Stacked high voltage al electrolytic capacitors using Zr-Al-O composite oxide

A stacked high-voltage (900 V) Al electrolytic capacitor made with ZrO₂ coated anode foils, which has not been studied so far, is realized and the effects of Zr-Al-O composite layer on the electric properties are discussed. Etched Al foils coated with ZrO₂ sol are anodized in 2-methyl-1,3-propanediol (MPD)-boric acid electrolyte. The anodized Al foils are assembled with stacked structure to prepare the capacitor. The capacitance and dissipation factor of the capacitor with ZrO₂ coated anode foils increase by 41 % and decrease by 50 %, respectively, in comparison with those of Al anode foils. Zr-Al-O composite dielectric layer is formed between separate crystalline ZrO₂ with high dielectric constant and amorphous Al2O3 with high ionic resistivity. This work suggests that the formation of a composite layer by coating valve metal oxide on etched Al foil surface and anodizing it in MPD-boric acid electrolyte is a promising approach for high voltage and volume efficiency of capacitors.