Dielectrics are insulating materials that separate electric charges in a capacitor. They have properties such as thermal expansion, conductivity, and specific heat, and their strength is defined by the dielectric constant. Dielectrics are used in superconductors, microelectronic devices, and optical telecommunication systems. They are also used in printed circuit boards and nanoscale structures. The capacitance is proportional to the dielectric constant, and if the charge and voltage are too high, the dielectric material fails. Dielectrics are found in everything from metal to human bone and can store an electric charge.
The field of dielectrics is a branch of physics that covers how insulating materials separate the different electric charges in a capacitor. A capacitor is a device with two metal plates of opposite charges, with a dielectric insulating material between the separate charges. Properties that affect dielectrics can include thermal expansion, thermal conductivity, and specific heat. The strength of interacting charges in a given material is defined by the dielectric constant. All materials, including air, water, glass, and different parts of the human body, have a specific dielectric constant, and dielectrics have been used to develop superconductors, optical telecommunication systems, and microelectronic devices.
Nonmetallic solids act as insulators because they don’t conduct charges well, so the positive and negative charges remain on opposite sides. The plates in a capacitor can be spaced very small apart, with a dielectric material in between, reducing the strength of an electric field and preventing a device from shorting out. The capacitance arises from a relationship between the charge and the voltage and is measured proportionally to the dielectric constant of the insulating material. If the charge and voltage are too high, the dielectric material fails, the charges can no longer be separated, and enough heat can build up to damage the capacitor and associated electronics.
The science of dielectrics has been used to produce printed circuit boards and the tiny components that mount them. It is also possible to fabricate microscopic parts at high speed using light sources such as visible light, ultraviolet light and X-rays. Insulating films made from complex polymers also serve as dielectrics for very small integrated circuits and their parts. Smaller circuit size means currents are more likely to escape, and increased heat can significantly damage a circuit component that can barely be seen with the naked eye. Storage capacitors and non-volatile memory use materials with a high dielectric constant to resist the effects of strong charging.
Anything from a piece of metal to air to human bone is dielectric and can store an electric charge. Scientists studying nanoscale materials are aware of dielectrics to help understand how energy is stored in various nanocomposite materials. When fabricating nanoscale structures, researchers can control how many air bubbles are inside to adjust the dielectric constant. The importance of manufacturing flawless materials is addressed by using special microscopes that can measure the dielectric properties of insulating materials. Microscopically thin dielectric materials are constantly being manufactured with properties that are tailored to specific applications.
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