Background
Multilayer ceramic capacitors (MLCC) use alternating layers of barium titanate (BaTiO₃, dielectric) and Ni (electrode, Figure 1). Since Ni and BaTiO₃ have different properties, internal stress is generated after firing of MLCC multilayers due to the difference in thermal expansion coefficient between the layers. In recent years, it has become necessary to make the BaTiO₃ layer thinner as the size and capacity increase. Due to the large number of layers and the increased tendency for residual stress, controlling the stress is becoming more and more important. As a result of the continued miniaturization of MLCCs, microdiffraction is becoming a more appropriate method to characterize these multilayers. In this application note, MLCC stress analysis was performed using the XtaLAB Synergy-S, which is a single crystal X-ray diffractometer with a beam size of Ø=100 μm and has a sphere of confusion of 7 μm.
