The electromechanical behavior of nichrome (80/20 wt.%) film

Abstract The application of thin films in strain gauge technology is well established and nichrome (Ni–Cr 80/20 wt.%) is a commonly used material for application in thin film strain gauges. In the present work, the electromechanical properties of RF sputtered nichrome film have been investigated experimentally for strain gauge applications. The sheet resistance, gauge factor and the temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR) have been investigated and their dependence on film thickness studied. The TCR has been found to vary with temperature. Annealing has been found to decrease the film resistance and increase the TCR. The gauge factor is compared with previously reported results and the differences are discussed.