Transient Voltage Protection Devices

Abstract

The transient voltage protection device includes: a component body; a cavity portion provided in the component body; a pair of internal electrodes provided in the component body; and a pair of external electrodes connected to the pair of internal electrodes. The pair of internal electrodes extend along a first direction and are opposite to each other in a second direction intersecting the first direction. The cavity portion includes a gap region located between the pair of internal electrodes in the second direction. The front end portion of at least one of the pair of internal electrodes contacts only the component body.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a transient voltage protection device. Background Art

[0002] International Publication No. 2009 / 098944 discloses an ESD (Electro-Static Discharge) protection device, which includes a ceramic multilayer substrate, a cavity portion provided in the ceramic multilayer substrate, a pair of discharge electrodes arranged opposite to each other in the cavity portion, and a pair of external electrodes connected to the pair of discharge electrodes. In the ESD protection device, since the cavity portion is prone to discharge, a high ESD tolerance can be achieved. Summary of the invention

[0003] In the ESD protection device described in International Publication No. 2009 / 098944, the electric field is concentrated on the tip of the discharge electrode, so the tip of the discharge electrode is easily degraded. Therefore, it is impossible to extend the life of the ESD protection device.

[0004] One embodiment of the present invention provides a transient voltage protection device capable of achieving high ESD tolerance and long life.

[0005] A transient voltage protection device according to one embodiment of the present invention includes: a component body; a cavity portion provided in the component body; a pair of internal electrodes provided in the component body; and a pair of external electrodes connected to the pair of internal electrodes. The pair of internal electrodes extend along a first direction and are opposite to each other in a second direction intersecting the first direction. The cavity portion includes a gap region located between the pair of internal electrodes in the second direction. The front end portion of at least one of the pair of internal electrodes contacts only the component body.

[0006] In the above transient voltage protection device, the gap region of the cavity portion is located between a pair of internal electrodes facing each other. Therefore, discharge can be easily generated between the pair of internal electrodes. The front end portion of at least one of the pair of internal electrodes is in contact with only the component body. Therefore, discharge at the front end portion of at least one of the pair of internal electrodes is suppressed, and as a result, degradation of the front end portion is suppressed. Therefore, high ESD tolerance and long life can be achieved.

[0007] The tip end of each of the pair of internal electrodes may be in contact with only the element body. In this case, the life can be further extended.

[0008] At least one of the pair of internal electrodes may have a portion facing a region other than the gap region in the cavity. In this case, discharge can be more easily generated between the pair of internal electrodes, so that a higher ESD tolerance can be achieved.

[0009] The transient voltage protection device may also include a discharge auxiliary portion disposed in the component body, the discharge auxiliary portion being in contact with a pair of internal electrodes and connecting the pair of internal electrodes to each other. In this case, discharge can be reliably generated between the pair of internal electrodes. Therefore, a high ESD tolerance can be reliably achieved.

[0010] The discharge assisting portion may face the gap region. In this case, the discharge assisting portion has a portion facing the gap region, so that discharge can be generated more reliably between the pair of internal electrodes. Therefore, a high ESD tolerance can be achieved more reliably.

[0011] The pair of internal electrodes may also respectively have a side edge facing the gap region and a first surface adjacent to the side edge and in contact with the discharge assisting portion. In this case, in the internal electrode, the side edge facing the gap region and the first surface in contact with the discharge assisting portion are adjacent to each other, so that discharge can be generated more reliably between the pair of internal electrodes. Therefore, a high ESD tolerance can be achieved more reliably.

[0012] The pair of internal electrodes may each further include a second surface adjacent to the side edge and opposite to the first surface, and the second surface may face the cavity. In this case, discharge can be more easily generated between the pair of internal electrodes, so that a high ESD tolerance can be achieved more reliably.

[0013] The pair of external electrodes may be arranged on the element body so as to face each other in the first direction. In this case, the pair of external electrodes can be arranged at both ends of the element body in the first direction, so that a short circuit between the pair of external electrodes can be suppressed. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] Figure 1 It is a perspective view showing a transient voltage protection device according to an embodiment.

[0015] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 Expanded perspective view of a transient voltage protection device.

[0016] Figure 3 Observed from the stacking direction Figure 1 A perspective view of a transient voltage protection device.

[0017] Figure 4 It is along Figure 1 Cross-sectional view along line IV-IV.

[0018] Figure 5 1 is a perspective view of the transient voltage protection device according to the first modification example as viewed from the stacking direction.

[0019] Figure 6 1 is a perspective view of the transient voltage protection device according to the second modification example as viewed from the stacking direction.

[0020] Figure 7 yes Figure 6 Cross-sectional view of a transient voltage protection device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0021] Hereinafter, the embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the description, the same elements or elements having the same functions are denoted by the same reference numerals, and repeated descriptions are omitted.

[0022] Figure 1 to Figure 4 The transient voltage protection device 1 of the present embodiment shown is an electronic component mounted on an electronic device not shown in the figure to protect the electronic device from transient voltages such as ESD. The electronic device to be protected is, for example, a circuit substrate or an electronic component. The transient voltage protection device 1 includes a component body 2, a pair of external electrodes 3, 4, a pair of internal electrodes 5, 6, a discharge auxiliary portion 7 and a cavity portion S. The internal electrodes 5, 6 are discharge electrodes configured in a discharge manner. The internal electrodes 5, 6, the discharge auxiliary portion 7 and the cavity portion S together constitute a transient voltage suppressor. The transient voltage suppressor has transient voltage absorption performance.

[0023] The component body 2 is in the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped. The rectangular parallelepiped shape includes, for example, the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped with chamfered corners and ridges, and the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped with rounded corners and ridges. The component body 2 has a pair of end faces 2a, 2b opposite to each other, a pair of side faces 2c, 2d opposite to each other, and a pair of side faces 2e, 2f opposite to each other as outer surfaces. The four side faces 2c, 2d, 2e, 2f are adjacent to the end face 2a and the end face 2b, respectively, and extend in the relative directions of the end faces 2a, 2b in a manner that connects the end face 2a with the end face 2b. One of the four side faces 2c, 2d, 2e, 2f is specified as a mounting surface opposite to the electronic device to be protected.

[0024] In the present embodiment, the relative direction of the end faces 2a and 2b is set to the first direction D1, the relative direction of the side faces 2e and 2f is set to the second direction D2, and the relative direction of the side faces 2c and 2d is set to the third direction D3. The first direction D1 is the length direction of the element body 2, the second direction D2 is the width direction of the element body 2, and the third direction D3 is the height direction of the element body 2. The length of the element body 2 (the length of the first direction D1 of the element body 2) is, for example, not less than 0.6 mm and not more than 2.0 mm. The width of the element body 2 (the length of the second direction D2 of the element body 2) is, for example, not less than 0.3 mm and not more than 1.2 mm. The height of the element body 2 (the length of the third direction D3 of the element body 2) is, for example, not less than 0.3 mm and not more than 1.2 mm.

[0025] The element body 2 has a plurality of insulator layers 10 stacked in the third direction D3. In the present embodiment, the element body 2 is formed by stacking a plurality of insulator layers 10. Each insulator layer 10 is in the shape of a rectangular plate. Each insulator layer 10 is an insulator having electrical insulation properties and is formed by a sintered body of an insulator green sheet. In the actual element body 2, each insulator layer 10 is integrated to such an extent that the boundaries therebetween cannot be visually recognized.

[0026] The insulator layer 10 is made of Fe 2 O 3 , NiO, CuO, ZnO, MgO, SiO 2 、TiO 2 、MnCO 3 、SrCO 3 、CaCO 3 、BaCO 3 、Al 2 O 3 、ZrO 2 , B 2 O 3 The insulator layer 10 may be composed of a single ceramic material or a mixture of two or more ceramic materials. The insulator layer 10 may also contain glass. In order to enable low temperature sintering, the insulator layer 10 may also contain copper oxide (CuO, Cu 2 O).

[0027] The external electrodes 3 and 4 are provided on the outer surface of the element body 2. The external electrodes 3 and 4 are arranged on the element body 2 so as to face each other in the first direction D1. The external electrodes 3 and 4 are provided at both ends of the element body 2 in the first direction D1. The external electrodes 3 and 4 are separated from each other in the first direction D1.

[0028] The external electrode 3 is provided on the end face 2a and connected to the internal electrode 5. The external electrode 3 is formed to cover the end face 2a and a part of it is wound around the side faces 2c, 2d, 2e, and 2f. The external electrode 3 is provided on the entire surface of the end face 2a and the end portions of the side faces 2c, 2d, 2e, and 2f on the end face 2a side.

[0029] The external electrode 4 is provided on the end face 2b and connected to the internal electrode 6. The external electrode 4 is formed to cover the end face 2b, and a part of the external electrode 4 is wound around the side faces 2c, 2d, 2e, and 2f. The external electrode 4 is provided on the entire surface of the end face 2b and the end portions of the side faces 2c, 2d, 2e, and 2f on the end face 2b side.

[0030] The internal electrodes 5 and 6 are arranged in the element body 2 so as to be separated from each other. The internal electrodes 5 and 6 extend in the first direction D1. The internal electrodes 5 and 6 are arranged at intervals in the second direction D2. The internal electrodes 5 and 6 are opposite to each other in the second direction D2 via a gap region Sg described later. The internal electrode 5 is arranged close to the side surface 2e. The internal electrode 6 is arranged close to the side surface 2f. The internal electrodes 5 and 6 are arranged at the same height position (i.e., the same stacking position) in the third direction D3. The internal electrodes 5 and 6 are arranged on the same insulating layer 10. The internal electrodes 5 and 6 are arranged at approximately the center of the stacking direction (the third direction D3).

[0031] The internal electrodes 5 and 6 are rectangular in shape with the first direction D1 as the long side direction when viewed from above (i.e., viewed from the third direction D3). The internal electrodes 5 and 6 are, for example, identical in shape to each other. The length of the internal electrodes 5 and 6 (the length of the internal electrodes 5 and 6 in the first direction D1) is, for example, greater than 0.5 mm and less than 1.6 mm. The width of the internal electrodes 5 and 6 (the length of the internal electrodes 5 and 6 in the second direction D2) is, for example, greater than 0.1 mm and less than 0.5 mm. The thickness of the internal electrodes 5 and 6 (the length of the internal electrodes 5 and 6 in the third direction D3) is, for example, greater than 3 μm and less than 20 μm.

[0032] The internal electrode 5 has a connection end (connection end surface) 5a connected to the external electrode 3 and a front end portion 5b located on the opposite side to the external electrode 3. The connection end 5a is exposed at the end surface 2a. The front end portion 5b is separated from the end surface 2b. The front end portion 5b is a portion having a predetermined length in the extension direction (first direction D1) of the internal electrode 5. The front end portion 5b includes not only the front end (front end surface) of the internal electrode 5 but also a portion adjacent to the front end. The front end portion 5b is buried in the component body 2 and is in contact only with the component body 2. The front end portion 5b is covered by the component body 2 in a manner that does not expose from the component body 2. The front end portion 5b is in contact with the component body 2 not only in the first direction D1 but also in a direction intersecting the first direction D1. When viewed from the third direction D3, the front end portion 5b is separated from the external electrode 4 and does not overlap with the external electrode 4.

[0033] The internal electrode 5 has a side edge (side surface) 5c opposite to the internal electrode 6, a side edge (side surface) 5d opposite to the side edge 5c, a first surface 5e in contact with the discharge auxiliary portion 7, and a second surface 5f opposite to the first surface 5e. The side edge 5c has a portion facing the gap region Sg described later. The second surface 5f has a portion facing the region other than the gap region Sg in the cavity S. The side edge 5c is adjacent to the first surface 5e and the second surface 5f, respectively. The internal electrode 5 is provided separately from the end surface 2b and the side surfaces 2c, 2d, 2e, and 2f.

[0034] The internal electrode 6 has a connection end (connection end surface) 6a connected to the external electrode 4 and a front end portion 6b located on the opposite side to the external electrode 4. The connection end 6a is exposed at the end surface 2b. The front end portion 6b is separated from the end surface 2a. The front end portion 6b is a portion having a predetermined length in the extension direction (first direction D1) of the internal electrode 6. The front end portion 6b includes not only the front end (front end surface) of the internal electrode 6 but also a portion adjacent to the front end. The front end portion 6b is buried in the component body 2 and is in contact only with the component body 2. The front end portion 6b is covered by the component body 2 in a manner that does not expose from the component body 2. The front end portion 6b is in contact with the component body 2 not only in the first direction D1 but also in a direction intersecting the first direction D1. When viewed from the third direction D3, the front end portion 6b is separated from the external electrode 3 and does not overlap with the external electrode 3.

[0035] The internal electrode 6 has a side edge (side surface) 6c opposite to the side edge 5c of the internal electrode 5, a side edge (side surface) 6d opposite to the side edge 6c, a first surface 6e in contact with the discharge auxiliary portion 7, and a second surface 6f opposite to the first surface 6e. The side edge 6c has a portion facing the gap region Sg described later. The second surface 6f has a portion facing the region other than the gap region Sg in the cavity S. The side edge 6c is adjacent to the first surface 6e and the second surface 6f, respectively. The internal electrode 6 is provided separately from the end surface 2a and the side surfaces 2c, 2d, 2e, and 2f.

[0036] The external electrodes 3, 4 and the internal electrodes 5, 6 are made of, for example, a conductive material containing Ag, Pd, Au, Pt, Cu, Ni, Al, Mo or W. The external electrodes 3, 4 and the internal electrodes 5, 6 may be made of, for example, an Ag / Pd alloy, an Ag / Cu alloy, an Ag / Au alloy or an Ag / Pt alloy. The external electrodes 3, 4 and the internal electrodes 5, 6 may be made of the same material or different materials.

[0037] The external electrodes 3 and 4 are formed, for example, by applying a conductor paste containing the above-mentioned conductive material to the outer surface of the element body 2 and then thermally bonding the conductor paste. The external electrodes 3 and 4 may also have a plated layer. The internal electrodes 5 and 6 are formed, for example, by applying a conductor paste containing the above-mentioned conductive material to an insulating green sheet by printing and then firing the conductor paste together with the insulating green sheet.

[0038] The discharge assisting portion 7 is provided in the element body 2. The discharge assisting portion 7 has a rectangular shape with the first direction D1 as the long side direction when viewed from above (i.e., viewed from the third direction D3). The length of the discharge assisting portion 7 (the length of the discharge assisting portion 7 in the first direction D1) is, for example, 0.4 mm or more and 1.5 mm or less. The width of the discharge assisting portion 7 (the length of the discharge assisting portion 7 in the second direction D2) is, for example, 0.15 mm or more and 0.95 mm or less. The thickness of the discharge assisting portion (the length of the discharge assisting portion in the third direction D3) is, for example, 3 μm or more and 20 μm or less.

[0039] The discharge assisting portion 7 is provided apart from the outer surface of the element body 2 so as not to be exposed from the element body 2. The discharge assisting portion 7 is in contact with the internal electrodes 5 and 6 and connects the internal electrodes 5 and 6 to each other. One end of the discharge assisting portion 7 in the second direction D2 coincides with one end of the internal electrode 5 in the second direction D2. The other end of the discharge assisting portion 7 in the second direction D2 coincides with the other end of the internal electrode 6 in the second direction D2. The discharge assisting portion 7 is exposed from the internal electrodes 5 and 6 and faces the gap region Sg.

[0040] The discharge auxiliary portion 7 includes a first portion 7a, a second portion 7b, and a third portion 7c. The first portion 7a is covered by the internal electrode 5 and contacts the first surface 5e. The second portion 7b is covered by the internal electrode 6 and contacts the first surface 6e. The third portion 7c extends in the second direction D2 and connects the first portion 7a and the second portion 7b to each other. The third portion 7c has an area exposed from the internal electrodes 5 and 6 and facing the gap area Sg.

[0041] The discharge assisting part 7 includes an insulator and metal particles. The insulator is made of, for example, a ceramic material. Examples of the ceramic material include Fe 2 O 3 , NiO, CuO, ZnO, MgO, SiO 2 、TiO 2 、MnCO 3 、SrCO 3 、CaCO 3 、BaCO 3 、Al 2 O 3 、ZrO 2 or B 2 O 3 The discharge assisting portion 7 may include only one of these ceramic materials, or may include a mixture of two or more. The metal particles may be composed of, for example, Ag, Pd, Au, Pt, Ag / Pd alloy, Ag / Cu alloy, Ag / Au alloy, or Ag / Pt alloy. The discharge assisting portion 7 may also include RuO 2 The discharge assisting member 7 may also contain glass.

[0042] The discharge assisting portion 7 is formed by, for example, applying a paste containing the above-mentioned ceramic material and metal particles, etc., onto an insulator green sheet by printing, and then firing the paste together with the insulator green sheet.

[0043] The cavity S is provided in the element body 2. The cavity S includes a gap region Sg located between the internal electrodes 5 and 6 in the second direction D2. The width of the gap region Sg (the length of the gap region Sg in the second direction D2), that is, the interval between the internal electrodes 5 and 6 is, for example, 10 μm or more and 70 μm or less. The cavity S is provided separately from the outer surface of the element body 2. The surfaces that divide the cavity S include the side edge 5c and the second surface 5f of the internal electrode 5, the side edge 6c and the second surface 6f of the internal electrode 6, and the surface exposed from the internal electrodes 5 and 6 in the third portion 7c of the discharge auxiliary portion 7.

[0044] When viewed from the third direction D3, the cavity S is located inside the outer edge of the discharge auxiliary portion 7. The discharge auxiliary portion 7 is longer than the cavity S in the first direction D1 and the second direction D2. The cavity S is formed by, for example, applying an organic lacquer containing an organic solvent and an organic binder to an insulating green sheet by printing, then firing the organic lacquer together with the insulating green sheet to burn off the organic lacquer.

[0045] As described above, in the transient voltage protection device 1, the gap region Sg of the cavity portion S is located between the internal electrodes 5 and 6 that are opposite to each other. Therefore, discharge can be easily generated between the internal electrodes 5 and 6. The front end portions 5b and 6b of the internal electrodes 5 and 6 are respectively buried in the component body 2 and are in contact only with the component body 2. Therefore, the discharge of the front end portions 5b and 6b is suppressed, and as a result, the degradation of the front end portions 5b and 6b is suppressed. Therefore, the transient voltage protection device 1 can take into account both high ESD tolerance and long life. In the transient voltage protection device 1, since the side edges 5c and 6c extending along the long side direction are opposite, the length of the discharge portion can be lengthened. Therefore, high ESD tolerance can be further achieved.

[0046] The discharge assisting portion 7 is in contact with the internal electrodes 5 and 6 and connects the internal electrodes 5 and 6 to each other. Therefore, discharge can be reliably generated between the internal electrodes 5 and 6. Therefore, a high ESD tolerance can be reliably achieved.

[0047] Since the discharge assisting portion 7 includes the third portion 7c exposed from the internal electrodes 5 and 6 and facing the gap region Sg, discharge can be more reliably generated between the internal electrodes 5 and 6. Therefore, a high ESD withstand capacity can be more reliably achieved.

[0048] In the internal electrodes 5 and 6, the side edges 5c and 6c facing the gap region Sg and the first surfaces 5e and 6e in contact with the discharge assisting portion 7 are adjacent to each other, so that discharge can be more reliably generated between the internal electrodes 5 and 6. Therefore, a high ESD tolerance can be more reliably achieved.

[0049] Since the second surfaces 5f and 6f of the internal electrodes 5 and 6 face the cavity S, discharge is likely to occur also on the second surfaces 5f and 6f. Therefore, discharge can be more easily generated between the internal electrodes 5 and 6. Therefore, a high ESD tolerance can be achieved more reliably.

[0050] The external electrodes 3 and 4 are arranged on the element body 2 so as to face each other in the first direction D1. That is, the external electrodes 3 and 4 are arranged at both ends of the element body 2 in the first direction D1, so that the external electrodes 3 and 4 can be separated from each other. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of a short circuit between the external electrodes 3 and 4.

[0051] The present invention is not necessarily limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the invention.

[0052] like Figure 5 As shown, in the transient voltage protection device 1A of the first modified example, the discharge auxiliary portion 7A extends to the outside of the internal electrodes 5 and 6 in the second direction D2 when viewed from the third direction D3, which is different from the transient voltage protection device 1 (see FIG. Figure 3 That is, the discharge auxiliary portion 7A has, in addition to the first portion 7a, the second portion 7b, and the third portion 7c, a portion extending outwardly of the first portion 7a along the second direction D2 and a portion extending outwardly of the second portion 7b along the second direction D2. The discharge auxiliary portion 7A is larger in the second direction D2 than the discharge auxiliary portion 7 (see Figure 3 )long.

[0053] In the transient voltage protection device 1A, the gap region Sg is also located between the internal electrodes 5 and 6, and the front end portions 5b and 6b of the internal electrodes 5 and 6 are in contact only with the element body 2, so that both high ESD tolerance and long life can be achieved. In the transient voltage protection device 1A, the discharge auxiliary portion 7A extends to the outside of the internal electrodes 5 and 6 in the second direction D2 when viewed from the third direction D3, but the discharge auxiliary portion 7A may be located inside the internal electrodes 5 and 6 in the second direction D2. That is, when viewed from the third direction D3, one end of the discharge auxiliary portion 7 in the second direction D2 may be located inside of one end of the internal electrode 5 in the second direction D2. The other end of the discharge auxiliary portion 7 in the second direction D2 may be located inside of the other end of the internal electrode 6 in the second direction D2.

[0054] like Figure 6 and Figure 7As shown, in the transient voltage protection device 1B of the second modification, when viewed from the third direction D3, the cavity portion SB extends to the outside of the internal electrodes 5, 6 and the discharge auxiliary portion 7 in the second direction D2, which is different from the transient voltage protection device 1 (see FIG. Figure 3 The hollow portion SB is larger than the hollow portion S (refer to Figure 3 In the transient voltage protection device 1B, the gap region Sg is also located between the internal electrodes 5 and 6, and the front end portions 5b and 6b of the internal electrodes 5 and 6 are only in contact with the element body 2, so that both high ESD tolerance and long life can be achieved.

[0055] In the transient voltage protection device 1B, when viewed from the third direction D3, the hollow portion SB may not extend in the second direction D2, but may extend in the first direction D1 to the outside of the discharge assisting portion 7. When viewed from the third direction D3, the hollow portion SB may also extend in the first direction D1 and the second direction D2 to the outside of the discharge assisting portion 7.

[0056] In the transient voltage protection devices 1, 1A, 1B, at least one of the front end portions 5b, 6b may be in contact with only the element body 2. In the transient voltage protection devices 1, 1A, 1B, at least the side edges 5c, 6c may have a portion facing the gap region Sg, and the internal electrodes 5, 6 may not have a portion facing the region other than the gap region Sg in the cavity S, SB. The cavity S, SB may not have a region other than the gap region Sg. At least one of the internal electrodes 5, 6 may have a portion facing the region other than the gap region Sg in the cavity S, SB.

[0057] In the transient voltage protection devices 1, 1A, 1B, the internal electrodes 5, 6 have the same shape, but may have different shapes. In the transient voltage protection devices 1, 1A, 1B, the internal electrodes 5, 6 extend along the first direction D1 as a whole, but may include, for example, bent or meandering portions that are not along the first direction D1.

[0058] In the transient voltage protection devices 1, 1A, 1B, the internal electrodes 5, 6, the discharge assisting portions 7, 7A, and the cavity portions S, SB are arranged substantially in the center of the stacking direction (third direction D3), but may be arranged closer to the side surface 2c or the side surface 2d than the center in the stacking direction.

[0059] The above-mentioned embodiments and modifications may be combined as appropriate. For example, in the transient voltage protection device 1A, a cavity SB may be provided instead of the cavity S. In this case, when viewed from the third direction D3, the two ends of the discharge auxiliary portion 7A in the second direction D2 may coincide with the two ends of the cavity SB in the second direction D2, or may be located outside the two ends of the cavity SB in the second direction D2, or may be located inside the two ends of the cavity SB in the second direction D2.

Claims

1. A transient voltage protection device, It is characterized in that include: Component body; a hollow portion disposed within the element body; a pair of internal electrodes disposed within the element body; and a pair of external electrodes connected to the pair of internal electrodes, The pair of internal electrodes extend along a first direction and are opposite to each other in a second direction intersecting the first direction, The cavity portion includes a gap region located between the pair of internal electrodes in the second direction, The tip end portion of at least one of the pair of internal electrodes is in contact only with the element body, The front end portion does not contact the cavity portion, The pair of internal electrodes respectively have a side edge facing the gap region and a second surface adjacent to the side edge, The second surface faces the cavity.

2. The transient voltage protection device according to claim 1, Features: The tip end portion of each of the pair of internal electrodes is in contact only with the element body.

3. The transient voltage protection device according to claim 1, Features: At least one of the pair of internal electrodes has a portion facing a region other than the gap region in the cavity.

4. The transient voltage protection device according to claim 2, Features: At least one of the pair of internal electrodes has a portion facing a region other than the gap region in the cavity.

5. The transient voltage protection device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, Features: The transient voltage protection device further includes a discharge assisting portion disposed in the element body, The discharge assisting portion is in contact with the pair of internal electrodes and connects the pair of internal electrodes to each other.

6. The transient voltage protection device according to claim 5, Features: The discharge assisting portion faces the gap region.

7. The transient voltage protection device according to claim 5, Features: Each of the pair of internal electrodes further includes a first surface that is adjacent to the side edge, in contact with the discharge assisting portion, and opposite to the second surface.

8. The transient voltage protection device according to claim 6, Features: Each of the pair of internal electrodes further includes a first surface that is adjacent to the side edge, in contact with the discharge assisting portion, and opposite to the second surface.

9. The transient voltage protection device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, Features: The pair of external electrodes are arranged on the element body so as to face each other in the first direction.

10. The transient voltage protection device according to claim 5, Features: The pair of external electrodes are arranged on the element body so as to face each other in the first direction.

11. The transient voltage protection device according to claim 6, Features: The pair of external electrodes are arranged on the element body so as to face each other in the first direction.

12. The transient voltage protection device according to claim 7, Features: The pair of external electrodes are arranged on the element body so as to face each other in the first direction.

13. The transient voltage protection device according to claim 8, Features: The pair of external electrodes are arranged on the element body so as to face each other in the first direction.

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