Resistor Selection Made Easy
Thin-Film vs. Thick-Film vs. Metal Current Sense
Resistors are essential in electronic design, controlling current flow to adjust voltage levels, bias components and protect sensitive parts to ensure stable and functional systems across various applications.
Selecting the right resistor
- For precision: Thin Film
- For cost-effective power circuits: Thick Film
- For current sensing: Metal Current Sense
Thin Film
Construction
- Made by sputtering the resistive material on the substrate
- Precisely manufactured with tight tolerances, thickness of the film determines the resistance
Applications
- Precision circuits where accuracy and stability are critical (e.g., instrumentation, high-precision measurement equipment)
- Used in high-frequency applications due to low parasitic inductance and capacitance
Advantages
- High precision
- Stable
- Low noise
Disadvantages
- Lower power handling
- More expensive
Current flow
The resistive layer is deposited by conductive metal granules. The electrons pass from one metal granules to another and form a straight current flow, thus lowering the current noise.
Yageo Thin Film Resistors
Thick Film
Construction
- Made by screen printing the resistive material (mix of both metal and glass) on the substrate
- Thicker film supports higher power levels
Applications
- Widely used in general-purpose applications (e.g., power supplies, automotive circuits, consumer electronics)
- Common in low-cost, medium-power designs
Advantages
- Cost-effective
- High power handling
- Versatile
Disadvantages
- Lower precision
- Less stability
Current flow
The resistive layer is made of both metal and glass materials. When electrons move in the resistive layer, they can only transfer through metal granules since glass is non-conductive. Therefore the directions of current flows keep changing, which results in current noise.
Yageo Thick Film Resistors
Metal Current Sense
Construction
- Metal alloy with a precise and consistent resistance value, laser-trimmed
- Constructed for measuring current by creating a small voltage drop when current flows through the resistor
Applications
- Current sensing in power management circuits, battery charging systems, motor controllers and load monitoring
- Used in automotive electronics, renewable energy systems and portable devices where current measurement is critical
- Used in safety circuits and motor control applications where monitoring current levels is important
Advantages
- High accuracy
- Low predictable resistance
- Compact size
Disadvantages
- Sensitive to temperature
- Higher cost