Capacitors

Electronics

Based on "ABC of capacitors" 1st edition

Würth Elektronik

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 Content

1. Basic Principles
2. Characteristics
3. Types
4. Application

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1. Basic Principles

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Basic Principles

4
Basic Principles

Types of capacitors

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Basic Principles

Uses of capacitors:

• Approx. 2/3 of passives are capacitors

• Market: 13 billion euro in 2012

Future development:

• Minitaturization (increasing integration density)

• Increasing capacitance (use as energy source)

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2. Characteristics

1. The most important parameter – The capacitance

Dependence on voltage

The εr of the dielectric material

decreases as a function of applied voltage.
reason: polarization of the molecules.

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Characteristics

Dependence on frequency

MKP capacitor

Dependence on time
a. : In case the temperature changes largely (in spec.limits) the capacitance value
sometimes has some "settling time". (Later, at temp dependency)
b.: Aging

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Characteristics

Dependence on temperature

MKP capacitor

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Characteristics

Capacitance tolerance

Deviation from the nominal value, measured at 20°C.

In some cases tight tolerances must be maintained (e.g. oscillators)

In some cases it can change a lot (e.g. coupling)

The capacitance is a function of the previously mentioned parameters.

For precise requiments capacitors with low dependency behaviour should be selected.

The most common tolerances values and their codes:

Standard multiplier values: e.g: 1.5pF, 15pF,150pF,1.5nF,...

E6 series: 1,1.5,2.2,3.3,4.7,6.8
E12 series: 1,1.2,1.5,1.8,2.2,2.7,3.3,3.9,4.7,5.6,6.8,8.2
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Characteristics

2. Equivalent circuit and its parameters

General
ESR: Equivalent series resistance
tan δ 1 1
RESR = = tan δ XC , XC = = ,
2π f C 2π f C ω C
ESL: Equivalent series inductance
X L = 2π f LESL = ω LESL ,
Rins: Insulation resistance

For AC signals

Effective apparent impedance:

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Characteristics
Components of Impedance: Behavior of a real component:

Impedance behavior of ceramic capacitors:

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Characteristics

3. Rated voltage

Rated DC voltage: URDC

Rated AC voltage: URAC

4. Maximum continuous voltage: UC Max voltage oerated at max temperature

5. Insulation resistance: RINS

Specified by the R [MΩ] or time delay [MΩ*μF] τ [ s ] = RINS [ MΩ* µ F ] = RINS [ MΩ* µ F ],

Note: At class 1. dielectric material the value is as high, that R INS is determined by the outer shell

6. Residual current (DC leakage current) I leak [nA or μA] or [nA/μFV]

I LeakApp [µ A ] = I Leak [ nA / *FVC ] * C *UC ,

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Characteristics

7. Self discharge

8. Dissipation factor and quality factor Q (Temparature and Frequency dependent)

At a real capacitor the the phase shift is smaller then the ideal 90°.
The difference is: δ
P reacive power
The dissipation related is to the difference tan δ = ,
Q reactance
The dissipation factor: tanδ or DF. tan δ =
ESR
= ESR2π f C,
XC
1 X
The quality factor: QC = = C ,
tan δ ESR

Examples of MKP film capacitors

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Characteristics

9. Dielectric streght/voltage

The maximal applicable voltage without flashover (permanent demage)

10. Temperature coefficient/temperature dependence: TC in ppm/°C or ppm/%

Main reason: The dielctric of a capacitor (Some dielectrics has zero TC – COG or NPO ceremics)

Can be positive or negative

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Characteristics

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Characteristics

Examples: MKP film capacitor

Ceramic capacitors

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Characteristics
" %
11. Pulse rise time (permissible speed of voltage change) dV dt or ΔV Δt in $#V µ s'&,

12. Pulse loading capacity (pulse stressing)

A sudden change (dV) in a time period (dt) results a a current (IC).

This current: I =C∗

dV
,
dt
If the permissible dV/dt is exceeded: The excessive demages the capacitor
(e.g. contacting of the connecting wires to electrodes)

13. Dielectric absoption

After complete discharge: small voltage arises

due to polarisation processes of the dipoles of the used dielecric

The effect occurs after seconds or minutes, (in some cases hours)

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Characteristics

14. Ripple current

An AC ripple voltage on a DC voltage generates AC ripple current.

This current dissipates power on the ESR resistance which leads to self heating.
Not harmful at non-polar capacitors in case the temperature rise does reach temp. limit.

Critical for polarised capacitors: always specified.

Low ESR leads low dissipation: This drives new design developments.

15. Complex permittivity

The εr of the dielectric is frequency dependent.

Reason: The polarisation mechanism in the dielectric material.
There are three polarisation mechanism:
• Electronic polarisation (electric field shift electrons in the atomic shell)
• Ionic polarisation (Elastic shift of ions by electric field)
• Orientation polarisation (dipole alignment to the direction of electric field)

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Characteristics

Polarisation
effects

Frequency
dependency

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3. Types of capacitors

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Types

1. Overview

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Types

2. Film (wound) capacitors

no polarity
metal film or vapor deposited
metal electrodes (Aluminum)

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Types

FK capacitors
Wounded separate films electrodes and dielectric )
By thermal treathment, the plasic films are shrunk to raise the moisture protections

MK capacitors
Vapor deposited thin (10-50nm) metal layer on the dielectric.

Differences to FK capacitors:
• lower permissible voltages and currents
• smaller package size achievable
• higher dissipation factor (tan δ)
• lower insulation resistance
• self-healing properties Plastics used:
• polycarbonate (Makrofol)
• polyphenylene sulfide
• polyester (mylar)
• prolipropilene
• polystyrene (Stryroflex)
• polytetrafluorethylene (Teflon)
• cellulose acetate
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Types

IEC60062 codes for film capacitors

Example: MKP film

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Types

3. Electrolytic capacitors (polarised, wounded)

The oxide layer (made by "forming" process) has

semiconductor properties. (Insulates only in one direction!)
Wrong polarity: reforming, gases are generated, heat is generated.
They can burst! (There is a valve, on vhich the gases can escape)

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Types - Examples

THT capacitors

THT Snap-in capacitors

Polymer aluminum Elco - Murata

SMD capacitors

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Types

ECAS capacitors
Murata

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Types

4. Ceramic capacitors • Single layer (High Voltage and AC application)

• Multi layer (mainly SMD – MLCC –chip capac)
Class1..4. : Difffers in dielectricum - εr – Different behaviour : aging etc.

Class 1. ceramic capacitors

• low dielectric constant εr < 500

• C range: 0.5pF .. 470nF
• Very low inductance
• TC is linear or 0!
• High insulation resistance (RINS)
• Low self discharge
• Low losses
• Precise tolerances: ±1% .. ±10%
• Best for strong temperature change application

Coded to EIA-RS-198 or IEC60384-21

• Electronic Industries Alliance

• International Electrotechnical
Commission

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 Types

The best known member:

COG = NP0
stable over temp. but
±30ppm/°C

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Types

Class 2. ceramic capacitors

• High dielectric constant

• Higher capacitance values
• Higher tolerances
• Higher losses
• Non linear TC – not defined
• Capacitance dependency is defined insted, to cover the temperature range.
• Aging and rising voltage reduces the capacitance
• Not suitable for app. with stable or precise capacitance (eg. oscillators)

Class 3 and 4. ceramic capacitors

So called: junction capacitors

Not too much importance
Very high εr < 50 000
Very high TC

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Types

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Types

X7R = 2X1

(The EIA notation is common)

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Types

Let go back to slide 7, 8, 9, 12, 14, 17

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Types

Available capacitance value

Dissipation factor Insulation resistance

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Types

Visiting website:

www.ret.hu

Study: Datasheets/Passives/ Yageo.pdf

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Types

http://www.radio-electronics.com

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4. Application

Google search: capacitor application

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4. Application

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4. Application

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 MURATA

Replacing Film Capacitors and Electrolytic Capacitors

• http://www.murata.com/en-us/products/capacitor/mlcc/apps/fa

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