Capacitor technologies overview

The article provides a concise examination of various capacitor technologies, highlighting their distinct characteristics and applications. It categorizes capacitors into three primary groups: electrostatic capacitors, electrolytic capacitors, and supercapacitors. Each category is analyzed based on its construction, performance attributes, and suitability for specific voltage and capacitance ranges. This comprehensive overview serves as a valuable resource for understanding the diverse landscape of capacitor technologies and their roles in electronic circuits.

There are multiple views possible on how to sort and split capacitor technologies. The major group of fixed (non-variable) capacitors can be divided into two groups depending on whether the capacitors are polarized (with positive and minus negative electrodes) or non-polarized. Non-polarized capacitors are closer to a simple capacitor model M-I-M (metal – insulator – metal) dominated by electrostatic charge storage, and thus it can also be called “electrostatic” capacitors. See Figure 1 chart fix capacitor types.

Figure 1. fixed capacitor types, source: EPCI

Figure 2. capacitor technologies value market share in 2017; source: ECIA

Figure 3. capacitor technologies comparison; source: EPCI

Figure 4. Capacitor technology capacitance versus voltage capabilities; source: EPCI

Resource: Passive components Blog