Vicor Corporation · Andover, MA United States ·(NASDAQ (GS): VICR)

Raw power can give the electric chair a charge, but it can also wreak havoc on sensitive electronics. Vicor makes converters that tame and transfer raw electricity into the stable DC voltages needed to power electronic circuits. The company's zero current and zero voltage switching technologies allow its converters to operate at high frequencies (in excess of 1 MHz) with relatively little noise. Customers -- including large equipment manufacturers and lower-volume users -- incorporate the converters into all sorts of electronic equipment, ranging from fiber-optic systems to broadcasting components to military radar. Vicor derives more than half of its sales from the US. To read the full description, subscribe now.