Electrical characterization and reliability evaluation of capacitors by means of in situ leakage current measurements

Abstract

The in situ leakage current measurement technique is presented for the high-resolution observation of the electrical behaviour of dielectric material systems, e.g. capacitors, at high temperatures. This technique is useful for the electrical characterization of dielectrics during linear heating experiments and/or isothermal steps, Applied to a population of test structures, the in situ leakage current measurement technique is a rapid and powerful tool to assess the reliability and quality of dielectric components and assemblies. Results obtained on populations of film capacitors and ceramic capacitors are presented. (C) 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.