Ceramic capacitor

A capacitor that uses ceramic as its dielectric to store electrical charge. Its capacitance, stability, and voltage behavior depend strongly on the ceramic formulation and construction.

Capacitor: An electrical component that stores energy in an electric field between conductors. Ceramic capacitors are one dielectric-based design within this broader component family.
Ferroelectricity: A property of materials whose spontaneous electric polarization can be switched by an applied electric field. Many high-capacitance ceramic dielectrics are ferroelectric, linking polarization to voltage-dependent capacitance.
Decoupling capacitor: A capacitor placed near a circuit component to supply transient current and reduce local voltage disturbances. Small ceramic parts are widely used to suppress fast supply disturbances near integrated circuits.
Aluminum electrolytic capacitor: A capacitor using an aluminum oxide dielectric and liquid or solid electrolyte to achieve high capacitance. Electrolytics often provide greater bulk capacitance, while ceramics are smaller and typically nonpolar.
DC bias derating: The reduction of a component’s usable rating or performance when operated under direct-current bias. A ceramic part marked with a nominal capacitance may provide much less under its operating voltage.
Dielectric: An insulating material that polarizes in an electric field and enables electrical energy storage. The ceramic dielectric separates the electrodes and determines much of the component’s behavior.
Relative permittivity: A dimensionless measure of how strongly a material polarizes relative to vacuum under an electric field. High relative permittivity allows a small ceramic volume to provide substantial capacitance.
Bypass capacitor: A capacitor that diverts unwanted alternating or noise signals around part of a circuit. Ceramic capacitors provide low-impedance paths for high-frequency noise in many circuits.
Tantalum capacitor: A polarized electrolytic capacitor using tantalum oxide as its dielectric. Tantalum parts offer high capacitance density but have polarity and surge-related constraints absent from many ceramics.
Capacitor aging: A gradual change in a capacitor’s properties over time or operating conditions. Ferroelectric Class 2 ceramic capacitors can lose capacitance logarithmically after cooling through a transition.

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