Local Hydrogen Migration-Driven Strain Failure Behavior in Humidified Multilayer Ceramics Dielectrics by AFM-IR under Electric Fields

Local structure failure behavior in humidified multilayer ceramics dielectrics (MLCCs) was studied by the AFM-IR technique under electric fields. A remarkable strain failure interface was successfully visualized in the chemical image, the interface originating from the boundary between the dielectric layer and anode-side inner electrode and then moving forward toward the cathode electrode with sidewise expansion. The interface was ascribed to local interstitial proton migration through the dielectric layers of the humidified MLCCs. Local hydrogen migration gives rise not only to a local electrical failure path but also to a remarkable structure failure region in the dielectric layers of MLCCs. Such new findings give us a new view to understand local reliability failure phenomena related to the hydrogen migration in MLCCs under humid and electrical working conditions.