Nanoparticle Capacitors for Multi-Point Initiation

Power capacitors, for instance, multilayer ceramic capacitors (MLCCs) with high performance and low costs are very desirable for many military applications. However, state-of-the-art MLCCs still suffer from low energy density, poor stability at elevated temperature, and high costs. This SBIR project is devoted to developing a novel class of MLCCs based on an innovatively-designed nanocomposite dielectric. The resultant MLCCs are expected to provide significantly enhanced energy density, better stability in wider temperature range, and lower costs, thereby can be used to replace/upgrade the currently used products. Technical feasibility of the proposed technology has been successfully demonstrated in Phase I, and very promising results have been obtained. In Phase II, further optimizations on material design/processing and subsequent scaling up will be conducted. MLCCs prototypes will be designed, prototyped, and tested, through intimate collaborations with a major military MLCC manufacture and a defense-system end user. Furthermore a cost-effective process will be established based on existing mature techniques, which can be easily integrated into industry standard production lines. At the end of Phase II, this MLCC technology will be fully developed and initially commercialized, which will pave the way for an intensive commercialization and potential mass production in Phase III and after.