Samsung develops ultra-small, high-capacity MLCC

Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co. has developed an ultra-small and high-performance multilayer ceramic capacitor (MLCC) for use in a wider range of electronic gadgets.

On Apr. 15, the South Korean electronics parts maker unveiled the 6V 0402 MLCC, measuring 0.4mm in width and 0.2mm in length, and with 1.5 times higher voltage than the current industry standard 4.0V. 

The MLCC is a core component in almost every electronic gadget prevalent today, including smartphones, home appliances and automobiles. It works as a dam that temporarily charges and discharges electricity and regulates the current's flow in a circuit and prevents electromagnetic interference between components.

Unlike the standard 4V 0402 MLCC, which could not be applied to various high-performance products, the latest layered capacitor will be applied to state-of-the-art IT goods because it is capable of withstanding high voltages, Samsung said. Its smaller size allows it to be thinner, as well. 

With the smaller and higher-performance MLCC, Samsung Electro-Mechanics plans to grab a bigger share of the market led by Japan's Murata Manufacturing Co. The Korean company is the world’s second-largest maker of MLCCs, which is its cash cow.

A car uses from 3,000 to 10,000 MLCCs on average for systems such as powertrain, safety and infotainment. Demand for MLCCs is being pushed higher with greater use of the components in self-driving cars.

Write to Su-Bin Lee at lsb@hankyung.com
Yeonhee Kim edited this article.