The Design of Composite Resistors

The design of composite systems in order to achieve desirable resistor properties is discussed, with regard to obtaining a wide range of resistance by means of simple variation of the proportion of the constituents. The subsequent temperature dependence, electrical noise, and stability are also discussed along with the structure and properties of commercial thick film printed resistors for comparison. Experimental results, based mainly on the arc plasma spraying preparation of thick films, are also presented, in which attempts were made at achieving a suitable physical structure, required by design considerations. Although a commercially practical system was not obtained, some interesting insight has been gained into the viability of processes such as arc plasma spraying as competitors to the conventional screen printing techniques.