Effect of annealing in O2 or N2 on the aging of Fe0.5Mn1.84Ni0.66O4 NTC-ceramics

Fe0.5Mn1.84Ni0.66O4 NTC ceramic thermistors were annealed in nitrogen or oxygen atmosphere at 600 °C. The change of the electrical properties of the thermistors with time was reduced sharply by annealing in N2, whereas it was enhanced upon annealing in O2. N2-annealed samples exhibited a less degree of redistribution of cations in the lattice as compared with O2-annealed samples. The aging of the electrical properties is believed to result from the cation redistribution which in turn is favoured by the presence of cation vacancies. And the improved aging behaviour of the N2-annealed thermistor is explained by the reduction of the concentration of the cation vacancy upon annealing under lower oxygen partial pressure and the suppression of cation redistribution.