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AI Demand for High-End MLCCs Drives Japan and Korea Suppliers’ Book-to-Bill Ratios to Post-Pandemic Highs, Raising Shortage Risks in 2H26, Says TrendForce

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INTC Intel is prioritizing CPU production for AI applications, which has led to reduced supply for conventional PCs and forced ODMs to procure components through urgent spot orders, driving up material costs. AMD AMD is prioritizing CPU production for AI applications, leading to reduced supply for conventional PCs and increased demand for urgent spot orders for components, thus driving up material costs. GOOGL Google's custom AI accelerator platforms (TPU) are driving surging demand for high-capacitance, low-voltage, and miniature MLCCs. New AI platforms entering mass production in Q3 will further increase demand. AMZN Amazon's custom AI accelerator platforms (AWS Trainium) are driving surging demand for high-capacitance, low-voltage, and miniature MLCCs. Increased AI server upgrades will boost demand. META Meta's custom AI accelerator platforms (MTIA) are driving surging demand for high-capacitance, low-voltage, and miniature MLCCs. Continued volume growth of these ASICs will boost demand. AAPL Apple's supply chain has started inventory preparation earlier than usual due to concerns over potential MLCC supply shortages in the second half of the year. NVDA NVIDIA's new AI platforms entering mass production in Q3 will significantly increase demand for high-end MLCCs, extending lead times and driving price increases.

AI Demand for High-End MLCCs Drives Japan and Korea Suppliers’ Book-to-Bill Ratios to Post-Pandemic Highs, Raising Shortage Risks in 2H26, Says TrendForce TAIPEI, Taiwan, July 06, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- TrendForce’s latest MLCC industry research indicates that accelerating AI server platform upgrades and the continued volume growth of custom ASICs developed by CSPs have significantly boosted demand for high-end MLCCs.

By late June 2026, the book-to-bill (BB) ratios of the three leading Japanese and Korean suppliers—Murata, Samsung Electro-Mechanics (SEMCO), and Taiyo Yuden—had risen to 1.30, 1.31, and 1.25, respectively, marking their highest levels since the COVID-19 pandemic. The MLCC industry’s overall BB ratio also climbed to 1.04.

Notably, Murata’s financial results for the first quarter of 2026 showed its orders-to-backlog ratio reaching 1.27, surpassing the previous peak of 1.25 recorded at the onset of the industry’s most severe MLCC shortage in 2018. This indicates that order backlogs are accumulating rapidly, pointing to an elevated risk of supply shortages.

TrendForce notes that MLCC demand remains highly polarized. In the U.S., the Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose 4.2% YoY in May, with persistently high interest rates continuing to dampen consumer purchasing power and weighing on demand for smartphones and notebooks.

Meanwhile, Intel and AMD have prioritized CPU production for AI applications and reduced supply for conventional PCs. This has forced ODMs to procure components through urgent spot orders, which has further driven up material costs. In contrast, demand for high-capacitance, low-voltage, and miniature MLCCs continues to surge, supported by the volume ramp of custom AI accelerator platforms such as Google TPU, AWS Trainium, and Meta MTIA.

On the supply side, the crowding-out effect from AI-oriented high-end MLCC production has begun spilling over into both the automotive and consumer markets. Apple’s supply chain started inventory preparation one to two months earlier than usual. At the same time, automotive ODMs advanced procurement from July to May, reflecting growing concerns over potential supply shortages in the second half of the year.

In China, distributors began raising prices for mainstream X5R consumer-grade MLCCs in June, with average increases ranging from 15% to 25%, further fueling market concerns. As Japanese and Korean manufacturers continue to prioritize high-end AI-related MLCC orders, TrendForce expects Taiwanese and Chinese suppliers, including Yageo, Walsin Technology, and Viiyong, to benefit from spillover demand for medium- to high-capacitance consumer-grade X5R MLCCs in the third quarter.

Looking ahead to the second half of 2026, TrendForce expects capacity utilization to remain heavily occupied by AI-related orders as new AI platforms from NVIDIA, Google, and AMD enter mass production during the third quarter. Combined with customers’ early inventory-building efforts, this is likely to extend lead times and drive further price increases for high-end MLCCs. The fourth quarter is therefore expected to be the critical period for determining whether the high-end MLCC market transitions into a full-fledged supply shortage.

For more information on TrendForce’s semiconductor reports and market data, please visit the Report Page, or Email (SR_MI@trendforce.com) the Sales Department.

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About TrendForce

TrendForce is a global leader in technology industry analysis and consulting services. With deep expertise spanning foundry, DRAM, HBM, NAND Flash, AI servers, robotics, near-eye displays, display panels, LEDs, MLCC, and green energy, it also offers in-depth research into key market drivers such as AI, automotive technologies, 5G/6G communications, LEO satellites, and the IoT.

Backed by a team of top industry professionals, TrendForce has been at the forefront of global market research for over 25 years. More than 60% of its clients are among the world’s top 500 companies. TrendForce’s global footprint includes Taipei, Shenzhen, Silicon Valley, New York, and Tokyo. With timely and strategic industry analysis, TrendForce delivers the critical information that empowers businesses to make smarter, faster decisions.