Project Title:

High Energy Density Capacitors by Aerosol Combustion

Spire Corporation
One Patriots Park
Bedford, MA 01730-2396

93-1		10.05	6000			Amount Requested $69,928

High Energy Density Capacitors by Aerosol Combustion

Abstract:

Improved energy density capacitors are needed to reduce the size of 
spacecraft components.  Current performance (-2 J/cm3) is limited 
by processing technology and not by inherent material properties.  
Spire proposes to use metalorganic chemical vapor deposition 
(MOCVD) with spray injection of reactants (aerosol combustion) to 
achieve high dielectric constant, high breakdown strength 
insulators capable of capacitively storing more than 400 J/cm3.  
Optimization of the position where reactants are volatilized (on 
the substrate surface, just off the surface, far from the surface) 
is necessary for rapid growth of a defect free film, the key to 
success in this program.  Existing research with reactants in the 
vapor phase has demonstrated the material properties needed for 
capacitors with dimensions on the scale of integrated circuit 
devices (operation at under 10 volts and few square microns area).  
In Phase I, Spire will demonstrate that the technology can be 
extrapolated to larger devices, specifically fabricating a 1 kV, 
one microfarad capacitor with low dielectric loss and low leakage 
current.
Specific NASA applications, aside from miniaturized power units, 
would include significant reduction in weight and volume for 
capacitors such as those used to power plasma thrusters.

Spire has identified a specific in-vivo medical application for 
this technology where a large reduction in capacitor volume would 
be of significant patient benefit, creating a high value added end 
product.  Many other commercial applications would follow.

high energy density capacitors, MOCVD, ferroelectric, dielectric