Knowles Corporation, a leading manufacturer of specialty electronic components, today announced the release of a new range of X1/Y2 safety-certified surface-mount multilayer ceramic capacitors (MLCCs). Driven by growing demand for miniaturized surface-mount components capable of performing reliably at ever-increasing working and testing voltages, these new safety-certified MLCCs have a voltage rating between 310 Vrms and 500 Vrms, including the first class Y2 MLCC on the market to have a voltage rating as high as 500 Vrms (see Table 1). As a result, these MLCCs are an ideal solution for ensuring safe operation of the high-power AC/DC converters required for a variety of industrial and automotive applications.

Table 1

Key features of this new range of safety-certified MLCCs include the following:

•  High working voltage: Voltage rating and maximum capacitance value of 12 nF in 310 Vac class Y2 
• Critical safety features in a compact case: An innovative design offers creepage distance of up to 5 mm minimum packed into a 2720 case size, reducing required board space
•  Higher DC-rated voltage: 1,500 V in compliance with EN60384-14 Annex H
•  Tested for operation in harsh environments: Rated to humidity grade IIIB (85°C/85%RH,1000hr)
•  Wide operating range: -55°C to 125° C

These safety-certified MLCCs are available AEC-Q200 qualified and with a flexible termination option using FlexiCap™, our proprietary flexible epoxy polymer termination material.

“With our newly expanded portfolio of enhanced safety-certified MLCCs, electrical engineers designing the high-voltage power electronics required for applications ranging from electric vehicle onboard chargers to datacenter servers can reliably mitigate the effects of transient voltages and electromagnetic interference, ensuring safe operation,” said Nan Zhang, director and product line manager for Ceramic Capacitors at Knowles.

For more information, browse the latest safety-certified capacitors.