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Abstract

Aluminum electrolytic capacitors with polymer electrolytes were developed to obtain lower equivalent series resistance (ESR) than was achievable with liquid electrolytes. Replacement of the liquid electrolyte with a solid conductive polymer also overcomes the propensity for the liquid to evaporate over time. Prior CALCE research showed that polymer aluminum electrolytic (PAE) capacitors which use PEDOT (poly-ethylenedioxythiophene) as the electrolyte will degrade when exposed to humidity. Highly accelerated stress testing (HAST) at 110oC, 85% relative humidity was found to be an effective tool for evaluating parts from alternative suppliers in order to select those with the lowest sensitivity to moisture. Moreover, the same study showed that surface mount parts exhibited earlier failures than through-hole parts.

Multilayer PAE capacitors offer similar advantages to conventional PAE capacitors, but use a plastic encapsulated package that offers a lower profile and may provide better sealing and protection against the environment. Nevertheless, the diffusion of moisture through the encapsulation is expected over time. This project will evaluate the sensitivity of these parts to moisture through comparative humidity testing against the best conventional surface mount parts.

This webinar will provide insights into the construction and chemistry of multilayer PAE capacitors and variations between samples from different suppliers. Failure modes and mechanisms under exposure to elevated humidity will be discussed and the lifetime of multilayer PAE capacitors compared to conventional PAE capacitors under elevated temperature humidity will be presented. Finally, methods for part selection based on construction, chemistry, and/or screening through humidity testing will be presented.

About The Presenter: Dr. Michael H. Azarian is a research scientist at CALCE and a member of the graduate faculty at the University of Maryland, College Park. He holds a Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University, a Masters degree in Metallurgical Engineering and Materials Science from Carnegie Mellon, and a Bachelors degree in Chemical Engineering from Princeton University.

His research focuses on the analysis, detection, prediction, and prevention of failures in electronic systems. He has advised many organizations on the reliability of electronic products and is the author or co-author of publications on interconnect degradation, circuit board failure mechanisms, capacitor technology, electronic packaging, and tribology.

Dr. Azarian is co-chair of the Miscellaneous Techniques subcommittee of the SAE G-19A standards committee on the detection of counterfeit parts. He was the vice-chairman of the workgroup for IEEE Standard 1332-2012, "Reliability Program for the Development and Production of Electronic Products," and the Technical Editor of IEEE Standard 1624 on organizational reliability capability, for assessing suppliers of electronic products. He previously co-chaired iNEMI's Technology Working Group on Sensor Technology Roadmapping.