An ESD protection device 1 has a ceramic insulating material 10, first and second discharge electrodes 21 and 22, and a discharge-assisting section 51. The first and second discharge electrodes 21 and 22 are disposed somewhere of the ceramic insulating material 10. The discharge-assisting section 51 is located between the distal end portion of the first discharge electrode 21 and the distal end portion of the second discharge electrode 22. The discharge-assisting section 51 is an electrode configured to reduce the discharge starting voltage between the first discharge electrode 21 and the second discharge electrode 22. The discharge-assisting section 51 is made from a sintered body containing conductive particles and at least one of semiconductor particles and insulating particles. The first and second discharge electrodes contain at least one of the semiconductor material constituting the semiconductor particles and the insulating material constituting the insulating particles.

Compositions, devices, and methods of stabilizing Magneli phase materials are presented where the modified materials have a host phase and a locking phase in which locking compounds prevent rearrangement of a Magneli shear plane to a rutile structure and so prevent or reduce the oxidation of the Magneli phase material.

Compositions, devices, and methods of stabilizing Magneli phase materials are presented where the modified materials have a host phase and a locking phase in which locking compounds prevent rearrangement of a Magneli shear plane to a rutile structure and so prevent or reduce the oxidation of the Magneli phase material.

An Ag.sub.2OV.sub.2O.sub.5TeO.sub.2 lead-free low-melting glass composition that is prevented or restrained from crystallization by heating so as to soften and flow more satisfactorily at a low temperature contains a principal component which includes a vanadium oxide, a tellurium oxide and a silver oxide; a secondary component which includes at least one selected from the group consisting of BaO, WO.sub.3 and P.sub.2O.sub.5; and an additional component which includes at least one selected from the group consisting of oxides of elements in Group 13 of periodic table. A total component of the principal component is 85 mole percent or more in terms of V.sub.2O.sub.5, TeO.sub.2 and Ag.sub.2O. Contents of TeO.sub.2 and Ag.sub.2O each is 1 to 2 times as much as a content of V.sub.2O.sub.5. A content of the secondary component is 0 to 13 mole percent. A content of the additional component is 0.1 to 3.0 mole percent.

An Ag.sub.2OV.sub.2O.sub.5TeO.sub.2 lead-free low-melting glass composition that is prevented or restrained from crystallization by heating so as to soften and flow more satisfactorily at a low temperature contains a principal component which includes a vanadium oxide, a tellurium oxide and a silver oxide; a secondary component which includes at least one selected from the group consisting of BaO, WO.sub.3 and P.sub.2O.sub.5; and an additional component which includes at least one selected from the group consisting of oxides of elements in Group 13 of periodic table. A total component of the principal component is 85 mole percent or more in terms of V.sub.2O.sub.5, TeO.sub.2 and Ag.sub.2O. Contents of TeO.sub.2 and Ag.sub.2O each is 1 to 2 times as much as a content of V.sub.2O.sub.5. A content of the secondary component is 0 to 13 mole percent. A content of the additional component is 0.1 to 3.0 mole percent.

Preparation of semiconductor nanocrystals and their dispersions in solvents and other media is described. The nanocrystals described herein have small (1-10 nm) particle size with minimal aggregation and can be synthesized with high yield. The capping agents on the as-synthesized nanocrystals as well as nanocrystals which have undergone cap exchange reactions result in the formation of stable suspensions in polar and nonpolar solvents which may then result in the formation of high quality nanocomposite films.

Preparation of semiconductor nanocrystals and their dispersions in solvents and other media is described. The nanocrystals described herein have small (1-10 nm) particle size with minimal aggregation and can be synthesized with high yield. The capping agents on the as-synthesized nanocrystals as well as nanocrystals which have undergone cap exchange reactions result in the formation of stable suspensions in polar and nonpolar solvents which may then result in the formation of high quality nanocomposite films.

Nano granular materials (NGM) are provided that have the extraordinary capability to conduct current in a 100 fold current density compared to high Tc superconductors by charges moving in form of Bosons produced by Bose-Einstein-Condensation (BEC) in overlapping excitonic surface orbital states at room temperature and has a light dependent conductivity. The material is disposed between electrically conductive connections and is a nano-crystalline composite material. Also provided are electrical components comprising NGM and methods and arrangements for making it by corpuscular-beam induced deposition applied to a substrate, using inorganic compounds being adsorbed on the surface of the substrate owing to their vapor pressure, and which render a crystalline conducting phase embedded in an inorganic insolating matrix enclosing the material.

Nano granular materials (NGM) are provided that have the extraordinary capability to conduct current in a 100 fold current density compared to high Tc superconductors by charges moving in form of Bosons produced by Bose-Einstein-Condensation (BEC) in overlapping excitonic surface orbital states at room temperature and has a light dependent conductivity. The material is disposed between electrically conductive connections and is a nano-crystalline composite material. Also provided are electrical components comprising NGM and methods and arrangements for making it by corpuscular-beam induced deposition applied to a substrate, using inorganic compounds being adsorbed on the surface of the substrate owing to their vapor pressure, and which render a crystalline conducting phase embedded in an inorganic insolating matrix enclosing the material.

An electrically conducting organic-inorganic sol-gel derived coating. Films are generated exhibiting good electrical conductivity with high resistance to substrate delamination. PEDOT:PSS is used as the conducting polymer dispersed within an organic-inorganic hybrid sol-gel.