1. Overview

Ceramic capacitors are fixed-value capacitors with ceramic materials as dielectrics. They consist of alternating layers of ceramic and metal electrodes, offering compact size, low cost, and stable performance. As core passive components, they are critical in modern electronics for functions like noise filtering, signal coupling, and power supply stabilization. Their importance spans from consumer electronics to aerospace systems due to their reliability and wide operating frequency range.

2. Main Types and Functional Classification

3. Structure and Composition

Ceramic capacitors feature a layered structure with three primary components:

• Ceramic Dielectric: Barium titanate (BaTiO3) or calcium zirconate formulations for Class II/III types
• Electrodes: Nickel, copper, or silver-palladium alloys in alternating layers
• Terminations: Solderable outer layers (e.g., tin/nickel plating) for PCB mounting

MLCCs are manufactured through tape casting, screen printing, and sintering processes to create monolithic structures with up to 1000+ electrode layers.

4. Key Technical Specifications

5. Application Fields

Ceramic capacitors are deployed in:

• Consumer Electronics: Smartphones (decoupling), laptops (power management)
• Automotive Systems: ECU units (noise suppression), EV charging circuits
• Industrial Equipment: Motor drives (snubber circuits), PLC controllers
• Telecommunications: 5G base stations (RF filtering), optical transceivers
• Medical Devices: MRI scanners (high-voltage isolation), pacemakers

6. Leading Manufacturers and Products

7. Selection Guidelines

Key considerations for capacitor selection:

• Operating voltage margin (>20% above rated voltage)
• Temperature stability requirements (Class I for precision circuits)
• Size constraints (MLCCs preferred for miniaturization)
• Environmental factors (humidity, vibration, thermal cycling)
• Cost optimization (Class II for cost-sensitive applications)

Example: For a 5G RF front-end module, select Class I capacitors with 0.1pF tolerance and 50 impedance matching characteristics.

8. Industry Trends

Emerging developments include:

• Miniaturization: Development of 01005-inch MLCCs for wearable devices
• High Capacitance Density: 100 F+ in 1210 package through nano-dielectric engineering
• Advanced Materials: Lead-free ceramics meeting RoHS standards
• High-Temperature Performance: Capacitors operating reliably at 200 C+
• Integrated Solutions: Embedded capacitor substrates for SiP (System-in-Package) applications