Vishay General Semiconductor, a division of Vishay Intertechnology, is a prominent manufacturer specializing in discrete semiconductors, particularly rectifiers and protection devices. It 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. For all the types of components it provides, Vishay General Semiconductor is a leader in miniaturization and thermal efficiency. Vishay General Semiconductor originated from the Semiconductor Components Division of General Instrument, founded in New York, in 1960. In 1997, General Instrument's power semiconductor business became an independent company, General Semiconductor, which also acquired ITT Industries' small signal diode business that year. Vishay Intertechnology acquired General Semiconductor in 2001, elevating Vishay to a top-tier discrete semiconductor manufacturer and a leader in power rectifiers and TVS avalanche breakdown diodes. In the discrete semiconductor market, the company competes with other major semiconductor companies like ON Semiconductor, Infineon Technologies, and STMicroelectronics.