Abstract: An electrically heated, cold weather garment. The garment includes a lightweight, stretchable, form-fitting fabric for covering portions of the body of a wearer of the garment; a plurality of flexible, electrical heating wires cover stitched to the fabric by sewing; an electronic controller for controlling current flowing through each of the heating wires in a pulse-width modulated fashion, to thereby independently control the heat generated by each heating wire; a plurality of potentiometers for controlling the level of power supplied to each heating wire; and a master power level potentiometer for controlling the power supplied to each of the heating wires in a uniform and simultaneous fashion. In a first preferred embodiment the controller utilizes a combination of analog and digital-like signals to control in a pulse-width modulated fashion the current flow through the heating elements.

Abstract: A heating resistor includes a conductive material, and an electrically insulating material made of a mixture of silicon carbide (SiC) and carbon (C) having a carbon content of not less than 3 wt % based on the mixture. The resistor is formed by sputtering of a target of the conductive material and the electrically insulating material having at least 5 wt % of carbon. The conductive material and the electrically insulating material may be respectively provided as separate targets. The conductive material is at least one metal selected from tantalum, niobium, titanium, tungsten, molybdenum, zirconium and chromium.