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Engineers face a difficult problem: how to pack more performance into smaller spaces without sacrificing safety or stability. In response, companies including as TDK, Littelfuse, and Diodes Incorporated have recently introduced new components—capacitors, thyristors, and diodes—that enable engineers to address this challenge from multiple angles.
TDK's MLCCs Offers Surge Protection for Vehicles
TDK Corporation has expanded its CGA series of multilayer ceramic capacitors (MLCCs) with a new 10-µF, 100-V product in a compact 3225 case size (3.2 mm x 2.5 mm x 2.5 mm). Designed for automotive use, these new capacitors feature X7R temperature characteristics and the highest capacitance in their class at 100 V. They are fully qualified under the AEC-Q200 standard, making them a dependable choice for automotive electronics.
The impedance, ESR, capacitance, and DC bias characteristics of TDK’s CGA series.
Higher capacitance in a smaller footprint allows designers to halve the component count for certain applications, thereby directly reducing the size and complexity of electronic control units (ECUs) and other subsystems. The capacitor plays a crucial role in smoothing and decoupling power lines with functions that reduce voltage spikes and maintain power stability in 48-V systems, which are becoming standard in modern vehicles.
By doubling the capacity of existing products of the same size, TDK enables system miniaturization and more efficient layouts, helping to meet the dual demands of compact design and rising power requirements.
Littelfuse’s Thyristor Redefines Size and Strength
Littelfuse's new Pxxx0S3G-A SIDACtor protection thyristor series is another key addition to the modern electronics toolkit. It’s the first thyristor of its kind (datasheet linked) to deliver a 2-kA (8/20-µs) surge protection in a DO-214AB (SMC) package, a form factor previously considered too small for such performance.
Pulse waveform characteristics of the new Pxxx0S3G-A Series.
The benefit? Engineers can now shrink protection circuitry while maintaining compliance with stringent standards, such as AEC-Q101. This opens up new opportunities for compact designs in electric vehicle charging systems, industrial power supplies, and solar inverters, where space is at a premium and exposure to high-energy transients is common.
What sets it apart from legacy solutions is not just its small size, but also its increased robustness over time. Older protection components tend to degrade with repeated surges; the Pxxx0S3G-A series is built to withstand multiple events without performance loss, ensuring long-term reliability in harsh environments.
Diodes Inc. Delivers High-Speed Efficiency With SiC Schottky Diodes
The third entry in this lineup from Diodes Incorporated is a suite of 650-V silicon carbide (SiC) Schottky diodes that raise the bar for system efficiency and thermal performance. Offered in 4-A, 6-A, 8-A, 10-A, and 12-A variants, the DSCxxA065LP series (datasheet linked) is housed in the thermally advanced T-DFN8080-4 surface-mount package. The compact 8-mm x 8-mm x 1-mm footprint rests on a large heat pad for improved thermal resistance.
Typical forward characteristics of the DSCxxA065LP.
Its performance is an industry-leading figure of merit (FOM), calculated as the product of capacitive charge (QC) and forward voltage drop (VF). These diodes exhibit negligible reverse recovery and low conduction losses, resulting in faster switching and lower heat output. Additionally, it has the lowest reverse leakage current (20 µA max)—a win for designers of DC-DC converters, data center infrastructure, and renewable energy systems, particularly in high-temperature environments.
Common Threads: Size, Performance, and Reliability
While each product in this roundup addresses a different piece of the electronics puzzle, such as capacitance, surge protection, and power conversion, they share common goals. All three components:
- Support higher power density in compact spaces
- Improve energy efficiency by reducing losses
- Meet stringent automotive or industrial standards
- Enable smaller, more reliable systems
These innovations reflect the growing complexity of modern electronics, where every square millimeter of board space counts and every component must pull its weight in performance. As engineers strive to meet growing power demands within smaller footprints, components such as TDK’s MLCCs, Littelfuse’s protection thyristors, and Diodes’ SiC diodes may be useful tools.
