Composite resistors
AssigneeAnalog Devices, Inc.
InventorRonald R. Gobbi
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A composite resistor includes a thin film resistor element having a first temperature coefficient of resistance and a metal resistor element having a second temperature coefficient of resistance. A portion of the metal resistor element overlaps a portion of the thin film resistor element such that the portion of the metal resistor element is in thermal communication with the portion of the thin film resistor element to compensate for a resistance drift arising during operation of the composite resistor.
Claims22
An electronic device comprising:
- a thin film resistor element having a first temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR);
- a metal resistor element having a second TCR of opposite sign to the first TCR, the metal resistor electrically connected with the thin film resistor;
- an insulating material interposed between the thin film resistor element and the metal resistor element;
- an overlapping region comprising a portion of the metal resistor element overlapping a portion of the thin film resistor element such that the portion of the metal resistor element is in thermal communication with the portion of the thin film resistor element through the insulating material.
A method of compensating a self-heating resistance drift in a composite resistor comprising:
- providing a thin film resistor element having a first temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR);
- providing a metal resistor element having a second TCR in an overlapping region such that a portion of the metal resistor element overlaps with and is in thermal communication with the thin film resistor element;
- and
- electrically connecting the metal resistor element with the thin film resistor element.
A method of compensating a resistance drift in a composite resistor comprising:
- computing powers dissipated by self-heating of a thin film resistor element having a first temperature coefficient (TCR) and a metal resistor element having a second TCR under an operating condition;
- computing temperatures attained by the thin film resistor element and the metal resistor element in part due to the powers dissipated;
- computing first and second TCRs at the temperatures of the thin film resistor element and the metal resistor element;
- obtaining a desired net TCR of the composite resistor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.