Nonlinearity between Interconnection and Resistive Layer

Abstract

The mechanism of electrical conductivity for an interconnection layer and a resistive layer is given by a composition of resistive and conductive ink. However, when the resistive film is contacted by the conductive film, a boundary area between the film materials of both the inks are mixed. Therefore different types of electrical conductivity can occur here. The current vs. voltage characteristics of these mechanisms will probably be nonlinear because different types of materials are in a contact here. Because the resulting C-V characteristics of the junction area is given by the sum of the partial mechanisms it will also be nonlinear. This nonlinearity was used for evaluation of properties of the contact area and for the investigation of changes caused by thermal ageing of inks. Nonlinearity measurement were realized by a modulating technique. The samples were investigated in the temperature range 373 K - 14 K. The low temperature measurements were carried out in a cryostat, measurement at the higher temperature was provided in an oven. Odd nonlinearity was measured by the use of a CLT meter, the measurement of even nonlinearity was realized by a lock-in amplifier. All measurements were carried out using Kelvin’s four point arrangement. It was found that nonlinearity of a junction area between interconnection and resistive layer is lower than nonlinearity of the resistive layer, depending weakly on temperature and substantially on ageing of the samples.