Abstract: Electronically tunable dielectric materials having favorable properties are disclosed. The electronically tunable materials include an electronically tunable dielectric phase such as barium strontium titanate in combination with at least two additional metal oxide phases. The additional metal oxide phases may include, for example, oxides of Mg, Si, Ca, Zr, Ti and Al. The electronically tunable materials may be provided in bulk, thin film and thick film forms for use in devices such as phased array antennas, tunable filters and the like. The materials are useful in many applications, including the area of radio frequency engineering and design.

Abstract: Electronically tunable dielectric materials having favorable properties are disclosed. The electronically tunable materials include an electronically tunable dielectric phase such as barium strontium titanate in combination with at least two additional metal oxide phases. The additional metal oxide phases may include, for example, oxides of Mg, Si, Ca, Zr, Ti and Al. The electronically tunable materials may be provided in bulk, thin film and thick film forms for use in devices such as phased array antennas, tunable filters and the like. The materials are useful in many applications, including the area of radio frequency engineering and design.

Abstract: A current-voltage non-linear resistor (10) comprises a sintered body (20) of a mixture whose chief constituent is zinc oxide and including as auxiliary constituents at least bismuth (Bi), antimony (Sb), manganese (Mn), cobalt (Co) and nickel (Ni). Also, the average grain size of the mixture is no more than 0.4 ?m; and the average grain size of the zinc oxide grains in the sintered body (20) is no more than 7.5 ?m and the standard deviation based on the grain size distribution of zinc oxide grains in the sintered body (20) is no more than 15% of the average grain size of the zinc oxide grains.

Abstract: A varistor ceramic includes the following materials: Zn as the main component, Pr in a proportion of 0.1 to 3 atom %, and a metal M selected from Y, Ho, Er, Yb and Lu in a proportion of 0.1 to 5 atom %.

Abstract: A varistor ceramic includes Zn as the main component and Pr in a proportion of 0.1 to 3 atom %.

Abstract: A current-voltage non-linear resistor (10) comprises a sintered body (20) of a mixture whose chief constituent is zinc oxide and including as auxiliary constituents at least bismuth (Bi), antimony (Sb), manganese (Mn), cobalt (Co) and nickel (Ni). Also, the average grain size of the mixture is no more than 0.4 ?m, and the average grain size of the zinc oxide grains in the sintered body (20) is no more than 7.5 ?m and the standard deviation based on the grain size distribution of zinc oxide grains in the sintered body (20) is no more than 15% of the average grain size of the zinc oxide grains.

Abstract: A method produces a component having a ceramic base body and contact surfaces on opposite sides of the ceramic base body. The method includes forming first protective layers on the opposite sides of the ceramic base body in regions not to be covered by the contact surfaces, forming second protective layers on opposite surfaces of the ceramic base body, sintering the ceramic base body with the first and second protective layers at a first temperature, forming the contact surfaces on the ceramic base body, and sintering the contact surfaces at a temperature that is lower than the first temperature.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a SrTiO3 series varistor using grain boundary segregation, and more particularly, to a method for manufacturing a SrTiO3 series varistor by sintering a powdered composition in which acceptors such as Al and Fe are added in powdered form and then sintered under a reducing atmosphere and heat-treated them in the air to selectively form electrical conduction barriers at grain boundaries in a process for manufacturing SrTiO3 series varistor having an excellent non-linear coefficient and a breakdown voltage suitable for use.

Abstract: The raw material for a ZnO—Pr-based varistor is mixed with cobalt and potassium to prepare a ceramic raw material powder. Potassium, which is an alkali metal, is added in the form of KClO4, KHC4H4O6, PtCl6, or K3[Co(NO2)6]. The ceramic raw material powder is pulverized by a wet process while 0.1 to 5.0 wt % of polycarboxylate dispersant is added to the powder. Such a method can produce a reliable, high-quality varistor having excellent varistor characteristics, such as varistor voltage V1mA and insulation resistance IR, and less variation in these characteristics.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing an Electro Static Discharge (ESD) protection componentin which slurry including varistor particles and a resin binder is produced, and a varistor green sheet is formed from this slurry. A conductor layer is formed on a surface of the varistor green sheet. A adhesive layer is formed on a baked ceramic substrate, the varistor green sheet is adhered to the adhesive layer and then baked. The method produces a high-performance and uniform ESD protection component.

Abstract: A highly accurate reduction resistant thermistor exhibiting stable resistance characteristics even under conditions where the inside of a metal case of a temperature sensor becomes a reducing atmosphere, wherein when producing the thermistor comprised of a mixed sintered body (M1 M2)O3.AOx, the mean particle size of the thermistor material containing the metal oxide, obtained by heat treating, mixing, and pulverizing the starting materials, is made smaller than 1.0 ?m and the sintered particle size of the mixed sintered body, obtained by shaping and firing this thermistor material, is made 3 ?m to 20 ?m so as to reduce the grain boundaries where migration of oxygen occurs, suppress migration of oxygen, and improve the reduction resistance.

Abstract: The raw material for a ZnO—Pr-based varistor is mixed with cobalt and potassium to prepare a ceramic raw material powder. Potassium, which is an alkali metal, is added in the form of KClO4, KHC4H4O6, PtCl6, or K2[Co(NO2)4]. The ceramic raw material powder is pulverized by a wet process while 0.1 to 5.0 wt % of polycarboxylate dispersant is added to the powder. Such a method can produce a reliable, high-quality varistor having excellent varistor characteristics, such as varistor voltage V1 ma and insulation resistance IR, and less variation in these characteristics.

Abstract: A process for forming a thixotropic ink for use in manufacturing the ceramic of a zinc oxide varistor where the ceramic includes zinc, oxygen and a plurality of additive elements. The process includes the steps of calcining a mixture of powders of zinc oxide and the additive elements to form a calcined product having a particle size larger than the particle size of the zinc ozide powders, mixing said calcined product with an organic liquid, mechanically working the mixture to produce a calcined particulate material in the organic liquid having a particle size less than the particle size of said calcined product, adding an organic binder to the mixture and mixing the composition to produce said ink.

Abstract: The invention concerns novel varistors based on zinc oxide and a method for making same, which consists in using as base products nanocrystalline powders obtained by high-intensity mechanical grinding and in subjecting the mixture resulting from said nanocrystalline powders a consolidating treatment such as sintering, in suitably selected temperature and time conditions so as to retain the smallest possible grain size of ZnO. The resulting varistors have a very fine homogeneous microstructure and an average grain size characteristically not more than 3 mu m, i.e. five times smaller than standard materials. Said novel varistors have a larger number of grain boundaries per length unit and therefore a much higher breakdown voltage. Said voltage is characteristically higher than 10 kV/cm and can reach 17 kV/cm which is almost one order of magnitude above the breakdown voltage of standard varistors.

Abstract: A process for producing a monolithic ceramic electronic component, which includes: providing a ceramic slurry, a conductive paste, and a ceramic paste; forming a plurality of composite structures each comprising a ceramic green sheet produced by shaping the ceramic slurry, internal circuit element films formed by applying the conductive paste partially onto a main surface of the ceramic green sheet so as to provide step-like sections, and a ceramic green layer which compensates for spaces defined by the step-like sections, the ceramic green layer being formed by applying the ceramic paste onto the region on the main surface of the sheet on which the element films are not formed, so as to substantially compensate for the spaces; forming a green laminate by laminating the composite structures; and firing the green laminate, wherein the ceramic paste contains ceramic powder, an organic solvent, and an organic binder.

Abstract: Apparatus for producing multilayer varistors using ceramic ink and electrode ink consists of a succession of stations, in which alternating layers of ceramic ink and electrode ink are laid down on a substrate. The stations may be printing stations in which either a ceramic ink screen or an electrode ink screen is used to apply the appropriate ink to the substrate. In a first printing step, a layer of ceramic ink is laid down, within a region determined by a mask area of a ceramic ink screen. In the following step, electrode ink is laid down in regions determined by mask areas of the electrode ink screen. The apparatus includes transfer mechanisms for advancing substrates from station to station for successive printing operations, and control mechanisms for regulating and coordinating the successive printing operations and substrate travel.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a ceramic component including at least one cermet body, especially a cermet electrode, in which the costs are reduced and the ceramic component can be produced in accordance with requirements with an integrated cermet body in a reproducible manner. The cermet body initially is produced as a green compact; the cermet body then is inserted into the ceramic composition; the ceramic composition subsequently is consolidated together with the green compact cermet body, e.g. by pressing, and the resulting assembly is finally sintered.

Abstract: Provided are wide-range thermistor materials with high responsibility, which have linear resistance temperature characteristics and a large rate of temperature-dependent resistance change in wide temperature range of from lower than room temperature to higher than 1000.degree. C. The thermistor material comprises an electrically-insulating ceramic matrix and second phase grains as discontinuously dispersed in the matrix, in which the second phase grains are of a semiconductive or conductive substance having a large rate of temperature-dependent resistance chance. The material may optionally contain a resistance-controlling additive of one or more of nitrides, borides, silicides, sulfides, oxides and carbide of elements, third phase grains with internal stress-relaxing ability having a lower modulus of elasticity than the matrix and the second phase grains, and a resistance stabilizer of TiO.sub.2 and/or Ti.sub.n O.sub.2n-1 (n=4 to 9).

Abstract: A composition for electric material containing as a primary component zinc oxide. The composition further contains at least one of rare-earth elements in a range of 0.01 mol % to 3.0 mol % in terms of oxide thereof given by R.sub.2 O.sub.3 where R represents generally the rare-earth elements, and aluminum in a range of 0.0005 mol % to 0.005 mol % in terms of aluminum oxide given by Al.sub.2 O.sub.3. The composition is suited for manufacturing a resistance element whose varistor voltage can be increased over a whole current range without being accompanied with any appreciable degradation in flatness ratio of a voltage-versus-current characteristic.

Abstract: Components whose palladium metal-containing constituent is not subject to delamination and which exhibit very good dielectric properties are obtained by means of a method of manufacturing a ceramic electronic component. The ceramic electronic component is essentially composed of a dielectric oxide ceramic and at least one palladium-containing component, and is obtained by firing and sintering of a green body containing an organic binder with the firing process including a first step in which the binder is removed from the binder-containing green body by means of a water-gas reaction in a water vapor-containing, essentially oxygen-free, atmosphere at temperatures between 20.degree. and 880 .degree. C., and a second step in which the dielectric oxide ceramic is re-oxidized in an atmosphere having an oxygen content of 10 to 100% by volume at a temperature in the range from 880 .degree. C. to 900 .degree. C.

Abstract: A process for producing a voltage-dependent nonlinear resistor that contains zinc oxide as a major component and that also contains a minor oxide component, is improved by the steps of adding an organometallic compound as the minor oxide component to the powder of zinc oxide, mixing the two components, forming the mixture into a shape and sintering the shape. The organometallic compound as the minor oxide component is either a compound in which a hydrocarbon group is bound to a metal atom or a compound in which the hydrogen atom in a carboxyl, hydroxyl, imino group, etc., is replaced by a metal. The method is capable of reducing the scattering of the electrical characteristics of the voltage-dependent nonlinear resistor, which contributes to an improvement of the change of varistor voltage by surge current.

Abstract: A zinc oxide ceramic and a method for producing the zinc oxide ceramics are provided wherein a zinc oxide varistor for a high voltage which has excellent electric characteristics and great reliability for DC loading and surge can be produced in high yield by performing sintering at a temperature of 750.degree. to 1050.degree. C. At least one of B.sub.2 O.sub.3, Cr.sub.2 O.sub.3, GeO.sub.2, LaO.sub.3, MgO, Nb.sub.2 O.sub.5, Nd.sub.2 O.sub.3, PbO, PrO, Sb.sub.2 O.sub.3, SiO.sub.2, SnO.sub.2, Ta.sub.2 O.sub.5, WO.sub.3 and Y.sub.2 O.sub.3 powders and a Bi.sub.2 O.sub.3 powder are mixed. A mixture thus obtained is heat treated at a temperature of 400.degree. to 700.degree. C. and ground to prepare a synthetic powder. 0.5 to 20 parts by weight of the synthetic powder and 0.1 to 5.0 parts by weight of at least one of CoO, MnO.sub.2 and NiO powders are added and ground for 100 parts by weight of a zinc oxide powder. A binder is added to the ground powder to form a sheet.

Abstract: In preparing a zinc oxide base varistor in the form of a sintered body which itself has a voltage-dependent nonlinear resistance, firing is done in an atmosphere containing at least 60% of oxygen at or above the temperature at which additives form a liquid phase, and thereafter the sintered body is heat treated in an atmosphere containing at least 10% of oxygen at a temperature of 600.degree. to 1,000.degree. C. There is obtained a zinc oxide base varistor having a high energy handling capability, a high nonlinearity index .alpha., and satisfactory load life characteristics such as a humid load life.

Abstract: The invention provides a voltage-dependent nonlinear resistor porcelain in the form of a ZnO system sintered body comprising zinc oxide as a major component and at least one of rare earth element oxides, cobalt oxide, chromium oxide, at least one of Group IIIb element oxides, at least one of Group Ia element oxides, 0.01 to 2 atom % calculated as Ca of calcium oxide, and 0.001 to 0.5 atom % calculated as Si of silicon oxide as subordinate components, the atomic ratio of calcium to silicon (Ca/Si) ranging from 0.2 to 20. With the atomic ratio of calcium to silicon (Ca/Si) set between 0.2 and 20, preferably between 2 and 6, the element has a significantly increased load life at high temperature and humidity. The element experiences less deterioration of the asymmetry of its volt-ampere characteristic between different directions of DC conduction. If magnesium oxide is added to the composition in an amount of 0.