A structure and method for fabricating a laterally configured thin film varistor surge protection device using low temperature sputtering techniques which do not damage IC device components contiguous to the varistor being fabricated. The lateral thin film varistor may include a continuous layer of alternating regions of a first metal oxide layer and a second metal oxide layer formed between two laterally spaced electrodes using a low temperature sputtering process followed by a low temperature annealing process.

A structure and method for fabricating a laterally configured thin film varistor surge protection device using low temperature sputtering techniques which do not damage IC device components contiguous to the varistor being fabricated. The lateral thin film varistor may include of a continuous layer of alternating regions of a first metal oxide layer and a second metal oxide layer formed between two laterally spaced electrodes using a low temperature sputtering process followed by a low temperature annealing process.

A varistor device for voltage-surge-protecting an electronic circuit at a cryogenic temperature comprises an electric lead composed of a superinsulator material, and electrical contact elements. The electrical contact elements are for connecting different positions along the electric lead to the electronic circuit. The electrical contact elements are in electric contact with the electric lead at the different positions along the electric lead. The electric lead is adapted to provide a superinsulating state or a cooper-pair insulating state at the cryogenic temperature, and to provide a non-linear resistance between the different positions at the cryogenic temperature.

A structure and method for fabricating a laterally configured thin film varistor surge protection device using low temperature sputtering techniques which do not damage IC device components contiguous to the varistor being fabricated. The lateral thin film varistor may include of a continuous layer of alternating regions of a first metal oxide layer and a second metal oxide layer formed between two laterally spaced electrodes using a low temperature sputtering process followed by a low temperature annealing process.

An electronic device and a method of fabricating an electronic device are disclosed. The device includes a body of semiconductor material, and a conductive material defining at least three conducting contacts to form respective terminals. The semiconductor material and the conducting contacts overlap at least partially to define the device, so that the electrical characteristics of the device between any pair of terminals correspond to those of a varistor. The body of semiconductor material may be a layer deposited by printing or coating. The varistor characteristics between each pair of terminals enable switching of an electrical current between one terminal and any two other terminals in such a manner that when there is a positive current into a first terminal, there is a negligible current through a second terminal at which a positive potential is applied and a positive current out of a third terminal which is held at a negative potential with respect to the second terminal. When there is a negative current outwards of the first terminal, there is a positive current into the second terminal and a negligible current through the third terminal.

A composite resistor includes a thin film resistor element having a first temperature coefficient of resistance and a metal resistor element having a second temperature coefficient of resistance. A portion of the metal resistor element overlaps a portion of the thin film resistor element such that the portion of the metal resistor element is in thermal communication with the portion of the thin film resistor element to compensate for a resistance drift arising during operation of the composite resistor.

A structure and method for fabricating a laterally configured thin film varistor surge protection device using low temperature sputtering techniques which do not damage IC device components contiguous to the varistor being fabricated. The lateral thin film varistor may consist of a continuous layer of alternating regions of a first metal oxide layer and a second metal oxide layer formed between two laterally spaced electrodes using a low temperature sputtering process followed by a low temperature annealing process.

The present invention provides a ring varistor for use in DC micromotor including a ring varistor substrate having nonlinear volt-ampere characteristics and at least three independent electrodes evenly sintered on an end face of the ring varistor substrate. The electrode gap between two adjacent electrodes consists of two straight parallel edges of the two adjacent electrodes, and an inner and an outer concentric arc on the substrate ring, the electrode gap is not orthogonal to the ring. Due to the asymmetry arrangement of the surface electrodes and the electrode gaps, the electrode materials and the substrate materials with different thermal conductivity have no contact cross distribution with each other at the radial electrode gap. During welding, the heat shock is transmitted asymmetrically through the asymmetric electrodes, to improve the uniformity of the heat conduction distribution of the varistor and reduce the defective rate of the substrate welding fracture.