T520B107M004ATE040 Capacitors

Tantalum – polymer capacitors have wide ranging applications in different industries, thanks to their advantages compared to other electrolytic capacitors. The T520 series, specifically the T520B107M004ATE040 capacitor, represents an example of the technology, and can offer improvements over more traditional capacitors.

The T520B107M004ATE040 is a tantalum – polymer capacitor in a flat lead, miniaturized form factor. The capacitor’s small size and low component risk make it suitable for use in automotive applications and in compact electronic devices. It features a low equivalent series resistance (<0.1 Ω) and a high surge current capability (up to 8 A) thanks to its polymer construction. This makes the capacitor ideal for applications where strong pulses of current are expected, such as AC/DC voltage converters and DC/DC converters.

The T520B107M004ATE040 capacitor’s working principle relies on the Faraday effect, a phenomenon discovered by the English scientist Michael Faraday in 1831. When a voltage is applied across the capacitor, if charges with the same polarity repel each other, the negative charge will be forced to the positive plate and the positive charge to the negative plate, in a process known as polarization. The separation of charges creates an electric field in the vicinity of the capacitor, which enables the capacitor to store and discharge energy.

The Faraday effect allows the capacitor to act as a voltage-dependent current source, meaning that the current passing through it is proportional to the voltage applied to the capacitor. This makes the T520B107M004ATE040 capacitor especially suitable for applications where the capacitance needs to be controlled, such as high-frequency switching converters and some motor control applications, where the capacitor acts both as an energy source and to provide robust protection from overloads. The capacitor can also be used to provide edge detection in pulse-width modulation systems and to filter and stabilize power supply outputs.

The T520B107M004ATE040 capacitor is a typical example of how the combination of the Faraday effect and the features offered by tantalum – polymer capacitors can make them particularly suitable for a wide range of applications. They provide low component risk, enhanced reliability and durability, improved capacitance and low equivalent series resistance, making them ideal for automotive, industrial and consumer applications.