There are several different passive component options for snubber designs. For example, film polypropylene capacitors are often used as a snubber to control the voltage rate of rise (dV/dt) in high pulse applications. High-voltage, standard MLCCs are likewise used as a snubber to clamp the voltage to a fixed level during device turn-on. They can also be used to clamp harmful transient voltages on semiconductor switching devices such as bipolar or MOS transistors. The disadvantage with all these solutions is their size. Film capacitors are leaded, through-hole devices that require significant board space. High-voltage, 390 pF, 1 kV MLCCs have, until now been available only in the 1812 size.  New HVArc Guard® capacitor high-voltage MLCCs remove these limitations. They combine high breakdown voltages, low impedance, and a wide operating frequency range in case sizes as small as 0805. Designers can thus save on board space while maintaining the same capacitance and voltage ratings for a wide range of medium- to high-voltage snubber applications.