In the multilayer ceramic capacitor (MLCC) market, delivery times for different specifications are becoming increasingly differentiated. Delivery times for general-purpose products are relatively stable, while delivery times for high-capacity, high-specification products used in artificial intelligence (AI) servers are significantly longer.

Delivery time for standard packaged MLCCs

According to TTI's delivery trend chart, as of August, delivery times for standard packaged MLCCs mostly remained around 14-18 weeks (approximately 3.5-4.5 months). Delivery times for high-capacity, high-voltage products were approximately 15-20 weeks (approximately 4-5 months). 

Avnet Abacus's August 2026 delivery guidance report also indicated that delivery times for multilayer surface mount (SMO) capacitors, high-capacity capacitors, and automotive-grade capacitors would exceed 8-20 weeks (approximately 2-5 months), predicting a stable market outlook.

However, the situation is different for high-specification products. ComponentNews listed the server multilayer ceramic capacitor (MLCC) market as a critical phase and predicted that delivery cycles for Murata Manufacturing and Samsung Electro-Mechanics (SEM) would continue to exceed 20 weeks (approximately 5 months) until the second half of this year. 

DigiKey's delivery trend data shows significant differences among suppliers of high-capacity product lines, with average delivery cycles for some Samsung Electro-Mechanics products reaching as high as 40 weeks. As of July, Murata Manufacturing's high-volume products (over 1 microfarad) had a lead time of 30 weeks, up from 24 weeks in June. Some distribution channels even reported lead times as long as 36 weeks.

The main cause

The primary cause of this polarization is the surge in demand for AI servers and data centers. AI servers, used for decoupling and filtering in the power chain, require 5 to 13 times more high-capacity, compact, and high-reliability MLCCs than standard servers.

Leadership cycles for high-specification products are expected to continue for the foreseeable future, typically five to ten months or even longer. Unlike the past, when passive component lead times could be flexibly adjusted according to the economic cycle, this significant supply-demand gap is not a temporary boom, but rather a manifestation of a fundamental restructuring of the demand structure centered on AI.

With new capacity expansion plans postponed from Q4 2026 to 2027, the supply-demand imbalance is unlikely to be resolved in the short term. Major manufacturers are raising prices while also increasing the signing of long-term supply contracts.

Leadership cycles exceeding five months, approaching a year, indicate that manufacturers are unlikely to increase supply in the short term. Simultaneously, this also suggests that manufacturers' pricing power is increasing, and profitability enhancement plans centered on high-value-added products are progressing steadily.

An industry insider explained, "Given the unique nature of the passive components industry, setting up a new production line takes one to two years. Therefore, the current long delivery cycles strongly indicate that the supply-demand imbalance is unlikely to be resolved in the short term. For purchasing managers at various companies, ensuring spare parts inventory and reviewing long-term contracts are not options, but necessities."

Source: Compiled from etnews

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