TDK Corp. has expanded its NTCG04 lineup of thermistors, with a new component featuring a nominal resistance of 10 kΩ and a narrow tolerance of just plus-or-minus 1 percent.
The new SMD (surface-mount device) NTC (negative-temperature coefficient) component within the company’s NTCG04 thermistor lineup complements the existing 100 kΩ type. Both are available in the IEC 0402 case size (EIA 01005).
With its miniature dimensions of just 0.4 mm x 0.2 mm x 0.2 mm, TDK’s newest NTCG04 component is optimally suited for temperature measurement and compensation of microcontrollers and displays in such applications as camera modules, light-emitting diode (LED) modules, Wi-Fi and other communication modules.
Among other applications for the new TDK temperature sensor are mobile devices such as smartphones, tablets, headphones and microphones, and wearable devices.
Thermistors—a combination of the words thermal and resistor—are resistors that are extremely sensitive to temperature changes. Because they exhibit a large and exact change in electrical resistance when subjected to a corresponding change in surrounding temperature, they are used as temperature sensors, in particular in devices of the NTC type, which exhibit a decrease in electrical resistance when subjected to an increase in surrounding temperature.
The characteristics of TDK’s expanded NTCG04 lineup of size 0402 thermistors are equivalent to those of the IEC 0603 (EIA 0201) case-size products. As such, the new thermistor supports the design of even smaller communication modules and increasing the mounting density in mobile devices.
Achieving these ratings in a 0402-sized component was made possible by further optimizing both the source materials and the manufacturing process, TDK said. The company plans to expand its lineup of 0402 SMD NTC thermistors with further nominal resistance values.
While the new SMD NTC 0402 thermistor with a 10 kΩ resistance (designated NTCG043) complements the existing 100 kΩ type component (designated NTCG044), there is one difference: the 10 kΩ thermistor features a B-value of 3435K (25/85°C), while the 100 kΩ type features a B-value of 4250 K (25/85°C). Otherwise, both thermistors are the same in size and tolerance.
TDK is a leading electronics company established in 1935 to commercialize ferrite, a key material in electronic and magnetic products. TDK's portfolio today includes electronic components, modules and systems marketed under the product brands TDK and EPCOS. The company also manufactures power supplies, magnetic application products, energy devices, and flash memory application devices.