Previous set of Capacitor Terms and definitions
DC leakage (DCL): Stray direct current of relatively small value which flows through or across the surface of solid or liquid insulation when a voltage is impressed across the insulation.
Decoupling Capacitor: Also called an IC By-Pass capacitor. A capacitor which decouples the effects of the power supply [for example] from an Integrated Circuit [IC]. By placing a decoupling capacitor next to an IC, the lead inductance to the power supply is reduced 'de-couplied' by the near-by capacitor, which has far less trace inductance.
Derating: The act of selecting a device which has a higher voltage rating, temperature rating, or capacitance than required for the given application. How to Derate Capacitors.
DF: Dissipation Factor.
Dielectric: The insulating material (e.g., air, paper, mica, oil, etc.,) between the plates of a capacitor. Dielectric Material page.
Dielectric absorption: Property of an imperfect dielectric whereby all electric charges within the body of the material caused by an electric field are not returned to the field.
Dielectric constant: Property of a dielectric material that determines how much electrostatic energy can be stored per unit volume when unit voltage is applied. (It is the ratio of the capacitance of a capacitor filled with a given dielectric to that of the same capacitor having a vacuum dielectric.)
l. Dielectric strength. Maximum voltage that a dielectric material can withstand without rupturing. (The value obtained for the dielectric strength will depend on the thickness of the material and on the method and conditions of test.)
Dielectric Leakage: Power loss of a capacitor because of the leakage of current through the
dielectric. Also relates to leakage resistance; the higher the leakage resistance, the lower the dielectric
leakage.
Dielectric loss: The time rate at which electric energy is transformed into heat in a dielectric when
it is subjected to a changing electric field.
Dissipation factor (DF): The ratio of resistance to reactance, measured in percent. The percentage of apparent power input that will turn to heat. ESR/Xc.
Droop, Voltage: The reduction in output voltage from an IC produced when the device is required to deliver current faster then the IC can respond. Adding a Decoupling Capacitor will eliminate voltage droop; the capacitor value is equal to the required amount of current being produce times the signal rise time divided by the allowable voltage droop. Detailed Voltage Droop Discussion.
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