High temperature performance of oxide film capacitors

Abstract

Film capacitors that perform well at temperatures exceeding 150°C and have energy densities in excess of 1 J/cm3 are an enabling technology for many applications in automotive, geophysical exploration, aerospace, and the military. To address this need Faradox Energy Storage, Inc. has produced and is testing high temperature film capacitors fabricated using amorphous oxides (OxFilm®) as the dielectric material. The capacitors are made by depositing thin films of an oxide dielectric on both sides of a double metalized polyimide substrate to form dielectric-coated electrodes. Currently Faradox is producing 2″ long, 1/4″ diameter 2 uF, 100 VDC capacitors using silicon dioxide as the dielectric material. In this paper we present test data demonstrating that OxFilm capacitors have relatively stable properties over a wide temperature range. Measurements include capacitor testing at different 3rd Party test facilities and internal testing using a variety of test conditions including: • Life testing at 200 and 250°C for over 1000 hours with measurements of capacitance, leakage, dF and ESR. • Capacitance versus voltage, temperature and frequency • Impedance, ESR, and dF versus frequency and temperature and voltage Data will also be presented that show these capacitors can be cycled between 0°C and 200°C without degrading their performance. Work is ongoing to obtain additional test data with more statistically significant numbers of capacitors.