TAIYO YUDEN's WK series of multiplayer ceramic capacitors (MLCCs) employs “reverse-geometry” terminations and other design improvements to provide high performance relative to device size. WK series maximum capacitance values are, respectively, 0.47 µF, 4.7 µF and 10 µF in the 0402, 0603 and 0805 case sizes. These ratings represent an almost two-fold performance improvement over previous company devices of equal size. The new WK series includes the low-ESL devices (now in 0402) and the high-capacitance values for both 0603 and 0805. Available voltage ratings are 4 V (0402; 0603), 6.3 V (0603; 0805) and 16 V (0805).

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These low equivalent series inductance (ESL) reverse-geometry MLCCs are so named because their length-to-width ratio has been reversed. Forming the electrodes on the long dimension of the device, instead of end-wise, widens and shortens the current path between terminations, thus reducing inductance and resistance--a particularly desirable attribute for decoupling circuits.

Today’s high-clock-speed CPUs are boosting demand for lower ESL values in the decoupling capacitors used to help stabilize system operation. Achieving low ESL used to require using many capacitors in parallel, resulting in circuit layout constraints and higher costs. This series greatly reduces the number of required capacitors and facilitates the design of lower-cost decoupling circuits.

Available now in production quantities, samples of the WK series are priced at $0.15 for the 0402 package, $0.20 for the 0603 package and $0.30 for the 0805 package.