The effects of BaZrO₃ addition on the structural and electrical properties of BaTiO₃-based base-metal-electrode (BME) multilayer ceramic capacitor (MLCC) ceramics were investigated. Dielectric compositions containing 0–9 wt% BaZrO₃ were fabricated using a conventional MLCC process, and their crystal structure, dielectric behavior, temperature stability, frequency stability, and insulation resistance were evaluated. X-ray diffraction and Rietveld refinement confirmed the formation of a single-phase perovskite structure for all compositions. Increasing BaZrO₃ content resulted in a systematic shift of diffraction peaks toward lower angles and an increase in unit-cell volume from 64.61 to 66.05 ų, indicating successful Zr incorporation into the BaTiO₃ lattice. The dielectric permittivity increased with BaZrO₃ addition and reached a maximum value of approximately 2,110 at 6 wt%, while dielectric loss decreased significantly. Capacitance stability against temperature and frequency variations was markedly improved with increasing BaZrO₃ content. In addition, insulation resistance increased substantially over the investigated temperature range, demonstrating enhanced electrical reliability.
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.
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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
Multilayer ceramic capacitors (MLCCs) are essential for high-capacitance, miniaturized, and reliable electronic applications. This study examines the impact of layer stacking on the dielectric and electrical properties of MLCCs using a BaTiO₃-based dielectric with MgO, Mn₃O₄, Yb₂O₃, V₂O5, and (BaCa)SiO₃ glass additives. MLCCs with 10 um-thick dielectric layers and varying Ni electrode layers (10, 30, 50, and 100 layers) were fabricated. The dielectric constant increases significantly up to 30 layers due to compressive stress and sintering densification but it becomes linear beyond 30 layers. Dissipation factor and ESR decrease with higher stacking due to improved sinterability, while breakdown voltage declines exponentially from defect accumulation and thermal stress. Insulation resistance decreases but stabilizes relative to capacitance. C-V results show stress-induced polarization suppression, which reduces the dielectric constant under high voltage. Optimized stacking and sintering conditions are crucial for MIL-PRF-32535 compliant MLCC designs.
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[100]-Oriented BaTiO₃ via reaction-mediated texturing with SrTiO₃ templates Nu-Ri Ko, Jinsung Chun, Kutak Lee, Chang Kyu Jeong, Wook Jo Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society.2026; 63(4): 574. CrossRef
Effect of BaZrO3 Addition on the Frequency and Temperature Dependent Dielectric Properties of BaTiO3-Based Ceramics Won-Su Lee, Jong Kyu Lee, Moon-Taek Cho, Jung Rag Yoon Journal of Electrical and Electronic Materials.2026; 39(5): 478. 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.
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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
Enhanced dielectric performance in BaTiO3 ceramics by diffusion-controlled core-shell structuring with 2D Ca2Nb3O10 nanosheets Tae Yeong Song, Junwon Lee, Nayeon Kwon, Do-Kyun Kwon Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society.2026; 63(5): 1194. CrossRef
This study examined the crystallinity and potential of BaTiO₃ powder, prepared by hydrothermal synthesis at 60 nm, as a dielectric material for automotive MLCCs under varying heat treatment temperatures. At temperatures above 850℃, the powder exhibited an orthorhombic structure, with crystallinity and particle size increasing as the temperature rose. In the range of 850~900℃, the powder displayed a uniform particle size distribution and minimal agglomeration, with particles ranging between 150~200 nm. Additionally, it was confirmed that the heat treatment temperature significantly impacts the properties of BaTiO₃ powder, which are critical for the dielectric performance required in X7R MLCCs used in automotive applications. Specifically, high-temperature treatment (above 850℃) was essential for enhancing the powder's crystallinity and forming a stable core-shell structure, which is crucial for achieving stable TCC (Temperature Coefficient of Capacitance) characteristics. It was confirmed that increased crystallinity at temperatures above 850℃ facilitated the development of the core-shell structure through interactions with additives, thereby achieving the necessary characteristics required for highly reliable automotive MLCCs.
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[100]-Oriented BaTiO₃ via reaction-mediated texturing with SrTiO₃ templates Nu-Ri Ko, Jinsung Chun, Kutak Lee, Chang Kyu Jeong, Wook Jo Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society.2026; 63(4): 574. CrossRef
Effect of BaZrO3 Addition on the Frequency and Temperature Dependent Dielectric Properties of BaTiO3-Based Ceramics Won-Su Lee, Jong Kyu Lee, Moon-Taek Cho, Jung Rag Yoon Journal of Electrical and Electronic Materials.2026; 39(5): 478. CrossRef
Enhanced dielectric performance in BaTiO3 ceramics by diffusion-controlled core-shell structuring with 2D Ca2Nb3O10 nanosheets Tae Yeong Song, Junwon Lee, Nayeon Kwon, Do-Kyun Kwon Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society.2026; 63(5): 1194. CrossRef
This review addresses the development trends of dielectric ceramics, the key material for Multilayer Ceramic Capacitors (MLCCs), which are essential components in high-performance electronic devices. Traditional MLCCs have employed BaTiO3 (BT)-based dielectrics to achieve high dielectric constant and low resistance. By minimizing oxygen vacancies and suppressing grain growth in BT materials, the temperature and voltage stability of MLCCs have been improved, leading to the development of MLCCs with diverse properties. However, the maximum dielectric constant of approximately 3000 in BT materials poses a limitation in overcoming the trade-off between rated voltage and capacitance density. Therefore, ultra-high permittivity dielectric materials have gained attention to meet the requirements of ultra-high-performance MLCCs, and ongoing research focuses on enhancing the temperature and frequency stability of these materials. This review analyzes the characteristics and limitations of conventional BT materials and explores recent research trends and future potential in developing new MLCCs based on ultra-high dielectric constant materials.
Multilayer Ceramic Capacitors (MLCCs) are essential passive components in the electronics industry, known for their high capacitance due to the multilayer structure comprising inner electrodes and dielectric layers. Nickel electrodes are commonly used in MLCCs as the inner electrodes, and to prevent oxidation during the co-firing of the dielectric layers with nickel electrodes, reducing atmosphere is required. However, reducing atmosphere sintering can also induce a reduction of the dielectric, necessitating precise control of oxygen partial pressure. To explore the possibility of using oxide electrodes that do not require reducing atmosphere sintering, we analyze the electrical properties of nickel oxide (NiO) as a potential candidate. As a preliminary study on its use as an alternative inner electrode, the correlation between microstructure and electrical properties of bulk NiO under different sintering conditions was investigated to gain insights into the conduction mechanisms of the material.
With the recent increase in demand for electronic devices, multi-layer ceramic capacitors (MLCCs) have become the most important core component. In particular, the next-generation MLCC with extremely high reliability is required for the 4th industrial revolution and electric vehicle applications. Therefore, it is necessary to develop dielectric ceramic materials with high dielectric properties and reliability. During the decades, electrical properties of BaTiO3 based dielectric ceramics, which have been widely used in MLCC industrial field, have been improved by microstructure and defect chemistry control. However, electrical properties of BaTiO3 have reached their limits, and new types of dielectric materials have been widely studied. Based on these backgrounds, this report presents the recent development trends of BaTiO3-based dielectric materials for the nextgeneration MLCCs, and suggests promising candidates to replace BaTiO3 ceramics.
Effect of Tm2O3addition on dielectric property of barium titanate ceramics for MLCCs Jin-Seong Kim, Hee-Soo Lee, Do-Won Kang, Jeong-Wook Kim Journal of the Korean Crystal Growth and Crystal Technology.2010; 20(1): 25. CrossRef
Effect of Tm2O3addition on dielectric property of barium titanate ceramics for MLCCs Jin-Seong Kim, Hee-Soo Lee, Do-Won Kang, Jeong-Wook Kim Journal of the Korean Crystal Growth and Crystal Technology.2010; 20(1): 25. CrossRef
Effect of Tm2O3addition on dielectric property of barium titanate ceramics for MLCCs Jin-Seong Kim, Hee-Soo Lee, Do-Won Kang, Jeong-Wook Kim Journal of the Korean Crystal Growth and Crystal Technology.2010; 20(1): 25. CrossRef
Preparation of Core-Shell BaTiO3 Particles Coated with MgO Jae-Nam Kim, Tae-Suk Byun, Chang-Sam Kim, Young-Jung Kim, Guang-Jin Choi JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING OF JAPAN.2005; 38(8): 553. CrossRef
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