A grain boundary defect model for ZnO ceramic varistors by deep heat treatment

Studies on ZnO ceramic varistors by deep heat treatment at 650–900 C are reported. The current creep time curve exhibits a peak during the continuous action of a dc biasing voltage; the forwardV-l characteristic is improved rather than degraded after the action of the biasing voltage. We assume that the zinc interstitial cations Zn_i are out diffused rapidly and the concentration of Zn_i in the depletion layer is decreased rapidly during deep heat treatment; the oxygen anions O’_o could be accumulated at the grain interface if the out diffusion quantity of Zn_i is not enough to react with the O’_o; the current creep phenomenon above results from the migration of the interface O’_o by the biasing voltage. We suggest an improved grain boundary defect model for the ZnO varistors by deep heat treatment, and examine the model using the experimental data of lifetime positron-annihilation spectroscopy. Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China.