‌Technological Breakthroughs and Application Prospects of Metal Etching Process in MLCC Carrier Tape Industry‌

‌Technological Breakthroughs and Application Prospects of Metal Etching Process in MLCC Carrier Tape Industry‌

In the manufacturing of multilayer ceramic capacitors (MLCCs), carrier tapes serve as critical substrates for supporting ceramic dielectrics and electrodes, where their precision and performance directly impact capacitor consistency and reliability. Traditional laser cutting or die-stamping processes are limited by machining accuracy (±20μm) and thermal stress, making them unsuitable for producing ultra-miniature 01005 (0.4×0.2mm) MLCCs. ‌Metal etching technology‌, with its unique advantages in precision microstructure fabrication, is bringing revolutionary opportunities to the MLCC carrier tape industry.

‌I. Process Adaptability Analysis‌

‌1. Micron-Level Pattern Accuracy‌
Etching achieves ±3μm pattern tolerance, precisely controlling the etching depth (5-50μm) of carrier tapes (e.g., polyimide/PET composites) using ferric chloride/nitric acid systems, accurately replicating electrode patterns with 5μm linewidth. Compared to laser processing, it avoids carbonized edges that cause dielectric loss.

‌2. Complex Structure Machining‌
Supports 3D shaping such as stepped grooves and honeycomb support structures. For example, etching a 12μm-deep buffer grid on the tape surface reduces ceramic dielectric layer thickness variation to within 0.8%, significantly improving MLCC capacitance consistency.

‌3. Batch Processing Efficiency‌
A single etching operation can simultaneously process 300mm×300mm carrier tapes with a pattern density of 5,000 units per sheet, tripling efficiency compared to traditional step-by-step processing—ideal for large-scale production of automotive-grade MLCCs.

‌II. Key Technological Breakthroughs‌

• ‌Dielectric Matching Optimization‌: Nanoscale surface roughness (Ra 0.1-0.3μm) formed via etching enhances ceramic slurry adhesion by 40%, reducing post-sintering interfacial porosity to below 0.5%.
• ‌Thermal Stress Mitigation‌: Micro-hole arrays (20μm diameter) etched into carrier tapes disperse thermal expansion mismatch stress during sintering, lowering MLCC cracking rates from 1.2% to 0.15%.
• ‌Smart Manufacturing Integration‌: Machine vision alignment systems achieve ±1.5μm automatic positioning accuracy between tapes and green sheets, meeting ultra-thin dielectric (1μm) stacking requirements.

‌III. Industry Application Value‌

• ‌Support for High-Capacitance Miniaturization‌: Murata (Japan) has successfully mass-produced 0.1μF 0402 MLCCs using etched carrier tapes, achieving a capacitance density of 250μF/cm³.
• ‌Improved High-Frequency Performance‌: Samsung Electro-Mechanics enhanced the Q-factor of 5G base station MLCCs to 2000@1GHz via electromagnetic shielding structures on etched tapes.
• ‌Cost Reduction‌: Single-sided etched tapes can replace traditional double-sided copper-clad substrates, cutting material costs by 30% with a 98% etching waste liquid recovery rate.

‌IV. Collaborative Development Roadmap‌

A three-phase strategy is recommended:

1. ‌Process Validation‌: Conduct orthogonal experiments on etching parameters (e.g., for BT resin/ceramic fiber boards) to establish thickness-time-concentration models.
2. ‌Customized Equipment‌: Partner with precision equipment manufacturers like Muehlbauer to develop roll-to-roll continuous etching lines with 1200mm/min processing speeds.
3. ‌Standardization‌: Collaborate with leading MLCC producers to establish industry standards (e.g., "Etched Tape Warpage ≤0.05mm/m").

‌Conclusion‌

Metal etching technology enables MLCC carrier tapes to evolve from passive substrates to active performance regulators. As 5G and electric vehicles demand higher MLCC performance, mastering this technology will help companies break into high-end markets. Accelerating collaboration with equipment suppliers and end-users to build differentiated competitiveness is strongly advised.

(Note: Technical terms like "MLCC," "Q-factor," and "μm" remain in standard English notation for industry consistency.)