Patent ID: 7167352

Claim:
A multilayer chip varistor comprising: a multilayer body having a varistor section comprising a varistor layer developing a voltage nonlinear characteristic, a pair of internal electrodes disposed so as to interpose said varistor layer, and a pair of outer layer sections disposed so as to interpose said varistor section; and a pair of external electrodes formed on said multilayer body and connected to respective electrodes of said pair of internal electrodes, wherein the relative dielectric constant of said outer layer sections is set lower than the relative dielectric constant of the region where said pair of internal electrodes in said varistor layer overlap each other, wherein the region where said pair of internal electrodes in said varistor layer overlap each other has a region comprising a first element body comprising ZnO as the main component and also containing Co, and wherein said outer layer sections have a region comprising a second element body comprising ZnO as the main component and also containing Co, with the content of said Co being lower than that in said first element body.