Frequency-Domain Characterization and Modelling of a Multi-Layer Ceramic Capacitor for RF Applications

An equivalent circuit model of a surface-mount multi-layer ceramic capacitor is presented. The capacitor lumped-element model is fitted to the measurements. The two-port shunt method is used to characterize a 100-pF capacitor, suitable for RF applications. Three samples of the capacitor are measured, in order to control the repeatability of the capacitor characteristics. The methods of extracting the impedance of the device under test based on S-parameters and Z-parameters are compared. All the components in the model are frequency independent, and there is a clear physical interpretation of each element in the model. The extracted model accurately describes the impact of skin effect at frequencies up to 2 GHz.