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The levels of miniaturization typically demanded by these end 

user groups place a premium on every square millimeter of board 

space. Designers need to minimize the real estate devoted to 

secondary over-current protection. Conventional wire fuses in SMD 

packages display a number of strong features: they are robust, have 

high breaking capacity, are available in ratings up to 10 A, and the 

technology also supports fast acting or time delay type fuse 

operation. They can address a wide range of applications, including 

over-current protection of power lines. On the other hand, package 

sizes are not likely to reduce below the industrystandard 2410 SMT 

outline. In consumer applications where low rated currents and 

breaking capacities are required, [url=https://www.conquer-

fuse.com/chip-fuse/]Chip Fuse[/url]s are emerging to satisfy 

designers’ demands for the next level of component miniaturization. 

    Chip fuses feature a conductive fuse element that is typically 

deposited as a thick-film, electroplated, or thin-film layer onto a 

ceramic substrate. Using these basic technologies, secondary over-

current protection is able to migrate into smaller SMT packages 

including 1206, 0603, and even 0402. However, two further imperatives 

are the need for long-term stability of the fusing characteristic and 

a low unit price to enable a cost-effective solution. Stability is 

heavily dependent on the accuracy of the fabrication technique used 

to create the fuse element. Traditionally, a thick-film element for a 

chip fuse is deposited using a screen printing process, while most 

fuse elements are electroplated. Both of these techniques enable 

quite accurate control over the dimensions of the fuse element in 

order to achieve the desired fusing characteristic. However, the 

homogeneous crystal structure of the metal layer has an important 

influence over the long-term stability, due to aging factors such as 

power dissipation or external high temperatures in combination with 

thermal cycles. To simultaneously improve control over the dimensions 

and crystal structure of the fuse element, Vishay Beyschlag MFU-

series chip fuses are created using a thin film sputtering process in 

place of screen printing or electro-plating.