This program will demonstrate the fabrication of high energy density ceramic capacitors, suitable for use in implantable cardiac defibrillators. Proprietary dielectric compositions and innovative processing techniques will be used. In Phase I, small scale capacitors will be produced with full scale capacitors being produced in Phase II. The research effort will investigate a composition found to be favorable in previous work. Processing conditions, capacitor design, and proper termination procedures will be investigated. The successful implementation of this technology will result in significantly smaller capacitors than are currently being used. Since the capacitors occupy a significant amount of the space in an implantable defibrillator, much smaller devices, closer in size to pacemakers, will be able to be constructed. Pectoral area implantation of a small device will lead to more patient acceptance of this life-saving therapy. Other advantages of solid state ceramic capacitors over the electrolytic capacitors, which are the current state-of-the-art, include improved reliability, since there is no corrosive electrolyte with the potential for leakage. Ceramic capacitors can be readily shaped to conform to the case shape of the defibrillator; they have extremely low current leakage and do not require periodic reforming of the dielectric oxide.
