Tantalum capacitors

- an overview, information or tutorial about the basics of the tantalum capacitor: its construction, properties and the uses of the tantalum capacitor.

The tantalum capacitor is similar to the electrolytic capacitor, but using tantalum within the construction of the capacitor it is able to offer extremely high levels of capacitance for any given volume. As such tantalum capacitors are widely used in electronics equipment where there is a need for small size and a high level of capacitance. In view of its advantages, the tantalum capacitor is used in large volumes within the electronics manufacturing industry.

Tantalum SMD capacitors

Tantalum SMD capacitors are widely used to provide levels of capacitance that are higher than those that can be achieved when using ceramic capacitors. As a result of the different construction and requirements for tantalum SMT capacitors, there are some different packages that are used for them. These conform to EIA specifications.

• Size A   3.2 mm × 1.6 mm × 1.6 mm (EIA 3216-18)
• Size B   3.5 mm × 2.8 mm × 1.9 mm (EIA 3528-21)
• Size C   6.0 mm × 3.2 mm × 2.2 mm (EIA 6032-28)
• Size D   7.3 mm × 4.3 mm × 2.4 mm (EIA 7343-31)
• Size E   7.3 mm × 4.3 mm × 4.1 mm (EIA 7343-43)