two polarized capacitors in series, with the anodes oriented in opposite directions.

Q: What is a tantalum capacitor used for?

A: Applications using tantalum capacitors take advantage of their low leakage current, high capacity and long-term stability and reliability. For example, they are used in sample and hold circuits that rely on low leakage current to achieve long hold duration.

Q: Can I replace a tantalum capacitor with an electrolytic?

A: A tantalum capacitor is also a type of electrolytic capacitor, however, due to low leakage, they are more accurate and reliable than the cylindrical electrolytic capacitor variants. If the leakage factor is not too critical then you can easily replace a tantalum capacitor with the other regular electrolytic capacitor.

Q: What is the difference between tantalum capacitors and electrolytic capacitors?

A: Electrolytic capacitors made with aluminum (or aluminum) are generally lower priced than those made with tantalum. Tantalum capacitors have higher capacitance per volume. Capacitors made with tantalum can be either polar and non-polar though the polarized form is more common.

Q: What is surge voltage in terms of the tantalum capacitor?

A: A surge voltage is the highest voltage that can be applied to a capacitor for a shorter period in circuits that has minimum series resistance.

Q: When to use a tantalum capacitor?

A: When you need maximum capacitance in a small space like decoupling next to a microchip, excellent stability over a range of temperatures or voltages, and you are aware of their unique characteristics so they can be designed properly and not risk your system with a fiery failure.

Q: Are tantalum capacitors noisy?

A: Tantalum substrates do not vibrate, so they cannot create audible noise. In an MLCC, capacitance is susceptible to temperature, decreasing at low and high temperatures. Tantalum capacitors show stable capacitance across all rated temperatures.

Q: What special precaution must you take when installing a tantalum capacitor?

A: Since the solid electrolytic tantalum chip capacitor has polarity, the application of reverse voltage should be avoided. The sum of the DC voltage and the negative peak ripple voltage should not allow a voltage reversal. The sum of DC voltage and peak ripple voltage should not exceed the rated voltage.

Q: Should I replace tantalum capacitors?

A: Tantalum electrolytic capacitors have the potential to cause smoke and fire if a short circuit failure occurs. Smoke and fire can be fatal to electronic products equipped with tantalum electrolytic capacitors. Another issue is the raw material tantalum.

Q: Do tantalum capacitors wear out?

A: Solid tantalum capacitors have no known wear-out mechanism(s). However, excessive voltage, current, and temperature can impact their long-term reliability. Reducing any of the mentioned stresses results in improved reliability.

Q: Do tantalum capacitors leak?

A: Some applications, such as power supply systems and amplifier coupling systems, demand capacitors with low leakage currents. Aluminium electrolytic capacitors and tantalum capacitors have high leakage currents and are generally unsuitable for such applications.

Q: What are tantalum capacitors good for?

A: Though tantalum capacitors usually require an external failsafe device to avoid issues caused by their failure mode, they are used in a wide variety of circuits. Some applications include PCs, laptops, medical devices, audio amplifiers, automotive circuitry, cell phones, and other surface-mounted devices (SMD).

Q: Why are tantalum capacitors so expensive?

A: Compared to ceramics, tantalum capacitors can have higher capacitance for the same voltage rating and case size. The tradeoff here is cost; the more specialized higher capacitance tantalums can have higher cost than a ceramic with the same voltage rating.

Q: How to check tantalum capacitor with multimeter?

A: Attach multimeter in mA mode in series to it and apply rated voltage through current limiting resistor (to not damage multimeter, just in case). Sometimes they appear fine at low voltage but start passing high current when voltage is increased.

Q: Which side of the tantalum capacitor is positive?

A: One end of the chip tantalum capacitor is marked with a horizontal line, which is the positive electrode of the chip tantalum capacitor, and the other end is the negative electrode. The long end of the lead tantalum capacitor is the positive electrode, and the short end is the negative electrode.

We're well-known as one of the leading tantalum capacitor manufacturers and suppliers in Shenzhen, China. If you're going to buy high quality tantalum capacitor in stock, welcome to get quotation from our factory. Also, OEM service is available.

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