
0 1.0 2.0 3.0 4.0 5.0
CAP VALUE (% of Nom. 1 PF)
DC BIAS (V)
100%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0402, 6.3V, X5R
0603, 10V, X5R
LP3997
SNVS272B –MAY 2004–REVISED MAY 2013
www.ti.com
CBYP
For low noise application, connect a high frequency ceramic capacitor from CBYP to ground, A 0.01µF to 0.1µF
X5R or X7R is recommended. This capacitor is connected directly to high impedance node in the band gap
reference circuit. Any significant loading on this node will cause a change in the regulated output voltage. For this
reason, DC leakage current from this pin must be kept as low as possible for best output voltage accuracy.
CAPACITOR CHARACTERISTICS
In common with most regulators, the LP3997 requires external capacitors for regulator stability. The LP3997 is
specifically designed for portable applications requiring minimum board space and can use capacitors in the
range 1µF to 4.7µF.These capacitors must be correctly selected for good performance. Ceramic capacitors are
the smallest, least expensive and have the lowest ESR values (which makes them best for eliminating high
frequency noise). The ESR of a typical 1µF ceramic capacitor is in the range of 20 mΩto 40 mΩ, which easily
meets the ESR requirement for stability by the LP3997.These capacitors must be correctly selected to ensure
good performance of the LP3997.
For both input and output capacitors careful interpretation of the capacitor specification is required to ensure
correct device operation. The capacitor value can change greatly dependant on the conditions of operation and
capacitor type.
In particular the output capacitor selection should take account of all the capacitor parameters to ensure that the
specification is met within the application. Capacitance value can vary with DC bias conditions as well as
temperature and frequency of operation. Capacitor values will also show some decrease over time due to aging.
The capacitor parameters are also dependant on the particular case size with smaller sizes giving poorer
performance figures in general. As an example Figure 1 shows a typical graph showing a comparison of
capacitor case sizes in a Capacitance versus DC Bias plot. As shown in the graph, as a result of the DC Bias
condition, the capacitance value may drop below the minimum capacitance value given in the recommended
capacitor table (0.7µF in this case). Note that the graph shows the capacitance out of spec for the 0402 case
size capacitor at higher bias voltages. It is therefore recommended that the capacitor manufacturers’
specifications for the nominal value capacitor are consulted for all conditions as some capacitor sizes (e.g. 0402)
may not be suitable in the actual application.
Figure 1. Capacitance versus DC Bias Plot
The value of ceramic capacitors can vary with temperature. The capacitor type X7R, which operates over a
temperature range of -55°C to +125°C, will only vary the capacitance to within ±15%. The capacitor type X5R
has a similar tolerance over a reduced temperature range of -55°C to +85°C. Most large value ceramic
capacitors, larger than 1µF are manufactured with Z5U or Y5V temperature characteristics. Their capacitance
can drop by more than 50% as the temperature goes from 25°C to 85°C. Therefore X7R is recommended over
Z5U and Y5V in applications where the ambient temperature will change significantly above or below 25°C.
Tantalum capacitors are less desirable than ceramic for use as output capacitors because they are more
expensive when comparing equivalent capacitance and voltage ratings in the 1µF to 4.7µF range.
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