A semiconductor element includes: a first resistive layer; a second resistive layer provided separately from the first resistive layer and having a resistance value different from that of the first resistive layer; a first external connection electrode electrically connected to one end of the first resistive layer; a second external connection electrode provided separately from the first external connection electrode and electrically connected to one end of the second resistive layer; and a passivation film provided to cover the first and second external connection electrodes and having a first opening and a second opening to which top surfaces of the first and second external connection electrodes are partly exposed, wherein the first opening and the second opening having planar patterns with shapes different from each other.

A semiconductor element includes: a first resistive layer; a second resistive layer provided separately from the first resistive layer and having a resistance value different from that of the first resistive layer; a first external connection electrode electrically connected to one end of the first resistive layer; a second external connection electrode provided separately from the first external connection electrode and electrically connected to one end of the second resistive layer; and a passivation film provided to cover the first and second external connection electrodes and having a first opening and a second opening to which top surfaces of the first and second external connection electrodes are partly exposed, wherein the first opening and the second opening having planar patterns with shapes different from each other.

A thermistor has a thermistor element, a protective film, and an electrode portion. The protective film is formed of a SiO.sub.2 film having a film thickness in a range of 50 nm or more and 1000 nm or less. The protective film is formed in contact with the thermistor element. Alkali metal is unevenly distributed in a region including an interface between the thermistor element and the protective film.

A thermistor has a thermistor element, a protective film, and an electrode portion. The protective film is formed of a SiO.sub.2 film having a film thickness in a range of 50 nm or more and 1000 nm or less. The protective film is formed in contact with the thermistor element. Alkali metal is unevenly distributed in a region including an interface between the thermistor element and the protective film.

This disclosure refers to a method for confectioning resistors that each comprise a PTC ceramic plate and metallic electrode layers covering opposite faces of the ceramic plate, said method comprising the following steps: measuring an electrical resistance of a resistor to be confectioned by applying an electrical potential to one of electrode layers such that an electric current flows from one of the electrode layers through the ceramic plate to the electrode layer on the opposite face of the ceramic plate, comparing the measured resistance to a target resistance, and removing, if the measured resistance is lower than the target resistance, a section of at least one of the electrode layers. This disclosure also refers to such a resistor and a heating device comprising such resistors.

A temperature-sensor assembly comprising at least one temperature sensor and at least one supply line, wherein the temperature sensor has at least one electrically insulating substrate with an upper side and an underside, wherein a temperature-sensor structure with at least one sensor-contact surface is formed at least on parts of the upper side, wherein the supply line has at least one supply-line contact surface, wherein the supply-line contact surface is connected to the sensor-contact surface at least in part by means of a first sinter layer.

An electrode with multiple metallic-layers structure formed by a magnetron sputtering technique for a semiconductor device and method for producing same is disclosed. The ceramic device includes at least one from selected group consisting of ZnO-MOV (metal oxide varistors), BaTiO3-PTC (positive temperature coefficient) thermistors, Mn3O4-NTC (negative temperature coefficient) thermistors, and capacitors. The multiple metallic-layers include a sputtered buffer layer and a sputtered electrical contact layer. The buffer layer includes at least one alloy selected form group consisting of NiCr (Ni from 50-90 wt %), TiNi (Ti from 40-60 wt %), and AlNi (Al from 40-70 wt %) and the thickness of this layer is from greater than zero to less than 100 nm. The electrical contact layer includes at least one of Cu, Ag, Pt, Au, or combination. More specifically, the electrode includes one of NiCr/Cu system, NiCr/Ag system, NiCr/Cu/Ag system, TiNi/Cu/Ag system, or AlNi/Cu/Ag system. The thickness ratio of the electrical contact layer to the intermetallic barrier layer is from 1 to 4.

A resistance element includes a plurality of resistance chips stacked vertically, each of the plurality of resistance chips including a semiconductor substrate, one or more resistance layers on a field insulating film, a pad forming electrode on electrically connected to the one or more resistance layers, a relay wiring on the interlayer insulating film, laterally separated from the pad forming electrode, electrically connected to another end of at least one of the one or more resistance layers on one end and to a semiconductor substrate on another end, and a back surface electrode at a bottom of the semiconductor substrate, making ohmic contact with the semiconductor substrate, wherein the plurality of resistance chips have the same planar outer shape, and are stacked one over another so as to constitute a resistor as a whole.

A resistance element includes a plurality of resistance chips stacked vertically, each of the plurality of resistance chips including a semiconductor substrate, one or more resistance layers on a field insulating film, a pad forming electrode on electrically connected to the one or more resistance layers, a relay wiring on the interlayer insulating film, laterally separated from the pad forming electrode, electrically connected to another end of at least one of the one or more resistance layers on one end and to a semiconductor substrate on another end, and a back surface electrode at a bottom of the semiconductor substrate, making ohmic contact with the semiconductor substrate, wherein the plurality of resistance chips have the same planar outer shape, and are stacked one over another so as to constitute a resistor as a whole.

A resistor device has a resistor body, a first electrode assembly and a second electrode assembly. The resistor body has a resistor layer. The first electrode assembly has two first electrodes symmetrically distributed on both sides of the resistor layer, wherein the first electrodes are electrically connected to the resistor layer. The second electrode assembly has two second electrodes symmetrically distributed on both sides of the resistor layer, wherein the second electrodes are electrically connected to the resistor layer, and positions which the first electrode and the second electrode located on the same side of the resistor layer are connected to the resistor layer have an equipotential. The resistor device does not generate voltage drop through voltammetry detection, improves the accuracy of resistance value precision measurement of the voltammetry detection, and thus can be applied to precision circuits that have high requirements on resistance value precision.