Testing the effects of temperature cycling on tantalum capacitors

This study focused on the reliability testing of tantalum capacitors. The objective was to develop efficient tests to examine the effects of temperature cycling on capacitor maximum voltage. A test according to the standard JESD22-A104D overlooks the fact that temperature changes often occur while the voltage is on. Capacitors were first tested according to the standard without voltage; the test was then repeated with added 15 V and 30 V. Second, short cycling tests were run at different temperatures to detect any changes in capacitor characteristics. After the cycling tests, capacitors were tested for voltage, which was slowly increased from 0 V to 90 V, provided no failure occurred. Results suggest that a temperature cycling effect can be achieved in a much shorter time than in standard tests. Temperature cycling can also be accelerated by adding voltage. Possible reasons are discussed in the paper.