KEMET Introduces 35V Rated Polymer Tantalum Capacitor

KEMET Corp. announced the release of what it claims is the "first-ever" 35V rated surface-mount polymer tantalum chip capacitor.

According to the company, since their introduction in the 1990’s, polymer tantalum capacitors have become a popular choice for capacitance solutions in the portable consumer electronics market due to their low ESR (Equivalent Series Resistance), high reliability, volumetric efficiency, low-profile design and benign failure mode. To date, these devices have been most commonly used in 14V (or less) applications and are limited to voltage applications that do not exceed 20V of continuous duty. These voltage restrictions are driven by limitations in the materials and manufacturing processes that have prevented the industry from achieving higher voltage ratings.

KEMET claims that, by overcoming these limitations through advancements in materials and manufacturing processes, it has successfully constructed and qualified the first polymer tantalum capacitors suitable for applications of up to 28V of continuous duty. In addition, these devices have demonstrated surge voltage handling capabilities in excess of 46V. This increase in voltage rating is said to now provide designers working with higher-voltage applications, such as 24 and 28V power input rails, with the option of incorporating polymer tantalum technology into new designs as opposed to incorporating capacitance technologies that do not offer similar performance advantages.

"This new technology allows us to meet a long-standing need of many of our customers," says Per Loof, Chief Executive Officer. "KEMET is striving to become ‘the Capacitance Company,’ and the leadership we are now showing in technology represents a significant step toward reaching that goal."

Designated as the T521 Series, KEMET’s initial offering includes the low-profile V Case Size (7.3 x 4.3 x 1.9mm) with a capacitance rating of 15uF and maximum ESR ratings of 100mΩ. Future releases will include higher case heights (7.3 x 4.3 x 3.0mm) with target capacitance values of 22 and 33µF as well as smaller footprints (3.5 x 2.8 x 2.0mm) targeting capacitance values of 6.8µF and less.

Sample quantities are available upon request, and mass production quantities will be available during the first quarter of 2008.