Patent ID: 7808048

Claim:
A thin film resistor apparatus in an integrated circuit, the apparatus comprising: a thin film resistor material over an integrated circuit substrate; a first portion of a resistor protect material over a first end of the thin film resistor material; a second portion of the resistor protect material over a second end of the thin film resistor material; a first portion of a first dielectric material over the first portion of the resistor protect material; a second portion of the first dielectric material over the second portion of the resistor protect material; a second dielectric material over the thin film resistor material and between the first and second portions of the first dielectric material; a first via through the second dielectric material and through the first portion of the first dielectric material down to the first portion of the resistor protect material; a second via through the second dielectric material and through the second portion of the first dielectric material down to the second portion of the resistor protect material; and a conductive material that fills the first and second vias, the conductive material also forming one or more stringers separated from the filled vias and from the thin film resistor material by the second dielectric material.