Industry's Lowest-Profile (0.18 mm-height) 0402 Capacitors Introduced by Vishay

Capacitors, Optimized for Smart Cards, Feature 10-pF to 180-pF Capacitance Range and Tolerances to ±1%

MALVERN, PENNSYLVANIA - October 25, 2002 - Vishay Intertechnology, Inc. (NYSE: VSH) today announced the industry's first silicon-based capacitors optimized for smart card applications. Based on a proprietary semiconductor process developed by Vishay, the devices set a new standard for high capacitance in a compact package with a very low profile.

The new silicon-based HPC0402B and HPC0402C are high-precision capacitors that operate at higher frequencies with higher performance than conventional low-profile capacitors. In addition to being the lowest-profile 0402 capacitors on the market for smart card applications, the HPC0402B and HPC0402C provide a higher range of capacitance values in a smaller package and deliver superior stability over a wide frequency range, low ESR values, high Q factors, tight tolerances, an ultra-high self-resonant frequency (SRF), and low parasitic inductance.

Available in 16 capacitance options ranging from 10 pF to 180 pF with tight tolerances up to ±1%, the capacitors announced today are rated for 6-V, 10-V, 16-V, and 25-V operation. Both the HPC0402B and HPC0402C feature highly accurate dimensions, measuring 0.040 in. by 0.020 in. [1.02 mm by 0.51 mm], with low height profiles of 0.007 in. [0.18 mm] for the "B" model and 0.010 in. [0.25 mm] for the "C" model.

The devices' high capacitance range and compact packages result in a greater circuit Q and a longer transmission range. Because a smaller capacitor is less likely to be delaminated due to flexation stresses, smart card reliability is improved.

Offered in surface-mount or wire-bondable configurations, samples of the HPC0402B and HPC0402C are available now, with lead times of up to eight weeks for production quantities.

Vishay Intertechnology, Inc., a Fortune 1,000 Company listed on the NYSE (VSH), is one of the world's largest manufacturers of discrete semiconductors (diodes, rectifiers, transistors, and optoelectronics and selected ICs) and passive electronic components (resistors, capacitors, inductors, sensors, and transducers). These components are used in virtually all types of electronic devices and equipment, in the industrial, computing, automotive, consumer, telecommunications, military, aerospace, and medical markets. Its product innovations, successful acquisition strategy, and ability to provide "one-stop shop" service have made Vishay a global industry leader. Vishay can be found on the Internet at http://www.vishay.com.