Configuring a capacitor with enhanced pulse reliability

In a method for using a capacitor, said capacitor including first and second dielectric elongated layers with first and second metallization arrangements, respectively, supported by said layers, each one of said first and second dielectric layers having a pair of opposing edges running generally parallel in an elongated direction, each of the first and second metallization arrangements including an active region and a lengthwise, heavy-edge region in electrical communication with the active region arranged generally along one of the opposing edges of one of the dielectric layers such that a boundary, formed between the active region and the heavy edge region of each metallization arrangement, can be subject to runaway disconnection of the heavy edge region from the active region, along said boundary, responsive at least to using said capacitor to externally deliver one or more current pulses through a pair of external electrical connections, said first and second dielectric layers being wound together into a roll to form a main body of said capacitor, the heavy edge region of each of said first and second metallization arrangements being configured to form said pair of external electrical connections at opposing ends of said roll, said method comprising:

• segmenting at least a selected one of said first and second metallization arrangements to form a plurality of current-isolated segments that are arranged along said elongated direction in a way which confines an initial disconnection formed within said boundary of a particular one of the segments to that particular segment responsive to said one or more current pulses such that only the particular segment is subject to runaway.