Capacitors for high power and elevated temperatures based on glass ceramics

Power electronic sees a trend towards increasing power densities, increasing voltages and current densities. Following from this the thermal load on all components is also increasing and often the passive components, namely the capacitors, are the limiting components for a further increase in operating temperature. Bulk glass ceramics obtained from a true glassy phase form an entirely new class of materials as a dielectric in high power capacitors. The _green_ glasses of these glass ceramics are produced via a molten liquid in a production quality which is comparable to a production of optical glasses. In a second and independent step crystalline phases are grown in a controlled way by applying a well de_ned time-temperature pro_le. By controlling the latter process crystalline phases with…