Capacitors are electrical elements that store charge on parallel electrode plates. They are not batteries that operate chemically. Capacitors store more charge with closer parallel electrode plates. The higher the dielectric constant between the plates the more charge is stored. The value of embedded capacitors will be defined by dielectric area as well as dielectric thickness.
Even conventional epoxy glass laminate has some capacitance value, and the oldest formed embedded capacitors were carefully controlled using thin conventional glass/epoxy laminate layers. Both epoxy resin and E-glass have dielectric constants of about 4 Dk, not a particularly large value. Eliminating the glass and adding compounds such as barium-titanate to the epoxy or polyimide resin, however, dielectric constants can be expanded into the 10 to 20 Dk range. When higher capacitance values are needed, dielectric containing ceramic or inorganic compositions must be adopted. More advanced technologies demonstrate dielectric constants in the 100 to 2000 Dk range to enable the forming of larger value capacitors inside the circuit board layer system. These larger capacitors are useful for decoupling, one of the primary uses of capacitors.
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Type of Capacitors
Capacitors come in various types, including ceramic, electrolytic, tantalum, film, and supercapacitors. Each type has unique characteristics: ceramic capacitors offer high stability, electrolytic capacitors provide high capacitance values, tantalum capacitors are known for reliability, film capacitors exhibit low loss, and supercapacitors store large amounts of energy for quick release.
Capacitors with ceramic as the dielectric and metal films on both sides, have the characteristics of small size and high temperature resistance, and are often used in high-frequency circuits.
MLCCs (Multi-Layer Ceramic Capacitors) are miniaturized electronic components that consist of multiple layers of ceramic dielectric material stacked together with internal electrodes. They are widely used in electronic devices due to their small size, high capacitance, and good frequency response.Â
Uses an aluminum cylinder as the negative electrode, fills it with liquid electrolyte, and inserts a curved aluminum strip as the positive electrode. It is characterized by large capacity, large leakage, poor stability, positive and negative polarity, and is suitable for power supply filtering or low-frequency circuits.
Silicon RF Capacitors Thin Film are miniaturized electronic components that employ silicon technology to offer high-frequency performance in radio frequency (RF) applications.
Supercapacitors, also known as ultracapacitors, are high-performance electronic components that can store and release large amounts of energy much faster than traditional batteries. They have a much higher charge storage capacity and faster charge/discharge rates compared to conventional capacitors.
Capacitors with a polymer material as the dielectric (insulating layer), offering high capacitance, low ESR, and excellent frequency response. Widely used in consumer electronics, automotive systems, and industrial equipment due to their reliability and performance.
It has the advantages of high frequency response, low loss, good stability and long service life. It is often used in circuits such as radio transceivers, broadcast equipment, antenna matching adjustment, filtering, and voltage stabilization.
Niobium oxide capacitors are electrolytic capacitors using niobium oxide as the dielectric. They offer high capacitance in a compact size, with excellent stability, reliability, and low leakage current. Cost-effective and thermally robust, they are used in power supplies, mobile phones, and automotive electronics.
An electrolytic capacitor made of metal tantalum as a medium. It has the characteristics of small size, large capacitance, excellent performance and good stability. It is widely used in military communications, aerospace, industrial control, film and television equipment, communication instruments, etc. field
Used in single-phase AC motors to improve motor’s performance and efficiency by creating a phase shift between the motor’s windings, allowing the motor to start and run smoothly.
Electronic components that can change their capacitance (ability to store charge) over a range of values. They consist of a set of plates that can be rotated or adjusted to change the spacing between them, altering the capacitance. These capacitors are often used in electronic circuits to tune frequencies or adjust resonance.
Film capacitors employ thin metallized polymer films as their dielectric, providing high capacitance values, low losses, and excellent stability. They are widely used in various applications such as AC power supplies, filtering circuits, and timing devices due to their reliability and performance.
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