Design Support


DESIGN & SUPPORT

About PTC Thermistors

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A positive temperature coefficient (PTC) thermistor is a type of thermally sensitive semiconductor resistor. Its primary characteristic is that it maintains a constant resistance at ambient temperatures; however, once the temperature exceeds a certain threshold, its resistance increases sharply. This threshold is defined as the Curie temperature (Tc). Depending on variations in the ceramic composition, the Curie temperature can be adjusted or specified within the range of 20°C to 340°C.
  
The characteristic properties of PTC thermistors are achieved by adding trace amounts of rare-earth elements and performance-improving additives to barium titanate material, followed by sintering the resulting ceramic matrix at elevated temperatures (below 1400°C) and subsequently applying electrode materials to fabricate the final component.