Process for manufacturing resistor-networks with higher circuit density, smaller input/output pitches, and lower precision tolerance

A plurality of resistor networks disposed on a substrate comprising:

• a plurality of resistive circuit elements wherein each of said resistive circuit elements composed of a resistive layer;
• a plurality of termination contacts each composed of a conductive layer and connected to one of said resistive circuit elements wherein said resistive layer is disposed below said conductive layer;
• and
• each of said termination contacts is disposed on an edge of the substrate and each of said termination contacts is separated from a next termination contact by an edge trench having a final trench-cutting controllable distance ranging from approximately ten mils to about fifty mils disposed on said edge of said substrate whereby said final trench-cutting controllable distance across said edge trench defining a pitch between said termination contacts without thermal expansion uncertainties.

A method for fabricating a plurality of resistor networks on a substrate with each of said network connected to a termination contact on said substrate, the method comprising steps of:

• (a) forming a plurality of resistive films and conductive films on said substrate;
• (b) patterning the resistive films into a plurality of resistive circuit elements and a plurality of termination contacts, each connected to one of said resistive circuit elements;
• (c) cutting said substrate along a cutting edge with the cutting edge near a plurality of termination contacts;
• and
• (d) cutting a plurality of edge trenches along said cutting edge each of said edge trenches is cut between the termination contacts thus separating said termination contacts with a predefined final trench-cutting controllable pitch across the edge trenches whereby a precision control of the pitch can be controlled same as a precision control of cutting the edge trenches without thermal expansion uncertainties.