Can't Find a PlayStation 4? Blame It On a Part Barely Bigger Than a Speck

A proliferation of smart devices, factory automation robots and more sophisticated cars has lifted demand for the MLCC. A typical gasoline-powered car may require only a few thousand, but an electric car might need 10,000, say industry experts. "The industry is going through tightness it has never seen before," says SMBC Nikko Securities analyst Ryosuke Katsura. He says electronics makers accustomed to getting the part right away now have to wait six months. Only a handful of makers, mostly Asian, produce the component.