Patent ID: 7932807

Claim:
A varistor comprising: an element body having a first face and a second face facing each other; first and second external electrodes arranged on the first face of the element body; and third and fourth external electrodes arranged on the second face of the element body, wherein the element body has: a first varistor section including the first face, and a third face facing the first face; and a heat radiation section in contact with the third face of the first varistor section, wherein the first varistor section has: a first varistor element body to exhibit the nonlinear voltage-current characteristics; a first varistor electrode at least a part of which is in contact with the first varistor element body and which is electrically connected to the first external electrode; and a second varistor electrode at least a part of which is in contact with the first varistor element body and which is electrically connected to the second external electrode, and wherein the heat radiation section has: a first heat radiation portion in contact with the third face of the first varistor section, said first heat radiation portion containing a metal and electrically connected to the first and third external electrodes; a second heat radiation portion in contact with the third face of the first varistor section, said second heat radiation portion containing a metal and electrically connected to the second and fourth external electrodes; and an insulating layer located between the first heat radiation portion and the second heat radiation portion and electrically insulating the first heat radiation portion and the second heat radiation portion from each other.