Resistors live up to their names – they help to resist the flow of (excessive) current into a Printed Circuit Board (PCB). The resistors can also help protect the Integrated Circuit (IC) from getting damaged when the current supply is low or higher. So do the capacitors.
The Multilayer Ceramic Capacitor or MLCC is one capacitor category that is popular today. Rest assured that you can use it for different purposes. The 0603 capacitor is one of the many capacitors categorized under the MLCC.
In this blog post, we talk extensively about what the MLCC stands for, the role of the 0603 capacitor and why you should consider using it.
What is a Multilayer Ceramic Capacitor?
The simplest definition is that a Multilayer Ceramic Capacitor or MLCC is a type of capacitor comprised of several ceramic materials and conductive electrodes. It is imperative to point out here that the MLCC’s components (the conductive electrodes and the ceramic materials) are positioned in a way that they are placed one above the other.
However, the multiple layers of ceramic materials have one other function. They act as the dielectric, while the conductive electrodes are placed between each layer of ceramic material.
The Origin of the 0603 Capacitor
Let us look at 0603 capacitor’s origin. It is one of the core footprints or resistors peculiar to the Surface Mount Device (SMD) Passives. These SMD Passives are the passive components used when working with Surface Mount Devices (SMDs).
We also want to point out that the components in the SMD Passives cut across resistors, capacitors and inductors. The 0603 capacitor is one of such components and is one of the most popular.
Peculiarities of the SMD Passives
If there is anything that sets the SMD Passives out from the other programmable device components, it has to be the uniformity.
According to UltraLibrarian, the SMD components tend to “have common package sizes and land patterns.”
What is an 0603 Capacitor?
Haven noted that it is one of the SMD Passives, let us now get a clearer picture of what it means. The 0603 capacitor is a type of SMD component that measures .06 inches in length and .03 inches in width. It is the combination of those sizes that creates the number “0603” in the datasheet.
0603 Capacitor Dimensions
Let us now talk about the dimensions of the 0603 capacitor. The ideal dimensions are:
- Height: 0.45 ± 0.05mm
- Length: 1.55 ± 0.05mm
- Width: 0.85 ± 0.05mm
0603 Capacitor Dimension Considerations
It is true that a majority of the SMD components have a similar footprint and size. As such, we can assume that the 0603 capacitor should have a similar dimension as the others.
That doesn’t always appear to be the case. This is why we encourage digital circuit designers to make in-depth research about the 0603 capacitor before working with it.
Here are a few of the design considerations pertaining to the 0603 capacitor’s dimensions:
1. Dimension and Sizing Matching
The first consideration is to confirm that the dimension and size of the 0603 capacitor matches. The digital circuit designer can refer to the 0603 capacitor’s datasheet to get this information.
2. Interchangeable Considerations
It may be possible to interchange the 0603 capacitor’s footprint, because by default, it is possible to make an interchangeability between the different components in the circuit board.
To that end, the digital circuit designer should check to see if it is possible to make that switch. Please have in mind that in some scenarios, it may be impossible to make the switch (interchanging), especially if the desired component is not available.
If that be the case, you can choose a different design option – to create a new component for the Printed Circuit Board (PCB). If you are choosing this option, it has to be based on the factor that the new component has the same 3D Models and PCB footprint.
3. Check the Land Pad Arrangement
The land pad refers to the land patterns for the 0603 capacitor. Ideally, you want to work with a land pattern that has rounded corners, which is the default format. It is also possible to work with the land pad that maintains the uniformity of the center-to-center spacing and lateral pad dimensions.
Design Considerations for the 0603 Capacitor
The following are some of the important considerations you want to have in mind before choosing to work with the 0603 capacitor.
4. Lower Inductance
Have in mind that 0603 capacitors typically have a lower inductance value than larger packages. This is possible because of the overt dependance of the inductance value on the size of the package.
5. 0603 Capacitors Tend to have Lower Voltages
It is also common for the 0603 capacitors to have lower voltage ratings. The reason for this is simple – there is a higher electric field positioned between the two ends of the capacitors. It is common to obtain this if the package is smaller.
6. The Choice of Larger Components
Going by the aforementioned points, it might make sense to opt to work with the 0603 capacitors that can match the requirements of the host device.
It is essential to work with SMD passives that have a larger component. This is both for meet the requirements of the high voltage and high current systems.
7. 0603 Capacitor Increase
It is also possible to increase the size of the 0603 capacitor. Just like the other Multilayer Ceramic Capacitors (MLCCs), this increase can be achieved by reducing the space between the ceramic dielectric layers.
Benefits of Choosing the 0603 Capacitor
You can derive the following benefits if you are working with the 0603 capacitor:
- Smaller Size: it is imperative to point out that the 0603 capacitor is a smaller variant of the SMD Passives. As such, it offers that compactness needed to fit into a wide range of applications.
- Stability: 0603 capacitor also has a higher stability, thus, keeping the capacitor safe when in use.
Final Words
0603 capacitor is one of the several Multilayer Ceramic Capacitors (MLCCs). The higher capacitances, low losses and high stability are factors that make it ideal for use with several applications, including antenna decoupling, tone compensation and volume control RF bypass.
