General Semiconductor, Inc. Announces the Expansion of Its GENFET MOSFET Line for Portable and Wireless Applications.

Business Editors & High Tech Writers

MELVILLE, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 7, 2001

General Semiconductor, Inc. (NYSE:SEM), a leading manufacturer of power management devices, has extended its MOSFET portfolio with three new part numbers that are targeted for portable equipment and wireless applications.

The GF2301, GF2304 and GF3443 utilize General Semiconductor's proprietary GENFET(TM) trench technology. This state-of-the-art technology with its high cell density of 82 million per square inch, results in ultra-low on-resistance (RDS(on)), low gate charge (Qg) and fast switching speeds. The GF2304 is an N-channel enhancement mode MOSFET, while the GF2301 and GF3443 are P-channel. All three have low threshold voltages to support logic-level input gate voltages.

These products are offered in the popular SOT-23 package. Both the GF2301 and GF2304 have three leads, while the GF3443 is six leaded. General Semiconductor's SOT-23 utilizes a copper leadframe for superior thermal and electrical performance. This combined with the high cell density of the die, result in current ratings over 2 Amps for the GF2301 and GF2304, while the GF3443 is as high as 4.4 Amps. The SOT-23's compact size and low profile make it ideal for portable and wireless applications, which include notebook computers and cellular phones.

Pricing for the GF2301 and GF2304 is $0.20, while the GF3443 is $0.29 in 10,000 piece quantities.

General Semiconductor, Inc. is a market leader in the design, manufacture and distribution of discrete semiconductor components. The Company provides customers with a broad array of power management products including rectifiers, transient voltage suppressors, small-signal transistors, diodes and MOSFETs. Its global customer base includes original equipment manufacturers, electronic distributors and contract equipment manufacturers. Key markets for its products include automotive, computers, consumer and telecommunications equipment.

The information set forth above includes "forward-looking" information and, accordingly, the cautionary statements contained in Exhibit 99 to the Company's Form 10-K and Form 10-Q filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission are incorporated herein by reference. General Semiconductor's actual results could differ materially from the "forward-looking" information in this press release.

Visit General Semiconductor on the web at www.gensemi.com