AVX Announces Broadest Offering of Stacked SMPS MLCCs Rated to 200degreesC

GREENVILLE, S.C., Aug. 1, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- AVX Corporation, a leading manufacturer of passive components and interconnect solutions, has extended its high temperature SMX Series stacked SMPS MLCCs with the addition of new 25V ratings in case sizes 3-5 and 500V ratings in every case size (1-6), making it the broadest offering of stacked SMPS MLCCs rated to 200°C currently available in the industry. Providing several significant advantages over both typical MIL-qualified MLCCs (which are only rated to 125°C) and comparable wet tantalum capacitors, SMX Series MLCCs exhibit excellent high frequency performance, exceptional capacitance retention with frequency, high current handling capabilities, a wide frequency response in high pulse, high current applications, and low ESR, ESL, and DC leakage.

Specifically designed for use in high temperature, harsh environment applications up to 200°C, SMX Series stacked SMPS MLCCs are constructed using high temperature solder and exhibit rugged thermal shock, mechanical shock, moisture resistance, and vibration resistance capabilities per MIL-STD-202. SMX Series capacitors are ideal for use in down-hole oil, gas, and mineral exploration equipment, including geophysical and geothermal probes, seismic sensors, and signal amplifiers. The series is also ideal for use in military, defense, and weapons systems; space and satellite communications equipment; automotive underhood and hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) applications; and rugged AC/DC power converters (e.g., those that supply AC power from onshore power grids to offshore oil platforms). Additionally, SMX Series capacitors are particularly well suited for use as DC filters in high power, high frequency ripple currents, high pulsed-current circuitry, and a range of low power electronics; EMI filters on AC inputs; DC link capacitors for AC/AC and DC/AC motor drive inverters; and start-and-run capacitors in AC induction motors, including those designed into the rotary drills, mud pumps, draw works, conveyors, compressors, and blowers installed on oil platforms.

"With the addition of the new capacitance and voltage ratings, AVX's extensively customizable SMX Series now offers the widest selection of stacked SMPS capacitors rated to 200°C in the industry, providing much-needed design solutions for an even broader range of high temperature, harsh environment applications than before," said Stan Cygan, senior applications engineer at AVX.
Available in both C0G and X7R dielectrics, SMX Series stacked SMPS capacitors are available in six case sizes with voltage ratings spanning 25V to 500V and capacitance values spanning 0.0039µF to 270µF. Operating temperatures for the series range from -55°C to 200°C.

SMX Series capacitors are also available with several customization options, including: custom geometries, packages, terminals, lead configurations, and stress relief mounting options, all of which allow engineers to achieve higher efficiency, space-saving designs with enhanced mechanical and thermal reliability. Further, performance characteristics for the series, including: temperature vs. applied current, ESR and impedance vs. frequency, maximum current vs. frequency, maximum ripple voltage vs. frequency, and phase angle vs. frequency, can be modeled using AVX's SpiCalci 8.0 modeling software, which is freely available at http://www.avx.com/SpiApps/default.asp#spicalci.

For more information about AVX's SMX Series stacked SMPS MLCCs for high temperature applications, please visit http://www.avx.com/docs/Catalogs/smx.pdf. For all other inquiries, please visit www.avx.com, call 864-967-2150, or write to One AVX Boulevard, Fountain Inn, S.C. 29644.

About AVX

AVX Corporation is a leading international supplier of electronic passive components and interconnect solutions with 21 manufacturing and warehouse facilities in 11 countries around the world. AVX offers a broad range of devices including capacitors, resistors, filters, timing and circuit protection devices and connectors. The company is publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE:AVX).

A photo accompanying this release is available at: http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=26853

CONTACT:Nicholaus Billig
         Product Manager, AVX
         864-228-3448
         nic.billig@avx.com