Use Condition Characterization of MLCCs

Abstract

Capacitors play an important role in the analysis and design of power delivery networks for packages and printed circuit boards. Accurate characterization of multilayer ceramic capacitors is needed to understand product operation. A key aspect of multilayer ceramic capacitor is characterization at the user's expected operation conditions. Literature is widely available to illustrate capacitor performance as a function of a single operating condition. This paper will introduce a method to characterize capacitors while applying multiple operating conditions simultaneously. As well as application of the appropriate operating conditions, it is critical to represent the measured response with a precise model. This paper will also introduce a higher-order model that is comparatively simple to implement, yet allows accurate representation of capacitor behavior over the frequency of interest.