A method for forming passive electrical devices that includes depositing a photo reactive layer over a sidewall of a via that extends through a printed circuit board; inserting a light pipe having a mask configured to provide a passive electronic device geometry within the via to an entire depth of the via; and exposing the photo reactive layer to radiation provided by the light pipe to provide a pattern having the passive electronic device geometry on the sidewall of the via.

A fuse device including a fuse component, a first electrode, disposed on a first side of the fuse component, a second electrode, disposed on a second side of the fuse component, and a phase change component, disposed in thermal contact with the fuse component. The fuse component may comprise a fuse temperature, wherein the phase change component exhibits a phase change temperature, the phase change temperature marking a phase transition of the phase change component, and wherein the phase change temperature is less than the fuse temperature.

The invention is to provide a chip resistor suitable for lowering an initial resistance value. A chip resistor 1 according to the present invention is provided with: an insulating substrate 2; a pair of front electrodes 3 which are provided on a front surface of the insulating substrate 2 so as to face each other with a predetermined interval therebetween; a resistive element 4 which is provided so as to bridge the front electrodes 3; a pair of auxiliary electrodes 5 which are provided so as to cover the front electrodes 3 and overlap end portions of the resistive element 4; and the like. The chip resistor 1 is configured such that: the front electrodes 3 are formed of a material which contains 1 to 5 wt % Pd and the balance Ag; and the auxiliary electrodes 5 are formed of a material which contains 15 to 30 wt % Pd and a metal material (e.g. Au) lower in resistivity than Pd and the balance Ag.

Provided are a metal nitride film for a thermistor, which has an excellent bending resistance and can be directly deposited on a film or the like without firing, a method for producing the same, and a film type thermistor sensor. The metal nitride film for a thermistor, which consists of a metal nitride represented by the general formula: Ti.sub.xAl.sub.yN.sub.z (where 0.70y/(x+y)0.95, 0.4z0.5, and x+y+z=1), wherein the crystal structure thereof is a hexagonal wurtzite-type single phase, and the peak ratio of the diffraction peak intensity of a-axis orientation (100) relative to the diffraction peak intensity of c-axis orientation (002) (i.e., the diffraction peak intensity of a-axis orientation (100)/the diffraction peak intensity of c-axis orientation (002)) is 0.1 or lower in X-ray diffraction.

Provided are a metal nitride material for a thermistor, which has a high reliability and a high heat resistance and can be directly deposited on a film or the like without firing, a method for producing the same, and a film type thermistor sensor. The metal nitride material for a thermistor consists of a metal nitride represented by the general formula: (Ti.sub.1-wCr.sub.w).sub.xAl.sub.yN.sub.z (where 0.0<w<1.0, 0.70y/(x+y)0.95, 0.4z0.5, and x+y+z=1), wherein the crystal structure thereof is a hexagonal wurtzite-type single phase.

Provided are a metal nitride material for a thermistor, which has a high reliability and a high heat resistance and can be directly deposited on a film or the like without firing, a method for producing the same, and a film type thermistor sensor. The metal nitride material for a thermistor consists of a metal nitride represented by the general formula: Cr.sub.xAl.sub.yN.sub.z (0.70y/(x+y)0.95, 0.4z0.5, and x+y+z=1), wherein the crystal structure thereof is a hexagonal wurtzite-type single phase. The method for producing the metal nitride material for a thermistor includes a deposition step of performing film deposition by reactive sputtering in a nitrogen-containing atmosphere using a CrAl alloy sputtering target.

A conductive polymer composite comprising conductive particles dispersed in a polymer matrix, the polymer matrix comprising a first polymer; and a second polymer, wherein the first polymer and the second polymer are immiscible; and the majority of the conductive particles are dispersed in only one of the first polymer and the second polymer. A method of manufacturing the conductive polymer composite of any preceding claim comprising providing conductive particles, a first polymer and a second polymer, wherein the first polymer and second polymer are immiscible; dispersing the conductive particles in the first polymer or second polymer; and blending together the first polymer and second polymer. A heating element comprising a plurality of electrodes and the foregoing conductive polymer composite disposed therebetween A container heater, heating jacket, or trace heater comprising this heating element.

An over-current protection device includes a first metal layer, a second metal layer and a heat-sensitive layer laminated therebetween. The heat-sensitive layer exhibits a positive temperature coefficient (PTC) characteristic and includes a first polymer and a conductive filler. The first polymer consists of polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF), and PVDF exists in different phases such as -PVDF, -PVDF and -PVDF. The total amount of -PVDF, -PVDF and -PVDF is calculated as 100%, and the amount of -PVDF accounts for 48% to 55%. The conductive filler has a metal-ceramic compound.

The present invention relates to a positive temperature coefficient composition comprising a semi-crystalline material, at least one binder, from 0.5 to 9.5% by weight of an electronically conductive material and a solvent. Furthermore, the present invention relates to use of a positive temperature coefficient composition according to the present invention in heating elements and sensors. A positive temperature coefficient composition according to the present invention provides low and stable resistance till self-regulating temperature, which allows fast heating of the heating element. Furthermore, the positive temperature coefficient composition according to the present invention has high PTC ration and therefore, has higher safety and more power can be applied to the heating element.