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Small case sizes are where the gap between a catalogue entry and a design decision is widest, because almost every parameter that matters for a 0201 part is condition-dependent. This worked example uses a part that exists in our catalogue and shows which fields in the record carry real information.
The part. Walsin Technology 0201B103K250CT, filed under <a href=”/product-category/capacitors-ceramiccapacitors/”>Ceramic Capacitors</a>:
Walsin 0201B103K250CT — product detail
Reading the attributes that the record does publish. The product page carries the distributor’s attribute table for this part number, which is where the first pass belongs. The attributes that matter for a decoupling or filtering decision are the capacitance, the tolerance, the rated voltage, the temperature characteristic code, the operating temperature range, and the case size and thickness. Each is a specific value for this part number, and each is also attached to a test condition that the table may not repeat.
Why the characteristic code matters more than the nominal value. The dielectric code determines how much capacitance the part will actually present in circuit. A Class 1 dielectric holds its value across temperature and bias; a Class 2 dielectric does not, and its published capacitance is measured at a small signal and a reference condition. For a 0201 body the voltage coefficient is at its most severe, because the same nominal capacitance is packed into the smallest volume. The mitigation is the same as for any Class 2 part: check the bias curve, and if the effective capacitance is marginal, move up a case size or a voltage rating rather than accepting the nominal value.
Thickness is a manufacturing constraint, not a footnote. 0201 parts are specified with a maximum thickness, and the land pattern, the stencil and the placement tolerances all depend on it. When second-sourcing a 0201 capacitor, matching the case code is not sufficient; a thicker body can interfere with an adjacent component or exceed what the assembly process was qualified for.
Lifecycle status is published and is worth reading. The attribute table for this part number includes a part status field. It is the single most useful field for a new design, because it decides whether you are specifying a part that will still be orderable when the product ships. A record can also legitimately be incomplete — a missing datasheet link or an empty package field is a gap to close with the manufacturer, not a value to infer.
A workable routine for tiny passives. Confirm the part number and its status, read the attribute table for the values, then get the datasheet for the curves. Do not size a 0201 part from its nominal capacitance alone, and do not assume two 0201 capacitors are interchangeable because the case code matches.
The parameter statements here describe general ceramic capacitor behaviour. They are design guidance, not a specification for this part number. Confirm capacitance, tolerance, voltage coefficient, temperature characteristic, thickness and lifecycle status against the datasheet and the manufacturer’s application notes for the exact part.
Comparing small-case ceramics?
Send the candidate part numbers and quantities through our RFQ form, or contact us, and we will confirm availability and lead time. The ceramic capacitor listing holds the case sizes and voltage ratings we carry.
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