Powerex, Inc. — MIL-PRF-19500 heritage, MIL-PRF-38534 hybrids, and high-power SCR, thyristor & IGBT sourcing
Powerex, Inc. is a 50/50 joint venture of Mitsubishi Electric Corporation and General Electric Company, established on January 1, 1986 and based in Youngwood, Pennsylvania. Powerex's MIL-PRF-19500 relevance is heritage: the Youngwood plant traces to the former Westinghouse Electric Semiconductor Division at Armbrust Road, which historically held JAN silicon rectifier and thyristor qualification against MIL-S / MIL-PRF-19500. Today, Powerex operates under MIL-PRF-38534 Class D for hybrid microcircuits, AS9100 for aviation, and is registered with the U.S. Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (ITAR), with CAGE Code 66844.
- Jan 1, 1986Founded
- Youngwood, PAHQ & Fab
- Mitsubishi/GEOwnership
- 66844CAGE Code
- MIL-PRF-38534Current MIL
- Historic JAN19500 Status
About Powerex, Inc.
Powerex, Inc. was established on January 1, 1986 through the combination of the power semiconductor divisions of General Electric Company and Westinghouse Electric Corporation. In 1994, Westinghouse sold its shares to Mitsubishi Electric Corporation and GE, which have shared equal 50/50 ownership ever since. The company is headquartered at 173 Pavilion Lane, Youngwood, Pennsylvania 15697 and operates a vertically integrated 90,000-square-foot silicon wafer and power-module manufacturing plant. In November 2024 the U.S. Department of Commerce signed a preliminary memorandum with Powerex for CHIPS Act funding, subsequently expanded to a $30 million direct funding agreement to modernize the Youngwood back-end packaging facility and roughly double capacity for defense-related production, including power modules for the F-35 program.
The Youngwood plant is important context for any discussion of MIL-PRF-19500 at Powerex. The site was built in 1956 and, under Westinghouse Electric's Semiconductor Division, was one of the U.S. defense sector's foundational silicon rectifier and thyristor fabs. That legacy Westinghouse operation on Armbrust Road appears on historic revisions of QPL-19500 under FSCM code 05277 / CAY for JAN silicon rectifier device families. The second parent to the JV, General Electric's Semiconductor Products Department in Liverpool, NY (FSCM 03508), was likewise a historic MIL-S-19500 supplier. Powerex's current portfolio spans silicon-controlled rectifiers (SCRs), thyristors, diode rectifier modules, IGBT and HVIGBT modules built on Mitsubishi's CSTBT technology, Intelligent Power Modules (IPMs), SiC diodes and modules, and Si/SiC hybrid modules from 250 V through 3300 V, plus custom aviation ARTU modules, gate drivers, and DC-DC converters. Roughly half of Powerex's business is military and aviation.
QPL / QML-19500 status — an honest read
The Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) Land and Maritime real-time QML-19500 list identifies the manufacturers currently qualified to supply discrete semiconductors against MIL-PRF-19500. Powerex, Inc. does not appear on that current list. The 17 current QML-19500 sources are Microchip/Microsemi (Ireland and Lawrence, CAGE 60991), International Rectifier HiRel (Infineon), STMicroelectronics, Renesas, Semicoa, Semitronics, Sensitron, Solid State Devices Inc., Solitron, TT Electronics/OPTEK, Teledyne Micropac, VPT Components (Billerica and Lawrence), Voltage Multipliers, EPC Space, and Micross Corpus Christi.
Powerex's MIL-PRF-19500 exposure is therefore heritage, not current production. Historic revisions of QPL-19500 list the Westinghouse Electric Corporation Semiconductor Division at Armbrust Road, Youngwood, PA — the same site that became the Powerex fab — under FSCM code 05277 / CAY for a range of JAN silicon rectifier device families. Historic QPL-19500 also lists General Electric Company's Semiconductor Products Department at Liverpool, NY (FSCM 03508) for a broad JAN rectifier, SCR, and small-signal portfolio. Because the modern Powerex JV was formed by combining these two parents' discrete businesses, JAN-marked, date-coded product with Westinghouse Youngwood or GE Liverpool traceability continues to circulate and remains sourceable.
Where Powerex is currently qualified against a U.S. DoD performance specification, it is MIL-PRF-38534 Class D for hybrid microcircuits — the spec that governs multi-chip hybrid power modules. Powerex has held AS9100 aerospace certification for 30+ years, is registered ISO 9001 and AS9104/1:2012, and is registered with the U.S. Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (ITAR). Reliability and qualification testing (Groups A, B, C, D per MIL-STD-750 and MIL-STD-883) is performed in-house, along with burn-in, HAST, salt-spray, moisture, vibration and mechanical-shock, temperature cycling, X-ray, Sonoscan acoustic microscopy, and SEM/EDS analysis.
MIL-PRF-19500 quality levels — what JAN, JANTX, JANTXV, and JANS actually mean
MIL-PRF-19500 is the U.S. Department of Defense performance specification for hermetically-sealed discrete semiconductor devices — diodes, rectifiers, transistors, thyristors, SCRs, and TVS devices — administered by the DLA Land and Maritime office in Columbus, Ohio (successor to DSCC-VQ). The specification defines a stack of ascending product-assurance levels indicated by the prefix on the part number:
| Prefix | Level name | What it adds | Typical use case |
|---|---|---|---|
| JAN | Joint Army-Navy | Baseline qualification against slash sheet, Group A/B/C conformance | Ground defense, ruggedized industrial |
| JANTX | JAN with eXtra Testing | Adds 168-hour burn-in and additional 100% electrical screening | Airborne, avionics, missile |
| JANTXV | JANTX with Visual inspection | Adds 100% pre-cap internal visual inspection | Higher-reliability avionics, tactical space |
| JANS | Joint Army-Navy-Space | Adds wafer lot acceptance, Group E conformance and full space screening | Launch vehicles, satellites, deep space |
| JANHC / JANKC | Chip / die-level | Unencapsulated die screening for downstream hybrid assembly | MIL-PRF-38534 hybrids, custom modules |
For JANS parts, MIL-PRF-19500 further defines eight Radiation Hardness Assurance (RHA) levels (M, D, P, L, R, F, G, H) inserted into the part number after the JANS prefix, mapping to Total Ionizing Dose guarantees from 3 krad(Si) up to 1 Mrad(Si). On top of the older per-part QPL model, DoD now operates a line-level Qualified Manufacturers List (QML). For Powerex specifically, the JAN silicon rectifier families historically produced at Youngwood under Westinghouse were qualified against MIL-S-19500 (the pre-1995 designator) and shipped predominantly at the JAN and JANTX levels. Powerex's modern portfolio is not marketed with JAN, JANTX, JANTXV, or JANS prefixes — those parts are qualified against customer-specific and MIL-PRF-38534 flows instead.
Powerex product portfolio at a glance
Powerex is one of the few remaining U.S. manufacturers that operates vertically integrated from silicon wafer through to final power module assembly. The portfolio is organized around high-power discrete devices and modules for aerospace, defense, naval, rail, and heavy-industrial power conversion. In line with buyer intent, this page lists part families rather than individual JAN part numbers; specific part-number availability is confirmed on quote.
Silicon-controlled rectifiers (SCRs) and thyristors
Powerex is best known in the U.S. defense sector for its high-power SCRs and thyristors — stud-mount, disc, puck, and press-pak devices used in phase-controlled rectifiers, motor drives, solid-state circuit breakers, and pulse-power systems. A recent redesign replaced hand-soldered assembly with automated chip mounting, upgraded SCR chips and ceramic substrates, and added integrated heat pipes. SCR/diode assemblies are offered as single-phase, three-phase, and half-controlled bridges.
Diode rectifier modules
Standard-recovery, fast-recovery, and high-voltage diode rectifier modules in single-phase, three-phase, and hybrid SCR/diode topologies. Package families include stud, puck, and industry-standard aluminum-baseplate modules with both soldered-down and wire-bonded fabrication paths.
IGBT, HVIGBT, and Intelligent Power Modules (IPMs)
Powerex's IGBT range is built on Mitsubishi Electric's CSTBT (Carrier-Stored Trench-Gate Bipolar Transistor) technology. Standard IGBT modules span 600 V, 1200 V, 1400 V, 2200 V, and 3300 V classes; the HVIGBT line targets high-voltage rail-traction and grid applications. IPMs integrate the IGBT power stage with its gate-drive electronics and full over-current, short-circuit, over-temperature, and under-voltage protection in a single module.
SiC diodes, SiC FETs, and Si/SiC hybrid modules
The silicon-carbide portfolio includes SiC Schottky diodes, SiC FET modules, and Si/SiC hybrid modules that pair a silicon IGBT stage with SiC anti-parallel diodes for reduced switching loss — targeting more-electric-aircraft power systems and DC-linked electric propulsion.
Custom modules, Aviation ARTU, gate drivers
Powerex operates a dedicated custom-modules business including compression-bonded encapsulation (CBE) of SCR and diode elements, custom integrated heatsinks (air-cooled, liquid-cooled, or baseplate-eliminated), and both commercial moisture-resistant and hermetic constructions. The Aviation ARTU line targets aircraft power-conversion applications. Matched gate drivers and DC-DC converter building blocks support the module portfolio.
Heritage JAN silicon rectifier families
For historic MIL-PRF-19500 sourcing, the relevant families are the JAN and JANTX silicon rectifier device series originally qualified against MIL-S-19500 at the Westinghouse Semiconductor Division on Armbrust Road, Youngwood — the physical predecessor of today's Powerex fab. Legacy General Electric Semiconductor Products Department (Liverpool, NY, FSCM 03508) JAN rectifier, SCR, and small-signal families are frequently referenced in the same buyer bills-of-material.
Defense, aviation, and naval heritage
Powerex's military and aviation business is roughly half of company revenue. Its power modules are cited on the F-16, F-22, and F-35 fighter aircraft; the NIST CHIPS announcement page specifically names the F-35 as a defense application supported by the Youngwood facility. Other application areas include solid-state circuit breakers for aircraft, ground vehicles, and shipboard distribution; aircraft generator and flight-control systems; turret rotation and targeting motor drives; munition and missile systems; naval surface and submarine power systems; and high-energy pulse-power. Commercial applications include rail traction, MRI, wind, and oil-and-gas drives. Because rectifier and thyristor structures are naturally hard against TID and neutron effects typical of tactical environments, JAN and JANTX Youngwood-heritage silicon rectifiers and Powerex's modern SCR modules are commonly specified where high-current switching survival takes priority over full JANS space-level flow.
How Hybrid Electronics sources Powerex and heritage Westinghouse Youngwood parts
Hybrid Electronics Corporation is a Sanford, Florida-based independent stocking distributor and sourcing agent, founded in 1981 as Knight Electronics. We are not an authorized distributor, agent, licensee, or franchised partner of Powerex, Inc., Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, or General Electric Company. What we do is help defense, aerospace, industrial, and rail buyers close high-power BOMs when the mainstream authorized channel cannot support the exact date code, module revision, or obsolete legacy JAN part they need.
Heritage JAN Westinghouse Youngwood inventory
Legacy JAN and JANTX silicon rectifier families originally qualified at Armbrust Road, Youngwood under Westinghouse Electric's Semiconductor Division (FSCM 05277), plus legacy GE Semiconductor Products Department (Liverpool, NY) devices. We work from excess-inventory pools, long-term OEM storage stocks, and government-surplus channels.
Current-production Powerex modules
SCRs, thyristors, IGBT and HVIGBT modules, IPMs, SiC diodes, SiC FET and Si/SiC hybrid modules, custom Aviation ARTU modules, and gate driver products — obsolete lot codes, allocated production, and hard-to-find package variants. Send a shortage list or full BOM.
Slash-sheet and cross-reference sourcing
Have a MIL-PRF-19500 slash-sheet reference or a legacy Westinghouse or GE JAN device number but no current supplier lined up? We can quote heritage stock where it exists and, where useful, cross to an equivalent QPL-19500 source among the current 17 QML-19500 manufacturers.
Frequently asked questions
Is Powerex Inc on the current MIL-PRF-19500 QPL or QML?
No. The current DLA Land and Maritime real-time QML-19500 listing does not include Powerex, Inc. Powerex's MIL-PRF-19500 relevance is heritage, through the former Westinghouse Electric Semiconductor Division at Armbrust Road, Youngwood, PA (FSCM 05277 / CAY) and General Electric's Semiconductor Products Department in Liverpool, NY (FSCM 03508). Today Powerex is qualified against MIL-PRF-38534 Class D, AS9100, and is ITAR/DDTC registered.
Who owns Powerex today?
Powerex is a 50/50 joint venture of Mitsubishi Electric Corporation and General Electric Company, established on January 1, 1986. In 1994, Westinghouse sold its original share to Mitsubishi and GE.
Where is Powerex manufactured?
Youngwood, Pennsylvania. Powerex's corporate headquarters and 90,000 sq-ft fab are located at 173 Pavilion Lane, Youngwood, PA 15697. The site was originally built in 1956 as a Westinghouse silicon rectifier plant.
What MIL and aerospace certifications does Powerex hold today?
MIL-PRF-38534 Class D for hybrid microcircuits, AS9100 (30+ years), ISO 9001, AS9104/1:2012, and ITAR/DDTC registration. Reliability testing per MIL-STD-750 and MIL-STD-883 (Groups A, B, C, D) is performed in-house.
Which defense platforms use Powerex power modules?
Powerex modules are cited on the F-16, F-22, and F-35 fighter aircraft, and are used in solid-state circuit breakers, generator and flight-control systems, munition and missile systems, and naval power distribution. In late 2024 the U.S. Department of Commerce announced up to $30 million in CHIPS Act funding to expand the Youngwood defense-packaging facility.
What Powerex parts does Hybrid Electronics source?
Both current-production Powerex families — SCRs, thyristors, diode-rectifier modules, IGBT and HVIGBT modules, IPMs, SiC diodes, SiC FET modules, Si/SiC hybrid modules, custom Aviation ARTU modules, and gate driver products — and heritage Westinghouse Youngwood JAN silicon rectifiers and legacy GE Semiconductor Products Department devices originally qualified against MIL-S / MIL-PRF-19500. We work by exact part number or by slash-sheet reference.
Is Hybrid Electronics an authorized Powerex distributor?
No. Hybrid Electronics is an independent stocking distributor and sourcing agent. We are not a distributor, reseller, agent, licensee, partner, or authorized service provider of Powerex, Inc., Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, or General Electric Company. All trademarks are property of their respective owners.
Trademark and affiliation notice. All company names, product names, and trademarks referenced on this page are the property of their respective owners. Hybrid Electronics Corporation is an independent stocking distributor and sourcing agent; we are not a distributor, reseller, agent, licensee, partner, or authorized service provider of Powerex, Inc., Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, or General Electric Company unless expressly stated. Component sourcing is subject to availability and inspection. Hybrid Electronics does not sell counterfeit parts and does not offer repair services. MIL-PRF-19500 and JAN quality-level designations are administered by the U.S. Defense Logistics Agency (DLA).