Ultra-stable refractory high-power thin film resistors for space applications

1. A method of fabricating a thin film resistor, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a substrate;

using a room temperature pulsed-laser deposition process on a target to deposit a titanium carbide (TiC) layer on the substrate;

removing portions of the TiC layer with an etching process to leave a TiC thin film layer patterned on the substrate; and

forming conductive terminals by depositing conductive material on opposite ends of the TiC pattern to provide ohmic contacts on opposite ends of the TiC thin film layer to provide a TiC thin film resistor;

wherein the TiC thin film layer has a crystalline structure mimicking the crystallinity of a target utilized during the room temperature pulsed-laser deposition process of depositing the TiC thin film layer on the substrate.

2. The method of fabricating a thin film resistor of claim 1 , wherein the substrate is formed from one or more of: silicon on sapphire, silicon oxide, sapphire, and alumina.

3. The method of fabricating a thin film resistor of claim 1 , wherein the room temperature pulsed-laser deposition process mimics the crystallinity of the target resulting in the thin film resistor material being polycrystalline.

4. The method of fabricating a thin film resistor of claim 1 , wherein the room temperature pulsed-laser deposition process is performed at a low pressure.

5. The method of fabricating a thin film resistor of claim 1 , wherein the etching process is reactive ion etching.

6. The method of fabricating a thin film resistor of claim 1 , wherein the conductive material includes gold.

7. The method of fabricating a thin film resistor of claim 1 , wherein the conductive materials include chromium and gold.

8. The method of fabricating a thin film resistor of claim 1 , wherein the conductive material includes an adhesion layer over the TiC pattern.

9. The method of fabricating a thin film resistor of claim 8 , wherein the adhesion layer includes titanium.

10. The method of fabricating a thin film resistor of claim 8 , wherein the adhesion layer includes chromium.

11. The method of fabricating a thin film resistor of claim 1 , further comprising the step of:

annealing the thin film resistor.

12. The method of fabricating a thin film resistor of claim 1 , further comprising the step of:

packaging the thin film resistor.

13. An electronics component, comprising:

a substrate;

a titanium carbide (TiC) thin film layer patterned on the substrate; and

conductive terminals formed to provide ohmic contacts on opposite ends of the TiC thin film layer to provide a TiC thin film resistor;

wherein the TiC thin film layer has a crystalline structure mimicking the crystallinity of a target utilized during a room temperature pulsed-laser deposition process of depositing the TiC thin film layer on the substrate.

14. The electronics component of claim 13 , wherein the conductive terminals include an adhesion layer adjacent to the TiC thin film layer.

15. The electronics component of claim 14 , wherein the adhesion layer includes chromium.

16. The electronics component of claim 13 , wherein the substrate is formed from one or more of: silicon on sapphire, silicon oxide, sapphire, and alumina.

17. The electronics component of claim 13 , wherein the substrate is formed from silicon on sapphire.

18. The electronics component of claim 13 , wherein the TiC thin film layer is polycrystalline.

19. The electronics component of claim 13 , wherein the conductive terminals include a tri-layer contact of titanium, chromium, and gold portions.

20. The electronics component of claim 13 , wherein the conductive terminals include TiC, chromium and gold.

21. The electronics component of claim 14 , wherein the adhesion layer includes titanium.