Tantalum Capacitors Market Size

Tantalum Capacitors Market Analysis

The Tantalum Capacitors Market size is estimated at USD 3.81 billion in 2024, and is expected to reach USD 4.69 billion by 2029, growing at a CAGR of 4.30% during the forecast period (2024-2029).

• Tantalum capacitors include a conductive cathode surrounding a layer of oxide that serves as a dielectric and acts as an anode for the tantalum metal. The use of tantalum enables a very thin dielectric layer. This results in a higher capacitance value per volume, superior frequency characteristics compared to multiple other types of capacitors, and excellent stability over time.
• However, the downside of using these tantalum capacitors is their unfavorable failure mode, which may lead to thermal runaway, fires, and small explosions. However, external failsafe devices like thermal fuses or current limiters can prevent this from happening. Technological advancements have enabled these tantalum capacitors to be used in various circuits found in laptops, automobiles, and cell phones, among others, most often in the form of surface-mounted devices. These surface-mount tantalum capacitors also require less space on the PCBs and allow for greater packing densities.
• These tantalum capacitors have also been made available in military-specified versions that offer tighter tolerances and a more comprehensive operating temperature range. These have become a popular replacement for aluminum electrolytics in military applications as they do not tend to dry out and change capacitance over a period of time. Medical electronic technologies also rely on these owing to their higher stability. Also, audio amplifiers sometimes use these tantalum capacitors where stability is a critical factor.
• Similarly, the demand for tantalum capacitors in harsh environments is expected to increase the bargaining power of the suppliers as there are more product innovations. For instance, in May 2022, Exxelia announced the launch of MIL-PRF-39006/25 and MIL-PRF-39006/22 tantalum capacitors with support for reliability level R. The capacitors meet standards set by the US Department of Defense and are designed to operate in the harshest environmental conditions, with temperatures ranging from -55°C to +125°C.
• Additionally, in May 2022, Vishay also introduced wet tantalum capacitors with the highest capacitance per voltage rating for military and avionics applications. The capacitors are made available as an option in the B and C case codes and are built on SuperTan technology to feature a capacitance from 3,600 F to 72,000 F in the C case code and 2,700 F to 48,000 F in the B case code. Therefore, such innovations are driving adoption growth for tantalum capacitors in military sectors.
• Moreover, as 5G is rapidly growing, the need for tantalum capacitor increases. The replacement of solid capacitors with wet tantalum capacitors is likely to present an opportunity soon. In military applications, they are a popular replacement for aluminum electrolytes as they do not tend to dry out and change capacitance over time.
• On the other side, tantalum capacitors have several challenges, including their high cost compared to aluminum electrolytic capacitors, being inherently polarized and vulnerable to reverse voltage, and the potential for failure due to transient voltage, surge, peak, or pulse currents. Current surges or leakage current can also harm solid tantalum electrolytic capacitors. However, tantalum capacitors also offer advantages such as high capacitance per volume and lower weight due to their very thin and high permittivity dielectric layer.
• There were several COVID-19-related applications of tantalum capacitors, as mentioned in various reports. For example, a report by Medical Design Briefs mentioned using tantalum capacitors in medical devices that were essential for the life support monitoring of COVID-19 patients. Another report by TTI, Inc. suggested that in many applications, tantalum capacitors could be used instead of multilayer ceramic capacitors (MLCCs), which faced supply chain disruptions and fallout due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In the post-pandemic scenario, there was an increase in the use of tantalum capacitors as the situation became more normalized.