Effects of addition of chromium and/or nickel oxides on the electrical characteristics of yttrium oxide-doped high-voltage zinc oxide varistors

Abstract

The effects of Cr2O3 and/or NiO addition to Y2O3-doped Bi-based high-voltage ZnO varistors were investigated, including crystal structure and interface states analysis. Incorporating 0.35 mol% Cr2O3 in Y-doped varistors increased the single-grain varistor voltage VNNGB from 2.6 to 3.3 V and decreased the leakage current density by a factor of 40, from 2 × 10−5 to 5 × 10-7 A/cm2. The nonlinearity index α before and after degradation increased from 21 to 35. 1.2 mol% NiO increased VNNGB to 4 V. Highest varistor voltage was 1500 V for 0.3 mol% NiO. Resistance to electrical degradation improved with optimal amounts of Cr or Ni by reduction of grain boundary oxygen vacancies. Though the donor density was changed prominently by addition of Cr and/or Ni, changes in the barrier height were suppressed by the change in interface state density. As a result, the change in VNNGB was related mainly to the empty interface state under no bias.