Effect of Sc2O3 doping on the microstructure and electrical characteristics of ZnO linear resistors

Herein, to improve the electrical characteristics, ZnO linear resistors mixed with MgO, TiO2, Al2O3, and various concentrations of Sc2O3 (with 0, 0.35, 0.7, and 1.05 wt %) were obtained using the conventional solid-state sintering technique, while the influences of Sc2O3 doping on the micro-morphology and electrical characteristics was investigated in detail. The crystalline phases and microstructure were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The dielectric properties and electrical characteristics were evaluated using a precision inductance-capacitance-resistance meter and a high-voltage source meter. Results from SEM micrographs, XRD patterns, and EDS mappings illustrated that the doping of Sc2O3 hinders the growth of ZnO grains. Electric field-current density and resistivity-frequency measurements illustrated that the doping of Sc2O3 improves the linear performance of ZnO linear resistors and increases its grain resistivity and grain boundary resistivity. With Sc2O3 doping, the dielectric properties of the samples are significantly affected, while the resistance-temperature features reveal the negative temperature constant function. By appropriate Sc2O3 doping, the ZnO linear resistors exhibited excellent performance with grain boundary barrier height φb of 0.0106 eV, nonlinear coefficient α of 1.03, and resistance temperature constant αT of −2.88 × 10−3. It is beneficial to investigate the influence of Sc2O3 doping on the micro-morphology and electrical performances in detail for the preparation of zinc oxide linear resistors with superior performance.