Electronic component

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9972426-B2
Application number	US-201515313939-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 20, 2015
Priority date	May 27, 2014
Publication date	May 15, 2018
Grant date	May 15, 2018

Abstract

An electronic component is disclosed. In an embodiment, the electronic component includes a plurality of functional layers arranged one on top of the other forming a stack, first inner electrodes, and second inner electrodes, each of the first and second inner electrodes arranged between two adjacent functional layers. The electronic component further includes a first outer contact electrically connected to the first inner electrodes and a second outer contact electrically connected to the second inner electrodes, wherein the functional layers are selected such that the first and second outer contacts are electrically conductively connected to one another via the functional layers both in a basic state and in a hot state of the electronic component, wherein a temperature of the hot state is higher than a temperature of the basic state, and wherein the electronic component is an NTC component.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system comprising;
an electronic component, the electronic component comprising:
a plurality of functional layers arranged one on top of the other forming a stack;
first inner electrodes;
second inner electrodes, each of the first inner electrodes and the second inner electrodes arranged between two adjacent functional layers;
a first outer contact electrically connected to the first inner electrodes; and
a second outer contact electrically connected to the second inner electrodes,
wherein the functional layers are selected such that the first and second outer contacts are electrically conductively connected to one another via the functional layers both in a basic state and in a hot state of the electronic component,
wherein a temperature of the hot state is higher than a temperature of the basic state, and
wherein the electronic component is an NTC component; and

a consumer device electrically connected in series with the electronic component,
wherein the system is embodied such that a heating time is adjusted to an electrical start up time of the consumer device, wherein the heating time is defined as a time the electronic component is heated up to a steady-state temperature by a switch on current of the consumer device, and wherein the start up time is determined by a drop of the switch on current to a nominal current of the consumer device.

2. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of functional layers has a specific electrical resistance in the basic state of the electronic component, and wherein the specific electrical resistance is between 0.1 Ωm and 0.3 Ωm.

3. The system according to claim 1 , wherein a number of functional layers in the plurality of functional layers is between 20 and 120.

4. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of functional layers comprises at least one of a doped compound semiconductor material or a ceramic material.

5. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of functional layers comprises an oxide of at least one of iron, cobalt, nickel, copper or zinc.

6. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the electronic component comprises an electrical nominal resistance between 10 mΩ, and 25 mΩ, wherein the nominal resistance is the electrical resistance of the electronic component when unloaded and at an ambient temperature of 25° C.

7. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the first inner electrodes and the second inner electrodes are arranged one on top of the other in an alternating fashion when viewed in a stacking direction.

8. The system according to claim 1 , further comprising free electrodes, wherein the free electrodes are electrically connected to the first inner electrodes and the second inner electrodes only via the functional layers.

9. The system according to claim 8 , wherein the first inner electrodes and the second inner electrodes are spaced apart when viewed in a stacking direction.

10. The system according to claim 1 , wherein a ratio of the heating time to the electrical start up time is 0.5 to 1.5.

11. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the heating time and the electrical start up time are the same.

12. A system comprising:
an arrangement comprising a parallel connection of a plurality of electronic components, each of the electronic component comprising:
a plurality of functional layers arranged one on top of the other forming a stack;
first inner electrodes;
second inner electrodes, each of the first and second inner electrodes arranged between two adjacent functional layers;
a first outer contact electrically connected to the first inner electrodes; and
a second outer contact electrically connected to a second outer contact,
wherein the functional layers are selected such that the first and second outer contacts are electrically conductively connected to one another via the functional layers both in a basic state and in a hot state of the electronic component,
wherein a temperature of the hot state is higher than a temperature of the basic state,
wherein each of the electronic components is an NTC component; and

a consumer device which is connected electrically in series with the arrangement, the consumer device,
wherein the system is embodied such that a heating time is adjusted to an electrical start up time of the consumer device, wherein the heating time is defined as a time the electronic component is heated up to a steady-state temperature by a switch on current of the consumer device, and wherein the start up time is determined by a drop of the switch on current to a nominal current of the consumer device.

13. The system according to claim 12 , wherein the plurality of functional layers has a specific electrical resistance in the basic state of the electronic component, and wherein the specific electrical resistance is between 0.1 Ωm and 0.3 Ωm.

14. The system according to claim 12 , wherein a number of functional layers in the plurality of functional layers is between 20 and 120.

15. The system according to claim 12 , wherein the plurality of functional layers comprises at least one of a doped compound semiconductor material or a ceramic material.

16. The system according to claim 12 , wherein the plurality of functional layers comprises an oxide of at least one of iron, cobalt, nickel, copper or zinc.

17. The system according to claim 12 , wherein the electronic component comprises an electrical nominal resistance between 10 mΩ, and 25 mΩ, wherein the nominal resistance is the electrical resistance of the electronic component when unloaded and at an ambient temperature of 25° C.

18. The system according to claim 12 , wherein the first inner electrodes and the second inner electrodes are arranged one on top of the other in an alternating fashion when viewed in a stacking direction.

19. The system according to claim 12 , further comprising free electrodes, wherein the free electrodes are electrically connected to the first and second inner electrodes only via the functional layers.

20. The system according to claim 19 , wherein the first inner electrodes and the second inner electrodes are spaced apart when viewed in a stacking direction.

Assignees

• Epcos Ag

Inventors

• Rinner Franz
• Auer Christoph
• Schweinzger Manfred

Classifications

• H01C7/041 Primary

  formed with two or more layers · CPC title

• H01C1/148

  the terminals embracing or surrounding the resistive element (H01C1/142 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01G4/012

  Form of non-self-supporting electrodes · CPC title

• H01C7/043

  Oxides or oxidic compounds · CPC title

• H01G4/30

  Stacked capacitors (H01G4/33 takes precedence) · CPC title