NTC Thermistors

General technical information

Date: February 2009

© EPCOS AG 2009. Reproduction, publication and dissemination of this publication, enclosures hereto and the
information contained therein without EPCOS' prior express consent is prohibited.
General technical information

1 Definition
As defined by IEC 60539, NTC (Negative Temperature Coefficient) thermistors are thermally sen-
sitive semiconductor resistors which show a decrease in resistance as temperature increases.
With 2%/K to 6%/K, the negative temperature coefficients of resistance are about ten times
greater than those of metals and about five times greater than those of silicon temperature sen-
sors.

Changes in the resistance of the NTC thermistor can be brought about either externally by a
change in ambient temperature or internally by self-heating resulting from a current flowing
through the device. All practical applications are based on this behavior.

NTC thermistors are made of polycrystalline mixed oxide ceramics. The conduction mechanisms
in this material are quite complex, i.e. either extrinsic or intrinsic conduction may occur. In many
cases NTC thermistors have a spinell structure and then show valence conduction effects.

2 Manufacture
EPCOS thermistors are produced from carefully selected and tested raw materials. The starting
materials are different oxides of metals such as manganese, iron, cobalt, nickel, copper and zinc,
to which chemically stabilizing oxides may be added to achieve better reproducibility and stability
of the thermistor characteristics.

The oxides are milled to a powdery mass, mixed with a plastic binder and then compressed into
the desired shape. Standard shapes are:
Disks: The thermistor material is compressed under very high pressure on pelleting machines
to produce round, flat pieces.
Wafers: The ceramic material is compression-molded or drawn and then cut to the required
shape.

The blanks are then sintered at high temperatures (between 1000 °C and 1400 °C) to produce the
polycrystalline thermistor body. Disks are contacted by baking a silver paste onto the flat sur-
faces. Depending on the application, the thermistors are fitted with leads or tab connectors, coat-
ed or additionally incorporated in different kinds of housing. Finally the thermistors are subjected
to a special aging process to ensure high stability of the electrical values. Otherwise the NTC re-
sistance would possibly change even at room temperature due to solid-state reactions in the poly-
crystalline material.

SMD NTC thermistors are produced in ceramic multilayer technology with and without inner elec-
trodes.

Flow charts in the quality section of this book (see chapter "Quality and Environment") show the
individual processing steps in detail. The charts also illustrate the extensive quality assurance
measures taken during manufacture to guarantee the constantly high quality level of our thermis-
tors.

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General technical information

3 Characteristics
A current flowing through a thermistor may cause sufficient heating to raise the thermistor's tem-
perature above the ambient. As the effects of self-heating are not always negligible (or may even
be intended), a distinction has to be made between the characteristics of an electrically loaded
thermistor and those of an unloaded thermistor. The properties of an unloaded thermistor are also
termed "zero-power characteristics".

3.1 Unloaded NTC thermistors

3.1.1 Temperature dependence of resistance

The dependence of the resistance on temperature can be approximated by the following equa-
tion:

(formula 1)

RT NTC resistance in Ω at temperature T in K

RR NTC resistance in Ω at rated temperature TR in K
T Temperature in K
TR Rated temperature in K
B B value, material-specific constant of NTC thermistor
e Euler number (e = 2.71828)

The actual characteristic of an NTC thermistor can be roughly described by the exponential rela-
tion. This approach, however, is only suitable for describing a restricted range around the rated
temperature or resistance with sufficient accuracy.

For practical applications a more precise description of the real R/T curve is required. Either more
complicated approaches (e.g. the Steinhart-Hart equation) are used or the resistance/temperature
relation is given in tabulated form. Following the application notes section you will find tables for
real R/T curves (see chapter "Standardized R/T characteristics"). These standardized curves
have been experimentally determined with utmost accuracy over the whole specified temperature
range at a sufficient number of measuring points. They are also available for temperature incre-
ments of 1 degree.

3.1.2 B value
The B value is determined by the ceramic material and represents the slope of the R/T curve. It
can be expressed from formula (1):

(formula 2)

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Fomula 2 indicates that the rated B value is defined by two temperatures and can be generalized
as:

(formula 3)

with two arbitrary temperatures T1 and T2.

The specifications in this databook refer in most cases to resistance values at temperatures of
25 °C (T1) and 100 °C (T2); i.e. B25/100 is stated. For SMD NTCs B25/50 and B25/85 values are addi-
tionally given for information. Glass-encapsulated NTCs refer also to B0/100, B100/200 and B200/300. In-
serting these temperature combinations into (formula 3) leads to:

(formula 4a)

(formula 4b)

(formula 4c)

(formula 4d)

(formula 4e)

(formula 4f)

The B value for a particular NTC thermistor can be determined by measuring the resistance at T1
and T2 and inserting these resistance values into the appropriate equation (formula 4).

B values for common NTC materials range from 2000 through 5000 K. Figure 1 illustrates the de-
pendence of the R/T characteristic on the B value.

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Figure 1
Resistance/temperature
characteristics (parameter: B value)

3.1.3 Temperature coefficient

The temperature coefficient of the resistance is defined as the relative change in resistance re-
ferred to the change in temperature.

(formula 5)

3.1.4 Tolerance
The rated resistance RR and the B value are subject to manufacturing tolerances. Due to this tol-
erance of the B value, an increase in resistance spread must be expected for temperatures that
lie above or below the rated temperature TR. For practical examples concerning this topic see
chapter "Standardized R/T characteristics".
Resistance tolerance
The resistance tolerance for an NTC thermistor is specified for one temperature point, which is
usually 25 °C. Upon customer request other temperatures than those specified in the data sheets
are possible.

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Generally, the resistance tolerance can be expressed by the following relation:

(formula 6)

If the third temperature-dependent term in (formula 6) is neglected, the equation can be simplified
as follows:
(formula 7)

In this formula ∆RB denotes the resistance tolerance resulting from the spread of the B value.
For practical usage of (formula 6) the partial derivatives can be calculated from the exponential
model given in (formula 1), which leads to
(formula 8)

As can be seen from this equation, the resistance tolerance at a certain temperature is influenced
by two variables: the manufacturing tolerance of the rated resistance and the variation of the
B value.

Temperature tolerance
By means of (formula 5) the temperature tolerance can be calculated for small temperature inter-
vals.

(formula 9)

For practical application we recommend that the standardized R/T curves (see chapter "Standard-
ized R/T characteristics") be used; the temperature steps tabulated there are small enough to per-
mit calculation by the approximation formula given above.

3.1.5 Zero-power measurement

Zero-power resistance is the resistance value measured at a given temperature T with the electri-
cal load kept so small that there is no noticeable change in the resistance value if the load is fur-
ther decreased. At too high a measuring load the test results will be distorted by the self-heating
effect (see chapter 3.2, "Electrically loaded NTC thermistors").

3.2 Electrically loaded NTC thermistors

When a current flows through the thermistor, the device will heat up more or less by power dissi-
pation. This self-heating effect depends not only on the load applied, but also on the thermal dis-
sipation factor δth and the geometry of the thermistor itself.

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The general rule is:

The smaller the device, the smaller is the permissible maximum load and the measuring load
(zero power).
The following general rule applies to self-heating of an NTC thermistor by an electrical load:

(formula 10)

Pel Electrical power applied

V Instantaneous value of NTC voltage
I Instantaneous value of NTC current
dH/dt Change of stored thermal energy with time
δth Dissipation factor of NTC thermistor
T Instantaneous temperature of NTC thermistor
TA Ambient temperature
Cth Heat capacity of NTC thermistor
dT/dt Change of temperature with time

3.2.1 Voltage/current characteristic

If a constant electrical power is applied to the thermistor, its temperature will first increase consid-
erably, but this change declines with time. After some time a steady state will be reached where
the power is dissipated by thermal conduction or convection.

In case of thermal equilibrium dT/dt equals 0 and thus one obtains

(formula 11)

With Ohm's law V = R · I (formula 11) can be written as

(formula 12a)

or
(formula 12b)

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This is the socalled parametric description of the voltage/current curve with R (T) being the tem-
perature-dependent NTC resistance. With the aid of the above equations these curves can be cal-
culated for different ambient temperatures.
By plotting the voltage values obtained at constant temperature as a function of current one ob-
tains the voltage/current characteristic of the NTC thermistor.

Figure 2
Current/voltage characteristic

On a log-log scale the curves for constant power and constant resistance take the shape of a
straight line.

The voltage/current characteristic of an NTC thermistor has four different sections:

1. The straight rise section where the dissipation power only produces negligible self-heating.
Voltage and current are proportional to each other. The resistance value is exclusively
determined by the ambient temperature. Use of this curve section is made when NTC
thermistors are employed as temperature sensors.→ (dV/dI = R = constant)
2. The section of non-linear rise up to maximum voltage where resistance already begins to drop.
→ (R > dV/dI > 0)
3. At maximum voltage the incremental resistance is zero.→ (dV/dI = 0)

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4. The falling-edge section where the decrease in resistance is greater than the relative increase
in current. This curve section in the operating area of NTC thermistors when a self-heating
effect is desired (e.g. inrush current limiters, liquid level sensors).→ (dV/dI < 0)

3.2.2 Self-heating of NTC temperature sensors

All considerations in this section refer to the NTC B57861S0103F045 as an example, whose rat-
ed resistance is RR = 10 kΩ ±1.0% and whose B value is B = 3988 K ±0.3%. The self-heating ef-
fect as a function of applied current is plotted logarithmically in figure 3 for different ambient tem-
peratures.

Figure 3
Self-heating of NTC
B57861S0103F045 for different
ambient temperatures

There is a major difference in self-heating depending on whether the feed-in of the NTC is a con-
stant current supply or a constant voltage supply combined with a series resistor (figure 4).

Figure 4
Circuit with constant current supply (a)
and circuit with constant voltage
supply combined with a series
resistor (b)

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The self-heating effect of both cases is compared in figure 5. The constant current is 200 µA and
the constant voltage is 5 V. In the case of constant voltage the self-heating effect is shown for
three different series resistors (RS = 5 kΩ, RS = 10 kΩ and RS = 20 kΩ).

Figure 5
Comparison of the self-heating effect
for constant current supply and
constant voltage supply
(self-heating ∆T is plotted for various
ambient temperatures TA)

In the case of constant current the self-heating strongly depends on the ambient temperature
(there is a steep gradient at TA = 25 °C and below), whereas in the case of constant voltage the
self-heating is better distributed over the whole temperature range.
A straightforward fact is that the higher the series resistor, the smaller will be the voltage that
declines at the NTC thermistor (VNTC). So there is always a compromise between performance
and measurability. The intersections of the constant current curve with the constant voltage
curves denote points with a current of 200 µA. Thus the voltage declining at the NTC can be cal-
culted at these points:
V = 5 V; I = 200 µA
a) RS = 5 kΩ VNTC = I  RNTC = 4 V

b) RS = 10 kΩ RNTC = 15 kΩ VNTC = I  RNTC = 3 V

c) RS = 20 kΩ RNTC = 5 kΩ VNTC = I  RNTC = 1 V

At the maximum of the constant voltage curves the series resistor RS equals the resistance of the
NTC thermistor RNTC. To the left of the maximum RNTC is larger than RS and to the right of the max-
imum RNTC is smaller than RS.

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The considerations above show that it has to be taken into account at which temperature the
highest accuracy should be obtained when designing a circuit that includes an NTC thermistor.

3.2.3 Dissipation factor δth

Dissipation factor δth is defined as the ratio of the change in power dissipation and the resultant
change in the thermistor's body temperature. It is expressed in mW/K and serves as a measure of
the load that causes a thermistor in steady state to raise its body temperature by 1 K. The higher
the dissipation factor, the more heat is dissipated by the thermistor to its surroundings.
(formula 13)

For measuring δth the thermistor is loaded such that the V/I ratio corresponds to the resistance
value measured at T2 = 85 °C.

(formula 14)

T Body temperature of NTC thermistor (85 °C)

TA Ambient temperature
Designing an NTC thermistor into a circuit will always produce some kind of increase in its body
temperature that leads to falsification of the measured result in a temperature sensor application.
To keep this small, make sure the applied power is as low as possible. No general details can be
given for optimal wiring in a specific application because our products have a wide bandwidth of
both resistance and thermal conductivity. Simulation with PSpice (www.epcos.com/tools) may be
found helpful. Please note that all figures for the thermal characteristics of our NTC thermistors
refer to still air. As soon as other ambient conditions apply (e.g. agitated air) or once a component
obtained from EPCOS is subsequently prepared, the thermal characteristics illustrated in our li-
brary are no longer valid.

3.2.4 Behavior in different media

As shown by the equations (formula 12a) and (formula 12b) the voltage/current curve is influ-
enced not only by the NTC resistance R (T) but also by the dissipation factor δth. The dissipation
factor, in turn, depends on size, shape and leads of the device as well as on the medium sur-
rounding the thermistor.

The voltage/current curves specified in the data sheets apply to still air. In agitated air or in a liq-
uid the dissipation factor increases and the V/I curve shifts towards higher values of voltage and
current. The opposite applies when the thermistor is suspended in a vacuum.

The voltage/current curve thus indicates by which medium the thermistor is surrounded. This
means that NTC thermistors can be used for sensing the flow rate of gases or liquids, for vacuum
measurement or for gas analysis.

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3.2.5 Maximum power P25

P25 is the maximum power an NTC thermistor is capable of handling at 25 °C ambient tempera-
ture. When the maximum power P25 is applied to the NTC thermistor, it operates in the self-
heating regime (see chapter 3.2.1).

3.2.6 Thermal time constant τa

Thermal time constant τa can be a crucial parameter when selecting a temperature sensor to
match an application. The thermal time constant (thermal response time) of a temperature sensor
is mainly influenced by:
its design (e.g. sensor element, material used to assemble the sensor element in the sensor
case, connection technology, housing),
its mounting configuration (e.g. immersed, surface-mounted),
the environment it will be exposed to (e.g. air flow, inactive air, fluid).
When a temperature sensor with temperature T1 is immersed in a medium (air, water) with tem-
perature T2, the change in temperature of the sensor as a function of time follows to a first approx-
imation an exponential law:

(formula 15)

After the thermal time constant τa the temperature change of the sensor is 1  1/e = 63.2% of the
temperature difference T1  T2, this means T (τa) = T1 + (T2  T1)  (1  1/e) (see figure 7).

Figure 7
Temperature increase from T1 to T2 of a sensor modeled with an exponential law
EPCOS possesses extensive and sophisticated inhouse facilities to test the performance and reli-
ability of temperature sensors. Test stations exist to carry out thermal response time measure-
ment in air/water1) or air/air.

1) Note that only NTCs with special protection (e.g. K504, K276) can be exposed to liquid.

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Measurement of thermal time constant in water

The thermal response time is determined by a modified two bath method according to EN 60539,
outlined in figure 8. The temperature sensor is held in an air channel having the temperature T1.
Below the air channel is a vessel filled with water having a temperature T2. The thermal covering
between air channel and vessel takes the form of a slider that can be moved horizontally.

Figure 8
Measurement of thermal time constant in water

Before measurement, the zero-power resistance of the NTC thermistor at T1, T2 and a tempera-
ture between T1 and T2 are determined in a temperature controlled bath. Then the temperature
sensor is exposed to an air flow constantly controlled to temperature T1 until it has reached the
surrounding temperature. Afterwards the slider is moved horizontally and simultaneously the fix-
ture is quickly moved vertically to immerse the temperature sensor in the vessel. The software an-
alyzes the data and calculates the thermal time constant τα.
By default T1 is set to 25 °C T2 is set to 85 °C.

Measurement of thermal time constant in air

The thermal response time is determined by a double air channel method whose temperatures
can be set separately. Furthermore, the air speed in each channel can be adjusted and measured
with a calibrated anemometer.

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Figure 9
Measurement of thermal time constant in air

Figure 8 shows the two air channels from the top side. The temperature sensor can be moved
horizontally from one air channel to the other. A slider between the two air channels can be
moved vertically and opens a gap between the two air channels during movement of the sensor.
The resistance values of the NTC thermistor are determined at three different temperatures in a
temperature controlled bath. When the test run starts, the temperature sensor is placed in one air
channel with defined air speed and stabilized at temperature T1 until it reaches the temperature of
the ambient air. The sensor is then quickly moved to the other air channel with the same air
speed at upper temperature T2. When the experiment is finished the software calculates the ther-
mal time constant τa.

By default T1 is set to 40 °C, T2 is set to 80 °C, and air speed is adjusted to 5 m/s.

3.2.7 Thermal cooling time constant τc

The thermal cooling time constant refers to the time necessary for an unloaded thermistor to vary
its temperature by 1  1/e = 63.2% of the difference between its mean temperature and the ambi-
ent temperature.

τc depends to a large extent on component design. The values of τc specified in this data book
were determined in still air at an ambient temperature of 25 °C.

The NTC thermistor is internally heated to 85 °C to measure subsequently the time it requires to
cool down to 47.1 °C at an ambient temperature of 25 °C. This adjustment to the ambient is as-
ymptotic and occurs all the faster, the smaller the device is.

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3.2.8 Heat capacity Cth

The heat capacity Cth is a measure of the amount of heat required to raise the NTC's mean tem-
perature by 1 K. Cth is stated in mJ/K.

(formula 16)

The relationship between heat capacity, dissipation factor and thermal cooling time constant is ex-
pressed by:

(formula 17)

3.2.9 Aging and stability

At room temperature the polycrystalline material shows solid-state reactions which lead to an irre-
versible change in the characteristics (usually resistance increase, change of B value etc).

Physical reasons for this may be thermal stress causing a change in concentration of lattice im-
perfections, oxygen exchange with the environment (with unprotected, non-glass-encapsulated
thermistors) or diffusion in the contact areas of metallized surface contacts. At low temperatures
these reactions slow down, but at high temperatures they accelerate and finally decline with time.
To enhance long-term stability, our NTC thermistors are subjected to an aging process directly af-
ter manufacture.

4 How to determine the ordering code for an SMD NTC thermistor

A component and the packing in which it is to be delivered are unambiguously defined by the or-
dering code (part number), which has up to 15 digits.

For all NTC thermistors the ordering codes are explicitly stated (together with the corresponding
tolerance and/or packing variants) in the data sheets.

Should there be any doubt about the coding system, however, then it is better to order the compo-
nent using a plain text description (i.e. without a code). In this case, the translation into the part
number, which is required for internal handling of the order, will be done by us. The components
are delivered by part numbers only.

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SMD NTC thermistors

Example: Chip size 0603, B25/100 = 3550 K ±3%, R25 = 100 Ω ±5%, cardboard tape, 180-mm
reel

B57 3 11 V2 101 J 0 60

NTC
thermistor

Series:
2 = EIA chip size 0402
3 = EIA chip size 0603
4 = EIA chip size 0805

B value code

Multilayer SMD NTC thermistor

V2 = standard
V5 = automotive

Resistance at rated temperature (25 °C):

101 = 10  101 Ω = 100 Ω

Resistance tolerance:
H = ±3%, J = ±5%, K = ±10%, A = customer specific

Internal coding

Packaging codes:
60 = cardboard tape, 180-mm reel
62 = blister tape, 180-mm reel
70 = cardboard tape, 330-mm reel
72 = blister tape, 330-mm reel

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