Abstract: The invention provides a varistor with sputtering terminations. In one aspect, the invention includes a varistor body with electrodes internal to the body except at spaced apart regions of the body, and sputtered terminations on the spaced apart regions of the body. In another aspect of the invention, embodiments include terminations comprised of metals from the from the group consisting of chromium, nickel, palladium, silver, tin, vanadium and mixtures thereof. In another aspect, embodiments of the invention include a passivation layer on outer surfaces of the varistor.

Abstract: The invention provides a method of sputtering terminations on electrical components. More particularly, the invention provides for multilayer ceramic varistors with sputtered terminations and methods of applying sputtered terminations to a plurality of varistors in a single operation.

Abstract: An internally fused variable value ceramic capacitor is disclosed. The fuse component is formed by a reduced cross section area of electroding material formed as a portion of a pattern on a ceramic layer of the capacitor. The capacitor incorporates three terminals, namely a common terminal, a terminal connecting the electrode layers intervening between the electrodes connected to the common terminal, and a third terminal coupled by the reduced cross section fuse area to the second mentioned terminal. The intermediate electrodes may be divided into discrete areas, and less than all of the intermediate electrodes may be interconnected to thereby permit variation in the capacitance of the device. Further described is a circuit whereby the capacitor is connected to the power supply terminals of an integrated circuit device or the like.

Abstract: A fail safe monolithic ceramic capacitor is disclosed, said capacitor being characterized in that a short circuit between an adjacent pairs of layers of electrode material functions merely to remove the shorted layers from the capacitor circuit leaving a capacitor which is intact but of a lower capacitive value. The capacitor includes a fuse defining a heating element which lies adjacent an external thin band of metal interposed between the fuse and a termination. Any overheating of the fuse results in a melting and shrinkage of the external band of metal with consequent disconnection of the pair of shorted electrodes.