Suppressive Effect Of Ni-Sn Internal Electrode At The Anode On The Leakage Current Degradation Of Batio3-Based Multilayer Ceramic Capacitors

As the BaTiO3 dielectric layer of multi-layer ceramic capacitors (MLCCs) becomes thinner, the problem of leakage current degradation arises. In this study, the leakage current degradation was investigated for the cases when the Ni-Sn internal electrode was placed at either the anode or the cathode. The MLCCs with the Ni-Sn internal electrode at the anode suppressed the leakage current degradation with time significantly better than that at the cathode. The leakage current types for the degraded MLCCs were tunnel and Schottky or Poole-Frenkel for the Ni and Ni-Sn internal electrodes, respectively. High-resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy revealed an interface layer with a high Sn concentration at the interface between the Ni-Sn internal electrode and BaTiO3. Therefore, the interface of the electrode at the anode plays an important role in the leakage current degradation of MLCCs with time.