Working Principle of the Negative Temperature Coefficient Thermistors

Thermistor With A Negative Temperature Coefficient Basics

NTC thermistor definition: NTC is the abbreviation of Negative Temperature Coefficient, which means negative temperature coefficient. It generally refers to semiconductor materials or components with a large negative temperature coefficient. The so-called NTC thermistor is a negative temperature coefficient thermistor. NTC negative temperature coefficient is made of metal oxides such as manganese, cobalt, nickel, and copper as the main materials and made by ceramic technology.

NTC thermistor function: NTC thermistor material can be widely used in temperature measurement, temperature control, temperature compensation, etc.

NTC Thermistor Material

NTC (Negative Temperature Coefficient) refers to NTC meaning electronics, the phenomenon, and materials of the thermistor with a negative temperature coefficient, and the resistance decreases exponentially as the temperature rises. The material is a semiconductor ceramic made of two or more metal oxides such as manganese, copper, silicon, cobalt, iron, nickel, zinc, etc., which are fully mixed, formed, and sintered, and can be made into a negative temperature coefficient (NTC) thermistor. Negative coefficient thermistor resistivity and material constant vary with the material with negative temperature coefficient composition ratio, sintering atmosphere, sintering temperature, and structural state. Non-oxide NTC thermistor materials represented by silicon carbide, tin selenide, and tantalum nitride have also appeared.

NTC Working Principle

The metal oxide materials of a negative temp coefficient thermistor generally have semiconductor properties because they are completely similar to semiconductor materials such as germanium and silicon in terms of conduction. When the temperature is low, the number of carriers (electrons and holes) of these oxide materials is small, so their resistance value is higher; as the temperature rises, the number of carriers increases, so the resistance value decreases. The variation range of the negative temp coefficient thermistor at room temperature is 100~1000000 ohms, and the temperature coefficient is -2%~-6.5%.