Thin film resistive materials: past, present and future

This paper explores the key developments in thin film resistive materials for use in the fabrication of discrete precision resistors. Firstly an introduction to the preparation of thin films and their fundamental properties is given with respect to well established systems such as NiCr, TaN and CrSiO. The effect of doping these systems in both solid and gaseous forms to further refine their structural and electrical properties is then discussed before the performance of more recent materials systems such as CuAlMo and MmAgCuN are reviewed. In addition to performance of the materials themselves, the effect of varying processing parameters such as deposition pressure and temperature and subsequent annealing environment, as well as laser trimming energy and geometry are also studied. It is shown how these parameters can be systematically controlled to produce films of the required properties for varying applications such as high precision, long term stability and high power pulse performance.