Kyocera AVX Acquires ROHM’s Entire Tantalum and Polymer Capacitor Line

The agreement, announced March 4, stipulates that ROHM will continue to produce tantalum and polymer capacitor products and supply them to Kyocera AVX. This temporary arrangement will last only until ROHM has executed its transfer of all physical production lines to Kyocera AVX’s manufacturing site, effective August 5.

In its release, Kyocera AVX emphasized that ROHM customers will enjoy continued, uninterrupted access to ROHM’s products. Kyocera AVX will also make its newly expanded selection of electrolytic capacitors immediately available to its own customer base.

 

ROHM’s Narrowing Focus 

In its own announcement, ROHM stressed that the company is working to achieve growth in its focus areas, in line with its corporate vision.

When ROHM was established in 1954, it was devoted primarily to the production of resistors. The name ROHM itself is derived from “R” for resistance and “OHM” for, of course, ohms. More recently, the company has transitioned its target from passive components to higher value-added semiconductor devices. In 2009, it rebranded to ROHM Semiconductor, and the devices now account for four fifths of its revenue.

 

Employees in 1971 celebrating ROHM's establishment in Silicon Valley. Image used courtesy of ROHM

 

While ROHM does provide guides to its tantalum and polymer capacitors, and has been active in developing new polymer products, its initiatives in tantalum have been sparse. Given this, the company’s move to divest itself of its capacitor assets was likely of little surprise to industry observers.

 

Kyocera AVX – An Electrolytic Capacitor Powerhouse

This is not a new line of business for Kyocera AVX. The company, which already sports a wide array of additional tantalum capacitor offerings, is the world’s premier supplier of manganese dioxide solid tantalum capacitors for applications in aerospace, military and medical fields, as well as for use in telecommunication systems, solid-state drives, PCs, smartphones, and tablets. The company maintains four separate manufacturing plants for sustained capacity and flexibility.

 

Kyocera AVX's headquarters in Fountain Inn, South Carolina. Image [modified] used coutesy of Kyocera AVX

 

In the polymer arena, Kyocera AVX’s present array offer higher capacitances in smaller packages than do comparative market offerings, per CEO Johnny Sarvis. Kyocera AVX’s polymer lines feature high stability over time, low ESR and, critically, a benign failure mode under recommended use conditions. Of increasing importance in today’s ecologically conscious environment, they are also free of lead and halogen, and are RoHS-compliant.

 

Kyocera AVX's Portfolio

Kyocera AVX’s existing tantalum capacitor portfolio includes:

• Higher reliability devices for special purposes
• SMD-standard tantalum MnO2 capacitors
• Leaded devices
• Automotive-qualified capacitors
• Wet tantalum devices
• High-temperature tantalum units

And its existing polymer capacitor lines include:

• Automotive-qualified devices
• Especially small form factor devices
• Capacitors specialized to solid-state drive applications
• High-voltage devices 

Additionally, Kyocera AVX’s new line of aluminum electrolytic capacitors satisfies the demands of bulk capacitance applications. 

 

Feature image used courtesy of ROHM