Capacitor conquers that "other" anode material

Electronic components depend on much more than silicon. Vishay's newest family of solid capacitors uses niobium, rather than tantalum, as the anode material.

Tantalum is sometimes in short supply, whereas niobium is plentiful. As an additional advantage, niobium is lower in density than tantalum, resulting in lighter components.

The switch to niobium is not a trivial accomplishment. Niobium-oxide films are more susceptible to thermal and electrical shock during manufacturing. Until now, niobium capacitors had different dc-leakage performance from tantalum.

The Vishay devices are available in a variety of industry-standard packages, with voltage ratings of 6 and 10V dc and capacitance levels of 10 to 1000 µF. They are rated for –55 to +85°C operation and have a derating temperature of 125°C.

Vishay Intertechnology Inc, www.vishay.com.