Fired resistors exhibit variations which are minimised by abrasive and laser trimming. The latter may cause unstable behaviour which is further aggravated by thermal shock. The chemical structure of a thick film resistor is analysed with respect to mechanical stress, and the theoretical conclusion that the coefficient of thermal expansion of the resistor should be equal to or smaller than that of the substrate is verified experimentally. The thermal behaviour of ruthenium dioxide is examined and a range of CTE values are determined for materials of varying chemical composition. The relationship between CTE and post laser trimming stability is demonstrated on four thick film resistors which differ in thermal expansion. It is pointed out that formulations with high metallic content can absorb tensile stress by elastic deformation, thus minimising the formation or propagation of laser induced cracks.
Al/Ti-film-resistor based thermal heater with Zig-Zag configuration for MEMS application
