Dopant-segregation-controlled ZnO single-grain-boundary varistors

A ZnO single-grain-boundary varistor was designed using a bicrystal. Pr and Co dopant cosegregation at the boundary, key to obtain high varistic property, is optimized by controlling grain-boundary misorientation and, hence, grain-boundary atomic structure. Thus obtained single grain boundary exhibited sufficiently high varistic property. The present result opens up the possibility of single-grain-boundary varistors required for future nanoscale electronic devices. (C) 2005 American Institute of Physics.