The physics of zinc oxide varistors

This paper presents a physical description of the action of ZnO varistors, which are complex ceramic bodies of ZnO grains sintered in an oxide flux; their conductivity is very low at low voltage, but becomes high after a certain breakdown voltage is reached. It is found that depletion layers in the ZnO adjacent to the intergranular layers of oxide flux are the principal barrier to conduction at low voltage. These depletion layers are formed because electron traps in the intergranular layer absorb electrons from the ZnO, and the oxide flux itself is found to be more conductive than the neighboring barriers; conduction within the flux is observed at low temperatures. Electrical breakdown is associated with the completion of trap filling in thin regions of the intergranular layer. This model is supported by a wide range of physical phenomena.