Recently, getters have been widely used in vacuum microelectronics requiring high vacuum. The conventional bulk getters require high-temperature activation processes to function properly as a getter. where outgassing of different gases, for example, H-2, O-2, H2O, CO, and CO2, contaminate the device. In addition, the conventional bulk getter itself is not suitable for microelectronic devices due to its size limitations. A thin-film getter is small enough for microelectronic applications that require no activation with excellent resonant gas absorption characteristics. Thus, it is fabricated and analyzed as a resolution to such problems. In this work, Zr film has been used as a getter material, and Ni and Pt films for catalysis and protection of the getter from oxidation. The introduction of Pt and Ni layers in thin-film getters exhibits the excellent absorption characteristics of impurity gases in high vacuum without high-temperature activation. Realization of thin-film getters overcomes the size limitations of bulk getters, enabling the getter to be used in microelectronic devices. (C) 2004 American Vacuum Society.