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As RF and microwave systems require higher performance in a small footprint, designers and engineers need to get more out of every component, including capacitors. To meet these demands, Knowles Precision Devices has expanded its line of single-layer vertical electrode (V Series) capacitors to include the 100nF V80 Bypass Capacitor. The V80 is a revolutionary development for capacitors as it is the first SLC to feature an operating voltage of 50V in .084” x .042” package. The closest competitor product at this size is only rated for 16V.
A Close-Up of the V80 Bypass Capacitor
If you are not already familiar with the Knowles Precision Devices line of V Series SLCs, these capacitors were designed to provide higher capacitance in a smaller footprint, especially compared to general purpose MLCCs. Additionally, with our line of SLCs, impedance becomes lower at higher frequencies, which helps filter out noise and irregularities in the power line, creating a smooth supply voltage for the circuit. More specifically, with the new V80 SLC, which is built on one of our proprietary Class II dielectrics, our SLC line now is expanded to include capacitance that is 10X higher at 100nF, while also increasing the operating voltage rating to 50V, all in an incredibly small footprint. Tables 1 and 2 show the full specs and dimensions for our complete line of V30 and V80 SLCs.
| Case Size | Material | Capacitance | Tolerance | Voltage Rating | Termination | Test Level |
| V30 (0303) | BZ |
102 =1nF |
M = ±20% | 5 = 50V 1 = 100V 6 = 200V 8 = 150V |
S = Ni/Au |
X = Commercial |
| V80 (0408) | BZ | 104 = 100nF | M = ±20% | 2 = 25V 5 = 50V |
S = Ni/Au | X = Commercial A = Group A B = Group B |
*Metal thickness: 100 µ" min. of Au over 50 µ" min. of Ni
Table 1. The range of capacitance and voltage offered by the full line of Knowles Precision Devices V Series SLCs.
| Part | Length (mm) | Width (mm) | Thickness (mm) | Insulation Resistance @ 25°C | Insulation Resistance @ 125°C | Dissipation Factor @ 1 MHz |
| V30 |
.03" ± .003 (.762 mm ± .076) |
.03" ± .003 (.762 mm ± .076) |
.022" ±.003 (.559 mm ±.076)
|
103 | 102 | 2.5% |
| V80 |
.084" ±.004 (2.134 mm ±.102) |
.042" ±.004 (1.067 mm ±.102) |
.024" ±.003 (.610 mm ±.076) |
103 | 102 | 2.5% |
Table 2. The dimensions for Knowles Precision Devices V30 and V80 SLCs.
Additionally, the V80 has been tested to maintain its performance at up to 40GHz. And, like the V30, the V80 is wire bondable, has a gold termination, is compatible with epoxy and AuSn solder attachments, has X7R temperature stability, and is RoHS compliant. In addition to the release of the V80, at the same time, we also improved the V30 series bypass capacitors to have a temperature stability rating at up to 150°C.
The V80 SLC is the first bypass capacitor of its kind and is ideal for high-frequency GaN and GaAs amplifier applications above 10MHz. Specific use cases within these applications may include DC blocking, RF bypassing, filtering, tuning, and coupling. So, if you have an amplifier application where small size and microwave performance are key to maintain the reliability of your circuit, our line of V Series high-frequency, wire-bondable, SLCs are the perfect fit.