Precision thin film surface mount resistors offer a useful combination of low inductance, low noise, low-temperature coefficient and close tolerance, they are considered the resistor of choice for many instrumentation, automotive, audio and industrial applications. However, one weakness with thin film resistor technology is its vulnerability to ESD pulses which can cause the resistor to fail or go out of its specified tolerance, to negate this issue designers must add additional components in the form of ESD protection devices such as varistors in the circuit. This adds further cost and complexity to the design and creates more potential failure points due to additional components.
One option for designers is to use thick film resistors which are much less vulnerable to ESD pulses, however these have traditionally not been able to offer tolerances below 0.25% or temperature coefficients (T.C.R) below 50ppm which are often required in precision designs. To overcome this issue and offer designers a real alternative to thin film precision resistors, KOA have developed the RS73 series of precision resistors which are based on the more robust thick film resistor technology, featuring a T.C.R. down to ±25ppm and a tolerance as low as ±0.1%, the new RS73 series from KOA is ideal for precision designs such as high-accuracy sensing or voltage detection circuits in automotive, industrial and measuring applications, where ESD sensitivity is an issue. This allows designers to use fewer protective components in new designs and even allows them to make existing designs more robust and ESD tolerant by replacing thin film with thick film resistors.
The table below compares the new RS73 series specifications against other thin film series available from KOA
The table demonstrates whilst thin film can still outperform precision thick film in certain areas, such as T.C.R, tolerance, high-frequency performance, and long-term stability, the gap is now narrow and only those applications that demand the very highest performance still need to use thin film resistors. One other thing to note is the noise performance of the RS73 series is not comparable to thin film so it is not recommended for audio applications. However, where the RS73 series really excels is in ESD performance and rated power for the same case size which can be twice that of thin film resistors allowing designers to potentially reduce the size of the components used saving valuable PCB space. The RS73 series also features an excellent long-term stability of ±0.2% and is available in four industry standard sizes, 0402, 0603, 0805 and 1206.
To conclude, while thin film still offers better performance in several areas, precision thick film is now a viable choice for designs which require robust ESD performance in suitable applications, and the thick film RS73 series can reduce overall component count by negating the need for additional protection components.
Revolutionize your precision designs with KOA’s new ESD transient tolerant RS73 series resistors using thick film technology: High precision and high reliability in compact sizes!
Key Features
The RS73 series of thick film precision resistors from KOA are ideal for a wide range of applications in consumer, automotive, industrial and precision instrumentation equipment.
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