Bottlenecks keep constraining the AI buildout According to ETNews, some Samsung Electro-Mechanics high-capacitance MLCCs are seeing average lead times of around 40 weeks, while Murata products of 1 microfarad or more reached 30 weeks in July, up from 24 weeks in June, with some distribution channels quoting up to 36 weeks AI servers can require five to 13 times as many high-capacitance, compact, and high-reliability MLCCs as conventional servers. Some capacity expansions previously expected in Q4 2026 have also been pushed into 2027, limiting near-term supply relief The extended lead times are not representative of the broader MLCC market Avnet Abacus' August 2026 guide puts multilayer ceramic capacitors and high-CV multilayer types at 8 to more than 20 weeks, with both categories marked stable. Automotive ceramic capacitors are in a similar range The contrast points to a two-speed market. Mainstream ceramic capacitors remain relatively stable, while specialized products tied to AI server power architectures are facing much longer waits This suggests AI infrastructure bottlenecks are spreading beyond processors and memory into less visible parts of the server supply chain. Longer lead times and growing use of long-term supply agreements also show customers are trying to secure specialized passive components before additional capacity comes online