Cascade varistor having improved energy handling capabilities

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10937575-B2
Application number	US-201916291037-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 4, 2019
Priority date	Mar 5, 2018
Publication date	Mar 2, 2021
Grant date	Mar 2, 2021

Abstract

A varistor is provided having a rectangular configuration defining first and second opposing end surfaces offset in a lengthwise direction. The varistor may include a first terminal adjacent the first opposing end surface and a second terminal adjacent the second opposing end surface. The varistor may include an active electrode layer including a first electrode electrically connected with the first terminal and a second electrode electrically connected with the second terminal. The first electrode may be spaced apart from the second electrode in the lengthwise direction to form an active electrode end gap. The varistor may include a floating electrode layer including a floating electrode. The floating electrode layer may be spaced apart from the active electrode layer in a height-wise direction to form a floating electrode gap. A ratio of the active electrode end gap to the floating electrode gap may be greater than about 2.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A varistor having a rectangular configuration defining first and second opposing end surfaces offset in a lengthwise direction, the varistor comprising:
a first terminal adjacent the first opposing end surface;
a second terminal adjacent the second opposing end surface;
an active electrode layer comprising a first electrode electrically connected with the first terminal and a second electrode electrically connected with the second terminal, the first electrode spaced apart from the second electrode in the lengthwise direction to form an active electrode end gap; and
a floating electrode layer comprising a floating electrode, the floating electrode layer spaced apart from the active electrode layer in a height-wise direction to form a floating electrode gap;
wherein a ratio of the active electrode end gap to the floating electrode gap is greater than about 2.

2. The varistor of claim 1 , wherein:
the first electrode overlaps the floating electrode in the longitudinal direction along an overlap distance;
the active electrode layer has a length in the lengthwise direction between the first terminal and the second terminal; and
an overlap ratio is greater than about 5.

3. The varistor of claim 1 , wherein the floating electrode is disposed approximately an equal distance in the lengthwise direction from each of the first terminal and second terminal.

4. The varistor of claim 1 , wherein a breakdown voltage of the varistor after 5,000 or more electrostatic discharge strikes of about 8,000 volts is greater than about 0.9 times an initial breakdown voltage of the varistor.

5. The varistor of claim 1 , wherein a capacitance of the varistor is less than about 100 pF.

6. The varistor of claim 1 , wherein a leakage current of the varistor is less than about 10 μA at about 30 volts.

7. The varistor of claim 1 , wherein a transient energy capability of the varistor is greater than about 0.01 Joules.

8. The varistor of claim 1 , wherein a specific transient energy capability of the varistor is greater than about 1×10 7 J/m 3 .

9. A varistor comprising:
a first terminal;
a second terminal;
a plurality of active electrode layers, each of the plurality of active electrode layers electrically connected with at least one of the first terminal or second terminal; and
a plurality of floating electrode layers interleaved with the plurality of active electrode layers in a cascade configuration;
wherein a breakdown voltage of the varistor after 5,000 or more electrostatic discharge strikes of about 8,000 volts is greater than about 0.9 times an initial breakdown voltage of the varistor.

10. The varistor of claim 9 , wherein a transient energy capability of the varistor is greater than about 0.01 Joules.

11. The varistor of claim 9 , wherein a specific transient energy capability of the varistor is greater than about 1×10 7 J/m 3 .

12. A varistor having a rectangular configuration defining first and second opposing end surfaces offset in a lengthwise direction, the varistor comprising:
a first terminal adjacent the first opposing end surface;
a second terminal adjacent the second opposing end surface;
an active electrode layer comprising a first electrode electrically connected with the first terminal and a second electrode electrically connected with the second terminal, the first electrode spaced apart from the second electrode in the lengthwise direction to form an active electrode end gap; and
a floating electrode layer comprising a floating electrode, the floating electrode layer spaced apart from the active electrode layer in a height-wise direction to form a floating electrode gap;
wherein:
the first electrode overlaps the floating electrode in the longitudinal direction along an overlap distance;
the active electrode layer has a length in the lengthwise direction between the first terminal and the second terminal; and
an overlap ratio is greater than about 5.

13. The varistor of claim 12 , wherein a breakdown voltage of the varistor after 5,000 or more electrostatic discharge strikes of about 8,000 volts is greater than about 0.9 times an initial breakdown voltage of the varistor.

14. The varistor of claim 12 , wherein a capacitance of the varistor is less than about 100 pF.

15. The varistor of claim 12 , wherein a leakage current of the varistor is less than about 10 μA at about 30 volts.

16. The varistor of claim 12 , wherein a transient energy capability of the varistor is greater than about 0.01 Joules.

17. The varistor of claim 12 , wherein a specific transient energy capability of the varistor is greater than about 1×10 7 J/m 3 .

Assignees

• Avx Corp

Inventors

• Kirk Michael
• Berolini Marianne
• Ravindranathan Palaniappan

Classifications

• H01C7/1013 Primary

  Thin film varistors · CPC title

• H01C7/1006

  Thick film varistors · CPC title

• H05K1/167

  incorporating printed resistors · CPC title

• H01C1/148

  the terminals embracing or surrounding the resistive element (H01C1/142 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01C1/14 Primary

  Terminals or tapping points specially adapted for resistors; Arrangements of terminals or tapping points on resistors · CPC title