Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd.

Tohru Higashi

Yukio Sakabe

Yasunobu Yoneda

Kazutaka Nakamura

Akinori Nakayama

Hiroaki Taira

A monolithic type varistor in which a plurality of inner electrodes are arranged in a sintered body composed of semiconductor ceramics so as to be overlapped with each other while being separated by semiconductor ceramic layers. The plurality of inner electrodes are electrically connected to first and second outer electrodes formed on both end surfaces of the sintered body. One or more non-connected type inner electrodes are arranged between adjacent ones of the plurality of inner electrodes and are not electrically connected to the outer electrodes, each of the non-connected type inner electrodes being spaced apart from each adjacent inner electrode or non-connected type inner electrode while being separated therefrom by a semiconductor ceramic layer. Voltage non-linearity is obtained by Schottky barriers formed at the interface of the inner electrode and the semiconductor ceramic layer and the interface of the non-connected type inner electrode and the semiconductor ceramic layer. The value of the number of grain boundaries between semiconductor particles in at least one semiconductor ceramic layer is two or less.

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Nagaokakyo, Japan

Tohru Higashi