Reliability of Mutil-Layer ceramic capacitor and its conduction mechanism under high electric field

The temperature-dependent DC conduction mechanism in BaTiO₃-based multilayer ceramic capacitors has been discussed in this paper. In the high electric field, BaTiO₃-based Multi-Layer Ceramic Capacitor (MLCC) showed different DC conduction mechanism in room-temperature, Curie-temperature, and high-temperature regions. The DC conduction mechanisms at room and high temperature are Schottky effect and ionic flow, respectively. However, the mechanism at Curie temperature showed a tunnel-like current, abnormal temperature-independence DC conduction current. For the study of this abnormal phenomenon, the structural nature of insulting solids of practical importance is emphasized. Based on the relation of barrier height and phase transformation, the Curie-temperature region is actually controlled by Schottky process. The DC conduction mechanism of BaTiO₃-based MLCC in Curie-temperature region can compatibly explained by the change of barrier height resulting from phase transformation.