NTC Thermistors
The NTC Thermistors
This is a Negative Temperature Coefficient Resistor whose resistance changes as ambient temperature changes. Therm-
istor comprises 2 or 4 kinds of metal oxides of iron, nickel, cobalt, manganese and copper, being shaped and sintered
°
at high temperature (1200 to 1500 C)
■ Features
■ Recommended Applications
● For temperature measurement or temperature detection :
● Temperature Coefficient of Resistance is negative and
extremely large
thermometer, temperature controller
● Various kinds of types especially smaller ones are
available.
● For temperature compensation : transistor circuit,
measuring instruments
● Resistance values are available from 22 Ω to 470 kΩ
Physical Characteristics of NTC Thermistors
■
Thermistor is a resistor sensitive to temperature utilizing
the large temperature-coefficient of metal oxide semi-
conductor. And its temperature dependency of resistance
value is indicated by the following equation:
Fig. 1
1000
100
10
1
1
T
1
....................................
(1)
0
R=R exp
B
[ ( )]
0
T
0
°
T : Standard Temperature 298.15 K(25 C)
R : Resistance at T K
0
0
B: Thermistor Constant (K)
a
So called Temperature Coefficient ( ) is generally
indicated as follows:
3000
4000
0.1
B
....................................................................
a
=
(2)
T2
0.01
a
But is not adequate for use as a constant, because a
change by temperature is considerably large, so B Value
is used as a coefficient of thermistor.
0.001
–40 –20
0
20 40 60 80 100 120 140
T (˚C)
■ Major Characteristics of NTC Thermistors
The relation between resistance and temperature of a
thermistor is linear as shown in Fig. 2, in which resistance
is shown in vertical direction in a logarithmic scale and
reciprocal of absolute temperature in horizontal direction.
Bias degrees in these straight lines are determined according
to the B Value expressed by the following equation.
Fig. 2
10000000
1000000
100000
10000
1000
100
ꢃ
<
ꢂ
ꢅ
=
1
2
nR – nR
k
k
5
..................................................
B =
(3)
5
5
&
45
1
1
1
T
2
T
3
&
1
1
R : Resistance at T K
&
2
2
R : Resistance at T K
<
When calculated from this equation, B Value is a variable
in a strict sense, and the resistance is expressed by the
following equation:
10
–
R = AT C exp D/T
(4)
........................................................
In (4), C is a small positive or negative constant and quite
negligible except use in precision temperature-measuring
device, thereby the B Value is, in practical usage, to be
considered as a constant. In Fig. 1,
1
2.4
2.9
3.4
(L10 –3K–1
3.9
4.4
1
T
)
125
85
50
25
T (˚C)
0
–20
–40
T
25
the relation between the resistance ratio R /R
25
°
T
°
(R : Resistance at 25 C, R : Resistance at T C) and B Value is
°
shown with T C, in the horizontal direction.
00 Sep. 2010
2