The global stacked ceramic capacitor (MLCC) market is experiencing a new round of price increase wave. South Korean Samsung Electro-Mechanics and Japanese Taiyo Yuden have successively announced price hikes for MLCC products.

Leaders in Japan and South Korea successively raise prices

Samsung Electro-Mechanics has issued a formal notice to customers. Due to the continuous rise in global electronic industry demand and supply chain pressure exceeding the absorbable range, it will comprehensively raise the prices of all its MLCC products starting from August 1st. The increase rate is as high as 30%, covering all products under the Samsung Electro-Mechanics Markup Business Code.

At the same time, Japanese MLCC giant Taiyo Yuden announced that it will raise the price of MLCC again starting from September 1st. Although the specific increase rate was not disclosed, it clearly emphasized that the current supply is extremely tight, and even after the price increase, the delivery time still cannot guarantee to meet the requirements of customers.

AI computing power demand drives price increase

The fundamental driving force of this round of price increase comes from the explosive growth of AI server demand. According to industry data, the number of MLCC used in a typical AI server is about 8 to 10 times that of traditional servers. The single machine MLCC usage of NVIDIA's new computing power cabinets is even as high as 440,000 to 600,000 chips. High-end MLCC needs to meet strict technical indicators such as high capacity, high temperature resistance, and miniaturization. Currently, nearly 80% of the high-end production capacity in the world is concentrated in Japanese and South Korean manufacturers such as Murata, Samsung Electro-Mechanics, and Taiyo Yuden. The expansion cycle of production capacity is as long as 12 to 18 months, and it is difficult to respond quickly to the increase in demand in the short term.

Capacity full load and cost pressure

Currently, the capacity utilization rate of the high-end production lines of global MLCC leading manufacturers has generally reached 90% to 95%. The delivery time of some AI-specific high-capacity models has exceeded 20 weeks. At the same time, the prices of gold and silver raw materials continue to rise, further compressing the profit margins of manufacturers. Industry insiders pointed out that the MLCC market is experiencing the most severe supply shortage since 2021. The price increase of high-end products has reached 15% to 35%, and the spot price of some scarce models has even doubled.

CONEVO IC components Supplier

As MLCC, passive components, and other IC components are experiencing price increases, specialized component suppliers are particularly crucial. Conevo, as an independent distributor of electronic chips, provides global EMS and OEM customers with spot supply of popular components such as MLCC, FPGA, and MCU, as well as one-stop BOM ordering services, to quickly respond and offer alternative solutions, thereby helping customers mitigate the risk of component shortages. Conevo's selected chips are as follows:

● 5PB1104CMGI8 - Renesas high-performance 1:4 clock buffer, 200 MHz LVCMOS, 1.8V - 3.3V wide voltage range, DFN-8 package.

● BSS84AKS,115 - Nexperia dual P-channel Trench MOSFET, 50V/160mA, SOT-363 package, logic level compatible and AEC-Q101 automotive-grade certified.

● VNS14NV04PTR-E - ST OMNIFET II high-side power switch, 36V/12A, 35mΩ low on-resistance, 8-SOIC package, integrated overcurrent and overtemperature protection.

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