0
$\begingroup$

Recently I started researching more about capacitors and I wondered why it's not possible to put a layer with a high electric breakdown strength between two layers of high permittivity? Wouldn't you get the best of both worlds?

Where is my thinking skewed here? No one does it like that so I think I missed a point there. I haven't found a specific answer to that problem on the web, so I hope someone can help me out here.

Improve this question
$\endgroup$
6
  • $\begingroup$ How would such a capacitor compare in capacitance to one without the high permittivity layers? $\endgroup$
    – Puk
    Commented Aug 27, 2023 at 1:08
  • $\begingroup$ @Puk I would assume that the capacitance of one without the permittivity layers would be lower? $\endgroup$
    – HubShakerCentral
    Commented Aug 27, 2023 at 1:13
  • $\begingroup$ Think of a multi-layer capacitor as a series combination of multiple capacitors. How do we calculate the equivalent capacitance of such a combination? Is it higher or lower than the capacitances of the constituents? $\endgroup$
    – Puk
    Commented Aug 27, 2023 at 1:18
  • $\begingroup$ It would be lower, but I am not sure if I have explained the situation incorrectly. Since the capacitor would be "Plate-Permittivity Layer-High Breakdown Strength Layer-Permittivity Layer-Plate". Is this in reality two capacitors in series? $\endgroup$
    – HubShakerCentral
    Commented Aug 27, 2023 at 1:24
  • 1
    $\begingroup$ If you insert metal plates between the layers (in which case you would have truly distinct capacitors connected in series), the device operation would not be affected. So what you describe is, in effect, three capacitors in series. $\endgroup$
    – Puk
    Commented Aug 27, 2023 at 2:01

0

Reset to default