Ceramic capacitor

A ceramic capacitor is a fixed value capacitor in which ceramic material acts as the dielectric. It is constructed of two or more alternating layers of ceramic and a metal layer acting as the electrodes. The composition of the ceramic material defines the electrical behavior and therefore applications. Ceramic capacitors are divided into two application classes:

Ceramic capacitors, especially the multilayer style (MLCC), are the most produced and used capacitors in electronic equipment that incorporate approximately one trillion (10¹²) pieces per year.

Ceramic capacitors of special shapes and styles are used as capacitors for RFI/EMI suppression, as feed-through capacitors and in larger dimensions as power capacitors for transmitters.

History

Since the beginning the study of electricity non conductive materials like glass, porcelain, paper and mica have been used as insulators. These materials some decades later were also well-suited for further use as the dielectric for the first capacitors. Porcelain was the precursor in case of all capacitors now belonging to the family of ceramic capacitors.