Resistor compositions for electronic circuitry applications

1. A polymeric thick film (“PTF”) resistor paste comprising:

i. a polyimide component having a glass transition temperature greater than 250° C.,

ii. a sterically hindered hydrophobic epoxy component; and

iii. an organic solvent having a Hanson polar solubility parameter between 2.1 and 3.0 and having a normal boiling point between 210 and 260° C.,

wherein the weight ratio of polyimide component (“A”) to epoxy component (“B”) is A:B, where A is between and including 1 to 15 and where B is 1, wherein the polyimide component and epoxy component are crosslinked together by means of a sterically hindered phenol crosslinking agent, and wherein the amount of sterically hindered phenol added to the polyimide component and the epoxy component is between 0.6 and 3.0 mole percent of the amount of sterically hindered epoxy component.

2. A PTF resistor paste in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the sterically hindered phenol is a member of a group consisting of:

3,3′,5,5′-tetramethylbiphenol-4,4′-diol, 4,4′-isopropylidenebis(2,6-dimethylphenol), 4,4′-isopropylidenebis(2,6-dibromophenol) and combinations thereof.

3. A PTF resistor paste in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the phenol is represented by the general formula,

where Z is an alkyl, alkoxy, phenyl, phenoxy, halogen or combinations thereof,

where Y is a covalent bond, oxygen, sulfur, methylene, fluorenylidene, ethylidene, sulfonyl, cyclohexylidene, 1-phenylethylidene, C(CH 3 ) 2 , or C(CF 3 ) 2 , and

where m is an integer between and including 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5.