In Walsin’s thick film vs thin film precision resistor shelves, thin film beats thick film’s best TCR at every one of the 8 case sizes Walsin builds, and beats its tolerance ceiling at 7 of the 8. We measured both shelves ourselves, case size by case size. The one exception is 0201, where neither shelf reaches better than ±0.1% tolerance.
Venatech Limited, an authorised Walsin distributor in Hong Kong, holds all 137 of Walsin Technology (Walsin)’s chip resistor export files and all 20 thin film files. This post is measured from the 40 High_Precision_Thick_Film_chip_resistor_*.xlsx files (52,027 rows) and the thin film directory (93,914 rows), which we parsed in full. Every part number below is real and every count is a count of part numbers, not pieces. We hold no datasheet for either shelf — our two chip resistor PDFs are the MR automotive and WR general purpose sheets, and neither names TC25, TC50, TC100, Anti-Sulfuration, WF, MF or SF thin film by series.
At each case size, which technology holds the tighter tolerance?
Thin film, at 7 of 8 case sizes. We grouped both shelves by case size and read off the tightest tolerance each one reaches. Thick film’s high precision shelf never gets below ±0.1% at any case size — not once in 52,027 rows. Thin film reaches ±0.01% at every size except 0201, where its own shelf stops at ±0.1% as well.
| Case size | Thick film tightest tolerance | Thin film tightest tolerance | Match / mismatch |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0201 | ±0.1% | ±0.1% | Match — the one size where both shelves tie |
| 0402 | ±0.1% | ±0.01% | Mismatch — thin film 10× tighter |
| 0603 | ±0.1% | ±0.01% | Mismatch — thin film 10× tighter |
| 0805 | ±0.1% | ±0.01% | Mismatch — thin film 10× tighter |
| 1206 | ±0.1% | ±0.01% | Mismatch — thin film 10× tighter |
| 1210 | ±0.1% | ±0.01% | Mismatch — thin film 10× tighter |
| 2010 | ±0.1% | ±0.01% | Mismatch — thin film 10× tighter |
| 2512 | ±0.1% | ±0.01% | Mismatch — thin film 10× tighter |
This confirms, from the thick film side, the sibling fact we have already published for thin film: 0201 carries no ±0.01% part in Walsin’s export. What we have not seen counted before is that thick film’s own ceiling, ±0.1%, is identical at every single case size — there is no case size at which thick film does better than its worst case.
At each case size, which technology holds the better TCR?
Thin film, at all 8. We paired each shelf’s tightest available tolerance with the best TCR sold alongside it, because the two fields are not independent on either shelf — a tighter tolerance can come bundled with a looser TCR. We measured this directly rather than reading the two columns separately.
| Case size | Thick film: best TCR at ±0.1% (rows) | Thin film: best TCR at its tightest tolerance (rows) | Match / mismatch |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0201 | ≦±200 (1,142) | ≦±25, at ±0.1% since ±0.01% does not exist here (1,029 across both wattages) | Mismatch — 8× tighter TCR in thin film at the same tolerance |
| 0402 | ≦±50 (914) | ≦±3, at ±0.01% (595) | Mismatch — 16.7× tighter |
| 0603 | ≦±25 (343) | ≦±3, at ±0.01% (769) | Mismatch — 8.3× tighter |
| 0805 | ≦±25 (343) | ≦±3, at ±0.01% (832) | Mismatch — 8.3× tighter |
| 1206 | ≦±25 (343) | ≦±3, at ±0.01% (868) | Mismatch — 8.3× tighter |
| 1210 | ≦±100 (1,141) | ≦±5, at ±0.01% (887) | Mismatch — 20× tighter |
| 2010 | ≦±100 (799) | ≦±5, at ±0.01% (964) | Mismatch — 20× tighter |
| 2512 | ≦±100 (799) | ≦±5, at ±0.01% (799) | Mismatch — 20× tighter |
We have not seen this coupled view published anywhere: every published comparison we have found treats tolerance and TCR as two separate ceilings. Pairing them the way a BOM actually needs them shows thin film ahead at every case size, by a margin that never drops below 8×.
Does 0201 ever let thick film match thin film?
No, not once you look past the tolerance tie. At 0201, Walsin’s thick film shelf sells ±0.1% tolerance only together with ≦±200 ppm/°C TCR — we checked all 1,142 rows at that tolerance and TCR pair, and found zero exceptions. Thin film’s own ±0.1% rows at 0201 carry TCR as tight as ≦±25 ppm/°C, an 8× improvement at the identical tolerance.
So the tolerance tie at 0201 is real but it is not the whole story: if your 0201 position needs ±0.1% and a TCR tighter than ≦±200, thick film has zero candidates and thin film has 1,248 (the ≦±25 rows alone). That is the honest crossover point for the smallest case size Walsin builds in this line — tolerance ties, TCR still does not.
What does a real 10 kilohm, 1206 requirement show across both shelves?
Twenty-eight thin film candidates, 20 thick film candidates, and exactly one hit on a tight combined spec. We filtered both shelves to 1206 and 10,000 Ω and set the requirement at ±0.1% tolerance with ≦±10 ppm/°C TCR, one plausible precision-divider spec. Only MF12W1002BTL, a thin film part, lands on both fields together.
| Part number | Shelf / series | Tolerance | TCR | Rated power | Match / mismatch vs ±0.1%, ≦±10, 1206 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
WF12J1002BTL |
Thick film, TC25 | ±0.1% | ≦±25 | 1/4W | Match on tolerance and power; mismatch — TCR 2.5× looser than required |
WF12K1002BTL |
Thick film, TC50 | ±0.1% | ≦±50 | 1/4W | Mismatch — TCR 5× looser |
SF12H1002BTL |
Thick film, Anti-Sulfuration | ±0.1% | ≦±100 | 1/4W | Mismatch — TCR 10× looser, adds sulfur resistance |
MF12W1002BTL |
Thin film, tantalum nitride MF | ±0.1% | ≦±10 | 2/5W | Match on tolerance and TCR; mismatch on power — 2/5W, not 1/4W |
WF12B1002TTL |
Thin film, precision WF | ±0.01% | ≦±3 | 1/4W | Match on power; mismatch — tolerance 10× tighter than asked, a different part to qualify |
Nineteen of the 20 thick film candidates and 27 of the 28 thin film candidates at this one resistance match on footprint and differ on tolerance, TCR or power. We will not tell you a part is equivalent. We will show you where it differs — confirm against the datasheet you request and qualify in your own circuit.
Where exactly does thick film precision stop?
At ±0.1% tolerance and ≦±25 ppm/°C TCR, and only at three case sizes. We measured the full thick film shelf and found that combination — the tightest it ever offers together — exists only at 0603, 0805 and 1206, in 343 rows each. Everywhere else on the shelf, improving one field costs you the other. Past that point, every further step in tolerance or TCR requires the thin film construction, not a deeper thick film series.
Do we hold a datasheet for either shelf to confirm this?
No, for neither side. We hold 28 Walsin datasheets, 451 pages, and exactly two are chip resistor sheets: the MR automotive and WR general purpose PDFs. We checked both by text search for “TC25”, “TC50”, “TC100”, “Anti-Sulfuration”, “WF”, “MF” and “SF” as series names — none of the seven thick film high precision series and none of the three thin film series appears. Every tolerance, TCR and wattage figure in this post is the export’s own value, not a datasheet-confirmed one.
That gap cuts the same way on both shelves, so the crossover we have measured is a crossover between two un-datasheeted catalogues. We are telling you that rather than implying coverage we do not have.
What should a buyer do with the crossover point?
Decide which field is binding before you choose a construction. If your requirement needs ±0.1% or looser and ≦±25 ppm/°C or looser, thick film’s 52,027-row shelf has real depth, especially at 0603, 0805 and 1206. If it needs tighter than either field, the thick film shelf has zero candidates at every one of the 8 case sizes, and thin film is the only shelf with an answer. The trade press has reported passive component lead times stretching through 2026 as AI server and EV programmes draw on the same manufacturing capacity, so knowing which shelf you actually need before you search saves a second round at quote stage.
- Write the tolerance and TCR together, not as two separate numbers. The two fields move as a pair on both shelves, and stating only one leaves the other to chance.
- Cross the whole BOM in one pass. Paste up to 500 part numbers or drop your Excel or CSV into the free cross-reference tool. It decodes 18 manufacturers’ part numbers and matches against 800,000+ crossable Walsin part numbers, with every difference from your original stated rather than hidden.
- Check what is physically in Hong Kong on ready stock before committing to a production slot. That page is a dated snapshot as at 23 September 2026, not a live feed.
- Ask us for the series datasheet. We hold none for either shelf today — your request is what puts it on our list to Walsin.
Check us while you are here. UL file E182369 is searchable in UL’s own public database in about thirty seconds, and the TUV certificates we hold are named and numbered for the same reason.
For the full 40-file breakdown of the thick film shelf alone, see high precision thick film resistor shelf. For the thin film side counted the same way, see the thin film TCR and tolerance grid. The full range is on the Walsin chip resistor range page.
The short version
Thick film’s high precision shelf never beats ±0.1% tolerance at any of Walsin’s 8 case sizes, and its best TCR paired with that tolerance tops out at ≦±25 ppm/°C, only at 0603, 0805 and 1206. Thin film beats thick film’s TCR at all 8 sizes, by 8× to 20× depending on size, and beats its tolerance ceiling at 7 of 8 — the exception is 0201, where both shelves tie at ±0.1% but thin film still delivers an 8× tighter TCR at that same tolerance. One real 10 kΩ, 1206 requirement at ±0.1% and ≦±10 ppm/°C returns 48 candidates across both shelves and exactly one match.
Send us the tolerance and TCR your circuit actually needs, together, and we will tell you which shelf has it, with real part numbers and the mismatches stated plainly — then tell you which of them was in Hong Kong on 23 September 2026.
Frequently asked questions
Is thin film always tighter than thick film at the same case size?
On TCR, yes — thin film beats thick film’s best TCR at all 8 case sizes Walsin builds, by a factor of 8 to 20 depending on size. On tolerance, thin film is tighter at 7 of 8 sizes; the exception is 0201, where both shelves stop at ±0.1% because thin film carries no ±0.01% part at that size either.
Does thick film ever reach ±0.01% tolerance?
No. We checked all 52,027 rows of Walsin’s high precision thick film export and found zero at ±0.01%. The tightest tolerance on that shelf, at any case size, is ±0.1%.
At 0201, if both shelves tie on tolerance, does the technology choice stop mattering?
No. At 0201, thick film’s ±0.1% rows carry only ≦±200 ppm/°C TCR, the loosest grade in the shelf, with zero exceptions across 1,142 rows. Thin film’s ±0.1% rows at 0201 reach ≦±25 ppm/°C. The tolerance ties; the TCR does not.
Where does thick film’s precision shelf stop?
At ±0.1% tolerance combined with ≦±25 ppm/°C TCR, its tightest pairing, and that combination exists only at the 0603, 0805 and 1206 case sizes, 343 rows each. Past that point every further improvement in either field requires the thin film construction.
Does Venatech hold a datasheet for either the thick film or thin film precision shelf?
No. We hold 28 Walsin datasheets, 451 pages, and only two are chip resistor sheets, the MR automotive and WR general purpose PDFs. We searched both for the series names on each shelf and found none, so every figure in this comparison is the export’s own value.
Can I swap a thick film ±0.1% part for a thin film part in the same footprint?
The case size and termination usually match, so the footprint is not the obstacle. The tolerance and TCR are: at the same case size and resistance, the thin film part is typically ±0.01% with a TCR 8 to 20 times tighter, which is a different part to qualify, not a drop-in. Confirm against both datasheets and qualify in your own circuit.
What is the fastest way to second-source across both shelves?
Fix the tolerance and TCR pair first, then cross the whole list in one pass. The free cross-reference tool takes a pasted list of up to 500 part numbers or an Excel or CSV file, matches against Walsin’s published catalogue, and states every difference from your original. Then check the dated ready stock snapshot before committing to a slot.