Why Engineers Cannot Ignore Capacitance Measurements

Key takeaways:

1. Capacitance is usually very useful for achieving high-quality designs but can also be an obstacle sometimes.
2. Multiple instruments and techniques can be used for capacitance measurements, varying in accuracy and complexity.
3. Frequency is a key factor that must be navigated carefully because it affects both capacitance behaviors and instrument readings.

   Measuring capacitance may not seem that important at first compared to more common characteristics like voltages and currents. However, it turns out that capacitance has a critical role in the design, troubleshooting, and quality control of many applications like semiconductors, radio frequency, power supplies, and other electronic circuits.

   In this article, take a deep dive into the fundamentals, importance, uses, technical nuances, and challenges of capacitance measurements.

What is capacitance, and why is it important to measure it?

Technically, capacitance tells you how much electric charge can be stored by a system per unit volt applied.

However, understanding it as a form of energy storage is more useful for practical engineering. When a voltage is applied across a material, component, or circuit, the potential difference results in the accumulation of electric charge in different areas based on the material’s properties. This build-up creates electric fields with electrostatic potential energy trapped in them.

This energy is crucial to many applications. It smooths fluctuations in power and signals. It reduces noise and interference. It enables sensors like smartphone touchscreens.

But the same energy is also a nuisance in some situations. For example, in radio frequency (RF) circuits, copper traces exhibit non-negligible capacitance at high frequencies. Such parasitic capacitance causes higher power consumption as well as noise and interference in signals. Avoiding it is equally important.

We look at some key uses of capacitance measurements in the next section.

What are some practical applications of capacitance measurement in electronics and engineering?

Figure 1. On-wafer capacitance measurement setup

Capacitance measurement is important, even crucial, in multiple areas as outlined below.

RF engineering

In RF and microwave applications, capacitance measurements are essential to avoid distortion and achieve optimal signal integrity.

Accurate capacitance measurements help engineers understand how capacitors and other components behave in circuits under complex AC signals and handle issues like parasitic effects, which can significantly alter performance at high frequencies.

Capacitance measurements also verify the effectiveness of key designs for voltage regulation, impedance matching, waveform shaping, noise reduction, and signal integrity.

Semiconductors

Figure 2. Keysight B1500A semiconductor device parameter analyzer

Capacitance measurements are crucial for semiconductor device modeling, manufacturing, and testing.

Capacitance data is critical for accurately extracting models and parameters of semiconductor devices. These models can predict device behavior while simulating various circuit designs like RF and high-speed digital domains.

On-wafercapacitance measurements help improve first-pass yields of chip manufacturing.

Capacitance-voltage (C-V) characterization techniques like the quasi-static C-V measurements are vital for understanding newer wide-bandgap semiconductor materials like silicon carbide and gallium nitride.

Regular capacitance measurements are part of monitoring the semiconductor manufacturing processes to ensure the quality and correctness of functionality and satisfy required performance criteria.

During chip packaging processes, the vectorless test enhanced performance technique of capacitance measurement identifies near-short defects in the wire bonds of chips.

Power electronics

Understanding the capacitance characteristics of power devices — like the input capacitance, output capacitance, and reverse transfer capacitance — is vital, especially in high-frequency applications and circuits operating at high direct current (DC) voltages. For example, electric vehicle systems operate at very high DC voltages.

Precise measurements of these capacitances are essential for evaluating switching and driving losses that emerge at higher frequencies and for ensuring the proper functioning of power devices under various operating conditions.

High-speed digital design

In high-speed digital designs, capacitance impacts signal integrity and timing. Hence, precise measurements and analyses using LCR meters and oscilloscopes are used for reliable circuit operation.

Materials research

Capacitance measurements provide critical insights into the electrical properties of materials for various applications in electronics, aerospace, automotive, and medical industries.

These measurements are particularly important for evaluating dielectric properties and understanding the behavior of charge carriers in semiconductor materials. They help characterize material properties, including permittivity and lossiness, which are crucial for the performance of electronic devices.

Optical applications

Capacitance measurements are required in optical applications primarily due to the challenges posed by higher data rates in communication systems, such as those used in multimode fiber transceivers.

As the demand for faster data transmission across data centers increases, components like photodetectors, which are larger and have higher capacitance, can limit the usable upper bandwidth. Careful capacitance measurements are used to ensure that transceivers are delivering clean signal outputs, which is crucial for maintaining system performance over long distances and under varying conditions.

What are the common methods used for capacitance measurement?

Figure 3. Capacitance measurement instruments

Some of the most frequently used instruments to measure capacitance include:

1. Capacitance meters: Capacitance meters are specifically designed to measure capacitance at specific frequencies with very high accuracy and precision. They can measure instantaneous capacitance using series-equivalent and parallel-equivalent circuit models, quality factor, dissipation factor, equivalent series resistance (ESR), and equivalent parallel resistance.
2. Inductance, capacitance, and resistance (LCR) meters: LCR meters can measure all three properties of circuits and components like capacitors, diodes, inductors, resistors, and more.
3. Digital multimeters (DMMs): Many modern DMMs canmeasure capacitors, but their accuracy is not comparable to capacitance or LCR meters.
4. Oscilloscopes: Oscilloscopes can infer capacitance values indirectly but require suitable passive or active probes. For example, probing densely populated chip components requires a low-capacitance passive probe.
5. Impedance analyzers: Impedance analyzers can measure the reactance due to capacitance over a range of continuous frequencies instead of at fixed frequencies like the other instruments. They’re excellent at characterizing components and circuits.
6. Semiconductor parameter analyzers: These are specialized instruments for evaluating the electrical characteristics of semiconductor devices, including capacitance-voltage (C-V) measurements.
7. Vector network analyzers (VNAs): VNAs can measure the S-parameters of electrical networks in RF applications and infer capacitances at high frequencies.
8. Time domain reflectometry (TDR): TDR is a technique to measure the parasitic capacitance of cables and board traces by analyzing the reflections of electrical signals. It’s available in oscilloscopes and VNAs.
9. Capacitance bridges: Several bridge circuits are available to measure capacitance. For example, the Schering Bridge is an alternating current (AC) bridge circuit for measuring the capacitance and dissipation factor of capacitors and insulating materials. The Wien Bridge can precisely measure capacitance in terms of frequency and resistance.
10. Special techniques: Some special techniques include coaxial probes for measuring the capacitance of liquids and resonant cavity methods for specific material types.

How can capacitance be measured using an oscilloscope?

Oscilloscope probes (both passive and active) are used to indirectly measure capacitance by monitoring voltage changes in circuits. Probe compensation, loading checks, and common-mode noise reduction are critical for maintaining measurement fidelity while examining capacitive effects.

What factors can affect the accuracy of capacitance measurements?

Capacitance measurements can be sensitive to the aspects outlined below:

1. Measurement setup: Both two-terminal versus four-terminal connections are affected differently by parasitic capacitances and resistors, which can skew results. Proper circuit configuration, blocking capacitors, and AC guards are crucial to avoid errors due to unwanted parasitic paths. Air gaps in contacting electrode methods and the uniformity of the dielectric material can affect measurement outcomes.
2. Measurement environment: Environmental conditions like temperature, humidity, and electromagnetic interference (EMI) can significantly impact accuracy.
3. Measurement frequency: Capacitance is frequency-dependent. For high-frequency applications, special consideration must be given to probe loading effects and signal integrity.
4. Component characteristics: The type, material, and condition of a capacitor can influence accuracy. The dielectric constant, component aging, and manufacturing variability can result in discrepancies.
5. Connection quality: Cable lengths and types affect measurement accuracy. Longer cables introduce additional stray capacitance and resistance.
6. Probe effects: Characteristics or probes — like input impedance, capacitance, and loading effects — affect measurement accuracy, especially at higher frequencies. Since active probes offer lower capacitive loading than passive probes, their measurements are more reliable.
7. Measurement timing: The timing of measurements and the integration time influence how accurately transient responses are captured, particularly in time-sensitive applications.
8. Calibration: Regular calibration of measurement instruments is essential. Failing to perform appropriate open/short calibration can lead to significant errors, particularly in high-frequency measurements.

How do environmental factors influence capacitance?

Environmental factors like temperature and humidity can have profound effects on capacitance and its measurement as outlined below.

Temperature effects

Figure 4. Effect of temperature on capacitance

Temperature affects the dielectric properties of materials. As temperature increases, the dielectric constants of many materials change, often reducing their capacitance. For example, capacitances of high-K dielectric ceramic capacitors exhibit complex temperature dependencies.

High temperatures can also increase leakage currents, which negatively impact the insulation resistance and effective capacitance.

Humidity

Humidity can significantly impact capacitors, especially those made with hygroscopic materials. Increased moisture levels alter dielectric properties, leading to higher leakage currents and variations in effective capacitance values. Higher humidity may decrease or damage the insulation resistance, resulting in unreliable capacitance.

Magnetic fields, ground loops, and power lines

The magnetic field of an AC voltage can affect the accuracy of a measuring instrument. The accuracy must be corrected by a factor proportional to the ambient magnetic flux density.

Ground loops and noise from power lines can also affect accuracy.

What is the role of frequency in capacitance measurement?

Frequency is a critical factor in capacitance behavior as well as measurements.

Capacitive reactance — and, therefore, impedance of components and circuits — varies with frequency. As the frequency increases, reactance decreases. This is particularly important in AC and high-frequency applications, where a capacitor’s ability to store and release charge effectively relies on how it behaves at different frequencies.

Frequency affects many characteristics of a capacitor like the ESR and dielectric absorption, leading to variability in readings. For instance, high-frequency measurements may expose additional parasitic effects that can distort capacitance measurements. Low-frequency measurements tend to provide more stable conditions, reducing the impact of these parasitics.

Signal integrity and noise also vary with frequency. At higher frequencies, noise levels can rise, complicating accurate capacitance readings. Techniques to manage noise, such as effective circuit layout and probe selection, are essential, especially in sensitive applications.

What are the challenges in measuring very small or very large capacitances?

Accurate measurement of small capacitances — in the femtofarad, picofarad, nanofarad, and microfarad ranges — must overcome these challenges:

1. Complex measurement setups: Measuring small capacitances requires advanced configurations like four-terminal measurements to reduce the impact of contact and stray capacitance. High-voltage requirements in power electronics also complicate measurement setups.
2. Time-dependent characteristics: Small capacitances can exhibit significant time-dependent traits. Measurements must be taken carefully at stabilized moments to avoid transients. Due to dielectric absorption, currents can take time to settle, complicating the timing of measurements.
3. Noise and interference: Very small capacitances are highly susceptible to electrical noise from the environment and nearby components, making it difficult to distinguish the true capacitance.
4. Parasitic capacitance: Stray capacitance in measurement cables, fixtures, and connectors can overwhelm the capacitance value, particularly in high-frequency applications.
5. Connection quality: The quality of connections in the measurement setup can introduce significant errors. Poor contact or high resistance connections can mask the true capacitance. This is minimized through careful setup and use of appropriate interconnects.
6. Environmental sensitivity: Measurements can be heavily influenced by ambient conditions like temperature fluctuations. Rigorous control over the test environment is crucial.
7. Instrument calibration: Proper calibration of measuring instruments is crucial and must be performed under optimized conditions.

   At the other end of the scale, large capacitances — ranging from a few millifarads to supercapacitors with hundreds of farads — bring their own challenges:

8. Setup complexity: Proper grounding, adequate shielding, and careful positioning of probes are crucial. Floating terminals must be avoided.
9. Dynamic behavior: High capacitance may exhibit nonlinear behavior under different test conditions, particularly when high-frequency effects come into play. Accurate measurement requires adhering to specific test frequencies. Variations can cause the apparent capacitance to differ from its true value as it reacts differently under alternating current versus direct current conditions.
10. Safety concerns: Large capacitors can store significant energy, which can be very unsafe and even fatal. Measurement procedures must ensure that they’re fully discharged before testing and adhere to safety protocols, especially in high-voltage equipment.
11. Parasitic effects: Large capacitances can introduce significant parasitic elements (both inductive and resistive) into the measurement circuit. Stray capacitance from test leads and fixtures can also distort measurements.

Get reliable capacitive measurements with Keysight

This article gave you an overview of the applications, techniques, and challenges of capacitive measurements.

Keysight manufactures an array of high-precision instruments, probes, and fixtures for the capacitance measurement needs of any industry.

Contact us for more information.