Multilayer Lead-Free Ceramic Capacitors with Ultrahigh Energy Density and Efficiency

The utilization of antiferroelectric (AFE) materials is thought to be an effective approach to enhance the energy density of dielectric capacitors. However, the high energy dissipation and inferior reliability that are associated with the antiferroelectric–ferroelectric phase transition are the main issues that restrict the applications of antiferroelectric ceramics. Here, simultaneously achieving high energy density and efficiency in a dielectric ceramic is proposed by combining antiferroelectric and relaxor features. Based on this concept, a lead-free dielectric (Na_0.5Bi_0.5)TiO₃-x(Sr_0.7Bi_0.2)TiO₃ (NBT-xSBT) system is investigated and the corresponding multilayer ceramic capacitors (MLCCs) are fabricated. A record-high energy density of 9.5 J cm⁻³, together with a high energy efficiency of 92%, is achieved in NBT-0.45SBT multilayer ceramic capacitors, which consist of ten dielectric layers with the single-layer thickness of 20 µm and the internal electrode area of 6.25 mm². Furthermore, the newly developed capacitor exhibits a wide temperature usage range of -60 to 120 °C, with an energy-density variation of less than 10%, and satisfactory cycling reliability, with degradation of less than 8% over 10⁶ cycles. These characteristics demonstrate that the NBT-0.45SBT multilayer ceramic is a promising candidate for high-power energy storage applications.