By Gina Roos, editor-in-chief
Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd. has claimed the industry’s smallest positive-temperature-coefficient (PTC) thermistor, commonly known as a resettable fuse. The PRG03BC181QB6RL PTC is housed in a 0201 package (0.6 × 0.3 × 0.3 mm) to fit inside mobile devices, including smartphones and wearables.
The PTC thermistor was developed to meet growing demand for smaller components to protect shrinking electronic devices. Leveraging Murata’s process technology originally developed for its multi-layer ceramic capacitors and other multi-layer devices, the PRG03BC181QB6RL offers about an 80% smaller volume and 70% smaller footprint than the company’s previous PTC thermistor in an 0402 package.
In addition, the product offers long-term stability thanks to Murata’s unique ceramic materials, which contribute to improving the safety of electronic devices, said the company. The operating temperature range is –20°C to 60°C.
“NTC thermistors have been used widely for controlling the temperature of electronic circuits in mobile devices,” said Murata. “The new PTC thermistor will help manufacturers to prevent short-circuits and further improve the safety of their products.”
The device is available in volume production.
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