How the AI Boom Is Reshaping MLCC Supply and Samsung’s Pricing Power

The AI infrastructure boom is changing which multilayer ceramic capacitors (MLCCs) manufacturers prioritize. These components are used across electronic devices, including AI servers, but suppliers are directing more production toward higher-value server applications. That shift can tighten availability of mainstream parts even when demand from smartphones, PCs and other traditional electronics is weak.310

Why mainstream MLCCs are getting tighter

TrendForce says Japanese and Korean manufacturers have been reallocating production from consumer-grade X5R MLCCs toward higher-end X6S and X7R components used in AI applications.3 The logic resembles the prioritization of high-bandwidth memory: when AI products command production resources, less capacity is available for conventional products. It is a shift in supply mix, not evidence of a broad consumer-electronics rebound.310

Order books show the pressure. By late June 2026, TrendForce reported book-to-bill ratios of 1.30 for Murata, 1.31 for Samsung Electro-Mechanics and 1.25 for Taiyo Yuden. A ratio above 1 means new orders are running ahead of billings; it does not mean the same percentage of capacity is unavailable.12

What Murata’s withdrawals do—and do not—mean

Murata has notified customers of plans to discontinue selected part numbers across nine MLCC series, affecting general-purpose consumer and industrial products as well as some automotive parts. It is not withdrawing every part in those series. Reports put the final-order deadline in March 2028 and final shipments in March 2029, making this a gradual transition rather than an immediate supply cutoff.810

Murata’s reported portfolio review should also be distinguished from the industry’s interpretation that AI demand is driving capacity decisions. The available evidence does not establish that AI was Murata’s explicitly stated reason for every discontinuation.810 Because customers have time to qualify alternatives—and Samsung is also prioritizing higher-end products—Murata’s move should not be treated as an immediate, measurable windfall of replacement orders for Samsung.38

Where Samsung’s pricing power shows up

TrendForce projected average fourth-quarter 2026 increases of 25–30% for mainstream X5R products supplied to OEM and ODM customers and 10–20% for higher-end X6S products used in AI servers. Those are estimates, not proof that every buyer will pay the quoted increase; final prices depend on negotiations.2

Forward contracts provide another signal. Samsung disclosed three MLCC supply agreements in 2026 worth a combined 1.8213 trillion won, with deliveries beginning in 2027.2 The largest, announced September 1, is a 1.0722 trillion won agreement to supply an undisclosed global technology customer with AI-server MLCCs throughout 2027. TrendForce identifies it as Samsung’s largest single MLCC long-term supply agreement.6 The agreements show customers securing future supply, though the disclosed contracts alone do not establish how widely the market has moved from buying as needed to annual commitments.26

The near-term case for stronger Samsung pricing is therefore tighter supply across product grades, orders outpacing billings and substantial forward commitments—not an assumption that Murata’s customers will switch suppliers at once. Whether the projected price increases hold will become clearer as fourth-quarter customer negotiations conclude.2312