What Is a Ceramic Capacitor (MLCC)?
A ceramic capacitor (MLCC – Multilayer Ceramic Capacitor) is the most common and cheapest capacitor type in electronics, using ceramic as the dielectric. It's small, non-polarized and good at high frequency.
What Is an MLCC?
It's made by stacking thin ceramic and metal layers; this structure gives a reasonable capacitance in a small size. It's the most common component on a circuit board.
Class 1 vs Class 2 Difference
| Class | Example | Property |
|---|---|---|
| Class 1 | C0G / NP0 | Very stable, low capacitance |
| Class 2 | X7R / X5R | High capacitance, medium stability |
| Class 2 (weak) | Y5V / Z5U | Very high capacitance, unstable |
Advantages
Cheap, small, low ESR, good at high frequency and non-polarized. That's why it's the standard for decoupling at a chip's supply pin.
DC Bias Effect (Disadvantage)
In Class 2 ceramics, as voltage is applied the real capacitance drops markedly (DC bias). So in critical spots a value above the nominal is chosen.
Where Is It Used?
Its most common job is decoupling and noise suppression at chip supply pins. It's also used in high-frequency filtering, signal coupling and timing circuits. Thanks to its small size, hundreds can sit on a single board; that's why it's the most-produced component in electronics.
Common Mistakes
- Using Y5V where precision matters: its capacitance changes a lot with temperature and voltage.
- Ignoring DC bias: the label value and the working value can differ.
- Mechanical stress: an MLCC is brittle; board flexing can crack it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is better, C0G or X7R?+
Does a ceramic capacitor have polarity?+
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