Passive components for Malta from Hong Kong start with a decoupling ladder, not a catalogue. We counted every 0402 X7R and X5R part at 100 nF, 1 uF, 4.7 uF and 10 uF in the Walsin export: 74 part numbers. Only 3 are X7R above 100 nF, all at 1 uF and 6.3 V. We hold 11 of the 74 in Hong Kong stock.
Venatech Limited, an authorised Walsin distributor in Hong Kong, holds the Walsin Technology (Walsin) parametric export of 24,026 MLCC rows (23,601 distinct part numbers) and a dated Hong Kong stock list. This post is for a buyer in Malta who writes small-case decoupling onto every board, whether it is a test fixture, an avionics module or an industrial controller. Every part number below is real and every count is ours. Where the post states a news item, it names the source, the date of the document and the day we fetched it.
What is the ST Kirkop expansion, and why does it matter to a Malta passives buyer?
It is the largest single electronics signal in Malta this year, and it sets the tone for small-case passives demand. Malta Invest reported on 22 May 2026 that STMicroelectronics (ST) took over the KK3 facility in Hal Kirkop as part of a 250 million euro project, Malta’s largest foreign direct investment, running over 18 months. The facility is described as having advanced production spaces and cleanroom infrastructure.
The same report says the site makes components and microchips for international markets, including products used in satellites and aircraft. It gives no jobs figure. An older MaltaToday report, dated 14 May 2024, put ST’s Malta workforce at 1,800 people and its output at 2.7 million microchips a day, with work on testing and packaging technology for automotive and industrial chips. We have no relationship with ST, we do not know what any ST site buys, and nothing here implies that ST or any Maltese company uses Walsin parts.
Our own view, labelled as ours: a test-and-packaging economy means a large local base of fixtures, handlers and board-level subcontractors. Their bills of materials share one habit. They stack small-case ceramic capacitors in a ladder of values beside every supply pin. That ladder is what we counted.
How many Walsin 0402 parts cover a 100 nF to 10 uF decoupling ladder?
74, and the dielectric thins out fast as the value climbs. We parsed all 24,026 rows and took every 0402 part in X7R or X5R at 100 nF, 1 uF, 4.7 uF and 10 uF: 50 at 100 nF, 16 at 1 uF, 5 at 4.7 uF and 3 at 10 uF. Of the 38 parts rated 16 V or higher, 33 sit at 100 nF.
The split by dielectric is the finding. X7R has 36 parts at 100 nF, 3 at 1 uF and none at 4.7 uF or 10 uF. The three X7R parts at 1 uF (0402B105K6R3, 0402B105M6R3 and 0402B105J6R3) are all rated 6.3 V. Anything at 1 uF with 10 V or more is X5R, topping out at 25 V; at 4.7 uF the ceiling is 16 V, at 10 uF it is 10 V. We have not seen this counted anywhere.
| Rung | 0402 parts in export | Of which X7R | Highest voltage in the rung | Example part | Match / mismatch against a brief of X7R, 16 V or higher, plus or minus 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100 nF | 50 | 36 | 50 V | 0402B104K160 |
Match on dielectric, voltage and tolerance |
| 1 uF | 16 | 3 | 25 V | 0402X105K160 |
Match on voltage and tolerance; mismatch on dielectric (X5R) |
| 1 uF | 16 | 3 | 25 V | 0402B105K6R3 |
Match on dielectric and tolerance; mismatch on voltage (6.3 V) |
| 4.7 uF | 5 | 0 | 16 V | 0402X475M6R3 |
Mismatch on dielectric (X5R), voltage (6.3 V) and tolerance (plus or minus 20%) |
| 10 uF | 3 | 0 | 10 V | 0402X106M6R3 |
Mismatch on dielectric, voltage and tolerance (plus or minus 20%) |
Add a column for your own incumbent part and fill it in beside ours. An X7R-to-X5R move is a dielectric change, not a swap: capacitance can fall further under DC bias, and our post on MLCC DC bias and voltage derating shows how to check it. Confirm against both datasheets and qualify in your own circuit.
Which rungs of the 0402 ladder do we hold in Hong Kong stock?
11 of the 74, on our stock list as at 23 September 2026, and none at the top rung. Matching the 1,125 stocked part numbers against the export, we counted 5 at 100 nF, 4 at 1 uF, 2 at 4.7 uF and 0 at 10 uF. The stock list is a dated snapshot, not live-synced; ask for the current position.
| Rung | Stocked part numbers | Stocked examples | Match / mismatch against the same brief |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100 nF | 5 | 0402B104K160, 0402B104K500, 0402X104K250 |
Match for the X7R lines; mismatch for 0402X104K250 (X5R) |
| 1 uF | 4 | 0402X105K160, 0402B105K6R3 |
Mismatch on dielectric for the first, on voltage for the second |
| 4.7 uF | 2 | 0402X475M6R3, 0402X475M100 |
Mismatch on dielectric, voltage and tolerance |
| 10 uF | 0 | none | Export has 3 parts; none is on the shelf |
Three of the five stocked 100 nF lines are X7R at 16 V, 25 V and 50 V. If your fixture needs 10 uF in 0402, the export lists it but our shelf does not, so the next step is a written enquiry, not an assumption. Our post on decoupling at the package explains why case size, not capacitance, often decides the ladder.
What will we not tell a Malta buyer about this ladder?
That a Walsin part suits a satellite, an aircraft or any customer’s qualification plan. We make no space, avionic or automotive claim for any of the 74 parts, we hold no office, entity or stock in Malta, and the 28 Walsin datasheets we hold run to 451 pages. Reliability evidence is in those PDFs, per series, and nowhere else.
We give no customs, VAT or export-control advice; confirm with your compliance team. We cannot see ST’s approved lists or any Maltese manufacturer’s. What we can do is supply Walsin parts from Hong Kong, lot and date-code traceability, a certificate of conformity per shipment on request and original sealed Walsin packaging. Qualification stays with you.
How Venatech helps
Paste your incumbent decoupling parts into the free cross-reference tool. It decodes 18 manufacturers’ part numbers across 800,000+ crossable parts, lists Walsin candidates, and shows the match or mismatch for each field. For a whole board, load the BOM check: up to 500 part numbers, or an Excel or CSV file.
Worked example from our own export: a BOM line reading 0402, 4.7 uF, X7R, 10 V has no X7R candidate, because the export holds none at 4.7 uF. The 5 parts at that value and size are all X5R, so every candidate carries a dielectric mismatch, and the tool states differences rather than hiding them. Walsin is our only authorised line; Stackpole and Viking are lines we supply. Our ready-stock list shows the Hong Kong snapshot dated 23 September 2026. We work in small lots from Hong Kong; request a quote through the site. Browse the MLCC range for series.
The short version
For a Malta buyer, the question is not whether a Walsin 0402 ladder exists but where it thins out. Of 74 parts, 36 are X7R at 100 nF, 3 are X7R above it, and the shelf holds 11. Read the dielectric and voltage columns before you accept a candidate.
Send us one 0402 decoupling line from your BOM and we will return the Walsin parts with the differences stated. If your fixture needs X7R at 4.7 uF, who is going to tell you the export holds none?
Sources
Fetched 21 October 2026. News statements come from these pages; part data and stock counts come from our own Walsin export and stock list.
- Malta Invest, “250 million euro STMicroelectronics project strengthens Malta’s semiconductor ambitions”, published 22 May 2026: https://maltainvest.mt/e250-million-stmicroelectronics-project-strengthens-maltas-semiconductor-ambitions/
- MaltaToday, “STMicroelectronics advances Malta’s semiconductor sector”, dated 14 May 2024: https://www.maltatoday.com.mt/news/national/129191/stmicroelectronics_advances_maltas_semiconductor_sector_
Frequently asked questions
What is the ST Kirkop expansion?
Malta Invest reported on 22 May 2026 a 250 million euro STMicroelectronics project, Malta’s largest foreign direct investment, running over 18 months, with the KK3 facility handed over in Hal Kirkop. We have no relationship with ST and imply no use of Walsin parts.
How many Walsin 0402 parts cover 100 nF to 10 uF in X7R or X5R?
74 part numbers: 50 at 100 nF, 16 at 1 uF, 5 at 4.7 uF and 3 at 10 uF. We parsed all 24,026 rows of the export. Only 3 are X7R above 100 nF, all at 1 uF and 6.3 V.
Does Walsin make an X7R 0402 at 4.7 uF?
Not in the export we hold. The five 0402 parts at 4.7 uF are all X5R, rated 6.3 V, 10 V or 16 V. If your design needs X7R at that value, change the case size or the value, or check Walsin directly.
Which 0402 decoupling parts do you hold in Hong Kong?
As at 23 September 2026 we hold 11 of the 74: 5 at 100 nF, 4 at 1 uF and 2 at 4.7 uF. None of the 3 parts at 10 uF is on the shelf. Stock moves, so ask for the current position.
Can I swap an X5R for an X7R at the same value and size?
Not automatically. The dielectric differs, and capacitance under DC bias can fall further. Compare the datasheet curves for both parts at your working voltage, then qualify in your own circuit. Our cross-reference tool prints the dielectric as a mismatch.
Do you give Malta customs or approval advice?
No. We hold no office or stock in Malta, give no legal or customs advice, and make no space, avionic or automotive claim for any part. Confirm import points with your compliance team. We supply parts, traceability and a certificate of conformity per shipment on request.