Ceramic capacitor

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A Ceramic Capacitor is a capacitor constructed of alternating layers of metal and ceramic, with the ceramic material acting as the dielectric. Depending on the dielectric, whether Class 1 or Class 2, the degree of temperature/capacity dependence varies. A ceramic capacitor often has (especially the class 2) high dissipation factor, high frequency coefficient of dissipation. Capacity depends on applied voltage, and capacity changes with aging. Ceramic capacitors are used extensively in common low-precision coupling and filtering applications. They are suitable for high frequencies.

A ceramic capacitor is a two-terminal, non-polar device. The classical ceramic capacitor is the "disk capacitor". This device pre-dates the transistor and was used extensively in vacuum-tube equipment (e.g., radio receivers) from c.a 1930 through the 1950's, and in discrete transistor equipment from the 1950's through the 1980's. As of 2007, ceramic disk capacitors are still in production.