Mechanical vs. electrical failure mechanisms in high voltage, high energy density multilayer ceramic capacitors

Causes of breakdown, both mechanical and electrical, in high voltage, high energy density, BaTiO3 capacitors were studied. The flexural strength of the capacitors was 96 MPa. Failure was due to surface defects or pores close to the surfaces of the samples. The dielectric breakdown strength of the samples was 181 kV/cm. The causes of breakdown were either electrode end effects or pores between the dielectric and electrode layers. Weibull statistics were used to determine if there was a correlation between mechanical failure and dielectric breakdown. A strong correlation between the two types of failure was not found in the study, in contrast to earlier studies of single dielectric layer capacitor materials.