Microstructure and Electrical Properties of Y2O3 and Sb2O3 Co-Doped ZnO-Based Varistors

Through a conventional ceramic process, Y2O3 and Sb2O3 co-doped ZnO-based varistors were prepared. The microstructure and electrical properties of the as-prepared varistors were investigated. Y2O3 could act as an inhibitor to the growth of ZnO grains when working with Sb2O3. The mean size of ZnO grains in the Sb2O3 and Y2O3 co-doped samples was smaller than those of the samples only added with Y2O3 or Sb2O3. And with appropriately increased ratio of Y:Sb, it would result in increased sample densification. When the doping level of Y2O3 was small, the nonlinear coefficient and breakdown voltage of the varistors would increase with increasing doping amounts of Y2O3, and the leakage current would decrease. However, when Y2O3 was doped without Sb2O3, both the nonlinear coefficient and breakdown voltage of the varistors would decrease sharply, thus the leakage current increase dramatically. The electrical properties of the Sb2O3 and Y2O3 co-doped varistors would be better than those of the samples only added with Y2O3 or Sb2O3, and when the Y: Sb atom ratio was 5, the nonlinear coefficients, breakdown voltages and leakage current of the varistors reached their optimum values of 777 V/mm, 23 and 0.17 mA/cm(2), respectively.