Some Observations on Loss and Hysteresis of Ferroelectric-Based Ceramic Capacitors

Applying the observed frequency dependence of the equivalent series resistance of ferroelectric-based ceramic capacitors, the value of a parallel resistor that models the losses is extracted for small signal excitation. The result is then used to develop a loss equation of the studied ceramic capacitors, which is found to conform to the Steinmetz equation template. This leads to the conclusion that the small signal hysteresis curves of ferroelectric-based ceramic capacitors do not change with frequency. Based on the derived equations, a figure of merit is proposed to ease the comparison of ferroelectric capacitors with respect to losses.