Ceramic Capacitor Selection Guide for Electronic Design

Ceramic capacitors are the most common capacitors in modern electronics. They are small, inexpensive, and available in many capacitance and voltage combinations.

Dielectric Classes

Class 1 dielectrics such as C0G/NP0 are stable and low-loss. Class 2 dielectrics such as X7R and X5R offer higher capacitance but change with voltage and temperature. Use the right class for the application.

Key Ratings

• Capacitance and tolerance
• Rated DC voltage
• Dielectric class
• Package size, for example 0402, 0603, 0805
• DC bias derating for X5R/X7R
• Operating temperature range

Sourcing

Ceramic capacitors are commodity parts, but supply and quality vary. Check stock and MOQ with verified suppliers on ICLinkWorld before committing to a BOM.