Capacitors, Optimized for Smart Cards, Feature 10-pF to 180-pF Capacitance Range and Tolerances to ±1%

MALVERN, PENNSYLVANIA - October 25, 2002 - Vishay Intertechnology, Inc. (NYSE: VSH) today announced the industry's first silicon-based capacitors optimized for smart card applications. Based on a proprietary semiconductor process developed by Vishay, the devices set a new standard for high capacitance in a compact package with a very low profile.

The new silicon-based HPC0402B and HPC0402C are high-precision capacitors that operate at higher frequencies with higher performance than conventional low-profile capacitors. In addition to being the lowest-profile 0402 capacitors on the market for smart card applications, the HPC0402B and HPC0402C provide a higher range of capacitance values in a smaller package and deliver superior stability over a wide frequency range, low ESR values, high Q factors, tight tolerances, an ultra-high self-resonant frequency (SRF), and low parasitic inductance.

Available in 16 capacitance options ranging from 10 pF to 180 pF with tight tolerances up to ±1%, the capacitors announced today are rated for 6-V, 10-V, 16-V, and 25-V operation. Both the HPC0402B and HPC0402C feature highly accurate dimensions, measuring 0.040 in. by 0.020 in. [1.02 mm by 0.51 mm], with low height profiles of 0.007 in. [0.18 mm] for the "B" model and 0.010 in. [0.25 mm] for the "C" model.

The devices' high capacitance range and compact packages result in a greater circuit Q and a longer transmission range. Because a smaller capacitor is less likely to be delaminated due to flexation stresses, smart card reliability is improved.

Offered in surface-mount or wire-bondable configurations, samples of the HPC0402B and HPC0402C are available now, with lead times of up to eight weeks for production quantities.