What is a ceramic capacitor?

Advent of ICs computers, electronic devices, mobile phones and other portable electronic devices gave a big impetus to ceramic capacitor market. Ceramic capacitors are fixed value capacitors with ceramic materials as dielectric. Two types are ceramic are in common use – disc capacitors and multilayer ceramic capacitors (MLCC).

What voltage is a ceramic capacitor?

Ceramic capacitors are usually made in small values from as low as 0.5 pF to 1μF, while a few may have values up to 100 μF. Voltage ratings vary widely, starting from 2.5V and going up to 20 kV. Ceramic capacitors are available in several types and sizes depending on construction and usage.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of ceramic capacitors?

They carry benefits like small size, large capacitance, mass production suitability as also heat resistance. A semiconductor type ceramic with low resistivity was developed in 1950s, which had very high dielectric constants, and these helped miniaturization of capacitors with low voltage ratings.

What is the dielectric constant of ceramic capacitor?

Dielectric constant of ceramic varies widely with nature of ceramic used, and can vary from 20 to 20,000. This gives a huge possibility of large range of ceramic capacitor sizes and voltage ratings. Capacitance in the same volume varies widely with ceramic material and process used.

When were ceramic capacitors made?

They were made in number of geometric forms, including tubular structures and holed discs, and the first tubular capacitors were made in 1936. These were phased out over time, and today disc type and MLCC capacitors are the mainstay of ceramic capacitors.

How do I install a capacitor?

Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to install a capacitor: Preparation: Gather all the necessary tools and equipment, including the capacitor, wire strippers, soldering iron (if needed), and safety gear such as insulated gloves and safety goggles.