International Rectifier Corporation · El Segundo, CA United States ·(NYSE: IRF)

In electronics as in politics, power tends to corrupt. International Rectifier (IR) doesn't apply itself to matters of statecraft, but it has plenty of ideas about the performance of power in electronic gear. IR is a top maker of power semiconductors, which refine the electricity flowing into a device from a battery or a power grid, enabling more efficient operation. Its products -- including MOSFETs (metal oxide semiconductor field-effect transistors), diodes, and rectifiers -- are used in automobiles, computers, communication devices, consumer appliances, lighting systems, and military equipment. In 2008 rival Vishay Intertechnology offered to buy IR, a bid the company rejected. To read the full description, subscribe now.