1

 Then a trademark of the General Electric Company.

2

 The MOV applications to high-voltage surge arresters were also developed during that period, but are no

 covered in this Anthology, except for the seminal Shakshaug et al. paper which is included as an 

 annex of this Part 7.

by the covers of successive editions (avatars) of the Transient Voltage Suppression Manual, GE

eventually did exit the business of low-voltage MOVs, with Harris Semiconductor taking over. That exit

was later followed by yet another divestiture, now apparent as the latest MOV avatar when browsing the

Internet for present MOV manufacturers – a long way from the 1970s GE-MOVs.
3,6182,841 United States Patent Office , , :, , 

VOLTAGE DEPEN~ENT RESISTORS 

IN A BULK TYPE 

Michio Matsuoka, Takeshi Masu~ama. and Yoshio Iida. 

Osaka-fu. ~aoan. assienors to -Matsushita Electric I& 

,0s&a, Japan Filed Dec. 1, 1970, Ser. No. 93,971 

Claims priority, application Japan, Dec. 12, 1969, 

44/100,447; Dec. 16, 1969, 44/102,203, 44/ 

102,204,44/102,205,44/102,206; Dec. 23,1969, 

'29,908 

HOlb 1/06 

5 Claims 

44/569; Apr. 6,-1970, 45, 

Int. CI. 

US. CI. 252-518 

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE 

A voltage dependent resistor of the bulk type. The 

resistor has a sintered body consisting essentially of, as a major part, zinc oxide (ZnO) and, as an additive, 

0.05 to 10.0 mole percent of beryllium oxide (BeO) and 

0.05 to 10.0 mole percent, in total, of at least one mem- ber selected from the group consisting of bismuth oxide 

(Bia03), cobalt oxide (COO) manganese oxide (MnO) , barium oxide (BaO), strontium oxide (SrO) and lead 

oxide (PbO). Electrodes are provided which are in con- tact with said body. 

This invention relates to voltage dependent resistors 

having non-ohmic resistance due to the bulk thereof and more particularly to varistors comprising zinc oxide and 

beryllium oxide. 

Various voltage dependent resistors such as silicon 

carbide varistors, selenium rectifiers and germanium or silicon p-n junction diodes have been widely used for 

stabilizhon-of voltage or current of electrical circuits. 

The electrical characteristics of such a voltage dependent resistor are expressed by the relation: 

where V is the voltage across the resistor, I is the cur- rent flowing through the resistor, C is a constant corresponding to the voltage at a given current and exponent n is a numerical value greater than 1. The value of n is 

calculated by the following equation: 

where V1 and Va are the voltages at given currents I1 and 

12, respectively. The desired value of C depends upon the 

kind of application to which the resistor is to be put. It 

is ordinarily desirable that the value of n be as large as 

possible since this exponent determines the extent to 

which the resistors depart from ohmic characteristics. 

Voltage dependent resistors comprising simered bodies of zinc oxide with or without additives and silver 

paint electrodes applied thereto, have previously been 

disclosed. The non-linearity of such varistors is attributed to the interface between the sintered body of zinc 

oxide with or without additives and the silver paint electrode and is controlled mainly by changing the compositions of said sintered body and silver paint electrode. 

Therefore, it is not easy to control the C-value over a 

wide range after the sintered body is prepared. Similarly, 

in varistors comprising germanium or silicon p-n junction diodes, it is difficult to control the C-value over a 

wide range because the non-linearity of these varistors 

is not attributed to the bulk but to the p-n junction. On 

the other hand, the silicon carbide varistors have non- linearity due to the contacts among the individual grains 

of silicon carbide bonded together bv a ceramic bindins 

material, i.e. to the bulk, and the C-value is t controlled 

by changing a dimension in the direction in \which the 

current flows through the varistors. The silicosn carbide 

varistors, however, have a relatively low n-valuue ranging 

5 from 3 to 6 and are prepared by firing in nom-oxidizing 

atmosphere, especially for the purpose of obtaining a lower C-value. 

An object of the present invention is to proviide a voltage dependent resistor having non-linearity ddue to the 

10 bulk thereof and being characterized by a low C-value 

and high n-value. 

Another object of the present invention is tto provide 

a method for making a voltage dependent resisttor having 

the non-linearity due to the bulk thereof and beeing char15 acterized by a high n-value, without using non+oxidizing 

atmosphere. 

These objects are achieved by providing a vcoltage dependent resistor of the bulk type comprising aa sintered 

body consisting essentially of, as a major part,t, zinc ox20 ide (ZnO), and, as an additive, 0.05 to 10.0 rmole percent of beryllium oxide (BeO) and 0.05 to 110.0 mole 

percent, in total, of at least one member seleccted from 

the group consisting of bismuth oxide (Bi2OBB), cobalt 

oxide (Coo), manganese oxide (MnO) , bariuum oxide 

25 (BaO), strontium oxide (SrO) and lead oxidde (PbO), 

and electrodes in contact with said body. 

These and other objects of the invention wil.11 become 

apparent upon consideration of the following ddescription 

taken together with the accompanying drawing I in which 

30 the single figure is a partly cross-sectional view through 

a voltage dependent resistor in accordance witkh the invention. 

Before proceeding with a detailed descriptiwn of the 

voltage dependent resistors contemplated by &he inven35 tion, their construction will be described with . reference 

to the aforesaid drawing wherein reference chaaracter 10 

designates, as a whole, a voltage dependent resiistor com- prising, as its active element, a sintered body having a 

pair of electrodes 2 and 3 applied to opposite: surfaces 

40 thereof. Said sintered body 1 is prepared in aa manner hereinafter set forth and is in any form such ass circular, 

square or rectangular plate form. Wire leads 5 aand 6 are attached conductively to the electrodes 2 and 33, respectively, by a connection means 4 such as solder orr the like. 

45 The sintered body 1 of the voltage dependenat resistor 

according to the invention comprises a compositition con- sisting essentially of, as a major part, zinc oxidle (ZnO) 

and, as an additive, 0.05 to 10.0 mole percent 1 of beryllium oxide (BeO) and 0.05 to 10.0 mole percent$, in total, 

50 of at least one member selected from the group con- sisting of bismuth oxide (Bi203), cobalt oxidee (Coo). 

manganese oxide (MnO) , barium oxide (BaO)) , strontium oxide (SrO) and lead oxide (PbO) and hass the electrodes 2 and 3 in contact with said body. 

55 A higher n-value can be obtained when saidi additive 

consists essentially of 1.0 to 8.0 mole percent (of beryllium oxide (BeO) and 0.1 to 3.0 mole percent,, in total, 

of at least one member selected from the groupp consisting of bismuth oxide (Biz03), cobalt oxide (CoCO), man- 60 ganese oxide (MnO), barium oxide (BaO), sstrontium 

oxide (SrO) and lead oxide (PbO). 

Table 1 shows the optimal compositions of ssaid additives for producing a voltage dependent resistox having 

hibh n-value, low C-value and high stability witfh respect 

65 to temperature, humidity and electric load. 

The sintered body 1 can be prepared by a pear se well 

known ceramic technique. The starting material~ls having 

the compositions described in the foregoing description are mixed in a wet mill so as to produce homaogeneous 

70 mixtures. The mixtures are dried and messed inn a mold 

into the desired shape at a pressure of from 1100 kg./ 

- - crnea to 1000 kg./~rn.~. The pressed are: sintRrPr

Copy provided by USPTO from the CSlR Image Database 
Let the saga begin ...
GE has been helping customers solve transient voltage 

problems since the introduction of GE-MOV@ varistors 

in 1972. The GE-MOV@ team is constantly researching 

the causes and effects of transients and developing new 

solutions to meet all types of transient suppression 

needs; committed to innovation beyond today's 

technology. 

As the field of electronics has grown rapidly through the 

use of solid-state components, so have the applications 

for surge suppressors to protect these transientsensitive devices. Innovations such as surface-mount 

technology have also altered the demand profile by 

adding packaging considerations to functional ones. 

As a result of innovation and research, the GE-MOV@ 

line of metal-oxide varistors has expanded to include 

surface-mount devices, new high-energy packages, 

connector-pin varistors, and high-temperature, lowprofile varistors. These new products supplement the 

GE-MOV@ line of radial, axial, and high-energy 

packaged varistors, already the broadest in the industrGE-MOV@ Features 

FAMILY FEATURES: 

Wide Voltage/Energy Range 

Excellent Clamp Ratio 

TYPE FEATURES: 

CHISM Series 

Surface Mount Varistors 

Better Performance 

Higher Reliability 

Lower Equipment Cost 

Saves on Board 

HeighVBul Weight 

CP Series 

Connector Pin Varistors 

Provides transient protection 

in connectors 

Available in 22, 20, and 

16 gauge sizes 

MA Series 

Axial Package 

Wide Voltage Range 

Automatic Insertion 

Power 

No Follow-On CUI 

ZA Series 

Radial Package 

Low Voltage Operation 

LA Series 

Radial Package 

Line Voltage Operation 

UL Recognized 

RA Series 

Low Profile 

High Tbmperature Capability 

Precise Seating Plane 

In-Line Leads 

PA Series 

Rigid Mountdown 

NEMA Creep and Strike Distance 

Quick Connect Terminal 

UL Recognized 

-MOW S~ecification Guide 

Fast Response Time UL Recogn 

Low Standby 

DA,DB,BA,BB Series 

High Energy Capability 

Rigid Terminals 

Isolated 

Low Inductance 

Improved Creep and Strike 

UL Recognized 

CA Series 

Industrial Discs 

Hi Reliability Series 

100% Rescreened 

100% Process Conditioning 

Meets Military Specifications 
GE Centennial Advertisement

 Most people recognize GE-MOV® varistors as the

ultimate in system transient protection. W ith good 

reason. These metal oxide varistors, or movistors, are 

the result of research and experience that stems from

the early years of General Electric, celebrating in 1978 

its 100th birthday.

 You may have shared our excitement along the GE

path to leadership. Steinmetz* lightning generator

demonstration in 1922. Anderson*s lightning

measurements on the Empire State Building in the

1930*s. The definitive study of surge voltages in

residential and industrial circuits formulated by 

Martzloff and Hahn of GE*s Corporate R&D Center 

in 1970. And, of course, GE*s $10 million investment

relating to the introduction of GE-MOV® varistors six

years ago.

 But in our view, the best is yet to come. GE*s R&D 

work on transient protection continues to find more

sophisticated materials, better measurements and

standardization. Soon, you*ll be able to put the 

resulting new products and new ideas to work for you.

 Experience, Innovation. Staying power. It*s what 

you*ve come to expect, and can expect from GE when

you need transient protection.

 For the full story on GE-MOV® varistors, call your 

local authorized GE semiconductor distributor, or 

write General Electric Co., Electronics Park 7-49,

Syracuse, N.Y. 13221. 222-06

® Registered Trademark of General Electric Co

.

There*s more

to GE semiconductors

than meets the eye

__________________________________________

G E N E R A L E L E C T R I C
Avatars of the GE Transient Voltage Suppression Manual

1976 - 2004

1976 – First Edition

(A collector’s item)

1978 – Second Edition

The line expands

1982 – Third Edition

Bigger is better

1983 – Fourth Edition

(More big discs/)

1986 – Fifth Edition 

Last Hurrah for GE-MOV

1992 – Same Text

A New Home

 

Browsing the Web in 2004 for varistor vendors delivers the following message:

The product you're searching for is part of a family that is no longer in the Intersil Corporation

product portfolio.

TRANSIENT VOLTAGE PRODUCTS

The former Harris Semiconductor and RCA Solid State family of transient voltage products

(Radial Varistors, Multi-Layer Varistors, Industrial MOVs, Diode Arrays and Surgector TVS

Thyristors) were sold to Littlefuse, Inc. These include products with prefixes of LA, ZA, CIII,

MLA, MLE, AUML, RA, BB, MA, HA, NA and SP.