• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.15 no.10
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• pp.876-882
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• 2002

The microstructure and electrical characteristics of ZPCD (ZnO-$Pr_{6}O_{11}$-CoO-$Dy_2O_3$) -based varistor ceramics were investigated with various $Pr_{6}O_{11}$/CoO ratios and sintering temperatures. The density of varistor ceramics with $Pr_{6}O_{11}$=1.0 was almost constant with sintering temperature, whereas it was increased noticeably in $Pr_{6}O_{11}$=0.5. Increasing $Pr_{6}O_{11}$ content enhanced the densification for any CoO content and the density was greatly affected not by CoO content but by $Pr_{6}O_{11}$ content. The varistor ceramics with $Pr_{6}O_{11}$/CoO=0.5/l.0 exhibited a higher nonlinearity than any other composition ratios. In particular, the varistor ceramics sintered at $1350^{\circ}C$ exhibited the best electrical properties, with nonlinear exponent of 37.8, leakage current of 7.6 ${\mu}$A, and tan $\delta$ of 0.059.