Varistor Behavior at Twin Boundaries in ZnO

The electrical behavior of commercial ZnO varistor devices has been examined with voltage contrast microscopy and point contact dc electrical measurements. Nonlinear voltage‐dependent behavior has been observed across both of the major crystalline boundary types present in the system: Bi2O3 layer co...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of the American Ceramic Society 1999-08, Vol.82 (8), p.2106-2110
Main Authors: Haskell, Benjamin A., Souri, Shukri J., Helfand, Martin A.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Applied sciences
Condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties
Conductivity phenomena in semiconductors and insulators
Conductors, resistors (including thermistors, varistors, and photoresistors)
Electronic equipment and fabrication. Passive components, printed wiring boards, connectics
Electronic transport in condensed matter
Electronics
Exact sciences and technology
High-field and nonlinear effects
Physics
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Summary:The electrical behavior of commercial ZnO varistor devices has been examined with voltage contrast microscopy and point contact dc electrical measurements. Nonlinear voltage‐dependent behavior has been observed across both of the major crystalline boundary types present in the system: Bi2O3 layer containing ZnO grain boundaries (or grain boundaries) and antimony spinel layer internal ZnO inversion twin boundaries (or twin boundaries). Twin boundaries, which bisect practically every grain in a typical commercial device, possess potential barriers with higher average breakdown voltages than do grain boundaries. Certain zinc antimonate spinel (Zn7Sb2O12) grains are electrically isolated from the matrix, whereas others are conductive within the matrix.
ISSN:0002-7820
1551-2916
DOI:10.1111/j.1151-2916.1999.tb02048.x