About
An MSE x ECE collaboration between the GarTen Group and the Plasma and Dielectrics Laboratory at Georgia Tech. The research focuses on Metal Oxide Varistor (MOV) optimization for high-voltage DC power applications, specifically how material composition at the microstructural level determines electrical behavior.
Varistors are nonlinear resistors used in surge protection and power conditioning. The goal is to engineer their breakdown voltage precisely:low enough to clamp dangerous surges, high enough to stay transparent under normal operation.
What I Do
Experimental Design & Fabrication I designed and conducted dissolution experiments investigating how bismuth oxide (Bi2O3) dopants affect the intergranular phase composition of zinc oxide (ZnO) varistors. The intergranular phase (the material at the grain boundaries between ZnO particles) is what creates the nonlinear electrical behavior.
Characterization
- SEM (Scanning Electron Microscopy) — visualizing microstructure and grain boundaries
- XRD (X-Ray Diffraction) — identifying crystalline phases and dopant distribution
- Impedance spectroscopy — measuring electrical properties across frequency
- IV curve measurements — characterizing the nonlinear breakdown behavior directly
Publication Contributed to “Determining the Impact of Dopants on the Nonlinearity of Cold Sintered Zinc Oxide Varistors,” presented at an American Chemical Society conference.