Multi-Layer Ceramic Capacitor Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Type, By Rated Voltage Range, By Dielectric Type, By End Use, By Region, And Segment Forecasts, 2020 - 2025

Report Overview

The global Multi-Layer Ceramic Capacitor market size was valued at USD 9.16 billion in 2019 and is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.1% from 2020 to 2025. The growing demand for MLCCs in various application areas such as consumer electronics, data processing, and telecommunications is driving the MLCC market growth.

MLCCs are multilayered capacitors made of alternating layers of ceramic and metal. These capacitors possess low impedance value at high operating frequencies, thereby making them suitable for use in electronic devices for the function of noise suppression. The increasing demand for MLCCs in high-specification gadgets such as smartphones and tablets is expected to drive the market.

The emergence of advanced designs with filtering, decoupling, higher capacitance and improved bypassing capabilities have also worked well for the MLCC market in recent years. These new designs are ensuring thinner layers and better charge capacity. Moreover, MLCCs are being widely used in DC-DC and AC-AC converters for Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) suppression.

MLCCs are also integrated into smart LCD and LED televisions. The increasing popularity of such televisions is expected to accelerate market growth. Moreover, the emergence of the Internet of Things (IoT) is creating diverse opportunities for the market as MLCCs are an ideal solution for IoT devices owing to their long service life and intrinsic reliability.

Multi-layer ceramic capacitors are widely used in indoor wireless access points, automobile electronic control units, digital cameras, and PC servers, further adding to the growth prospects of the Multi-layer ceramic capacitor market. However, the fact that MLCCs need to be handled with the utmost care, as ceramic is prone to physical damage, could act as a drawback for market growth.

Multi-Layer Ceramic Capacitor Market Trends

The increasing adoption of Multi-Layer Ceramic Capacitor (MLCCs) in various equipment such as mobile phones, set-top boxes, and wireless devices is expected to propel the market growth over the forecast period. In addition, benefits such as high durability against thermal shocks offered by these capacitors are expected to lead to their increased demand.

MLCCs are used in several consumer electronics, including drones, wearable electronic devices, smart TVs, camcorders, printers, computers, and laptops, among others. The growing preference for using smart electronic devices and the changing lifestyles of individuals are particularly fueling the growth of the consumer electronics market and any rise in the demand for consumer electronics would subsequently translate into an increase in the adoption of MLCCs.

MLCCs offer lower impedance and lower resistance values at higher operating frequencies. These characteristics make MLCCs ideal for use in electronic devices for noise compression. The growing demand for MLCCs from the electronics industry, particularly for use in high-specification gadgets, such as smartphones, tablets, smart TVs, and video cameras, among others, is expected to propel the growth of the MLCC market.

Beside, governments across the world are increasingly supporting digitalization, which in turn, would promote the use of electronic devices among consumers. As such, MLCC manufacturers are particularly focusing on developing the smallest MLCCs that can be used potentially in wearable devices, health & fitness accessories, smartphones, and other mobile devices. The rapidly growing IoT market is opening new opportunities for MLCCs. As such, MLCCs are being increasingly used in automated lighting & heating and industrial automation, among other connected applications. In line with this trend, manufacturers are offering MLCCs with different specifications related to power consumption, data processing speed, and costs, thereby allowing vendors of IoT solutions to choose MLCCs according to the specific IoT solutions they are designing.

The demand for MLCCs is expected to increase, particularly in developing economies, such as China and India, owing to the increasing demand for consumer electronics, including smartphones, tablets, wearables, advanced computers, and smart televisions, among others. The rising levels of disposable income and the growing internet penetration are also driving the growth of the MLCC market.

Type Insights

The general capacitor segment was valued at USD 2.71 billion in 2018. This is primarily due to the rising requirement of general capacitors in applications such as DC-DC converters, cellular telephones, gaming machines, memory modules, LCDs, and televisions. Additionally, general capacitors help remove noise from electronic circuits and their miniature sizes allow easy installation in electronics devices.

MLCC arrays use passive technology where various capacitor elements are integrated into one monolithic structure. These capacitors promote increased throughput, high-cost saving, and reduced placement costs. They are used in applications such as game consoles, LCD modules, computers, automotive, and telecommunications.

Rated Voltage Range Insights

High range (1000V & above) voltage MLCC capacitors use multi-layering technologies and advanced ceramic dielectric thin-layers to offer high capacitance and high voltage to electronic devices. They are used in applications such as lighting ballasts, high voltage coupling capacitors, switched-mode power supply devices, and inverter circuits, among others.

Mid-range (100V to 630V) voltage MLCCs offer features such as good capacitance to volume ratio, low cost, no-polarity, and low leakage, allowing their usage in a variety of electronic devices. Moreover, these capacitors offer higher mechanical strength and lower Equivalent Series Inductance (ESL)/Equivalent Series Resistance (ESR) compared to electrolytic capacitors.

Dielectric Type Insights

X7R dielectric features a maximum operating temperature and is considered temperature stable. These types of ceramic dielectric capacitors are suited for frequency discriminating circuits and bypass and decoupling applications. Also, these dielectric MLCCs are used in filtering and transient voltage suppression.

Y5V dielectric features miniature size, wide capacitance, and is available for vapor and wave solder. These dielectric capacitors are widely used in decoupling applications that require a limited temperature range. They are easy to handle, have easier inventory control, and are recyclable.

End-Use Insights

Increasing deployment of electronic devices that use multilayer ceramic capacitors in automobiles, such as powertrain, vehicle frames, and infotainment devices, is expected to emerge as a key market driver. The trend has encouraged several manufacturers to develop MLCCs specifically catering to automobile applications, covering a broad range of voltage options, case sizes, and capacitance values. MLCCs are also being increasingly adopted in electrically powered vehicles as they can withstand the high temperatures that are common to control circuits in such vehicles.

MLCCs are also being increasingly used in telecom, military, medical, and industrial equipment sectors. They are used in instruments such as military communications systems, lasers, telecom base stations, and high-frequency RF applications due to benefits such as ease in mounting on circuit boards, greater efficiency of assembly, and shorter circuit tracks with low inductance.

Regional Insights

The market in Europe is anticipated to account for a significant revenue share in the global market, this is attributed to the high presence of automotive manufacturers in the region. MLCCs are widely used in the automotive industry as these capacitors cover a wide range of working voltages, capacitance values, and case sizes. Numerous MLCC manufacturers are developing and manufacturing MLCCs for automotive applications, thereby boosting their adoption in the MLCC from the automotive industry.

Likewise, MLCCs are used in several industrial applications, such as high-frequency, high voltage, soft termination, and general-purpose applications, among others. Thus growing demand for MLCCs from the industrial sector is expected to support the Europe MLCC market growth.

Asia Pacific registered a growth of USD 3.7 billion in 2021 this is due to key manufacturing hub for electronic devices. The emergence of MLCC manufacturers from various countries such as Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and India is expected to drive regional growth in the forthcoming years.

Asia Pacific is also projected to emerge as the fastest-growing region over the forecast period, owing to increasing demand from end-use industries due to increased capacitance levels of MLCC and miniaturization of capacitors. Furthermore, the regional MLCC manufacturers are focusing on the adoption of improved technology to withstand the high competition. Growing demand for consumer electronics in developing countries such as China and India is also expected to propel the regional consumption of multilayer ceramic capacitors.

Key Companies & Market Share Insights

Eyang Holdings Group Co., Ltd.; Future Electronics Inc.; Kyocera Corporation; Samsung Electro-Mechanics; Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd.; Taiyo Yuden Co., Ltd.; TDK Corporation; Vishay Intertechnology, Inc.; Walsin Technology Corporation; and Yageo Corporation are some of the leading market players.

In September 2018, Samsung Electro-Mechanics built an MLCC plant for manufacturing electronic equipment in China. This plant was built to improve the MLCC business in China. Key players are investing in new product development, R&D activities, and product portfolio expansion to offer cost-effective and reliable MLCC products.

Multi-Layer Ceramic Capacitor Market Report Scope

Global Multi-Layer Ceramic Capacitor Market Segmentation

This report forecasts revenue growth at global, regional, and country levels and provides an analysis of the latest industry trends in each of the sub-segments from 2014 to 2025. For this study, Grand View Research has segmented the global multi-layer ceramic capacitor market report based on type, rated voltage range, dielectric type, end-use, and region:

• Type Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2014 - 2025)

  • General Capacitor

  • Array

  • Serial Construction

  • Mega Cap

  • Others

• Rated Voltage Range Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2014 - 2025)

  • Low Range (Up to 50V)

  • Mid Range (100V to 630V)

  • High Range (1000V & above)

• Dielectric Type Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2014 - 2025)

  • X7R

  • X5R

  • C0G

  • Y5V

  • Others

• End-Use Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2014 - 2025)

  • Electronics

  • Automotive

  • Industrial

  • Telecommunication

  • Data Transmission

  • Others

• Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2014 - 2025)

  • North America

    • The U.S.

    • Canada

  • Europe

    • Germany

    • The U.K.

  • Asia Pacific

    • China

    • India

    • Japan

  • Latin America

    • Brazil

  • Middle East & Africa (MEA)