Samsung Electro-Mechanics executive wins industry award for MLCC localization

Samsung Electro-Mechanics announced Tuesday that Kim Wi-heon, head of its MLCC (multilayer ceramic capacitor) manufacturing technology team and a senior vice president, received an industry merit award at the 21st Electronics and IT Day ceremony.

Kim joined the company in 2000 and has spent the past 26 years leading the development of core MLCC products and foundational technologies. The award recognizes his contributions to localizing high-value MLCCs for IT and automotive applications and enhancing the company's global competitiveness.

Electronics and IT Day was established in 2005 to mark the electronics and IT industry surpassing $100 billion in exports. The annual ceremony presents industry orders, merit awards, and presidential, prime ministerial and ministerial commendations to individuals who have contributed to the advancement of the electronics and IT sector and elevated South Korea's global standing.

Kim is widely credited with significantly strengthening the technological competitiveness of South Korea's electronic components industry. In 2009, he led the world's first development of a 1㎌ (microfarad) MLCC in the 0603 form factor, measuring 0.6 millimeters by 0.3 millimeters.

In 2011, he achieved another world first by developing a 2.2㎌ MLCC in the same size, pioneering high-capacity, compact MLCC technology. That work secured key component technologies to support performance improvements and slimmer smartphone designs, and helped South Korean firms strengthen their competitive position in high-value IT MLCCs.

Drawing on that IT MLCC experience, Kim led the development of core materials and process technology for automotive applications, producing the industry's first high-capacity automotive MLCCs in both 2022 and 2023.

Since 2024, as head of the MLCC manufacturing technology team within the components division, he has been driving the development of MLCCs for AI servers. His team has developed and supplied high-value MLCCs to global semiconductor companies in response to demand for high-performance, high-reliability components in the AI server market, contributing to the expansion of Samsung Electro-Mechanics' AI server MLCC business and its technological competitiveness.

On the strength of that technology, Samsung Electro-Mechanics now holds a global market share of more than 40 percent in AI server MLCCs. Long-term supply agreements with global big-tech companies have continued, and this year the company has signed contracts totaling 3.9 trillion won ($2.91 billion) across silicon capacitors, AI server MLCCs and inductors.

"We will take the lead in strengthening the competitiveness of South Korea's electronic components industry by proactively developing high-value MLCC technologies and products that will drive growth in future industries such as AI and automotive," Kim said.