Fe0.5Mn1.84Ni0.66O4 NTC ceramic thermistors were annealed in nitrogen or oxygen atmosphere at 600 degrees C. The change of the electrical properties of the thermistors with time was reduced sharply by annealing in N-2, whereas it was enhanced upon annealing in O-2. N-2-annealed samples exhibited a less degree of redistribution of cations in the lattice as compared with O-2-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 N-2-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. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.