Efficient power conversion is becoming harder to achieve as switching speeds rise and power devices move deeper into the kilovolt range. Designs using SiC MOSFETs in onboard chargers, resonant converters and compact high voltage supplies often depend on capacitors that can hold value, minimise loss and maintain stability under continuous stress. Murata’s new 15 nF 1.25 kV C0G MLCC targets exactly this space, offering a high voltage rating in a small 1210 package while retaining the stability and low loss behaviour that C0G materials are known for.
Why High Voltage MLCCs Are Becoming Essential
As SiC MOSFETs replace silicon in more designs, the demands placed on capacitors have shifted. Snubber and resonant circuits face sharper voltage transitions, higher peak currents and more exposure to heat. Even small variations in capacitance can influence switching behaviour, resonant frequency or circuit stability. Traditional MLCCs can drift under these conditions, especially when exposed to high electric fields. A stable C0G dielectric avoids this problem, maintaining capacitance across the full thermal envelope and reducing loss at high frequency.
Technical Characteristics That Influence Performance
The new device provides 15 nF at 1.25 kV in a 1210 footprint, which is significant given the usual trade off between volume and voltage rating. Murata’s manufacturing approach uses thin layer ceramic processing and precise stacking to increase energy density while holding the C0G behaviour intact. The dielectric supports operation from minus fifty five degrees Celsius to plus one hundred and twenty five degrees Celsius with minimal drift, making it suitable for converters that see wide temperature swings. Capacitance options from 4.7 nF to 15 nF give designers some flexibility when tuning resonant tanks or protecting switching nodes, and tolerances as tight as one percent can reduce trimming effort.
Reliability In High Stress Power Circuits
Capacitors in snubber networks must withstand repeated high voltage pulses as switching edges become faster. Devices in resonant stages often see continuous AC stress at elevated temperatures. A C0G dielectric helps mitigate heating and maintains predictable behaviour when the converter runs near its limits. The 1.25 kV rating aligns well with the blocking characteristics of common SiC MOSFETs, which typically require headroom above one point two kilovolts. For automotive onboard chargers, the compact footprint enables higher density layouts without compromising clearance and creepage strategies.
Design Applications Across Power Systems
This MLCC serves roles in EV onboard chargers, high performance consumer power supplies and other systems using modern wide bandgap devices. It fits into places where film capacitors may be too large, or where multilayer ceramic devices with different dielectrics may drift too much. For engineers moving to faster switching or higher power density, a small and stable C0G option can simplify the design of snubbers, resonant tanks and high voltage filters. The device also aligns with long term trends toward converter miniaturisation and reduced passive component footprint.
A Step Toward Higher Density Passive Components
As converters push further into kilovolt ranges, compact passive components will continue to dictate layout constraints. Murata’s release demonstrates how ceramic processing improvements can close the gap between size and stability, offering a part that keeps pace with the evolution of wide bandgap power stages. Future versions with even higher voltage ratings or larger capacitance values would likely continue this trajectory, providing engineers with more design options as SiC adoption accelerates.
Learn more and read the original announcement at www.murata.com
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