Fine-line thick film resistors and resistor networks and method of making same
OwnerFranklyn M. Collinsinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Electrical resistors and resistor networks are provided on an insulative substrate with designated conductive terminations by direct and continuous writing of resistive lines in fine-line patterns between and over each two of neighboring terminations from heterogeneous resistive thick film compositions. The resistive lines of line width w and total length l between conductive terminations can be directly written by suitable writing apparatus to have a high aspect ratio n=l/w, thereby providing resistors and resistor networks of high resistance values on an overall substrate area significantly smaller than required for conventional thick film resistors of comparable resistance value and comparable operational characteristics.
Claims19
A resistor of resistance R comprising an insulative substrate, first and second designated conductive terminations on the substrate and an electrically resistive line of a heterogeneous resistive composition having a sheet resistivity .rho..sub.sheet directly written on the substrate in a continuous pattern extending between and onto the first and second terminations, said resistive line being of line width w and total length l and having an aspect ratio n equal to l/w exceeding a value of ten, the value of resistance R of the resistor being determined in accordance with the relationship R=.rho..sub.sheet .times.n.
A multiplicity of identical resistors of resistance R on an insulative substrate having a multiplicity of designated conductive terminations on the substrate, comprising an electrically resistive line of a heterogeneous resistive composition having a sheet resistivity .rho..sub.sheet directly written and disposed on the substrate in a continuous pattern extending between and over each one of the multiplicity of designated conductive terminations, said resistive line being of line width w and having an identical length l between each of two of said designated conductive terminations whereby a multiplicity of identical individual resistors with designated conductive terminations is singulated on said substrate.
A resistor network comprising an insulative substrate, (N+1) designated conductive terminations on the substrate, N resistors R1 to R.sub.N formed on said substrate between each two of said (N+1) designated conductive terminations, where N is an integer, said resistors R.sub.1 to R.sub.N of said network formed by a directly written resistive line disposed on said substrate of a particular line width and of a selected total length l.sub.1 to l.sub.N extending in a continuous pattern between and onto each of two of said (N+1) terminations, each resistive line pattern formed of a heterogeneous resistive composition having a sheet resistivity .rho..sub.sheet, said resistors R.sub.1 to R.sub.N interconnected on said designated conductive terminations by said resistive lines extending thereonto and wherein the resistance value of each one of the interconnected resistors R.sub.i is determined by a particular aspect ratio n.sub.j equal to l.sub.k /w.sub.m of each resistive line pattern and by a sheet resistivity .rho..sub.sheet of the resistive composition, in accordance with the relationship R.sub.i =.rho..sub.sheet .times.n.sub.j, where i, j, k and m are integers from 1 to N.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.