Nonlinear current–voltage characteristics of ilmenite–hematite ceramic

Abstract

Current–voltage (I–V) characteristics of solid solutions of ilmenite–hematite (IH) (1−x)FeTiO3·xFe2O3, with x varying from 0 to 0.45, were studied. All compositions except x=0 exhibit a low-voltage varistor behavior. The switching voltage for these devices was found to be well below 10 V, with the lowest value being about 2 V. The nonlinear coefficient, α, of the devices varied between 1.75 and 3.7. These results indicate that varistors based on some members in the family of IH are suitable for protecting the Si-based microelectronic circuits from surge of transient currents.