Microstructural, crystal structure and electrical characteristics of shock-consolidated Ga2O3 doped ZnO bulk

Ga2O3 (5 wt.%) doped zinc oxide (ZnO, 95 wt.%) bulk was fabricated by underwater shock compaction technique. The microstructural, crystal structure and electrical properties of shock-consolidated samples were investigated and compared to a commercially available sintered Ga2O3 (5 wt.%) doped ZnO (95 wt.%). The relative density of shock-consolidated sample was about 97% of the theoretical density, and no grain growth and lattice defects were confirmed. The grain boundary resistance was remarkably higher than that of commercial sintered Ga2O3 doped ZnO and nonlinear current–voltage (I–V) characteristics of shock-consolidated ZnO and Ga2O3 doped ZnO were very lower than that of commercial ZnO varistor.