OVERCURRENT PROTECTION ELEMENT AND ITS MANUFACTURE

PURPOSE: To prevent resistance from varying before and after temperature increase by forming a zinc oxide thin film layer on a supporting body, forming an element by providing counter electrode layers at an interval that provides the desired resistance value on the thin film layer and connecting the extraction electrodes provided on both edges of the element with the electrode layers. CONSTITUTION: A zinc oxide thin film 2 is formed on the surface of a supporting body 1 by sol/gel method. An element is provided by forming counter electrode layers 3 on the zinc oxide thin film layer 2 at an interval than provides the desired resistance value. Extraction electrodes 4 provided at both edges of the element are connected with the electrode layers 3, and an overcurrent protection element is provided. Since such overcurrent protection element is provided with the zinc oxide thin film layer, the element has excellent PTC characteristics with the resistance value which does not vary at a temperature close to room temperature even before and after temperature increase, and since the thin film is used, downsizing and surface mounting are allowed.