THIN FILMS WITH HIGH TEMPERATURE COEFFICIENT OF RESISTANCE

THERMISTORS EXHIBIT HIGHLY TEMPERATURE-DEPENDENT RESISTANCE CHARACTERISTICS (TYPICALLY MANY PERCENT PER DEGREE NEAR ROOM TEMPERATURE) AND FIND WIDESPREAD USE AS DISCRETE DEVICES IN TEMPERATURE MEASUREMENT AND CONTROL CIRCUITS AND IN CIRCUITS WHICH UTILIZE THEIR SELF-HEATING PROPERTIES. THERMISTORS ARE MANUFACTURED BY HIGH TEMPERATURE CERAMIC TECHNIQUES NOT SUITED TO THIN FILM PRODUCTION. THE PROPOSED RESEARCH WILL DEVELOP A PROCESS FOR DEPOSITING THIN (500 NM OR LESS) THERMISTOR MATERIALS ON SILICON SUBSTRATES USING ION-BEAM DEPOSITION TECHNIQUES. METALLIZED CONTACTS WILL ALSO BE DEPOSITED AND BARRIER AYERS INVESTIGATED. STRUCTURAL AND ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES OF THE FILMS WILL BE CHARACTERIZED AND THE DEPOSITION PROCESS OPTIMIZED FOR MAXIMUM FILM STABILITY AND REPRODUCIBILITY.