VISHAY GENERAL SEMICONDUCTOR

General Semiconductor is a manufacturer of general semiconductors. The company manufactures power rectifiers, transient voltage suppressors and small signal transistors and diodes for manufacturers of consumer electronics, lighting, telecommunications equipment, computers, automotive and automotive aftermarket products.

Vishay Intertechnology, Inc., (NYSE: VSH), one of the world's largest manufacturers of discrete semiconductors and passive electronic components, acquired all of General Semiconductor in 2001. General Semiconductor is a manufacturer of power management devices. General Semiconductor can be traced back to the establishment of the Semiconductor Components Division within General Instrument in Hicksville, New York, in 1960. In 1997, the power semiconductor division of General Instrument gained independence and became a publicly traded company known as General Semiconductor. During the same year, General Semiconductor also acquired the small signal diode business from ITT Industries Inc.

With the acquisition of General Semiconductor in 2001, Vishay Intertechnology joined the top ranks of discrete semiconductor manufacturers and became a market and technology leader in power rectifiers and TVS avalanche breakdown diodes.

Today, Vishay General Semiconductor serves a very wide range of customers with devices that can be used as rectifiers, signal limiters, voltage regulators, switches, signal modulators, signal mixers, signal demodulators, and oscillators. Vishay General Semiconductor customers include leading manufacturers of consumer electronics, lighting, telecommunications equipment, computers, and automotive products.

Flagship products of Vishay General Semiconductor include the patented Trench MOS Barrier Schottky (TMBS®) rectifiers, which offer several advantages over planar Schottky rectifiers in systems with operating breakdown voltages from 45 V to 200 V. Applications for TMBS rectifiers include many automotive systems, including power conversion for LED headlights, dashboard displays, and electronic control units (ECUs). Ultrafast, fast, standard, bridge, and isoCink+™ power bridge rectifiers, and modular bridges complete Vishay General Semiconductors’ rectifier offering.

Circuit protection is a key function for diodes and Vishay General Semiconductor products address this function with its market-leading transient voltage suppressors (TVS). TransZorb® and PAR® TVS devices serve in rugged applications such as protection from load dump in automotive systems.

For all the types of components it provides, Vishay General Semiconductor is a leader in miniaturization and thermal efficiency. For example, the eSMP® surface-mount package series saves space with a unique wide bottom plate design while promoting better thermal performance and reliability in automotive, industrial, telecommunications, computing, and other commercial applications.