AVX Corporation recently released new UBC 550 Series ultra-broadband capacitors designed to deliver reliable, repeatable performance from 16KHz to 70+GHz in ultra-broadband microwave and millimeter-wave RF applications with stringent operating requirements.

The new UBC 550Z, 550U, and 550L Series ultra-broadband capacitors have a rugged and compact single-piece, surface-mount, multilayer ceramic construction made of the highest quality, RoHS-compliant materials and exhibit ultra-low insertion loss, excellent return loss, flat frequency response, and high unit-to-unit repeatability. These characteristics make the series ideally suited for use in DC blocking, coupling, bypassing, and feedback applications within optoelectronics, high-speed data networks, transimpedance amplifiers, broadband test equipment, synchronous optical networks (SONET), transmit and receive optical subassemblies (TOSA and ROSA), and other ultra-broadband microwave and millimeter-wave RF applications.

The new UBC 550Z Series ultra-broadband capacitors have an orientation-insensitive 0201 form factor measuring 0.58mm X 0.3mm (±0.03mm) and support operating frequencies spanning 160KHz with -3dB roll-off to 70+GHz at 25°C with no bias applied and with typical insertion loss of <0.4dB. They are rated for a minimum of 10nF capacitance, 6.3VDC operation from -55°C to +125°C, and 10VDC operation from -55°C to +85°C. They also exhibit a ±22% temperature coefficient of capacitance (TCC) to +125°C, a ±15% TCC to +85°C, and 108Ω or 107Ω minimum insulation resistance at +25°C or +125°C and working voltage DC (WVDC).

The new UBC 550U Series ultra-broadband capacitors have an orientation-sensitive 0201 form factor measuring 0.86mm X 0.33mm (±0.05mm) and support operating frequencies spanning 16KHz with -3dB roll-off to 70+GHz at 25°C with no bias applied and with typical insertion loss of 0.4dB. They are rated for 100nF capacitance and 6.3VDC operation from -55°C to +85°C, and they exhibit a ±15% TCC over the rated temperature range and 1010Ω or 109Ω minimum insulation resistance at +25°C or +85°C and rated voltage.

The new UBC 550L Series ultra-broadband capacitors have an orientation-insensitive 0402 form factor measuring 1.016mm X 0.508mm (±0.1mm) and support operating frequencies spanning 16KHz with -3dB roll-off to 70+GHz at 25°C with no bias applied and with typical insertion loss of <0.5dB. They are rated for 100nF capacitance, 16WVDC from -55°C to +85°C, and 10WVDC from -55°C to +125°C. They also exhibit a ±15% TCC to +85°C at 16WVDC, a ±22% TCC to +125°C at 10WVDC, and 108Ω or 107Ω minimum insulation resistance at +25°C or +125°C and working voltage DC (WVDC).

In addition, all three UBC 550 Series (UBC 550Z, 550L, and 550U) are rated for dielectric withstanding voltages of 250% WVDC for up to five seconds, are available in rugged SMT packages with standard tin- or optional gold-over-nickel terminations, and are packaged on tape and reel in quantities of 500 or 1,000 pieces for compatibility with high-speed, automated, pick-and-place manufacturing equipment.

“We are proud to introduce our newest series of ultra-broadband capacitors, which are designed and manufactured to satisfy the stringent performance requirements of a range of microwave and millimeter-wave RF applications with frequencies spanning 16KHz to 70+GHz,” said Alexander Hall, RF/Microwave field applications engineer at AVX. “Our new UBC 550 Series ultra-broadband capacitors exhibit ultra-low insertion loss, excellent return loss, flat frequency response, and high unit-to-unit repeatability and — unlike competing two-piece solutions — have a compact, single-piece, surface-mount multilayer ceramic construction that’s made of the highest quality materials, ruggedized for reliability, fully compatible with automated assembly processes, and proven to deliver superior reliability and performance in DC blocking, coupling, bypassing, and feedback applications within ultra-broadband applications including optical communications systems and other high-speed networking equipment.”

UBC 550 Series ultra-broadband capacitors are immediately available as eight different part numbers: 550Z103PTT and 550Z103PCAT, 550U104MTT and 550U104MCA, and 550L104KTT, 550L104KCAT, 550L104VTT, and 550L104VCAT, and standard lead-time for the series is currently 24 weeks.

For more information about AVX’s new UBC 550 Series ultra-broadband capacitors, please visit https://www.avx.com/products/broadband-components/ultra-broadband-capacitors.