surface barrier-layer capacitor

electronics

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Last updated

July 14, 2026

Quick Summary

A barrier layer in electronics refers to the surface where a semiconductor meets a metal. This junction, such as between cuprous oxide and copper, can function as a rectifier or photovoltaic cell when incorporated into an electrical circuit.1

Barrier-layer capacitors are a type of capacitor that utilizes these specialized surface or grain-boundary layers to achieve very high apparent dielectric constants, often between 50,000 and 100,000. However, these capacitors have a low dielectric breakdown strength due to the thinness of their barrier layers.2

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capacitor dielectric and piezoelectric ceramics
Barrier-layer capacitors
The surface or grain boundaries are then oxidized to produce thin resistive layers. In surface BL capacitors oxidation is accomplished by adding oxidizing agents such as manganese oxide or copper oxide to the silver electrode paste prior to firing. In grain-boundary BL capacitors slow cooling in…
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The surface or grain boundaries are then oxidized to produce thin resistive layers. In surface BL capacitors oxidation is accomplished by adding oxidizing agents such as manganese oxide or copper oxide to the silver electrode paste prior to firing. In grain-boundary BL capacitors slow cooling in…
Read More