Ceramic capacitors

- an overview, information or tutorial about the basics of the ceramic capacitor: its construction, properties and the uses of the ceramic capacitor.

Ceramic capacitors are normally used for radio frequency and some audio applications. These capacitors range in value from figures as low as a few picofarads to around 0.1 microfarads. In view of their wide range and suitability for RF applications they are used for coupling and decoupling applications in particular. Here they are by far the most commonly used type being cheap and reliable and their loss factor is particularly low although this is dependent on the exact dielectric in use. Their stability and tolerance is not nearly as good as silver mica types, but their cost is much less.

There are a number of dielectrics that can be used. For low values a dielectric designated "COG" is normally used. This has the lowest dielectric constant but gives the highest stability and lowest loss. Where higher values are required in a given size, a dielectric with a higher dielectric constant must be used. Types with designations X7R and for higher values, Z5U are used, however their stability and loss are not as good as the capacitors made with COG dielectric.