Z-directed capacitor components for printed circuit boards

Abstract

A Z-directed capacitor component for insertion into a printed circuit board while allowing electrical connection to internal conductive planes contained within the PCB. In one embodiment the Z-directed capacitor component utilizes semi-cylindrical metallic sheets. In another embodiment, stack annular metallic disks are used. The Z-directed capacitor component mounts within the thickness of the PCB allowing other components to be mounted over it. The body may contain one or more conductors and may include one or more surface channels or wells extending along at least a portion of the length of the body. Methods for mounting Z-directed components are also provided.

1 . A Z-directed component for mounting in a PCB having a mounting hole having a depth D therein, comprising:
 an insulative body having a top surface, a bottom surface and side surface, a length L, and a cross-sectional shape that is insertable into the mounting hole in the PCB;   a first and a second electrically conductive channel on the side surface with the first channel extending from one of the top and bottom surfaces and the second channel extending from the other of the top and bottom surfaces;   a first semi-cylindrical metallic sheet positioned within the body, extending along the length of the body and electrically connected to the first channel, the first sheet extending toward the second channel; and   a second semi-cylindrical metallic sheet positioned within the body concentric with the first metallic sheet and positioned inside of and substantially uniformly spaced apart from the first metallic sheet, the second metallic sheet extending along the length of the body and toward the first channel wherein a portion of the first and second sheets overlap one another with the second sheet electrically connected to the second channel wherein the first and second sheets forming a capacitor.   
     
     
         2 . The Z-directed component of  claim 1 , further comprising a semi-cylindrical sheet of dielectric material positioned between the first and second metallic sheets. 
     
     
         3 . (canceled) 
     
     
         4 . (canceled) 
     
     
         5 . (canceled) 
     
     
         6 . (canceled) 
     
     
         7 . (canceled) 
     
     
         8 . A Z-directed component for mounting in a PCB having a mounting hole having a depth D therein, comprising:
 a body comprising
 a top surface; 
 a bottom surface; 
 a side surface; 
 a cross-sectional shape that is insertable into the mounting hole in the PCB; 
 a top portion; 
 a bottom portion; and 
 a plurality of support members intermediate the top and bottom portions of the body wherein the top portion and bottom portion of the body and each support member has a center opening and a pair of opposed openings on an edge thereof with the opposed openings of the top and bottom portions and the plurality of support members forming a pair of opposed channels on the side surface of the body, each support member comprising:
 an annular plate mounted on a surface of the support member, the annular plate having a center opening having a dimension that is larger than the center opening in the support member and an outer dimension that is less than the outer dimension of the support member on which it is mounted; 
 
   a first conductor extending the length of the body between the top and bottom surfaces of the body and passing through the center openings of the plurality of support plates and the top and bottom portions of the body; and   a pair of conductive traces, one on each of the top and bottom surfaces of the body electrically connected to an end of the first conductor adjacent thereto and extending therefrom to an edge of the body, the conductive traces and first conductor creating a signal path through the Z-directed component; and   at least one second conductor disposed within the body having one end electrically connected to one of the annular plates and the other end extending to the side surface of the body.   
     
     
         9 . The Z-directed component of  claim 8 , wherein the support members are a dielectric material. 
     
     
         10 . The Z-directed component of  claim 8 , wherein the body further comprises a plurality of dielectric disks interleaved with the support members, each dielectric disk having a center opening therethrough for receiving the first conductor therein and a pair of opposed openings on a edge thereof with the opposed openings of the top and bottom portions, the plurality of dielectric disks and the plurality of support members forming the pair of opposed channels on the side surface of the body. 
     
     
         11 . The Z-directed component of  claim 8 , wherein the at least one second conductor further comprises a plurality of conductors corresponding to the plurality of annular rings, each of the plurality of conductors having one end electrically connected to a corresponding one of the plurality of annular rings and the other end extending to the side surface of the body. 
     
     
         12 . The Z-directed component of  claim 11 , wherein the other ends of the plurality of second conductors are aligned along the length of the body. 
     
     
         13 . (canceled) 
     
     
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         18 . (canceled) 
     
     
         19 . A Z-directed capacitor for mounting in a mounting hole in a printed circuit board, comprising:
 a body having a top surface, a bottom surface and a side surface, a cross-sectional shape that is insertable into the mounting hole in the printed circuit board, and a plurality of stacked layers having a conductive material plated on a surface thereof;   a conductive channel extending through an interior portion of the body along the length of the body from the top surface to the bottom surface;   a first conductive side channel and a second conductive side channel formed in the side surface of the body and extending along the length of the body,   wherein a first set of the stacked layers are electrically connected to the first conductive side channel but not the second conductive side channel and a second set of the stacked layers are electrically connected to the second conductive side channel but not the first conductive side channel, the first and second sets of stacked layers being arranged in an alternating pattern.   
     
     
         20 . The Z-directed capacitor of  claim 19 , wherein the plurality of stacked layers are stacked along the length of the component. 
     
     
         21 . The Z-directed capacitor of  claim 19 , wherein the stacked layers having the conductive material plated on the surface thereof are composed of a dielectric material. 
     
     
         22 . The Z-directed capacitor of  claim 19 , wherein the conductive channel forms a signal path through the body and is separated from the conductive material plated on the surface of each of the plurality of stacked layers. 
     
     
         23 . The Z-directed capacitor of  claim 22 , further comprising a second conductive channel extending through an interior portion of the body along the length of the body from the top surface to the bottom surface, the second conductive channel being separated from the conductive material plated on the surface of each of the plurality of stacked layers and forming a second signal path through the body. 
     
     
         24 . The Z-directed capacitor of  claim 19 , wherein each of the top surface and the bottom surface includes a conductive trace electrically connected to a respective end of the conductive channel and extending therefrom across the respective top or bottom surface to an edge of the body. 
     
     
         25 . A Z-directed capacitor for mounting in a mounting hole in a printed circuit board, comprising:
 a body having a top surface, a bottom surface and a side surface, a cross-sectional shape that is insertable into the mounting hole in the printed circuit board, and a plurality of interleaved conductive plates extending along the length of the body;   a conductive channel extending through an interior portion of the body along the length of the body from the top surface to the bottom surface;   a first conductive side channel and a second conductive side channel formed in the side surface of the body and extending along the length of the body,   wherein a first set of the interleaved conductive plates are electrically connected to the first conductive side channel but not the second conductive side channel and a second set of the interleaved conductive plates are electrically connected to the second conductive side channel but not the first conductive side channel, the first and second sets of interleaved conductive plates being arranged in an alternating pattern.   
     
     
         26 . The Z-directed capacitor of  claim 25 , wherein a portion of the body separating the plurality of interleaved conductive plates is composed of a dielectric material. 
     
     
         27 . The Z-directed capacitor of  claim 25 , wherein the conductive channel forms a signal path through the body and is separated from the interleaved conductive plates. 
     
     
         28 . The Z-directed capacitor of  claim 27 , further comprising a second conductive channel extending through an interior portion of the body along the length of the body from the top surface to the bottom surface, the second conductive channel being separated from the interleaved conductive plates and forming a second signal path through the body. 
     
     
         29 . The Z-directed capacitor of  claim 25 , wherein the plurality of interleaved conductive plates are semi-cylindrically shaped. 
     
     
         30 . The Z-directed capacitor of  claim 25 , wherein each of the top surface and the bottom surface includes a conductive trace electrically connected to a respective end of the conductive channel and extending therefrom across the respective top or bottom surface to an edge of the body.