Vishay Unveils Cer-F Series: New MLCCs Give Designers Surface-Mount Alternative to Film Capacitors in Automotive and Consumer Audio Systems

MALVERN, PENNSYLVANIA - July 31, 2000 - A new family of multilayer ceramic chip capacitors (MLCCs) that can be used as true surface-mount, space-saving replacements for film capacitors was announced today by Vishay Intertechnology. The new Vishay Vitramon Cer-F series is the first ceramic dielectric on the market to effectively mimic the electrical characteristics of film capacitors in high-frequency filtering applications, providing designers with a smaller, less expensive, and completely surface-mountable alternative to film components.

The new Cer-F series additionally provides an extra margin of reliability. Since Cer-F is a ceramic dielectric, it is unaffected by the high temperatures encountered in the wave solder processes when used according to recommendations, whereas the capacitance of film components may be permanently and unpredictably affected by these temperatures.

Typical applications for the Cer-F series will include consumer and automotive stereo systems, equalizers, and crossover networks, where the new devices provide the tight temperature coefficient of capacitance performance required to preserve signal and sound quality over the temperature range that the components are exposed to.

Traditional or standard commodity MLCCs are sometimes used by designers in these applications, but that means designing the circuit around their ceramic characteristics," said Patrick Gormally, Director, Worldwide, Capacitor Marketing, MLCC Division,Vishay Intertechnology. "The Cer-F series eliminates the need for this kind of work around, since it's specifically built to replace the film capacitors already used in these applications without requiring a redesign of the circuit."

Vishay is offering the Cer-F series in five case types - 0603, 0805, 1206, 1210, and 1812 - with capacitance ratings from 470 pF to 1,000,000 pF. Samples and production quantities are available now, with lead times of up to 26 weeks for larger orders.

Vishay Intertechnology, Inc., a Fortune 1,000 Company listed on the NYSE (VSH), is one of the world's largest manufacturers of discrete semiconductors (diodes, rectifiers, transistors, and optoelectronics and selected ICs) and passive electronic components (resistors, capacitors, inductors, sensors, and transducers). These components are used in virtually all types of electronic devices and equipment, in the industrial, computing, automotive, consumer, telecommunications, military, aerospace, and medical markets. Its product innovations, successful acquisition strategy, and ability to provide "one-stop shop" service have made Vishay a global industry leader. Vishay can be found on the Internet at http://www.vishay.com.