Influence of trace elements on the electrical proper-ties of ZnO-based multilayer varistors

Slavko Bernik, Nana Brguljan, Marija Ercegovac, Zoran Samardžija

Abstract


Nonlinear current-voltage (I-U) characteristics and stability after an IMAX test of two types of multilayer varistors (MLVs), each type fabricated in two series, were analysed in terms of their structure, microstructure and the presence of trace (i.e., impurity) elements. The structural and microstructural features showed nothing significant that could justify the very different IMAX characteristics of the MLVs of the same type from the two series. In the larger MLVs, declared for IMAX 1000A, the most critical factor was found to be the amount of Fe, the source of which was the starting Cr2O3 powder; one batch of Cr2O3 used for their fabrication contained an about 5-times-larger amount of Fe than the other, while the amounts of the other impurity elements (i.e., Al, Si, Mg, Ca, Ti, Na, K) were similar in both. The MLV1000 samples prepared with the Fe-rich Cr2O3 powder failed after a current impulse of 900A, while the samples using the Fe-low Cr2O3 powder withstood even 1400A. In the smaller MLVs, declared for 200A, prepared from Fe-low Cr2O3 and added in half the amount as in the MLV1000 samples, the critical factor was the large addition of SiO2 in the starting composition and the samples failed after a current impulse of 30 A. Amending the composition with the addition of several 100 ppm of Al resulted in an enhancement of IMAX to 420A, demonstrating the positive effects of Al. The results indicated the need to control the presence of trace elements and showed the complexity of an issue that requires a thorough consideration for each type of MLV to achieve the required electrical characteristics.


Keywords


ZnO; multilayer varistors; trace elements; microstructure; electrical characteristics

Full Text:

PDF

References


D. R. Clarke, "Varistor ceramics," Journal of the American Ceramic Society, vol. 82, no. 3, pp. 485 - 502, 1999.

T. K. Gupta, "Application of zinc oxide varistors," Journal of the American Ceramic Society, vol. 73, no. 7, pp. 1817-1840, 1990.

D. Szwagierczak, J. Kulawik, and A. Skwarek, "Influence of processing on microstructure and electrical characteristics of multilayer varistors," Journal of Advanced Ceramics, vol. 8, no. 3, pp. 408-417, 2019.doi: 10.1007/s40145-019-0323-7

L. Wang, G. Tang, and Z.-K. Xu, "Preparation and electrical properties of multilayer ZnO varistors with water-based tape casting," Ceramics International, vol. 35, no. 1, pp. 487-492, 2009.doi: 10.1016/j.ceramint.2008.01.011

W.-H. Lee, W.-T. Chen, Y.-C. Lee, S.-P. Lin, and T. Yang, "Relationship between Microstructure and Electrical Properties of ZnO-based Multilayer Varistor," Japanese Journal of Applied Physics, vol. 45, no. 6A, pp. 5126-5131, 2006.doi: 10.1143/jjap.45.5126

S. Hirose, K. Nishita, and H. Niimi, "Influence of distribution of additives on electrical potential barrier at grain boundaries in ZnO-based multilayered chip varistor," Journal of Applied Physics, vol. 100, no. 8, 2006.doi: 10.1063/1.2358833

(2019). Multilayer varistors in automotive circuit protection. Available: https://electronics360.globalspec.com/article/14398/multilayer-varistors-in-automotive-circuit-protection

J. Kulawik, D. Szwagierczak, and A. Skwarek, "Electrical and microstructural characterization of doped ZnO based multilayer varistors," Microelectronics International, vol. 34, no. 3, pp. 116-120, 2017.doi: 10.1108/mi-02-2017-0009

T. K. Gupta and A. C. Miller, "Improved stability of the ZnO varistor via donor and acceptor doping at the grain boiundary," Journal of Material Research, vol. 3, no. 4, pp. 745-751, 1988.

T. K. Gupta, "Microstructural engineering through donor and acceptor doping in the grain and grain boundary of a polycristalline semiconducting c eramics," Journal of Material Research, vol. 7, no. 12, pp. 3280-3295, 1992.

B. Wang, Z. Fang, Z. Fu, and Y. Peng, "Electrical Behavior against Current Impulse in ZnO Varistor Ceramics with SiO2 Addition," Journal of Physics: Conference Series, vol. 1637, no. 1, 2020.doi: 10.1088/1742-6596/1637/1/012026

J. He, C. Cheng, and J. Hu, "Electrical degradation of double-Schottky barrier in ZnO varistors," AIP Advances, vol. 6, no. 3, 2016.doi: 10.1063/1.4944485

T. K. Gupta and W. G. Carlson, "A grain-boundary defect model for stability/instability of a ZnO varistor," Journal of Materials Science, vol. 20, pp. 3487-3500, 1985.

Y. Huang, M. Guo, and J. Li, "Multiscale defect responses in understanding degradation in zinc oxide varistor ceramics," Ceramics International, vol. 46, no. 14, pp. 22134-22139, 2020.doi: 10.1016/j.ceramint.2020.05.286

H. Bai et al., "Influence of SiO2 on electrical properties of the highly nonlinear ZnO-Bi2O3-MnO2 varistors," Journal of the European Ceramic Society, vol. 37, no. 13, pp. 3965-3971, 2017.doi: 10.1016/j.jeurceramsoc.2017.05.014

Z. H. Wu, J. H. Fang, D. Xu, Q. D. Zhong, and L.-y. Shi, "Effect of SiO2 addition on the microstructure and electrical properties of ZnO-based varistors," International Journal of Minerals, Metallurgy, and Materials, vol. 17, no. 1, pp. 86-91, 2010.doi: 10.1007/s12613-010-0115-0

W. Long, J. Hu, J. Liu, J. He, and R. Zong, "The Effect of Aluminum on Electrical Properties of ZnO Varistors," Journal of the American Ceramic Society, vol. 93, no. 9, pp. 2441-2444, 2010.doi: 10.1111/j.1551-2916.2010.03787.x

Q. Fu, C. Ke, Y. Hu, Z. Zheng, T. Chen, and Y. Xu, "Al-doped ZnO varistors prepared by a two-step doping process," Advances in Applied Ceramics, vol. 117, no. 4, pp. 237-242, 2018.doi: 10.1080/17436753.2017.1405556

M. Houabes, S. Bernik, C. Talhi, and A. Bui, "The effect of aluminium oxide on the residual voltage of ZnO varistors," Ceramics International, vol. 31, no. 6, pp. 783-789, 2005.doi: 10.1016/j.ceramint.2004.09.004

S. Bernik and N. Daneu, "Characteristics of ZnO-based varistor ceramics doped with Al2O3," Journal of the European Ceramic Society, vol. 27, no. 10, pp. 3161-3170, 2007.doi: 10.1016/j.jeurceramsoc.2007.02.176

M. Peiteado, Y. Iglesias, and A. C. Caballero, "Sodium impurities in ZnO–Bi2O3–Sb2O3 based varistors," Ceramics International, vol. 37, no. 3, pp. 819-824, 2011.doi: 10.1016/j.ceramint.2010.10.016

E. L. Tikhomirova, O. G. Gromov, and Y. A. Savel’ev, "Effect of Impurities on Varistor Properties of High-Voltage ZnO Ceramics," Russian Journal of Applied Chemistry, vol. 94, no. 4, pp. 437-441, 2021.doi: 10.1134/s1070427221040029

A. Smith, G. Gasgnier, and P. Abelard, "Voltage-Current Characteristics of ZnO varistors of a Simple Zinc Oxide Varistor Containing Magnesia," Journal of the American Ceramic Society, vol. 73, no. 4, pp. 1098-1099, 1990.

K. Hembram, T. N. Rao, M. Ramakrishana, R. S. Srinivasa, and A. R. Kulkarni, "Influence of CaO doping on phase, microstructure, electrical and dielectric properties of ZnO varistors," Journal of Alloys and Compounds, vol. 817, 2020.doi: 10.1016/j.jallcom.2019.152700

H. Wang, H. Zhao, W. Liang, S. Fan, and J. Kang, "Effect of sintering process on the electrical properties and microstructure of Ca-doped ZnO varistor ceramics," Materials Science in Semiconductor Processing, vol. 133, 2021.doi: 10.1016/j.mssp.2021.105880

H. Zhao, H. Wang, X. Meng, J. Zhao, and Q. Xie, "A method to reduce ZnO grain resistance and improve the intergranular layer resistance by Ca2+ and Al3+ co-doping," Materials Science in Semiconductor Processing, vol. 128, 2021.doi: 10.1016/j.mssp.2021.105768

W. Deng, Z. Q. Lei, J. L. Zhao, Y. Q. Lu, and D. K. Xiong, "Effect of Fe2O3 Dopant on Electronic Densities and Electrical Properties of ZnO-Based Varistors," Advanced Materials Research, vol. 415-417, pp. 1042-1045, 2011.doi: 10.4028/www.scientific.net/AMR.415-417.1042

M. Peiteado, A. M. Cruz, Y. Reyes, J. De Frutos, D. G. Calatayud, and T. Jardiel, "Progressive degradation of high voltage ZnO commercial varistors upon Fe2O3 doping," Ceramics International, vol. 40, no. 8, pp. 13395-13400, 2014.doi: 10.1016/j.ceramint.2014.05.057

J. Shen et al., "Effects of Fe and Al co-doping on the leakage current density and clamp voltage ratio of ZnO varistor," Journal of Alloys and Compounds, vol. 747, pp. 1018-1026, 2018.doi: 10.1016/j.jallcom.2018.03.106

Z. Peng et al., "Influence of Fe2O3 doping on microstructural and electrical properties of ZnO–Pr6O11 based varistor ceramic materials," Journal of Alloys and Compounds, vol. 508, no. 2, pp. 494-499, 2010.doi: 10.1016/j.jallcom.2010.08.100




DOI: https://doi.org/10.33180/InfMIDEM2022.402

Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


Copyright (c) 2023 Slavko Bernik, Nana Brguljan, Marija Ercegovac, Zoran Samardžija

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.