This study investigates the effect of dielectric layer thickness on the electrical and reliability characteristics of BaTiO₃- based X8R multilayer ceramic capacitors (MLCCs) for automotive applications. MLCCs with 30 dielectric layers and thicknesses ranging from 5 to 30 μm were fabricated, and key parameters―including capacitance, equivalent series resistance (ESR), insulation resistance (IR), breakdown voltage (BDV), DC-bias characteristics, temperature coefficient of capacitance (TCC), and ripple current-induced heating―were evaluated. The dielectric constant (~2,000) and sintering shrinkage (~-25%) were nearly independent of thickness, confirming stable microstructure formation. ESR increased with thickness, while normalized BDV (V/μm) decreased due to defect accumulation. IR improved with increasing thickness but dropped sharply above 125℃. Dielectrics thinner than 10 μm exhibited significant capacitance degradation under DC-bias and temperature variation, reflecting strong internal field effects. Ripple-induced heating correlated directly with ESR. These results indicate that, although thinner layers enhance capacitance density, reducing the thickness below 10 μm compromises bias stability and thermal reliability. A minimum dielectric thickness of 10 μm is therefore recommended to achieve an optimal balance between electrical performance and durability in high-reliability X8R MLCCs.

Citations

• Structural Analysis of Electric Field-Induced Polarization and Strain in Ferroelectric BaTiO₃
  Jae Hwan Park
  Journal of Electrical and Electronic Materials.2026; 39(4): 374.     CrossRef

In this study, the dielectric and electrical properties of high-capacitance base metal electrode (BME) multilayer ceramic capacitors (MLCCs) fabricated using a BaTiO₃-MgO-Mn₃O₄-(Na₀.₅Bi₀.₅)TiO₃ (NBT)-(BaCa)SiO₃ dielectric system were investigated under reducing atmospheres with oxygen partial pressures (PO₂) ranging from 10⁻1⁰ to 10⁻12 MPa. By incorporating NBT, the dielectric performance remained stable across the entire range of reducing atmospheres. The fabricated MLCCs exhibited consistent capacitance values, low dielectric loss (<2.8%), and high insulation resistance, reaching up to 2.4 GΩ at 25℃ and 0.675 GΩ at 125℃. Furthermore, excellent breakdown voltage performance (up to 550 V at 25℃) and Class II-compatible temperature coefficient of capacitance (TCC) behavior were observed, meeting the X8R specification. The BaTiO₃-MgO-Mn₃O₄-NBT-(BaCa)SiO₃ dielectric system demonstrates that NBT can serve as a promising alternative to conventional rare-earth dopants in BME MLCCs, enabling excellent thermal and electrical stability, high capacitance, and longterm reliability even under reducing conditions. These results confirm the feasibility of developing cost-effective, sustainable, and rare-earth-free MLCCs for high-performance applications in automotive, industrial, and energy storage systems.

Citations

• Flexible piezoelectric cross-bar array sensors for upper-limb kinesthetic sensing via muscle dynamics
  Junki Lee, Jihun Choi, Hyunseung Kim, Min Gon Son, Dong Yeol Hyeon, Jung Hwan Park, Andris Šutka, Chang Kyu Jeong
  Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society.2026;[Epub]     CrossRef