Effect of strain gradient and interface engineering on the high-temperature energy storage capacitors

The miniaturization and high integration of electronic devices pose new requirements for the energy storage density and high-temperature performance of dielectric capacitors. For thin film materials, internal stress and the interface layer often show a significant impact on their energy storage performance. Therefore, the capacitors with different stress gradient sequences and different periods were designed by BaHf0.17Ti0.83O3 (BHTO17), BaHf0.25Ti0.75O3 (BHTO25), and BaHf0.32Ti0.68O3 (BHTO32) to investigate the effect of stress gradient and interface engineering on the energy storage characteristics. Dielectric thin film structures with upward gradient, downward gradient, and periodic upward gradient (4N) were constructed. The study found that the upward gradient structure had higher breakdown field strength than the downward gradient structure. This is because the upward gradient structure can effectively extend the ending electric field of the Ohmic conduction mechanism and delay the activation electric field of the F–N tunneling mechanism. The 4N structure had a slightly higher breakdown field strength (reaching 9.22 MV/cm) compared to the pure upward gradient structure. The 4N structure thin film also exhibited higher energy storage density (115.44 J/cm3) and wide temperature (−100 to 400 °C) characteristics. These findings provide important guidance and application value for improving the energy storage characteristics of dielectric capacitors at high temperatures through structural design.