High power capacitors from thin layers of metal powder or metal sponge particles

Abstract

An anode () and/or cathode () of a capacitor has a large surface area. The high surface area of the anode is provided by forming the anode from a thin, electrically conductive layer () formed from metal particles () or an electrically conductive metallic sponge (). These materials provide a porous structure with a large surface area of high accessibility. The particles are preferably directional or non-directional sponge particles of a metal, such as titanium. The conductive layer has a dielectric film () on its surface, formed by anodizing the particle surfaces. The dielectric film has a combination of high dielectric constant and high dielectric strength. The cathode () of the capacitor is either a conventional solid material or, more preferably, has a large surface provided by forming the surface from a sponge or particles analogously to the anode. The high dielectric strengths obtainable from the capacitor allow for extreme miniaturization, making the capacitor particularly suited for integrated circuit applications.