Effects of yttria concentration and microstructure on electric breakdown of yttria stabilized zirconia

Ceramic materials have great potentials for capacitor application. However, low breakdown strength of the materials remains a key challenge for development of high-performance capacitors. In this study, yttria stabilized zirconia (YSZ) were fabricated and tested for breakdown strength. YSZ samples with 3, 8, and 10 mol% yttria were carefully processed to control grain size and porosity level. Experimental results revealed that breakdown strength as high as 2 MV/cm could be achieved. The breakdown strength was not significantly affected by porosity level, but it was by yttria concentration. Relationship among yttria concentration, residual porosity and breakdown strength is discussed in this study.