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

South China Morning Post - Jun 15, 2026

Often dubbed “the rice of the electronics industry”, multilayer ceramic capacitors (MLCCs) are the smallest yet indispensable components powering modern innovations from smartphones to electric vehicles (EVs). These tiny capacitors are currently under the spotlight because the insatiable computing needs of artificial intelligence (AI) have caused an explosion in demand, a surge described as “scary” by Katsuya Sase, CEO of Japanese MLCC maker Taiyo Yuden. Here is what you need to know about what...

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