Case 1320 ยท Public preview
A Termination Crack Can Become an Electrical Breakdown Path Inside an MLCC
Two multilayer ceramic capacitors were low-resistance shorts and exhibited visible damage near their terminations.
Resistance testingOptical microscopySEMTargeted microsectioningFailure-site comparison
What the evidence preview establishes
Pre-existing termination fractures intersected the internal electrode stack. Electrical breakdown followed the cracks between capacitor plates, melted local ceramic and metallization, and produced permanent shorts.
Why this case matters
A shorted MLCC may contain a mechanical crack before electrical damage begins. Preserve board orientation, correlate exterior markings with targeted sections, and separate the crack-creation event from the later breakdown that makes the failure electrically obvious.
Full evidence reserved for MEMBER and STOREThe complete case includes the evidence sequence, four interpreted figures, alternative explanations, limitations, and practical application guidance.