ISSN:
1089-7550
Source:
AIP Digital Archive
Topics:
Physics
Notes:
Despite a large amount of data and numerous theoretical proposals, the microscopic mechanism of transport in thick-film resistors remains unclear. However, recent low-temperature measurements point toward a possible variable-range-hopping mechanism of transport. Here, we examine how such a mechanism affects the gauge factor of thick-film resistors. We find that at sufficiently low temperatures T, for which the resistivity follows the Mott's law R(T)∼exp(T0/T)1/4, the gauge factor (GF) is proportional to (T0/T)1/4. Moreover, the inclusion of Coulomb gap effects leads to GF∼(T0′/T)1/2 at lower temperatures. In addition, we study a simple model which generalizes the variable-range-hopping mechanism by taking into account the finite mean intergrain spacing. Our results suggest a possible experimental verification of the validity of the variable-range hopping in thick-film resistors. © 2000 American Institute of Physics.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.1290738
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