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Hydrogen-induced microelectronic capacitor failure in pacemakers

W G Rainer, S A Kolenik, R E Whittaker

Medical Instrumentation

|July 1, 1976

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

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Ceramic capacitors in pacemakers can fail due to hydrogen absorption by palladium plates, causing delamination. Using hydrogen-resistant palladium alloys prevents this failure mode in critical medical devices.

Area of Science:

Biomedical Engineering
Materials Science
Microelectronics

Background:

Ceramic chip capacitors are vital components in cardiac pacemakers, typically exhibiting high reliability.
Specific manufacturing and environmental factors can lead to premature capacitor failure in implantable devices.

Observation:

A pacemaker experienced ceramic capacitor delamination and failure approximately 30 days post-implantation.
The failure was linked to pure palladium plates within the capacitor absorbing hydrogen released during titanium case welding.

Findings:

Hydrogen absorption by palladium plates caused volumetric expansion, leading to capacitor cracking and delamination.
This failure mode was mitigated by employing capacitors with specialized palladium alloys that resist hydrogen absorption.

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Implications:

Pacemaker designers must consider hydrogen generation from components like mercury batteries when selecting capacitors with palladium elements.
Understanding material interactions, such as hydrogen embrittlement in palladium, is crucial for long-term reliability of implantable electronic devices.