Abstract: A method and apparatus for manufacturing electrodes for capacitors having a plurality of thin metal coatings on a ceramic dielectric substrate, with the coated substrates assembled in a monolithic structure. A layer of green ceramic material is formed on a support tape. This green ceramic tape is moved in registration with a stencil web overlying the tape. The stencil web has openings corresponding to the configuration of the conductive coating to be formed on the tape. The sandwich of tape and web is moved through a sputtering chamber in which a selected metal or alloy is sputtered from a target so as to fall on the stencil web, coating the ceramic tape wherever openings are present. The sputtering chamber is arranged so that initially the ceramic tape receives a light, low energy metal coating before being exposed to maximum sputtering. This allows a reflective coating to be formed to reflect thermal energy before the intensity of the thermal radiation reaches a level that would damage an uncoated ceramic.

Abstract: A process for producing capacitors having thinner electrodes on dielectric substrates for use in multilayer ceramic capacitors which use less precious metal ink and produce thinner capacitors. Basically, the process begins with coating a support with a mixture of a finely divided ceramic material and a resin to form a green ceramic dielectric substrate of substantially uniform thickness but with a necessarily rough surface. A coating of resin is applied over the green ceramic to form a substantially smooth surface. A desired pattern in an ink comprising precious metal particles in a resin is formed, such as by silk screening, on the coated ceramic to form the electrode. Because of the smooth resin surface and finer metal particles, the ink coating may be relatively thin. The composite may then be fired to produce a capacitor suitable for use in monolithic multilayer capacitors.