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The ‘rice of electronics’: how AI-driven demand for MLCCs triggered a supply bottleneck

Power-hungry data centres fuel demand for MLCCs, which are crucial components for modern innovations including smartphones and electric cars

Here is what you need to know about what Goldman Sachs calls the “largest and longest” cycle in MLCC history.

The massive build-out of power-hungry data centres to meet the computing needs of AI is the key driver of this cycle. Servers dedicated to AI training and inference require substantially more ultra-high-capacitance MLCCs to accommodate the sharp increase in power consumption. An AI server needs up to 28,000 MLCCs per unit, a 13-fold increase from a standard set-up, according to China Securities.

An EV with Level 2+ autonomous driving capabilities uses more than 10,000 MLCC units, according to Murata Manufacturing, the world’s largest MLCC maker. In comparison, around 800 to 1,000 MLCCs are needed in each smartphone.