Samsung Electro-Mechanics aims to take lead in MLCC market

South Korea-based electronic components maker Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co. is looking to take lead in the multi-layer ceramic capacitors (MLCC) market following the release of its automotive MLCCs designed for electric vehicles.

On Aug. 12, Samsung Electro-Mechanics announced the development of two automotive MLCCs intended for autonomous driving cars. The MLCCs will be used in the Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS), which includes devices such as smart cruise control (SCC) and surround view monitor (SVM) to offer support for drivers.

MLCCs control the flow of electricity to provide power to semiconductors. They are essential components to a variety of electronic products including cars, smartphones, home appliances and laptops.

Samsung Electro-Mechanic's latest automotive MLCCs include the 0603-size which is 0.6 millimeters wide and 0.3 millimeters long and the 3216-size which is 3.2 millimeters wide and 1.6 millimeters long. The 0603 MLCC offers 100nF (nanofarad) capacity while the 3216 MLCC offers 47uF (microfarad) capacity.

The 0603 MLCC is an ultra-miniature product, with its surface area reduced by 64% compared to the former 1005 MLCC product, while offering the same power capacity. It is built in the electronic control unit (UNIT) and delivers accurate signals by removing surrounding noise.

Also, the 3216 MLCC is an ultra-high capacity product that provides double the capacity of the former product while supplying stable power to the semiconductor equipped in the automobile.
 
Currently, Murata Manufacturing Co. is the MLCC market leader, accounting for almost a 44% market share globally. Samsung Electro-Mechanics comes in second with a 22% market share.

But Samsung Electro-Mechanics is hoping to overtake Murata with its latest MLCCs given that the emergence of autonomous driving cars has led to high demand for MLCCs, meaning that the company will have an opportunity to seize the chance to become the market frontrunner.

In this year's sustainability report, Samsung Electro-Mechanics stated that it plans to grow its automotive MLCC sales to account for 10% of the overall revenue by 2026. 

Write to Su-bin Lee at lsb@hankyung.com
Danbee Lee edited this article.