Small high-capacitance three-terminal MLCCs target automotive uses

Murata Electronics today announced the availability of two new multilayer ceramic capacitors (MLCCs) for automotive safety-critical applications. The 0402-inch size (1.0×0.5mm) NFM15HC105D0G3D is the world’s smallest three-terminal low parasitic inductance (ESL) MLCC. The NFM18HC106D0G3L is also a three-terminal low-ESL MLCC but delivers the world’s highest capacitance of 10µF in a 0603 (1.6×0.8mm) package.

The NFM15HC105D0G3D is approximately 60 percent smaller than conventional solutions with the same capacitance. The NFM18HC106D0G3L features a capacitance 10 times higher than that of similarly-sized products. These advancements are achieved by coupling Murata’s proprietary thin-layer and high-precision lamination technologies with fine-particle and homogenization technology for ceramic and electrode materials. Compared with traditional MLCCs, the three-terminal structure and resulting low ESL allows automotive engineers to reduce the number of capacitors needed to realize their design goals. The reduced capacitor count not only increases overall system reliability but reduces size and assembly complexity.

The emergence of automotive technologies, such as advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and autonomous driving, has led to an increased number of microprocessors used in each vehicle. To ensure that these components work correctly, more and more MLCCs are being integrated. At the same time, there is also increased demand for automotive-grade capacitors that combine higher capacitance, a smaller footprint, and improved high-frequency characteristics with low ESL. Murata’s new solutions enable automakers to save valuable space and reduce the parts count while increasing reliability.