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Development of a thick-film tunable RC-active filter

using segmented resistors
a a b
P. K. KHANNA , S. K. BHATNAGAR & M. L. SISODIA
a
Solid-State Devices Division , Central Electronics Engineering Research Institute , Pilani,
(Rajasthan), 333031, India
b
Department of Physics , University of Rajasthan , Jaipur, (Rajasthan), 302004, India.
Published online: 27 Apr 2007.

To cite this article: P. K. KHANNA , S. K. BHATNAGAR & M. L. SISODIA (1987) Development of a thick-film tunable RC-active
filter using segmented resistors, International Journal of Electronics, 63:1, 1-8, DOI: 10.1080/00207218708939104

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 INT. J. ELECTRONICS, 1987, VOL. 63, No.1, 1-8

Development of a thick-film tunable RC-active filter using

segmented resistors
P. K. KHANNAt, S. K. BHATNAGARt and M. L. SISODIAt

A 2nd order, low-pass, tunable RC-active filter has been developed. A frequency
tuning over the entire audio range and a gain variation over three orders of mag-
nitude, together with all the intermediate values, is readily achieved using segment-
ed resistors. A procedure for frequency and gain adjustment in the filter circuit is
also presented.

1. Introduction
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Thick-film RC-active filters have found their place in many system realizations
due to the significant improvement in thick-film inks, precise resistor trimming
methods and relatively low cost of ceramic chip capacitors.
Often filter circuits are designed for specific applications but filters offering a
wide range of accurately adjustable cut-off frequencies (I,) and gain have however
not received much attention. The purpose of this paper is to draw attention towards
this point and to implement it with the help of segmented resistors (Karlskov Jensen
1983).
In a paper by Khanna and Bhatnagar {I986), a segmented resistor (SR) structure
was developed to achieve a wide range of resistor values. SR is a miniature thick-
film resistor based on the concept of integrating inks of increasing sheet resistivities
into a single resistor device. Incorporating this component an audio-tunable, vari-
able gain filter has been developed.

2. Filter circuit
Figure I presents a 2nd order, low-pass, variable gain filter. It consists of two
stages: a Sallen and Key filter configuration which constitutes the 1st stage, the 2nd
is the amplifier stage.
The cut-off frequency and gain are given by
(I)
and
Gain = RGIR j (2)
F or obtaining the entire audio range and a three order gain variation, capacitor
C 1 = O·OIOJlF, capacitor C 2 = O'022JlF and resistor Ri = soon. The j, and gain are
adjusted with resistors R r and R G (range ee 500n-500 Kn) respectively. Although
the gain can also be varied by resistor R i , but such large gain variations are not
generally required therefore R j has been assigned a fixed value.

Received 19 January 1987; accepted 26 January 1987.

t Solid-State Devices Division, Central Electronics Engineering Research Institute, Pilani-
333031 (Rajasthan), India.
t Department of Physics, University of Rajasthan, Jaipur-302004 (Rajasthan),India.
 2 P. K. Khanna et al.

Rf Rf
~
Ri

r-
/ ~
- Y
VI C1-~ Vo
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Figure 1. A low-pass variablegain filter.

3. Experimental
3.1. Layout and fabrication
The layout of the filter circuit, using SRs for frequency and gain controlling
resistors R, and R G , is shown in Fig. 2. The conductor line width is O' 3 mm with a
minimum line-to-line spacing of 0·4 mm. The resistor-to-conductor and segment-to-
segment overlaps are 0·5 mm. LM324 quad-operational amplifier IC and ceramic
chip capacitors have been used.
The complete fabrication process is shown in Fig. 3. It involves six printings;
I in. x ! in. alumina substrates were used. After laying the Pd-Ag (Du Pont 9308)
conductor pattern, the resistor segments were printed with inks of sheet resistivities
I KQ/D, 10KQ/D and 100 KQ/D of the Birox 1400 series, and co-fired. The
resistors were then overglazed with 9137 glass and after solder paste printing, the
components (IC and capacitors) were mounted. Finally, after tuning the filter, which
is explained in § 3.2, the pin-out leads were attached and the circuits encapsulated.

3.2. Tuning
Tuning is an important factor for achieving the desired response of the filter. The
simplified procedure for f. tuning and gain adjustment is shown in Fig. 4. After the
stage of component (IC and capacitors of 5% accuracy) mounting, the resistors R,
and R G were calculated using eqns. (I) and (2) for the desired cut-off frequency and
gain of the filter. The frequency and gain setting resistors R, and R G were then
trimmed along a path between the conductor pads and through the segments to
95% of the calculated value and if the desired response was not obtained then the
trimming was repeated till fine adjustment was achieved.
After tuning the filter, the resistance, the resistor width removed, cut-off fre-
quency and gain of the filter were measured. This tuning process was repeated five
to six times for different sets of f. and gain" until a segment width of I mm was left.
The data was recorded for each case.
 Thick-film tunable RC-active filter 3

-:----.-r
r7..,.....,or-.,
r-
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-~
~ J_
I

• VE SUPPLY GROUND OUTPUT INPUT -VE SUPPLY

Figure 2. Hybrid circuit layout.

4. Results
The variation of resistance R, and the change in Ie of the filter with trim-length
(defined as length cut/total length) is shown in Fig. 5. Figure 6 presents the variation
of Ro and gain with trim-length.
 4 P. K. Khanna et al.

(LEAN
SUBSTRATES

I
PRINT DRY FIRE
f--
Pd-Ag (ONDUCTOR AT 1500 ( AT 850°C

I
PRINT DRY
'-- f-
Ist RESISTOR SEGMENT AT 1500 (

I
PRINT DRY FIRE
'--
lind RESISTOR SEGMENT AT 150°C f- f- AT 850°C
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I
PRINT DRY
'--
mrd RESISTOR SEGMENT AT 150°C f-

I
PRINT DRY FIRE
GLAZE AT 150°C
- AT 500°C

I
PRINT PLACE
SOLDER COMPONENTS

I I
TUNE REFLOW
FILTER SOLDER
AT 220°C:
I COMPONENTS
ATTACHED
LEAD
ATTACH

I
PLASTIC
ENCAPSULATE

Figure 3. Process sequence.

In both the cases, initially the variation is slow because we are trimming the 1st
segment of minimum sheet resistivity. As we move out of the conductor pads, into
the 2nd segment, the rate of variation increases firstly due to the contribution of the
next higher decade ink, and secondly, due to the increase in the length of the resistor
because of the x-shaped path at the top of the conductor pads. A smooth variation
in resistance was obtained and all the desired intermediate values of fc and gain,
with limits indicated in the Table, were achieved by this method, with a typical
amplitude response as shown in Fig. 7.
 Thick-film tunable RC-aetive filter 5

SELECT
CAPACITOR VALUES
15% TOLERANCE)

CALCULATE
RESISTORS R, & R.

TRIM
RESIS TORS R, & R.
TO 95% Of NOMINAL
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MEASURE
CUT-Off fREUUENCY
AND GAIN

YES

TRIM FURTHER
RESIS TORS R, & R.

Figure 4. Frequency and gain adjustment procedure.

5. Conclusions
(a) An audio-tunable, variable gain, low-pass RC-active filter has been devel-
oped,
(b) a frequency variation from 20-20000 Hz and a gain variation from 1-1000
has been achieved, and

Range
Characteristics Minimum Maximum
!, 20Hz 20000 Hz
Gain 1 1000
(For comparison, the]; and gain ratio (max.rrnin.) possible, with conventional top-hat resistor
of similar geometry and under the same power limits, is ""20).
The j, and gain limits of the filter, using SRs.
 6 P. K. Khanna et al.

"r- -,10 5

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d
u
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t-
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u,
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\
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\
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....
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102 1..-_-'--_-'-_-'-_-'-_--'-_---'_ _'-_.L..-_..1.-----I 10

o 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 to
TRIHlENGTH
Figure 5. Plot of R, and j, with trim-length.

(c) all the desired intermediate values have been accurately adjusted.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The authors wish to thank Mr. Y. K. Jain, Dr. H. C. Pandey and other members
of the Hybrid Microcircuit Group for fabrication of specimens and to the Director,
CEERI, for permission to publish the results. This work was supported by a CSIR
research fellowship to one of the authors (PKK).
 Thick-film tunable RC-aclive filter 7

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10 5 I
10 3
I
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I
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I
L I
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a
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U
I
~ 4
I
10 2
I- 10 I Z
~ I ;{
V1
"-' I l::J
cr I
I
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I
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, , /

GAIN ,,
"
10 2
, "
,, " ,
0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0

TRIMLENGTH
Figure 6. Plot of R o and gain with trim-length.

1\111
""" WNM
I

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Figure 7. Amplitude response of the filter circuit.
 8 Thick-film tunable RC-active filter

REFERENCES
KARLSKOV JENSEN, 1. E., 1983, Thick-film active RC-filter building blocks. Proceedings oj 4th
European Hybrid Microelectronics Conference, Copenhagen, Denmark, pp. 489-496.
KHANNA, P. K., and BHATNAGAR, S. K., 1986, Performance characteristics of a thick-film
segmented-resistor structure. Proceedings oj 4th International Microelectronics Con-
ference, Japan, pp. 497-503.
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