Lifetime of hermetic series high temperature SMD tantalum capacitors doubled

AVX Corporation has doubled the lifetime of select THH 230C Hermetic Series high temperature SMD tantalum capacitors. Four of the six ratings currently available now offer 2,000-hour lifetimes at 230C and 0.5VR, and all six recently completed mechanical shock and vibration testing to MIL-STD-202 at 230C with 20g peak, ensuring robust, high-reliability performance in harsh, extreme application environments, such as down-hole and high temperature electronic engine control (EEC). Hermetically sealed in ceramic cases with MnO2 cathodes, the capacitors exhibit extremely stable performance. Additionally, when compared with other high temperature capacitor solutions currently available, such as 200C wet tantalum, the series features excellent volumetric efficiency, shows no capacitance drop-off at even extremely high temperatures, and exhibits superior stability in high temperature, high humidity, and ambient atmosphere environments, providing design engineers with several significant benefits, including size reductions, lower components counts, and improved reliability. The series capacitors also exhibit low leakage current (0.01CV), and are manufactured and screened using their patented Q-Process, which requires statistical lot acceptance over a wide range of parameters above and beyond standard test limits. "Proven to withstand extensive mechanical shock, vibration, and moisture resistance testing for minimum lifetimes of 1,000 hours and, now, extended lifetimes of 2,000 hours at 230°C and 0.5VR, THH Series tantalum capacitors deliver outstanding high-temperature mechanical robustness, electrical performance, and lifetime-enabled cost reductions that far surpass what is achievable with comparable capacitors molded in standard epoxy resin," said Mitch Weaver, a member of the technical staff at AVX. "These benefits, combined with the series' high volumetric efficiency, extreme temperature capabilities, and still-expanding rating, case size, and termination options enhance design flexibility and dramatically improve performance in a wide variety of harsh, extreme temperature applications." THH 230C Hermetic Series capacitors are currently available with capacitance values spanning 6.8µF to 100µF, voltage ratings spanning 16V to 63V, and minimum operating lifetimes of 1,000 or 2,000 hours at 230C and 0.5VR, and 10,000 hours at 200C and 0.5VR. Operating temperatures for the series span -55C to +230C, and its maximum ESR is 500mohm at 100kHz.