Physical meaning of conductivity spectra for ZnO ceramics

With the help of broadband dielectric spectroscopy in a wide temperature and frequency range, the conductivity spectra of ZnO polycrystalline ceramics are measured and the direct-current-like （DC-like） conductivity and relaxation polarization conductivity are observed successively along the frequency axis. According to the classical Debye theory and Cole-Cole equation, the physical meanings of the two conductivities are discussed. It is found that the DC-like conductivity corresponds to electron transportation over the Schottky barrier at the grainboundary. The relaxation polarization conductivity corresponds to electronic trap relaxation of intrinsic point defects （zinc interstitial and oxygen vacancy）. When in the high frequency region, the relaxation conductivity obeys the universal law with the index n equal to the index a in the Cole-Cole equation as an indictor of disorder degree.

Electrical Properties of Li-doped P-type ZnO Ceramics

Li-doped p-type ZnO ceramics were prepared by conventional methods according to the chemical formula Zn1-xLixO2 where x=0.5, 1.0, 1.5 and 2.0 mole fraction, respectively. The crystal structures of the prepared samples were studied by X-ray diffraction analysis. The dielectric properties （including dielectric constant ε′ and dielectric loss ε″） and dc-electrical conductivity [σ（Ω^-1.cm^-1）] were investigated. The dielectric constant ε′ was sharply decreased at the low frequency range and independent on frequency at high frequency range. Otherwise, the dielectric loss ε″ varied with frequency and showed absorption peak located from 200 Hz to 4 kHz and moved to higher frequency as the concentration of Li＋ doped increased. It was found that dcelectrical conductivity logσ varied from -9 to -5 and the energy gap width were calculated by using Arrhenius equation. The p-type conductivity of Li-doped ZnO may be attributed to the formation of a Lizn-Lii donor complex, which is limited by reducing the amount of Lii.

Effects of Composition of ZnO Ceramics Containing TiO_2 onVaristor Properties

The development of low-voltage ZnO varistor ceramics containing TiO2 is presented in this report. The varistor properties of ZnO ceramics with different compositions were measured, and microstructure of the ceramics was investigated by XRD and SEM. The results show that the addition of TiO2 is beneficial to the decrease of varistor voltage (V1mA). whereas it leads to the recession of nonlinear coefficient (α) and leakage current (lL). The varistor properties of ZnO ceramics containing TiO2 can be effectively improved by introducing moderate amount of pre-fabricated ZnO seed grains. The behaviors of TiO2 and seed grains, as well as the mechanisms by which TiO2 and seed grains influence varistor properties, are discussed.

Influence of size of seed grains and sintering condition on varistor properties of ZnO-Bi_2O_3-TiO_2-Sb_2O_3 ceramics

Varistor ceramics of ZnO Bi 2O 3 TiO 2 Sb 2O 3 system have been fabricated by introducing pre fabricated ZnO seed grains with different size distributions respectively. The results show that the varistor properties were significantly influenced by the size of introduced seed grains, and introducing larger seed grains is more advantageous to the modification of microstructure and the improvement of varistor properties. The varistor properties were considerably improved with a moderately increased sintering temperature or time, whereas degraded apparently when the sintering temperature or time was excessively increased. Compared with the sintering time, the sintering temperature plays a more critical role in determining the varistor properties. By introducing pre fabricated ZnO seed grains into the original powders, low voltage ZnO varistor ceramics possessing the desired electrical properties have been produced with a sintering temperature of about 1 210 ℃ and a sintering temperature of 2～2.5 h. [

Influence of grain size on distribution of temperature and thermal stress in ZnO varistor ceramics

The nonuniformity of temperature distribution within ZnO varistor ceramics would decrease its energy absorption capability. In this paper, the distributions of current, temperature and thermal stress within the microstructures of ZnO varistor ceramics are simulated using Voronoi diagram models. The results show that the current concentrates through a few paths in ZnO varistor due to the nonuniformity of ZnO grain size and the variety of electrical characteristics of grain boundaries, which induces local high temperature and great thermal stress when injecting impulse current into ZnO varistor, and leads to melting puncture or cracking failure. The influence of the ZnO grain size on the distributions of temperature and thermal stress within ZnO varistor ceramics is analyzed in detail. The energy absorption capability of ZnO varistor ceramics can be greatly improved by increasing the uniformity of ZnO grain size or decreasing the average size of ZnO grains.

Power loss transition of stable ZnO varistor ceramics: Role of oxygen adsorption on the stability of interface states at the grain boundary

Highly stable ZnO varistor ceramics with steadily decreasing power loss have been put into applications in electrical and electronic systems for overvoltage protections, even with the absence of general understandings on their aging behaviors. In this paper, we investigated their aging nature via conducting comparative direct current (DC) aging experiments both in air and in nitrogen, during which variations of electrical properties and interface properties were measured and analyzed. Notably, continuously increasing power loss with severe electrical degradation was observed for the sample aged in nitrogen. The power loss transition was discovered to be closely related to the consumption of oxygen adsorption at the grain boundary (GB), which could, however, remain constant for the sample aged in air. The interface density of states (DOS) Ni, which is crucial for pinning the potential barrier, was proved to decrease in nitrogen, but keep stable in air. Therefore, it is concluded that the oxygen adsorption at the GB is significant for the stability of interface states, which further correlates to the long-term stability of modern stable ZnO varistor ceramics.

Effect of sintering temperature on microstructure and nonlinear electrical characteristics of ZnO varistor

The nonlinear properties of ZBMCCS-based varistors,which are composed of ZnO-Bi_(2)O_(3)-MnO_(2)-Cr_(2)O_(3)-Sb_(2)O_(3)-Co_(3)O_(4) and SiO_(2) are studied inrelation to sintering temperature,in the range of 1280–1350℃.The samples are investigated for grain morphology by using scanning electron microscope(SEM).These samples were examined by using X-ray diffraction patterns(XRD)and DC electrical measurements.X-ray diffraction analysis of the samples show the presence of ZnO,Zn_(2)SiO_(4) willemite phase and Co_(2.33)Sb_(0.67)O_(4) spinel phases.The average grain size of ZnO increased as the sintering temperature increased from 2.57 to 6.84
m.In the examined temperature range,the breakdown field decreased from 2992 to 127 V/cm with the increase of sintering temperature.This system gives a relatively high nonlinearity coefficientα=33.61(at a sintering temperature of 1280℃)with a low leakage current of 0.21 mA/cm^(2).