Linear resistors

Fixed Resistor Technologies

Wirewound (Surface-Mount / Leaded)

Wirewound resistors are made from winding a metal wire on an insulating form, such as a ceramic, plastic, or fiberglass core to the desired resistance value. The wire ends are pressed or brazed to the caps. The outstanding characteristic of this type of resistor is the very high surface temperature, which make them capable for high power dissipation in relation to its size.

Metal Strip / Metal Element (Surface-Mount / Leaded)

These resistors are constructed by using a solid metal alloy which is welded to copper terminals. The resistive element can be trimmed to a requested resistance value by increasing the current path. Finally the resistor body is encapsulated and the terminals plated for solderable connection. Metal Strip resistors are characterized by very low resistance values, tight resistance tolerance, low temperature coefficient (TCR) and low thermal EMF. Metal Strip resistors are commonly used as shunt resistors.

Film (Surface-Mount / Leaded)

Film resistors in general are characterized by a resistive layer on a cylindrical ceramic base. Metal film resistors are often produced by sputtering, while thick film resistors are manufactured using printing processes. Once the terminations are attached, the resistor is trimmed to its final value, mainly by lasers. A final lacquer coat is applied to protect the component from mechanical and climatic stresses. The termination can be leaded or plated . Commonly the resistance value is then marked using the familiar color rings or stamped on in plain text. Film resistors can be used essentially anywhere in the area of low power electronics.

Metal Film (Leaded/MELF)

Cylindrical resistors made by depositing a homogenous resistive element made of a thin conducting film of a metal or metal alloy, such as nichrome, onto a cylindrical ceramic or glass core. The resistance is controlled by cutting a helical groove through the conducting film. Metal film resistors possess very good noise characteristics and low non-linearity. Parameters such as tolerance, temperature coefficient, and stability are excellent. Metal film resistors are available as leaded kinds for through hole mounting and as MELF style SMD devices.

Metal Oxide (Leaded)

A type of cylindrical resistor that uses materials such as ruthenium oxide or tin oxide as the resistive element. These resistors can be excellent high-voltage or high-power devices.

Thick Film (Surface-Mount Chip Resistors/Chip Arrays/Networks)

Surface-mount film chip resistor that carries high power for the part size. For thick film resistors, the ruthenium oxide “film” is applied using traditional screen-printing technology of resistive paste. The final resistive value is reached by laser trimming. Thick film resistors are the high volume resistor component for general purpose use in any electronic application in all industrial segments.

Thin Film (Surface-Mount Chip Resistors/Chip Arrays/Networks)

Surface-mount film chip resistor with a relatively thin resistive element, technically very close related to the cylindrical metal film resistors. Thin film resistors are made by sputtering (vacuum deposition) a resistive material, such as nichrome or tantalum nitride, onto the surface of a substrate. The final resistive value is reached by laser trimming.

Carbon Film (Leaded/MELF)

A general class description for cylindrical resistors made by depositing a carbon film on the surface of a center core insulator. The resistance is controlled by cutting a helical groove through the conducting film.

Metal Foil (Surface Mount / Leaded)

A type of resistor made from photo fabricating a homogeneous metal in a specific pattern onto a ceramic substrate with high heat conductivity. The unique combination of materials and construction results in a product with unmatched performance characteristics as low temperature coefficient, low thermoelectrical potential difference with reference to copper, and high long-term stability and high reliability.

Composition (Leaded)

With composition resistors, the entire body of the resistor acts as the resistance element. The resistor composition based on carbon or ceramics is pressed together with the termination wires and hardened. Since there is no trimming, the tolerances on delivery are relatively high. The advantages of the composition resistor are its very good high-frequency characteristics and the high capability to overload relative to the component size.