A tantalum capacitor includes a tantalum body, an encapsulation portion, first and second external electrodes spaced apart from each other on a lower surface of the encapsulation portion, a first plating layer disposed on one end surface of the encapsulation portion and a lower surface of the first external electrode to electrically connect the first external electrode and the tantalum body, an upper end of the first plating being comprised of a first bonding force improving portion contacting one upper edge of the encapsulation portion, and a second plating layer disposed on the other end surface of the encapsulation portion and a lower surface of the second external electrode to electrically connect the second external electrode and an exposed portion of a tantalum wire, an upper end of the second plating layer being comprised of a second bonding force improving portion contacting the other upper edge of the encapsulation portion.

A solid electrolytic capacitor comprising a capacitor element is provided. The capacitor element comprises a sintered porous anode body, a dielectric that overlies the anode body, and a solid electrolyte that overlies the dielectric and that includes conductive polymer particles. The anode body has an exterior surface that spans in a longitudinal direction to define a length of the anode body, wherein at least one channel is recessed into the exterior surface of the anode body. The channel is defined by opposing sidewalls that intersect at a base, wherein the channel has a width of from about 0.4 millimeters to about 3 millimeters and a depth of from about 50 micrometers to about 350 micrometers.

A TiZr alloy in powder form is described. Sintered pellets containing the TiZr alloy powder of the present invention, as well as capacitor anodes, are further described.

A solid electrolytic capacitor that includes a capacitor element laminate, a first external electrode, and a second external electrode. The capacitor element laminate includes capacitor elements, cathode lead-out layers, and a sealing body. At least one capacitor element includes an anode foil, dielectric layers, and cathode layers. The first external electrode is connected to the anode foil exposed at the first end surface of the capacitor element laminate. The second external electrode is connected to the cathode lead-out layers exposed at the second end surface of the capacitor element laminate. A first cathode lead-out layer and a second cathode lead-out layer are both conductive paste layers, and uniformly extend from where the first cathode lead-out layer and the second cathode lead-out layer are disposed on the cathode layers to the second external electrode.

An improved capacitor, and method of manufacturing the improved capacitor, is provided. The method includes deoxygenating and leaching the anode wire to produce a capacitor comprising an anode having a surface area of at least 4.0 m.sup.2/g or a charge density of at least 200,000 CV/g with the anode wire having an equivalent diameter of less than 0.30 mm extending from said anode. A dielectric is on the anode and a cathode is on the dielectric.

An improved capacitor is provided. The capacitor comprises an anode comprising a pressed and sintered, preferably tantalum, powder wherein the anode has edge surfaces and parallel major surfaces. The anode further comprises a first set of parallel surface protrusions and a second set of parallel surface protrusions on each parallel major surface wherein the first set of parallel surface protrusions and second set of parallel surface protrusions are not parallel and form a well therebetween. An anode wire extends from an edge surface of the edge surfaces. A dielectric is on the anode and a conductive polymer on said dielectric.

The present invention relates to a composite tantalum powder and a process for preparing the same, and to a capacitor anode prepared from the tantalum powder. The method for preparing a composite tantalum powder comprises the following steps of: 1) providing a tantalum powder prepared by a reduction process, and flattening the tantalum powder so as to prepare a flaked tantalum powder; 2) providing a granular tantalum powder prepared from tantalum ingot; 3) mixing the flaked tantalum powder and the granular tantalum powder to give a tantalum powder mixture; and 4) thermally treating the tantalum powder mixture, and then pulverizing, screening to give a composite tantalum powder. The present invention further relates to a composite tantalum powder prepared from the process and the use thereof in a capacitor.

A capacitor case sealed to retain electrolyte; a sintered anode disposed in the capacitor case, the sintered anode having a shape wherein the sintered anode includes a mating portion; a conductor coupled to the sintered anode, the conductor sealingly extending through the capacitor case to a terminal disposed on an exterior of the capacitor case; a sintered cathode disposed in the capacitor case, the sintered cathode having a shape that mates with the mating portion of the sintered anode such that the sintered cathode matingly fits in the mating portion of the sintered anode; a separator between the sintered anode and the sintered cathode; and a second terminal disposed on the exterior of the capacitor case and in electrical communication with the sintered cathode, with the terminal and the second terminal electrically isolated from one another.

A solid electrolytic capacitor includes a capacitor element. The capacitor element includes an anode body that is a porous sintered body, a dielectric layer disposed on a surface of the porous sintered body, an insulating material disposed on a surface of the dielectric layer, and a solid electrolyte layer disposed on a surface of the insulating material. The capacitor element has at least one corner part. An amount of the insulating material disposed in the at least one corner part of the capacitor element is larger than an amount of the insulating material disposed in a center part of the capacitor element.

A porous metal foil and porous metal wire are described. Capacitor anodes made from either or both of the porous metal foil and porous metal wire are further described as well as methods to make same.