Evolution of Polymer Tantalum Capacitors

Yuri Freeman,Philip Lessner

doi:10.3390/app11125514

Abstract

The major advantage of Polymer Tantalum capacitors over other types of tantalum capacitors is their low equivalent series resistance (ESR), providing a higher capacitance stability with frequency and ripple current capability. When Polymer Tantalum capacitors were introduced to the market in mid 1990s, they were low voltage, leaky, and unreliable, which limited their applications to commercial electronics. Today, some types of polymer tantalum capacitors demonstrate the highest working voltage, lowest DC leakage, and highest reliability ever achieved in tantalum capacitors. These Polymer Tantalum capacitors combine outstanding performance and reliability with superior volumetric charge efficiency, which makes them cost effective and attractive for numerous applications, including mission critical ones. This paper is dedicated to the major technological breakthroughs and scientific discoveries that enabled the radical evolution of Polymer Tantalum capacitors.

Highlights

The major advantage of Polymer Tantalum capacitors over other types of tantalum capacitors is their low equivalent series resistance (ESR), providing a higher capacitance stability with frequency and ripple current capability
There were major improvements in the performance and reliability of Polymer Tantalum capacitors since they were introduced to the market, including a sharp increase in the working voltage and a decrease in DC leakage (Figure 1)
Tantalum capacitors manufactured with conventional dielectric technology and in-situ PEDOT, while it remains low in a broad range of voltages in the Polymer Tantalum capacitors manufactured with flawless dielectric technology (F-Tech) and slurry PEDOT, providing sharp decrease in DC leakage

Summary

Introduction

The major advantage of Polymer Tantalum capacitors over other types of tantalum capacitors is their low equivalent series resistance (ESR), providing a higher capacitance stability with frequency and ripple current capability. Another important improvement in the technology of Polymer Tantalum capacitors that helped increase the working voltage and reduce the DC leakage was the process of applying a PEDOT cathode on the surface of the Ta2 O5 dielectric.

Results

Conclusion