3 Capacitor Types

3.1 Overview of existing capacitor types

3 Capacitor Types

As mentioned already, there is a wide range of different capacitors. The capacitors

briefly introduced in Chapter 1.8, which play the most important role in industry are
presented in detail in the following chapters and in addition other existing designs are
shown.

The following chapters serve to provide an essential understanding of the existing

capacitor designs and to introduce and describe their basic features. Each of the
capacitor types could be dedicated its own reference book.

3.1 Overview of existing capacitor types

The capacitor types can be broadly divided into those with fixed capacitance and those Capacitor types
with variable capacitance. The most important are the fixed capacitance capacitors,
but capacitors with variable capacitance also exist. These include rotary or trimmer
capacitors.

Capacitors with fixed capacitance can be divided into film, electrolytic, ceramic and
super conductors. The film, electrolytic and ceramic capacitors are described in
more detail in the following chapters and are the capacitors most commonly found in
electronics.

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3 Capacitor Types
3.1 Overview of existing capacitor types

All existing capacitor types and their classification are presented in the following
overview:

Paper film capacitors

Film capacitors

Plastic film capacitors

Low permittivity type

(class 1)
Ceramic capacitors
Low permittivity type
(class 2)

Aluminum electrolytic
capacitors

Electrolytic capacitors Tantalum electrolytic

capacitors

Fixed capacitance Niobium electrolytic

capacitors

Electrochemical
double layer
capacitors

Super capacitors Pseudo capacitors

Capacitors

Mica capacitors Hybrid capacitors

Glass capacitors

Feed-through
capacitors

Rotary capacitors

Variable capacitance
Trimmer capacitors
(trimmers)

Fig. 3.1: Overview of existing capacitor types

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