KEMET Introduces ArcShield™ Technology For High Voltage Commercial And Automotive Applications

"KEMET ArcShield High Voltage capacitors are primarily suited for applications, such as automotive, that meet or exceed 500V with exposure to high humidity environments. Conditions such as these promote surface arcing in MLCCs,” said Dr. Phil Lessner, KEMET Senior Vice President, Chief Technology Officer and Chief Scientist. "ArcShield devices inhibit surface arc-over discharge, thereby preventing damage to the capacitor and surrounding components on a printed circuit board."

Surface arcing is generally caused by a high voltage gradient between the MLCC’s termination surfaces or between one termination surface and the component’s internal electrode structure. This phenomenon can either damage surrounding components or lead to a breakdown of the MLCC’s dielectric material, ultimately leading to a short-circuit condition (catastrophic failure mode).

“ArcShield technology features a unique, robust internal shield electrode system that suppresses arc-over while increasing available capacitance,” said Bill Sloka, KEMET Specialty Product Manager. “This system offers unrivaled performance and reliability when compared to external surface coating technologies.”

For added reliability, KEMET's Flexible Termination technology is an available option that provides superior flex performance over standard termination systems. This technology was developed to address flex cracks, which are the primary failure mode of MLCCs and typically the result of excessive tensile and shear stresses produced during board flexure and thermal cycling. Flexible Termination technology inhibits the transfer of board stress to the rigid body of the MLCC, therefore mitigating flex cracks which can result in low IR or short circuit failures.

ArcShield High Voltage MLCCs are also available in automotive grade, which undergo stricter testing protocol and inspection criteria. Whether under-hood or in-cabin, these devices are designed for mission and safety-critical automotive circuits or applications requiring proven, reliable performance in harsh environments.

Typical markets include power supply, LCD fluorescent backlight ballasts, HID lighting, telecom equipment, industrial and medical equipment/control, LAN/WAN interface, analog and digital modems, and automotive. Typical applications include switch mode power supplies (input filters, resonators, tank circuits, snubber circuits, output filters), high voltage coupling and DC blocking, lighting ballasts, voltage multiplier circuits, DC/DC converters and coupling capacitors in Cuk converters.

Applications

• Switch mode power supplies
• High voltage coupling
• High voltage DC blocking
• Voltage multiplier circuits
• Snubber circuits
• Input & output filtering

Features and Benifits

• Voltages from 500 – 10,000 VDC
• Industry-leading capacitance values
• Base metal & precious metal
• Commercial, Industrial, Automotive & Military Grades
• Application-specific options
• Surface mount & through-hole

KEMET Corporation introduces its new Tantalum Multiple Anode MnO2 Hi-Rel Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) T513 Series capacitors. These surface mountable devices are suitable for the industrial, telecom, military, and aerospace markets.

“KEMET’s T513 Series utilizes a multi-anode configuration within the capacitor,” said Ed Jones, KEMET Business Development Manager for Advanced Tantalum Technologies. “This technology results in very low ESR, high ripple current capability and improved capacitance retention at high frequency. The performance characteristics of this product are ideal for various high reliability applications such as radar, sonar, power supplies, and guidance systems.”

The T513 Series can be ordered with various options including Weibull Grading, termination finish and surge current, among others. This solution complements other KEMET Hi-Rel COTS products such as the T493 and T497 MnO2 COTS Series, T540 and T541 Polymer COTS Series, and Ceramic COTS Series capacitors.

T513 Series Technical Information

Meets or exceeds EIA standard 535BAAC
Taped and reeled per EIA 481-1
Pb-Free terminations and RoHS compliant available
High surge current capability
High ripple current capability
Operating temperature range of -55°C to +125°C
Tolerances of ±10% and ±20%
Voltage rating of 4-25VDC
Capacitance values of 68μF to 1,000μF
ESR as low as 12 megaohms
100% steady-state accelerated aging
Termination options B, C, H, K, T
Case sizes E and X
Surge testing options

November 2, 2011 – KEMET today announced the expansion of its KEMET Organic Capacitor (KO-CAP) Conductive Polymer portfolio with the release of the T522 Reduced Leakage Polymer Tantalum Series. T522 Series capacitors are an ideal solution for applications that seek high capacitance, low ESR, low profile, safety, and low power consumption.

“The release of our T522 Series highlights KEMET’s continued commitment to capacitor technology advancements in the areas of portable electronics and other applications seeking improved battery life,” said Jayson Young, KEMET Technical Product Manager for Polymer Capacitors. “These devices offer the lowest leakage values available in polymer tantalum capacitors, with upper leakage limits that are up to 70% lower than other conductive polymer capacitor products.”

The T522 Series is a KEMET Organic Capacitor (KO-CAP) which utilizes organic conductive polymer as the cathode plate of the capacitor and is designed to meet the needs of leakage sensitive applications such as battery supported circuits. KEMET offers this solution in low profile and standard case height configurations with capacitance values up to 470μF in 6.3V ratings and ESR offerings as low as 25mΩ.

The KO-CAP is a tantalum capacitor with a Ta anode and a Ta2O5 dielectric. KO-CAP devices eliminate the ignition failures that can occur in standard MnO2 tantalum types and may also be operated at steady state voltages up to 90% of rated voltage.

Typical applications for the T522 Series include battery-dependent applications such as handheld consumer electronics, global tracking systems, wireless sensors, and energy harvesting.

T522 Series Technical Information

Operating temperature range of -55°C to +105°C
ESR: 25mΩ to 40mΩ
Capacitance values of 150μF to 470μF
Voltage rating of 6.3VDC
EIA standard case sizes
Polymer cathode technology
High frequency capacitance retention
Non-ignition failure mode
100% accelerated steady state aging
100% surge current tested
Low profile designs
Volumetric efficiency
Self-healing mechanism
RoHS-compliant when ordered with 100% tin solder

“Our new TSP Series surface mountable devices can be specified with a variety of capacitance and performance characteristics by stacking two, three, four, or six standard EIA case size discrete components into just one device, ” said Stanley Garrett, KEMET Technical Product Manager. “These custom combinations result in high capacitance, very low ESR and high ripple current capability in a single footprint, which makes them an ideal solution for applications such as power supplies for a wide range of products.”

KEMET offers this solution with its T540 Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) Series capacitors. However, custom stacks are also available with other KEMET Tantalum Surface Mount Polymer Series products.

TSP Series Technical Information

Capacitance values of 66µF to 4080µF
Voltage rating of 3VDC-35VDC
Surge options available
Operating temperature range of -55°C to +125°C