• Journal of the Korea Institute of Information and Communication Engineering
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• v.4 no.4
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• pp.793-801
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• 2000

This paper presents the effect of lightning impulse current on ZnO varistors(390[V], 6.5[kA]) used in low-voltage AC mains as a protective device against transient overvoltages. The electrical characteristics of ZnO varistors are deteriorated by overtime impulse current, and a deteriorated ZnO varistor is brought to a thermal runaway and finally destroyed even in normal operating voltage. Therefore, it is important to estimate the changes of the electrical characteristics of ZnO varistors. A lightning impulse current standardized in IEC 61000-4-5 is applied to the varistors to accelerate deterioration, and the energy applied to the varistor at each time is about 12 [J]. In the experiment, various parameters such as leakage current, reference voltage are measured with the number of applied impulse current. Also, micro-structure changes of the varistors after applying the lightning impulse current of 200 times are compared. The electrical characteristics of the varistors are degraded by overtime impulse current, showing increase in leakage current and decrease in reference voltage.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.11 no.10
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• pp.842-848
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• 1998

The stability of paraseodymium-based zinc oxide varistor consisting of Zn-Pr-Co-Cr-Y oxide was investigated according to yttria additives under different stress conditons, such as 0.8V\ulcorner\ulcorner/373K/12h and 0.85V\ulcorner\ulcorner/393K/12h. Wholly, all varistor after the stress showed nearly symmetric and stable I-V characteristics. Particularly, in the case of 2.0mol% and 4.0mol% yttria-added varistor showing a good I-V characteristics, the varation rate of varistor voltage were less 1% and that of nonlinear coefficient were about degree of 5%, and what is remarkable, leakage current with increasing stress time during the applied stress was almost constant. It the light of these facts, it is estimated that varistor constituents having 2.0mol% and 4.0mol% yittria, respectively, will be utilized to various application fields.

• The Magazine of the IEIE
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.52-62
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• 1980

• Electrical & Electronic Materials
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• v.10 no.7
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• pp.659-667
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• 1997

The influence of SiO$_2$on the microstructure and electrical properties of zinc oxide varistor was investigated. Zn$_2$SiO$_4$third phase in the sintered body was found at grain boundaries, multiple grain junctions, and occasionally within ZnO grains. This phase acted as a grain growth inhibitor, which retard the grain growth of the ZnO matrix by impeding migration on the grain boundaries. As SiO$_2$ addition increases, average grain size decreased from 40.6${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$ to 26.9${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$ due to the pinning effect by Zn$_2$SiO$_4$ and drag effect by Si segregation at grain boundaries, the breakdown voltage consequently increased. When SiO$_2$ addition is increased, interface state density decreased, however, the barrier height increased by decrease of donor concentration, as a result, the nonlinear exponent increased and leakage current decreased. While, as SiO$_2$ addition increase, it was found that the apparent dielectric loss factor shows a tendency of decrease. Wholly, electrical properties of zinc oxide varistor can be said to be improved by SiO$_2$addition.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 1998.06a
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• pp.343-346
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• 1998

Degradation characteristics of the Pr-based ZnO varistor with $Y_2O_3$content (0.0-4.0 mol!%j were investigated. It was appeared that the variation of the J-E characteristics in the reverse direction before and after the applied stress with increasing $Y_2O_3$ content was larger than that of the forward direction but the variation was extrernly small. For all varistor, the leakage current with the stress time during the applied stress somewhat increased initialy but afterthat was almost constant or slightly decreased. The overall varistor voltage and nonlinear coefficient were less than 5%. Especially, in the case of Pr-based ZnO varistor containing 2.0 mol% to 4.0 mol% $Y_2O_3$, the variation of breakdown voltage and nonlinear coefficient was less than 1% and 5%. respectively. As a result, they showed good stability.

• Electrical & Electronic Materials
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.161-167
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• 1993

ZnO 바리스터의 비선형 전도특성은 입자의 구조로부터 설명할 수 있다. 본 논문에서는 ZnO 바리스터의 입자구조에 트랩된 캐리어를 분석하기 위해서 TSC 측정 기법을 사용하였다. 측정 결과로 부터 네개의 TSC피크를 얻었다. 고온으로 부터 첫번째 두번째와 세번째 TSC피크의 기원은 각각 트랩, 도너 밀도 및 입계층의 트랩으로 나타나고 네번째 피크의 기원은 공핍층에 있는 도너 이온의 탈분극에 의해서 기인하는 것으로 사료된다. .alpha.$_{1}$피크의 활성화 에너지는 약 0.33-1.42eV였다. 또한 바리스터의 예비동작 영역에서의 전도특성은 .alpha.$_{1}$과 .alpha.$_{2}$피크의 값에 지배된다는 것을 확인하였다.

• The Transactions of the Korean Institute of Electrical Engineers
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• v.34 no.5
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• pp.186-192
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• 1985

Co2O3 additive effects on the electrical properties in ZnO varistor are investigated. As the Co Cations being substituted and ionized normally to a divalent state for Zn in the lattice site increase, the leakage current in the prebreakdown region decreases and the so-called

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 1999.05a
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• pp.312-316
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• 1999

I-V characteristics of Praseodymium-based ZnO varistor doped with $Nd_2O_3$ in the range 0.0-2.0mol% sintered at 130$0^{\circ}C$ and 135$0^{\circ}C$ were investigated. In the all sides, ZnO varistors sintered at $1300^{\circ}C$ exhibited much better varistor characteristics than that at 135$0^{\circ}C$. All ZnO varistors doped with $Nd_2O_3$ sintered at $1300^{\circ}C$ exhibited good varistor characteristics but particularly ZnO varistor doped with l.Omol% $Nd_2O_3$ exhibited the best characteristics, which the nonlinear is 65.2 and the leakage current is 4.5pA. It is estimated that ZnO varistor doped with l.Omol% $Nd_2O_3$ will begin to be sufficiently used as basic composition to fabricate a good varistor.

• Electrical & Electronic Materials
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• v.9 no.7
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• pp.708-718
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• 1996

The microstructure and electrical properties of the nonlinear ZnO varistor with A1$_{2}$ $O_{3}$ additions is investigated. The variation of nonlinear behavior with A1$_{2}$ $O_{3}$ additions is indicated from J-E and C-V measurement to be a result of the change of the interface defects density $N_{t}$ at the grain boundaries and the donor concentration $N_{d}$ in the ZnO grains. The optimum composition which has the nonlinear coefficients of -57 was observed in the sample with 0.005wt% A1$_{2}$ $O_{3}$ additions. The conduction mechanism at the pre-breakdown region is consistent with a Schottky thermal emission process obeying a relation given by $J^{\var}$exp[-(.psi.-.betha. $E^{1}$2/)kT] and the conduction process at the breakdown region follows a Fowler-Nordheim tunneling mechanism of the form $J^{\var}$exp(-.gamma./E).

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 2000.11a
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• pp.212-216
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• 2000

ZnO varistors for distribution surge arrester (18kV, 5kA) were developed and tested microstructure and electrical characteristics. Microstructure of ZnO varistor was consisted of ZnO grain, spinel phase and Bi-rich phase. Average grain size of ZnO varistor was $\mu\textrm{m}$ Reference voltage and lightning impulse residual voltage of ZnO varistor exhibited a good haracteristics above 5.5kV and below 11.56kV, respectively. Consequently, discharge capacity which is the most important characteristics of ZnO varistor for surge arrester exhibited excellent properties above 70kA at twice high-current impulse test. Moreover, variation rate of reference voltage and lightning impulse residual voltage showed below 5% and 2% after high-current impulse test, respectively. Leakage current and watt loss of ZnO varistor will not increase during accelerated aging test at stress condition, such as 3.213kV/$115^{\circ}C$/1000h.