Product Introduction Videos

Welcome to Susumu USA’s product training module “Road to URG”. This presentation introduces
Susumu’s latest and best thin film chip resistor, the URG series. We will review Susumu’s thin film resistor
technology and the RG series whose technology is the base for the URG series and compare the URG
against the RG series.

Susumu was established in 1964 as a thin film resistor specialist. Since then we have been introducing
innovative thin film resistors and serving virtually all segments of the electronics industry where precision
and high quality resistors are required. When the RG series was introduced in 2003, it had (and still has)
the best absolute tolerance and temperature coefficient of resistance among thin film chip resistors. The
URG series which is Susumu’s latest innovation, is the reliability enhanced version of the RG series whose
reliability is already top notch.

Thin film resistors, compared to general purpose thick film resistors, have a very different character. Their
uniformity provides precision tolerance, small variation within each lot, high general reliability and a small
temperature coefficient of resistance. Their thinness offers excellent high frequency performance, low noise
and precision manufacturability. Thin film also adheres strongly to its substrate because it is created with
vacuum deposition technology. However, there are myths that thin film resistors are inferior in terms of long
term reliability and moisture tolerance.

The introduction of the RG series in 2003 busted the previously mentioned myths completely. By using
inorganic passivation and trimming through it, Susumu has created not only the best in class for absolute
tolerance and TCR, but also reliability far exceeding the thick film products.

The key to the RG series precision and high reliability is inorganic passivation as shown above. Because
inorganic passivation is translucent, the RG series products are trimmed to adjust resistance through the
passivation film. Trimming, normally a very dusty process, became one of the cleanest process in the RG
series. This contributed to the tighter tolerance and better reliability.

As summarized here, the RG series itself is already the highest precision thin film chip resistor with
resistance tolerance +/_ 0.01% and TCR +/-2ppm and also the most reliable with a failure rate of 0.011 fit.

If the RG series is the best thin film chip resistor, then, why does Susumu want to make an even better
URG series? This is because Susumu wants to push thin film technology to the limit and to challenge other
resistive technologies some of which have never been challenged before by thin film resistors. We want to
offer customers the best chip resistors for affordable prices.

Based on the RG series, with the addition of several new proprietary technologies, and with extremely tight
lot by lot process control, Susumu has created the URG series. The URG series has the same resistance
tolerance and TCR as the best RG series but every aspect of reliability has been significantly improved
compared to the RG series.

As illustrated here, the URG series Temperature coefficient of resistance is significantly more linear than
that of the RG series.

In the load life test, the URG series shows much less drift than the RG series at 2000 hours. The drift is
close to zero. Like these comparison tests, the URG series showed 2-5 times better reliability in any other
reliability test such as high temperature exposure, thermal shock and step stress test.

If you compare reliability related characteristics by taking the load life drift as the X axis and the temperature
humidity bias as the Y axis, the URG series is superior to other Susumu thin film chip resistors.

This shows Susumu’s products’ progress in temperature related characteristics. The X axis shows high
temperature exposure drift and The Y axis shows temperature cycle drift. The URG series shows the least
amount of resistance drift.

This is a list of market segments where high precision and extremely reliable resistors might be needed.
Depending on your requirements, now you have a choice among the RGVP series (resistance tolerance +/-
0.02% and TCR +/- 5ppm), the RGLL series (resistance tolerance +/-0.01% and TCR +/-2 ppm) and the
newly introduced URG series (resistance tolerance +/-0.01% and TCR +/-2 ppm with extreme reliability.)
The need for precise/reliable resistors will increase as technology advances and more precise control and
resistance to severe environments are required.

Susumu has recently introduced their latest and most precise URG series. Where and when extreme
precision and reliability are required, Susumu’s URG series, together with the RGLL and RGVP series,
should be considered as good candidates. In high frequency applications of over 100MHz, the URG/RG
series must be the choice. The URG/RG series have significant advantages in both price and space
requirements over other precision resistor technologies. This concludes the Products Training Module
which discusses SSM’s latest superior precision resistor the URG series. Thank you for your interest in
SSM’s products.