IXYS Corporation (NASDAQ:IXYS) an international power and IC semiconductor company, today announced that its wholly owned UK subsidiary, IXYS UK Westcode Ltd., introduced a new pressure contact distributed gate thyristor with increased power density. This new fast thyristor with turn-off time of as little as 20 microseconds and current rating 1,955 amperes is symmetrical blocking with forward and reverse voltage equal to 1,600 volts and therefore suitable for both voltage and current fed applications.

The device offers higher current, while retaining the same turn-off time, when comparted to other parts in the same footprint package size. This new improved design has an average current rating of 1,955 amperes at a heat sink temperature of 55 degrees centigrade representing up to a 35 percent increase when compared to older designs in the IXYS UK product portfolio. The improvement in performance is achieved by maximising the die size and improved distributed gate geometry. The 56 mm silicon dice are bonded to metal discs and encapsulated in fully hermetic 50 mm electrode contact diameter ceramic packages, with an industry standard overall diameter of 74 mm.

“Providing the correct thermal conditions are observed, with a repetitive di/dt rating of 1,000 amperes per microsecond, the device can be used in applications with repetitive frequencies up to 25 kilohertz,” commented Frank Wakeman, IXYS UK’s Marketing and Technical Support Manager.

The larger die sizes and higher current ratings offer more flexibility in customising the parts to meet the needs of customer specific applications. The increase in current rating can be traded in adapting the turn-off characteristic to give faster turn-off even than the standard offering of 20 micro seconds, or tailoring the reverse recovery for series operation.

The full symmetrical blocking device is available in three different switching classes at two standard voltage grades. Part number designations are as follows: 1,600 volt parts are N1955MC16D with tq 20 microseconds, N1955MC16E with tq 25 microseconds and N1955MC16F with tq 30 microseconds; 1,400 volt parts are N1955MC14D with tq 20 microseconds, N1955MC14E with tq 25 microseconds and N1955MC14F with tq 30 microseconds.

Typical applications for this device include induction power supplies for melting, billet heating and surface treatments as well as resonant power supplies and pulse switches for applications including high power magnets and lasers.

For data sheets please go to the IXYS UK website at www.ixysuk.com or please contact us at (email: sales@ixysuk.com) or telephone: +44 (0)1249 444524 for quotation.

About IXYS UK

Located in Chippenham, England, IXYS UK Westcode Ltd is the IXYS leading manufacturing site for very high power thyristors, SCRs and rectifiers ranging up to 6,500 Volts and 15,000 Amps. IXYS UK continues to supply high technology components for a wide range of applications such as wind and solar energy, welding, AC and DC motor drives for oil, marine and water treatment facilities, uninterruptible power supplies, motor soft starters, transportation, induction heating, mining equipment and many other industrial applications.

About IXYS Corporation

Since its founding, IXYS Corporation has been developing power semiconductors and mixed signal ICs to improve power conversion efficiency, generate solar and wind power and provide efficient motor control for industrial applications. IXYS, and its subsidiary companies, offer a diversified product base that addresses worldwide needs for power control in the growing cleantech industries, renewable energy markets, telecommunications, medical devices, transportation applications, flexible displays and RF power.

Safe Harbor Statement

Any statements contained in this press release that are not statements of historical fact, including the performance, rating, benefits, reliability, availability and suitability of products for various applications, may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. There are a number of important factors that could cause the results of IXYS to differ materially from those indicated by these forward-looking statements, including, among others, risks detailed from time to time in the Company's SEC reports, including its Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2016. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly release the results of any revisions to these forward-looking statements.