Electroceramics for High-Energy Density Capacitors: Current Status and Future Perspectives

Materials exhibiting high energy/power density are currently needed to meet the growing demand of portable electronics, electric vehicles and large-scale energy storage devices. The highest energy densities are achieved for fuel cells, batteries, and supercapacitors, but conventional dielectric capacitors are receiving increased attention for pulsed power applications due to their high power density and their fast charge-discharge speed. The key to high energy density in dielectric capacitors is a large maximum but small remanent (zero in the case of linear dielectrics) polarization and a high electric breakdown strength. Polymer dielectric capacitors offer high power/energy density for applications at room temperature, but above 100 °C they are unreliable and suffer from dielectric breakdown. For high-temperature applications, therefore, dielectric ceramics are the only feasible alternative. Lead-based ceramics such as La-doped lead zirconate titanate exhibit good energy storage properties, but their toxicity raises concern over their use in consumer applications, where capacitors are exclusively lead free. Lead-free compositions with superior power density are thus required. In this paper, we introduce the fundamental principles of energy storage in dielectrics. We discuss key factors to improve energy storage properties such as the control of local structure, phase assemblage, dielectric layer thickness, microstructure, conductivity, and electrical homogeneity through the choice of base systems, dopants, and alloying additions, followed by a comprehensive review of the state-of-the-art. Finally, we comment on the future requirements for new materials in high power/energy density capacitor applications.

Fluorite-structure antiferroelectrics

Ferroelectricity in fluorite-structure oxides like hafnia and zirconia have attracted increasing interest since 2011. Two spontaneous polarizations of the fluorite-structure ferroelectrics are considered highly promising for nonvolatile memory applications, with their superior scalability and Si compatibility compared to the conventional perovskite-structure ferroelectrics. Besides, antiferroelectricity originating from a field-induced phase transition between the paraelectric and ferroelectric phases in fluorite-structure oxides is another highly interesting matter. It was suggested that the field-induced phase transition could be utilized for energy conversions between thermal and electrical energy, as well as for energy storage. The important energy-related applications of antiferroelectric fluorite-structure oxides, however, have not been systematically reviewed to date. Thus, in this work, the fluorite-structure antiferroelectrics are reviewed from their fundamentals to their applications based on pyroelectricity as well as antiferroelectricity. Another important application field of the fluorite-structure antiferroelectrics is the semiconductor memory devices. The fluorite-structure antiferroelectrics can be utilized for antiferroelectric random-access-memories, negative capacitance field-effect-transistors, and flash memories. Moreover, the recently reported morphotropic phase boundary (MPB) between the ferroelectric and antiferroelectric phases in this material system marks another significant progress in this material system, and thus, the fundamentals and applications of the MPB phase are also reviewed.

Dielectric and Energy Storage Properties of Ba(1-x)CaxZryTi(1-y)O3 (BCZT): A Review

The Ba_(1−x)Ca_xZr_yTi_(1−y)O₃ (BCZT), a lead-free ceramic material, has attracted the scientific community since 2009 due to its large piezoelectric coefficient and resulting high dielectric permittivity. This perovskite material is a characteristic dielectric material for the pulsed power capacitors industry currently, which in turn leads to devices for effective storage and supply of electric energy. After this remarkable achievement in the area of lead-free piezoelectric ceramics, the researchers are exploring both the bulk as well as thin films of this perovskite material. It is observed that the thin film of this materials have outstandingly high power densities and high energy densities which is suitable for electrochemical supercapacitor applications. From a functional materials point of view this material has also gained attention in multiferroic composite material as the ferroelectric constituent of these composites and has provided extraordinary electric properties. This article presents a review on the relevant scientific advancements that have been made by using the BCZT materials for electric energy storage applications by optimizing its dielectric properties. The article starts with a BCZT introduction and discussion of the need of this material for high energy density capacitors, followed by different synthesis techniques and the effect on dielectric properties of doping different materials in BCZT. The advantages of thin film BCZT material over bulk counterparts are also discussed and its use as one of the constituents of mutiferroic composites is also presented. Finally, it summarizes the future prospects of this material followed by the conclusions.