A comprehensive analysis of the electrical characteristics, temperature stability, and application scenarios of common MLCC chip capacitor materials (X5R, X7R, Y5V, Z5U, and C0G/NP0) helps engineers quickly select capacitors.
Introduction
When selecting multilayer ceramic capacitors (MLCCs), common dielectric codes include X5R, X7R, Y5V, Z5U, and C0G/NP0. These codes are defined by the EIA (Electronic Industries Alliance) and mainly indicate how the capacitance changes with temperature. Because of different ceramic dielectric materials, their performance varies significantly under different temperature conditions.
C0G (NP0) — Ultra-Stable Type
Features: C0G (EIA code), also known as NP0 (industry term), offers less than 0.3% capacitance drift and is almost unaffected by temperature changes. It is ideal for 5G base stations, medical instruments, and RF modules where precision and signal integrity are critical. Typical capacitance values are in the nF range, with low capacity but excellent stability.
X7R — Industrial & Consumer Electronics Standard
Features: X7R is a temperature-stable capacitor with capacitance variation of ±15% between -55℃ and +125℃. It can achieve μF-level capacitance at a reasonable cost, making it widely used in industrial controllers, inverters, power management circuits, automotive ECUs, and LED drivers.
Z5U — Compact & Low-Cost Filtering Type
Features: Z5U can fit into very small packages such as 0603, offering low cost but with significant capacitance variation (-10% to +22%). It is often found in smartwatches, TWS earbuds, and LED drivers where space and cost are critical. However, capacitance may degrade significantly above 85℃.
Y5V — High-Capacitance & Cost-Effective Alternative
Features: Y5V capacitors provide up to three times the capacitance of X7R in the same package but suffer from poor stability (-22% to +82%). They are often used in chargers, adapters, toys, and small appliances where precision is not critical but large capacitance at low cost is needed. However, capacitance decreases significantly at low or high temperatures.
Conclusion
C0G/NP0: Ultra-stable, ideal for precision circuits, but low capacitance.
X7R: High capacitance with moderate stability, widely used.
Z5U: Compact and low-cost, good for filtering but poor thermal performance.
Y5V: Very high capacitance and cost-effective, suitable for low-precision bulk storage.
MLCC Chip Capacitors, X5R, X7R, Y5V, Z5U, C0G/NP0, Capacitor Temperature Characteristics, Electronic Component Selection
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