[Edaily Reporter JAEMIN SONG ] Kim Wi-heon, Senior Vice President and Head of the MLCC Manufacturing Technology Team at SamsungElectroMechanics, who has led the development of multilayer ceramic capacitors (MLCCs) for 26 years, received the Order of Industrial Merit for his contributions to strengthening the competitiveness of the domestic electronics and automotive components industry.

SamsungElectroMechanics announced that Executive Vice President Kim received the Order of Industrial Merit at the 21st “Electronics and IT Day” awards ceremony held on the 13th.

“Electronics and IT Day” was established in 2005 to commemorate the domestic electronics and IT industry’s exports surpassing $100 billion. It honors individuals who have contributed to the development of the electronics and IT industry and the enhancement of the nation’s standing by awarding the Order of Industrial Merit, the Industrial Medal of Honor, and commendations from the President, Prime Minister, and ministers.

After joining SamsungElectroMechanics in 2000, Executive Director Kim led the development of MLCC products, spearheading efforts to secure core technologies and achieve localization of high-value-added products for the information technology (IT) and automotive electronics sectors.

An MLCC is a component that regulates the flow of electric current within electronic devices to ensure it remains constant and stable. Hundreds to tens of thousands of these components are used in smartphones, automobiles, and artificial intelligence (AI) servers, and as devices become more high-performance, the importance of smaller, higher-capacity products is growing.

In 2009, Executive Director Kim developed the world’s first MLCC measuring 0.6 mm wide by 0.3 mm tall with a capacitance of 1 microfarad (μF). In 2011, he unveiled the world’s first product of the same size with a capacitance increased to 2.2 μF.

This laid the groundwork for reliably controlling higher power levels while reducing component size within the limited internal space of smartphones. Building on this small-size, high-capacity technology, SamsungElectroMechanics has responded to the trend toward higher performance and thinner designs in smartphones and enhanced its competitiveness in high-value-added MLCCs for the IT sector.

Executive Vice President Kim extended his experience in developing MLCCs for IT applications to the automotive electronics sector. As the demand for components with high durability and reliability grew due to the increasing electrification of automobiles, he led the development of related materials and process technologies, and in 2022 and 2023, he developed the industry’s first high-capacity MLCCs for automotive electronics.

Since 2024, he has served as the head of the MLCC Manufacturing Technology Team in the Components Business Division, leading the development of products for AI servers. As the number of MLCCs required per server and the performance demands increase due to the growing adoption of high-performance semiconductors, he is expanding the business scope by developing and supplying high-value-added products to global semiconductor companies.

Executive Director Kim stated, “We will take the lead in strengthening the competitiveness of the domestic electronic components industry by proactively developing high-value-added MLCC technologies and products that will drive the growth of future industries such as AI and automotive electronics.”