Samsung Electro-Mechanics Develops World's Highest Capacity MLCC for Electric Vehicles... "Establishing Full Lineup for Automotive Electronics"

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Samsung Electro-Mechanics announced on the 16th that it has developed the world's highest capacity multilayer ceramic capacitor (MLCC) applicable to electric vehicles and is targeting the market by expanding its high-end automotive product lineup.

The newly developed MLCC features a 250V-class 33nF (nanofarad) capacitor with low capacitance variation according to temperature and a 125℃ 100V-class 10μF (microfarad) capacitor, representing the highest capacity among MLCCs of the same voltage class in the industry. Each product is used in key electric vehicle components such as electrification systems and LED headlamps.

Photo of Samsung Electro-Mechanics MLCC for electric vehicles. [Photo by Samsung Electro-Mechanics]

Electric vehicles operate based on high-voltage battery systems such as Battery Management Systems (BMS) and On-Board Chargers (OBC). MLCCs installed in electric vehicles must withstand the high output voltage delivered from the battery for ultra-fast charging and power transmission. Additionally, as the number of electronic components in electric vehicles increases, MLCCs must have high capacity characteristics to ensure stable operation of semiconductors.

The newly developed 250V-class 33nF product boasts the highest capacity in the industry at the same voltage level. Previously, the highest capacity for 250V-class products was 22nF. This product has durability to withstand high voltage and removes high-frequency noise inside the battery module, enhancing battery stability.

Also, the 100V-class 10μF product is used in electric vehicle LED headlamps and has doubled the capacitance compared to existing products. Since semiconductors in LED headlamps require high power consumption, a high-capacity MLCC that can store a large amount of energy while maintaining high voltage durability is essential to supply power quickly and stably to the semiconductors.

MLCCs for electric vehicles developed by Samsung Electro-Mechanics. 3225 MLCC for headlamps and 3216 MLCC for BMS (from left).
[Photo by Samsung Electro-Mechanics]

Generally, it is difficult for MLCCs to satisfy both voltage and capacitance characteristics simultaneously. To increase voltage characteristics, the dielectric is designed thicker, which reduces the number of internal electrodes that can be stacked, making it difficult to increase capacitance. Samsung Electro-Mechanics achieved high capacity by refining the core raw material, dielectric ceramic powder, to the nanoscale level. Additionally, by applying a proprietary surface coating process, the agglomeration of powders is minimized, enabling stable operation even at high voltages.

The newly developed MLCC meets the AEC-Q200 automotive electronic component reliability test standards, making it suitable for other applications within vehicles such as ADAS, body, chassis, and infotainment systems.

Jang Deok-hyun, President of Samsung Electro-Mechanics, stated, "Samsung Electro-Mechanics has established a full lineup of automotive MLCCs by developing products for electric vehicles. We will enhance our technological competitiveness by developing and manufacturing core raw materials for MLCCs in-house and expand our market share in automotive MLCCs through internalizing facilities and strengthening production capacity."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.