KEMET Enhances High Voltage Product Portfolio with Flexible Termination System

September 14, 2010

GREENVILLE, SC – September 13, 2010 –  KEMET Corporation (NYSE Amex: KEM), a leading manufacturer of tantalum, ceramic, aluminum, film, paper and electrolytic capacitors, today announced the addition of high voltage to its Flexible Termination product lines.

KEMET High Voltage Flexible Termination Capacitors (HV FT-CAP) in X7R dielectric reduce ceramic chip failures in high voltage applications. Flexible Termination technology was developed to address flex cracks, the primary failure mode of surface mount multilayer ceramic capacitors (MLCCs). This technology directs circuit board stress away from the ceramic body and into the termination area, therefore reducing the risk of mechanical damage to the component that can result in low IR or short circuit failures.

KEMET is excited to expand our leading edge flex mitigation technology into high voltage applications, said Bill Sloka, KEMET Product Manager for Ceramics. Flexible Termination systems have proven their worth by reducing the risk of board-flex failures and increasing long term component reliability. This product enhancement reinforces KEMET’s commitment to offering the most complete line of capacitance solutions in the industry.

The HV FT-CAP is designed for a number of applications including power supplies, DC-DC converters, LCD fluorescent backlight ballasts, HID lighting, telecommunications equipment, industrial equipment and control, computer LAN/WAN interfaces, digital modems and hybrid automotive motor control circuits. Any safety-critical application or circuit containing a connector close to a capacitor can benefit from KEMET Flexible Termination technology.

More Information on the Flexible Termination System

KEMET’s Flexible Termination system utilizes a conductive silver epoxy between the base metal and nickel barrier layers of KEMET’s standard termination system in order to establish pliability while maintaining terminal strength, solderability and electrical performance. This technology was developed to address flex cracks which are typically the result of excessive shear stresses produced during board flexure or thermal cycling. Flexible Termination technology directs board flex stress away from the ceramic body and into the termination area, therefore mitigating flex cracks which can result in low IR or short circuit failures. 

HV FT-CAP Features--  55 degrees C to +125 degrees C operating temperature range--  Superior flex performance (up to 5mm)--  RoHS compliant--  X7R Dielectric (Temperature Characteristic = +/-15% capacitance shiftfrom -55 degrees to +125 degrees C)--  EIA 0805, 1206, 1210, 1808, 1812, 1825, 2220 and 2225 case sizes--  DC voltage ratings of 500V, 630V ,1KV,1.5KV,2 KV,2.5 KV and 3 KV--  Capacitance offerings ranging from 62pF to 0.27 microF--  Available capacitance tolerances of +/-5%, +/-10% or +/-20%.--  Low ESR and ESL--  Non-polar device--  100% pure matte tin-plated end metallization allowing for excellent solderability--  Sn/Pb plated end metallization option available upon request (5% minimum)--  Automotive Grade (AEC-Q200) under developmentGlossary
  ES                        Equivalent series inductanceESR                       Equivalent series resistanceFT-CAP                    Flexible Termination CapacitorIR                        Insulation resistanceMLCC                      Multilayer ceramic capacitorRoHS                      Restriction of Hazardous SubstancesSMD                       Surface mount device

About KEMET

KEMET’s common stock is listed on the NYSE: Amex under the symbol KEM. At the Investor Relations section of our web site at http://www.kemet.com/IR, users may subscribe to KEMET news releases and find additional information about our Company. KEMET applies world class service and quality to deliver industry leading, high performance capacitance solutions to its customers around the world and offers the world’s most complete line of surface mount and through-hole capacitor technologies across tantalum, ceramic, film, aluminum, electrolytic, and paper dielectrics. Additional information about KEMET can be found at http://www.kemet.com/.