In order to eliminate possible moisture entrapment and the resulting potential outgassing effects during the soldering process, most surface mount tantalum capacitor manufacturers offer a dry pack option.
If the part is shipped in dry pack, the parts must be assembled via process handling requirements per J-STD-033 for MSL 3.
As one example, TAJA226K010RNJV from KYOCERA AVX can be ordered with the suffix ‘V’ after the part number to specify the Dry Pack Option.
Here is the comparison between with “V” and without “V”.
| Mfr Part # |
TAJA226K010RNJ |
TAJA226K010RNJV |
| Mfr |
AVX Corporation |
AVX Corporation |
| Description |
CAP TANT 22UF 10% 10V 1206 |
CAP TANT 22UF 10% 10V 1206 |
| Moisture Sensitivity Level (MSL) |
1 (Unlimited) |
3 (168 Hours) |
See also
Explaining MSL (Moisture Sensitivity Levels)
Hello,
I just encountered this “V” Kyocera packing option in the datasheet of the TPS series tantalum capacitor and I do not understand.
- Kyocera says by the footnote reference 1) that: “1) –Dry pack option (see How to order) is recommended for reduction of stress during soldering. Dry pack parts are treated as MSL 3.”
See link https://datasheets.kyocera-avx.com/TPS.pdf
How is that the capacitor with “special requirement” of “dry pack option” has a worse MSL=3 than general capacitor without “special requirement” which has MSL=1?
I would understand if it were the other way around. If components without the “dry pack option” had MSL=3 and components with the “dry pack option” had MSL=1. But that’s not how it’s written.
- Why do they even offer this “V option” with worse MSL (MSL=3) if there is an possibility to have an component with MSL=1 (PN without “V”)?
P
Please help 
“Dry Pack Option” doesn’t have a worse MSL-3 rating, they’re treated as MSL-3 for purposes of handling.
For the parts that they have the V suffix MSL-3 as standard it appears there is a relation to package size and low ESR that made them choose MSL-3 for the part.
