Polymer Capacitors Mitigating Anomalous Charging Current
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Solution Overview
Problem
Polymer capacitors exhibit anomalous charging current during fast voltage slew rates, leading to unpredictable charging and powering behavior in electronic devices, which can cause malfunction or failure to power on, due to conduction mechanisms at the interface and bulk-limited conduction in the insulator/dielectric layer.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a wide band gap material layer between the semiconductive cathode and the insulator/dielectric, and/or introducing a charge depletion region inside the insulator/dielectric through doping impurities, to mitigate the anomalous charging current by increasing the energy barrier for electron conduction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If polymer capacitors are used for compact size and high reliability, then device integration and power supply capability are improved, but anomalous charging current occurs during fast voltage slew rates causing unpredictable charging behavior
Solution Approach 1:
A charge depletion region is introduced as an intermediary layer within the dielectric, positioned between the conductive anode and the rest of the dielectric structure. This charge depletion region acts as a mediator that blocks interface-limited conduction mechanisms and restricts bulk-limited currents, preventing anomalous charging current while maintaining the capacitor's compact size and reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The dielectric structure is modified by changing its electrical parameters through the introduction of a charge depletion region with specific charge characteristics. This parameter change increases the energy barrier for electron conduction, transforming the dielectric's conduction properties to eliminate anomalous charging behavior during fast voltage slew rates
2Ease of manufacture
If conventional dielectric structure is used, then manufacturing simplicity is maintained, but interface-limited conduction and bulk-limited conduction cause anomalous charging current
Solution Approach 1:
Rather than changing the entire capacitor structure, the invention applies a localized modification by introducing a charge depletion region specifically within the dielectric layer. This local quality change targets the exact location where interface-limited and bulk-limited conduction occur, blocking harmful charging currents while maintaining the overall simplicity of the capacitor's manufacturing process
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The proposed solution effectively reduces the anomalous charging current, enhancing the reliability and fault-tolerance of electronic devices by blocking interface-limited conduction mechanisms and restricting bulk-limited currents, thereby ensuring stable power supply.
Implementation Method 1
a wide electronic band gap layer deposited on the dielectric
Implementation Method 2
a dielectric layer with a charge depletion region
Data Source
AI summary
Many electronic devices may employ electrolytic polymer capacitors in their power supplies for noise filtering, decoupling/bypassing, frequency conversion and DC-DC and AC-DC conversion. However, some polymer capacitors exhibit an anomalous charging current phenomenon, which may prevent proper charging and cause failure in power circuits of the electronic devices. Disclosed herein are polymer capacitors that have a wide band gap material layer between an insulator/dielectric and a polymer cathode, a charge depletion region in the insulator/dielectric, or both, that may mitigate the anomalous charging current.