IN Brief:
- TDK has introduced 10µF, 100V X7R soft-termination MLCCs in a 3.2 × 2.5 × 2.5mm package.
- TDK says the parts provide twice the capacitance of its previous devices of the same size while retaining low-resistance termination.
- Automotive CNA6 and commercial CNC6 variants target 48V smoothing and decoupling in servers, robots, xEVs, and industrial systems.
TDK has expanded its CN series of soft-termination multilayer ceramic capacitors with 10µF, 100V X7R devices in a 3225 package measuring 3.2 × 2.5 × 2.5mm. The parts are aimed at smoothing and decoupling 48V power rails in AI servers, humanoid robots, electric vehicles, and industrial equipment.
TDK says the new devices provide twice the capacitance of its previous capacitors in the same package size. Reaching 10µF while retaining a 100V rating and X7R temperature characteristic addresses a combination of requirements that becomes harder as capacitance, voltage, and physical volume are pushed simultaneously.
Higher capacitance requires greater effective electrode area and a dielectric structure capable of storing more charge, while a higher voltage rating increases the electric-field stress that structure has to withstand. Fitting both into a fixed 3225 outline reduces the room available for conservative geometry and places greater emphasis on dielectric and electrode processing.
The CN series also uses soft termination. MLCCs are mechanically rigid, and flexing of the PCB or differential thermal expansion can transfer stress into the ceramic body. A resin-containing termination introduces compliance between the soldered board connection and capacitor structure, reducing the risk that mechanical strain develops into a crack.
Adding that resin layer can increase equivalent series resistance, which is undesirable on a power rail carrying ripple current. TDK says it has optimised the electrode structure so that CN-series terminal resistance is equivalent to its conventional termination products while retaining the mechanical benefit of the softer interface.
The new parts are offered as automotive CNA6P1X7R2A106K250AE and commercial CNC6P1X7R2A106K250AE variants. Both are specified at 10µF with ±10% capacitance tolerance, X7R temperature characteristics, and a 100VDC rating. The CNA6 version carries AEC-Q200 qualification for automotive use.
The 48V application focus explains why a nominal 48V bus requires a capacitor rated substantially above that voltage. Distribution rails have to tolerate operating variation and transient behaviour, while designers normally preserve voltage margin rather than continuously operating a ceramic capacitor near its maximum rating.
Higher-voltage distribution is becoming attractive in equipment where large amounts of power have to be moved through limited space. For a given power level, increasing the bus voltage reduces current, cutting resistive loss and allowing smaller conductors before local converters step the rail down nearer the load.
High-capacitance MLCC availability has already become part of AI infrastructure sourcing risk as processors, accelerators, memory, and high-speed interfaces increase decoupling requirements. A higher-value device can reduce the number of parallel components needed for a nominal capacitance target, although component count cannot be calculated from catalogue capacitance alone.
Class II ceramic capacitors such as X7R devices exhibit capacitance change with applied DC bias. A nominal 10µF component may therefore provide materially less effective capacitance on a powered 48V rail, depending on the device construction and operating conditions. Board designers still have to work from effective-capacitance data rather than assuming the marked value remains unchanged in circuit.
Ripple-current spectrum, converter switching frequency, layout inductance, temperature, and the surrounding mix of bulk and high-frequency capacitors also determine whether one larger MLCC can replace several smaller devices. The new component expands the available design space rather than providing a universal one-for-two substitution.
TDK says mass production begins in September 2026. Its stated ability to double capacitance in the same package while retaining soft termination and low terminal resistance gives 48V designers another option where board area, mechanical reliability, and power-rail impedance are all competing for margin.
