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handbook of modern sensors

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16.1 Thermoresistive Sensors 473<br />

Fig. 16.8. Glass-coated radial and axial bead thermistors.<br />

16.1.3.1.4 Fabrication <strong>of</strong> NTC Thermistors<br />

Generally, the NTC thermistors can be classified into three major groups depending<br />

on the method by which they are fabricated. The first group consists <strong>of</strong> bead-type<br />

thermistors. The beads may be bare or coated with glass epoxy (Fig. 16.8), or encapsulated<br />

into a metal jacket. All <strong>of</strong> these beads have platinum alloy lead wires which<br />

are sintered into the ceramic body. When fabricated, a small portion <strong>of</strong> a mixed metal<br />

oxide with a suitable binder is placed onto parallel leadwires, which are under slight<br />

tension. After the mixture has been allowed to dry or has been partly sintered, the<br />

strand <strong>of</strong> beads is removed from the supporting fixture and placed into a tubular furnace<br />

for the final sintering. The metal oxide shrinks onto the lead wires during this<br />

firing process and forms an intimate electrical bond. Then, the beads are individually<br />

cut from the strand and are given an appropriate coating.<br />

Another type <strong>of</strong> thermistor is a chip thermistor with surface contacts for the lead<br />

wires. Usually, the chips are fabricated by a tape-casting process, with subsequent<br />

screenprinting, spraying, painting, or vacuum metallization <strong>of</strong> the surface electrodes.<br />

The chips are either bladed or cut into the desired geometry. If desirable, the chips<br />

can be ground to meet the required tolerances.<br />

The third type <strong>of</strong> thermistor is fabricated by the depositing semiconductive materials<br />

on a suitable substrate, such as glass, alumina, silicon, and so forth. These<br />

thermistors are preferable for integrated <strong>sensors</strong> and for a special class <strong>of</strong> thermal<br />

infrared detectors.<br />

Among the metallized surface contact thermistors, flakes and uncoated chips are<br />

the least stable. A moderate stability may be obtained by epoxy coating. The bead<br />

type with lead wires sintered into the ceramic body permits operation at higher temperatures,<br />

up to 550 ◦ C. The metallized surface contact thermistors usually are rated<br />

up to 150 ◦ C. Whenever a fast response time is required, bead thermistors are preferable;<br />

however, they are more expensive than the chip type. Also, the bead thermistors<br />

are more difficult to trim to a desired nominal value. Trimming is usually performed<br />

by mechanical grinding <strong>of</strong> a thermistor at a selected temperature (usually 25 ◦ C) to<br />

change its geometry and thus to bring its resistance to a specified value.

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