The electrical characteristics of ruthenium-based thick-film resistors with different conductive terminations (PtAu and Ag based compositions) and with different aspect ratios were examined. The purpose is to understand the effects of resistivity decrease and TCR variation caused by the migration of metal particles from the terminations into the resistor film.The majority of the data were collected by using silver-based terminations since Ag diffusion processes, and then the relevant electrical effects, are emphasized.Scanning electron microscopy, electron microprobe analysis and X-ray diffraction analysis have been used to analyze the diffusion processes and the thick-film microstructures. It is shown that the experimental data is simply explained by a conduction model which assumes percolative tunneling of electrons through conductive grains embedded in the glass matrix of the resistors. Using simple hypotheses the model theory gives a good quantitative fit of the experimental results.

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The concept of all optical networks and the motivations for investigating them are briefly mentioned. Photonic switching is specifically considered and reasons for carrying out research on semiconductor based materials and devices for the implementation of optical switching functions are given. Afterwards the main physical properties that may find applications in photonic devices made of semiconductor materials are reviewed, with emphasis on QW structures and the associated important phenomena of Quantum Confined Stark Effect and Optical Stark Effect. The state of the art is then presented regarding the various devices needed in a photonic switching node: space/time switches and switching matrices (both of the electro‐optical and opto‐optical type), frequency switches, frequency converters and filters, digital memory elements made by optical bistable devices, logic optical devices.

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