| Ceramic capacitor overview |
Ceramic capacitors
- an overview, information or tutorial about the basics of the ceramic
capacitor: its construction, properties and the uses of the ceramic capacitor.
Ceramic capacitors are normally used for radio frequency and
some audio applications. These capacitors range in value from figures as low as
a few picofarads to around 0.1 microfarads. In view of their wide range and
suitability for RF applications they are used for coupling and decoupling
applications in particular. Here they are by far the most commonly used type
being cheap and reliable and their loss factor is particularly low although this
is dependent on the exact dielectric in use. Their stability and tolerance is
not nearly as good as silver mica types, but their cost is much less.
There are a number of dielectrics that can be used. For low
values a dielectric designated "COG" is normally used. This has the lowest
dielectric constant but gives the highest stability and lowest loss. Where
higher values are required in a given size, a dielectric with a higher
dielectric constant must be used. Types with designations X7R and for higher
values, Z5U are used, however their stability and loss are not as good as the
capacitors made with COG dielectric.
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