Improvements in the Sintering Behavior and Microwave Dielectric Properties of Geikielite-Type MgTiO3 Ceramics

Microwave dielectric ceramics based on geikielite-type MgTiO₃ were prepared by an aqueous sol–gel process. The precursor powders and dielectric ceramics were characterized by x-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and microwave methods. Highly reactive nanosized magnesium titanate powders with particle sizes of 20 nm to 40 nm were successfully obtained at 500°C as precursors. Sintering characteristics and microwave dielectric properties of MgTiO₃ ceramics were studied as a function of sintering temperature from 1100°C to 1300°C. With increasing sintering temperature, the density, ε _r, and Qf values increased, saturating at 1200°C with excellent microwave properties of ε _r = 17.5, Qf = 156,300 GHz, and τ _f  = ?44 ppm/°C. Correlations between the microstructure and dielectric properties of MgTiO₃ ceramics were also investigated.     

Influence of Li-B-Si Additions on the Sintering and Microwave Dielectric Properties of Ba-Nd-Ti Ceramics

Li₂O-B₂O₃-SiO₂ (LBS) synthesized via a solid-state reaction process was chosen as a novel sintering aid for tungsten-bronze-type Ba₄Nd_9.3Ti₁₈O₅₄ (BNT) ceramic. The effects of LBS additions on the sintering behaviors, microstructures, and microwave dielectric properties of the BNT ceramic have been investigated, indicating that LBS addition obviously lowered the sintering temperature of the BNT ceramic without damaging its microwave dielectric properties. BNT ceramic doped with 3 wt.% and 4 wt.% LBS addition could be well sintered at 975°C and 950°C for 3 h and had excellent properties: ε _r = 65.99, Q × f = 4943 GHz (f = 4.4 GHz), τ _f = 19 ppm/°C, and ε _r = 64.56, Q × f = 4929 GHz (f = 4.3 GHz), τ _f = 11 ppm/°C, respectively.     

Effect of bismuth addition on sintering behavior and microwave dielectric properties of zinc titanate ceramics

The influences of Bi₂O₃ addition on the sintering behavior and microwave dielectric properties of ZnO-TiO₂ ceramics were investigated. ZnO-TiO₂ ceramics were prepared with conventional solid-state method and sintered at temperatures from 950°C to 1,100°C. The sintering temperature of ZnO-TiO₂ ceramics with Bi₂O₃ addition could be effectively reduced to 1,000°C due to the liquidphase effects resulting from the additives. A proper amount of Bi₂O₃ addition could effectively improve the densification and dielectric properties of ZnO-TiO₂ ceramics. The temperature coefficient of resonant frequency could be controlled by varying the sintering temperature and lead to a zero τ_f value. At 1,000°C, 1ZnO-1TiO₂ ceramics with 1 wt.% addition gave better microwave dielectric properties ɛ_r of 29.3, a Q × f value of 22,000 GHz at 8.36 GHz, and a τ_f value of +17.4 ppm/ °C.     

Low-Temperature Sintering of Ba0.5Sr0.5TiO3-SrMoO4 Dielectric Tunable Composite Ceramics for LTCC Applications

A sintering-aid system using melting of B-Li glass for barium strontium titanate (BST)-based compositions to be used in low-temperature cofired ceramic (LTCC) layers is introduced. The effects of the sintering aid on the microstructure, dielectric properties, and application in LTCC were investigated. The composition Ba_0.5Sr_0.5TiO₃-SrMoO₄ with 3 wt.% B-Li glass sintered at 950°C exhibits optimized dielectric properties, including low dielectric constant (368), low dielectric loss (0.007), and moderate tunability (13%, 60 kV/cm) at 10 kHz. At 1.44 GHz, it possesses a dielectric constant of 218 and Q value of 230. LTCC multilayer ceramic capacitors fabricated by the tape-casting process have steady relative tunability of 12% at 300 V, suggesting that BST50-SrMoO₄-B-Li glass composite ceramic is a promising candidate for electrically tunable LTCC microwave device applications.     

Effect of TiO2 Ratio on the Phase and Microwave Dielectric Properties of Li2ZnTi3+x O8+2x Ceramics

Low-loss materials Li₂ZnTi_3+x O_8+2x (LZT) (x = 0, 0.10, 0.17, 0.25, 1.00) were prepared by the conventional solid-state route. The effect of TiO₂ ratio on phase composition, microstructure, and the microwave dielectric properties of Li₂ZnTi_3+x O_8+2x ceramics were investigated using x-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy, and Vector Network Analyzer. The results revealed that a two-phase system Li₂ZnTi₃O₈-TiO₂ was formed. The appropriate content of TiO₂ ratio can effectively adjust the temperature coefficient of the resonant frequency (τ _f) value from ?14.5 to 0 ppm/ °C without obvious degradation of the microwave dielectric properties. The microwave dielectric properties of the Li₂ZnTi_3+x O_8+2x materials were characterized at microwave frequencies. Typically, the Li₂ZnTi_3+x O_8+2x (x = 0.17) ceramic sintered at 1,160 °C for 5 h showed excellent microwave dielectric properties with ε _r = 28.51, Q × f = 58,511 GHz, and τ _f = + 2.3 ppm/ °C.     

Effects of Ta2O5/Y2O3 Codoping on the Microstructure and Microwave Dielectric Properties of Ba(Co0.56Zn0.40)1/3Nb2/3O3 Ceramics

The effects of Ta₂O₅/Y₂O₃ codoping on the microstructure and microwave dielectric properties of Ba(Co_0.56Zn_0.40)_1/3Nb_2/3O₃-xA-xB (A = 0.045 wt.% Ta₂O₅; B = 0.113 wt.% Y₂O₃) ceramics (x = 0, 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32) prepared according to the conventional solid-state reaction technique were investigated. The x-ray diffraction (XRD) results showed that the main crystal phase in the sintered ceramics was BaZn_0.33Nb_0.67O₃-Ba₃CoNb₂O₉. The additional surface phase of Ba₈CoNb₆O₂₄ and trace amounts of Ba₅Nb₄O₁₅ second phase were present when Ta₂O₅/Y₂O₃ was added to the ceramics. The 1:2 B-site cation ordering was affected by the substitution of Ta⁵⁺ and Y³⁺ in the crystal lattice, especially for x = 4. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images of the optimally doped ceramics sintered at 1340°C for 20 h showed a compact microstructure with crystal grains in dense contact. Though the dielectric constant increased with the x value, appropriate addition would result in a tremendous modification of the Q × f and τ _f values. Excellent microwave dielectric properties (ε _r = 35.4, Q × f = 62,993 GHz, and τ _f  = 2.6 ppm/°C) were obtained for the ceramic with x = 0.4 sintered in air at 1340°C for 20 h.     

Microstructure and Electrical Properties of K0.5Na0.5NbO3-LiSbO3-BiFeO3-x %molZnO Lead-Free Piezoelectric Ceramics

Lead-free piezoelectric ceramics {0.996[(0.95(K_0.5Na_0.5)NbO₃-0.05LiSbO₃]-0.004BiFeO₃}-xmol%ZnO were prepared through a conventional ceramics sintering technique. The effect of ZnO content on structure, microstructure, and piezoelectric properties of KNN-LS-BF ceramics was investigated. The results reveal that ZnO as a sintering aid is very effective in promoting sinterability and electrical properties of the ceramics sintered at a low temperature of 1,020 °C. The ceramics show a single-perovskite structure with predominant tetragonal phase, and coexistence of orthorhombic and tetragonal phases is observed for x = 2.5–3.0. The addition of ZnO causes abnormal grain growth. A dense microstructure is also obtained at x = 2.0 because the relative density reaches up to 94.6 %. The morphotropic phase boundary and dense microstructure lead to significant enhancement of the piezoelectric properties. The ceramic with x = 1.5 exhibits optimum electrical properties as follows: d ₃₃ = 280 pC/N, k _p = 46 %, Q _m = 40.8, P _r = 25 μC/cm², E _c = 1.2 kV/mm, and T _c = 340 °C.     

Microwave Dielectric Properties of ZnO-2TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript>-Nb<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>5</Subscript> Ceramics with BaCu (B<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>5</Subscript>) Addition

The influence of BaCu(B₂O₅) (BCB) addition on the sintering temperature and microwave dielectric properties of ZnO-2TiO₂-Nb₂O₅ (ZTN) ceramic has been investigated using dilatometry, x-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and microwave dielectric measurements. A small amount of BCB addition to ZTN can lower the sintering temperature from 1100°C to 900°C. The reduced sintering temperature was attributed to the formation of the BCB liquid phase. The ZTN ceramics containing 3.0 wt.% BCB sintered at 900°C for 2 h have good microwave dielectric properties of Q × f = 19,002 GHz (at 6.48 GHz), ε _r = 45.8 and τ _f  = 23.2 ppm/°C, which suggests that the ceramics can be applied in multilayer microwave devices, provided that Ag compatibility exists.     

Cu<Subscript>3</Subscript>Mo<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>9</Subscript>: An Ultralow-Firing Microwave Dielectric Ceramic with Good Temperature Stability and Chemical Compatibility with Aluminum

An ultralow-firing microwave dielectric ceramic Cu₃Mo₂O₉ with orthorhombic structure has been fabricated via a solid-state reaction method. X-ray diffraction analysis, Rietveld refinement, Raman spectroscopy, energy-dispersive spectrometry, and scanning electron microscopy were employed to explore the phase purity, crystal structure, and microstructure. Pure and dense Cu₃Mo₂O₉ ceramics could be obtained in the sintering temperature range from 580°C to 680°C. The sample sintered at 660°C for 4 h exhibited the highest relative density (～ 97.2%) and best microwave dielectric properties with ε _r = 7.2, Q × f = 19,300 GHz, and τ _f = ? 7.8 ppm/°C. Chemical compatibility with aluminum electrodes was also confirmed. All the results suggest that Cu₃Mo₂O₉ ceramic is a promising candidate for use in ultralow-temperature cofired ceramic applications.     

Microwave Dielectric Properties of BiCu<Subscript>2</Subscript>PO<Subscript>6</Subscript> Ceramics with Low Sintering Temperature

A BiCu₂PO₆ microwave dielectric ceramic was prepared using a solid-state reaction method. As the sintering temperature increased from 800°C to 880°C, the bulk density of BiCu₂PO₆ ceramic increased from 6.299 g/cm³ to 6.366 g/cm³; the optimal temperature was 860°C. The best microwave dielectric properties [permittivity (? _r ) = ～16, a quality factor (Q × f) = ～39,110 GHz and a temperature coefficient of resonant frequency (τ _f ) = ～?59 ppm/°C] were obtained in the ceramic sintered at 860°C for 2 h. Then, TiO₂ with a positive τ _f (～+400 ppm/°C) was added to compensate the τ _f value. The composite material was found to have a near-zero τ _f (+2.7 ppm/°C) and desirable microwave properties (? _r  = 19.9, Q × f = 24,885 GHz) when synthesized at a sintering temperature of 880°C. This system could potentially be used for low-temperature co-fired ceramics technology applications.     

Ultra-Low Loss Microwave Dielectric Ceramic Li<Subscript>2</Subscript>Mg<Subscript>2</Subscript>TiO<Subscript>5</Subscript> and Low-Temperature Firing Via B<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>3</Subscript> Addition

Li₂Mg₂TiO₅, a rock-salt structured ceramic fabricated by a solid-state sintering technique, was characterized at the microwave frequency band. As a result, a microwave dielectric permittivity (ε_r) of 13.4, a quality factor of 95,000 GHz (at 11.3 GHz), and a temperature coefficient of resonance frequency (τ_f) of ? 32.5 ppm/°C have been obtained at 1320°C. Li₂Mg₂TiO₅ ceramics have low permittivity, a broad processing temperature region, and a low loss, making them potential applications in millimeter-wave devices. Furthermore, B₂O₃ addition efficiently lowered the sintering temperature of Li₂Mg₂TiO₅ to 900°C, which opens up their possible applications in low-temperature co-fired ceramics (LTCC) technology.     

Effect of Sintering Temperature on the Properties of Fused Silica Ceramics Prepared by Gelcasting

Fused silica ceramics were fabricated by gelcasting, by use of a low-toxicity N′N-dimethylacrylamide gel system, and had excellent properties compared with those obtained by use of the low-toxicity 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate and toxic acrylamide systems. The effect of sintering temperature on the microstructure, mechanical and dielectric properties, and thermal shock resistance of the fused silica ceramics was investigated. The results showed that sintering temperature has a critical effect. Use of an appropriate sintering temperature will promote densification and improve the strength, thermal shock resistance, and dielectric properties of fused silica ceramics. However, excessively high sintering temperature will greatly facilitate crystallization of amorphous silica and result in more cristobalite in the sample, which will cause deterioration of these properties. Fused silica ceramics sintered at 1275°C have the maximum flexural strength, as high as 81.32 MPa, but, simultaneously, a high coefficient of linear expansion (2.56 × 10^?6/K at 800°C) and dramatically reduced residual flexural strength after thermal shock (600°C). Fused silica ceramics sintered at 1250°C have excellent properties, relatively high and similar flexural strength before (67.43 MPa) and after thermal shock (65.45 MPa), a dielectric constant of 3.34, and the lowest dielectric loss of 1.20 × 10^?3 (at 1 MHz).     

CuO对(Ni_(1/3)Nb_(2/3))_(0.7)Ti_(0.3)O_2微波陶瓷低温烧结性能的影响

采用传统固相反应法制作(Ni1/3Nb2/3)0.7Ti0.3O2微波陶瓷,研究了CuO掺杂对所制陶瓷低温烧结性能、微观结构、相构成及微波介电性能的影响。结果表明,掺杂少量的CuO就能显著降低(Ni1/3Nb2/3)0.7Ti0.3O2陶瓷的烧结温度,且能改善陶瓷τf。当CuO掺杂量(质量分数)为1.0%时,(Ni1/3Nb2/3)0.7Ti0.3O2在950℃烧结,显示出良好的微波介电性能:εr=67.65,Q·f=3708GHz,τf=14.3×10-6/℃。     

Dielectric Properties and Defect Chemistry of WO3-Doped K0.5Na0.5NbO3 Ceramics

The dielectric properties and conductivity behavior of WO₃-doped K_0.5Na_0.5 NbO₃ ceramics were investigated as a function of temperature (25°C to 600°C) and frequency (40 Hz to 10⁶ Hz). The dielectric loss and direct-current (DC) conductivity of the ceramics depend strongly on the tungsten content. A high-temperature dielectric relaxation near temperature of 500°C was observed and analyzed using the semiempirical complex Cole–Cole equation. The activation energy of the dielectric relaxation was estimated to be ～2 eV and increased with increasing WO₃. The frequency-dependent conductivity can be well described by the universal dielectric response law. The activation energy obtained from the DC conductivity changes from 0.93 eV to 1.49 eV. A possible mechanism for the high-temperature dielectric relaxation and conductivity is proposed based on the activation energy value and defect compensation.     

Effect of the Addition of B2O3 on the Density, Microstructure, Dielectric, Piezoelectric and Ferroelectric Properties of K0.5Na0.5NbO3 Ceramics

Boron oxide (B₂O₃) addition to pre-reacted K_0.5Na_0.5NbO₃ (KNN) powders facilitated swift densification at relatively low sintering temperatures which was believed to be a key to minimize potassium and sodium loss. The base KNN powder was synthesized via solid-state reaction route. The different amounts (0.1–1 wt%) of B₂O₃ were-added, and ceramics were sintered at different temperatures and durations to optimize the amount of B₂O₃ needed to obtain KNN pellets with highest possible density and grain size. The 0.1 wt% B₂O₃-added KNN ceramics sintered at 1,100 °C for 1 h exhibited higher density (97 %). Scanning electron microscopy studies confirmed an increase in average grain size with increasing B₂O₃ content at appropriate temperature of sintering and duration. The B₂O₃-added KNN ceramics exhibited improved dielectric and piezoelectric properties at room temperature. For instance, 0.1 wt% B₂O₃-added KNN ceramic exhibited d ₃₃ value of 116 pC/N which is much higher than that of pure KNN ceramics. Interestingly, all the B₂O₃-added (0.1–1 wt%) KNN ceramics exhibited polarization–electric field (P vs. E) hysteresis loops at room temperature. The remnant polarization (P _r) and coercive field (E _c) values are dependent on the B₂O₃ content and crystallite size.     

Dielectric Properties in the Microwave Range of K<Subscript>0.5</Subscript>Na<Subscript>0.5</Subscript>NbO<Subscript>3</Subscript> Ceramics

Dielectric properties of a potassium sodium niobate (KNN) system in the microwave range up to GHz have rarely been studied. Since K_0.5Na_0.5NbO₃ is the most common and typical type of KNN materials, non-doped K_0.5Na_0.5 NbO₃ ceramics were synthesized at different temperatures (1080°C, 1090°C, 1100°C, and 1110°C) by a traditional solid reaction method for further characterization and analysis. The ceramics were in perovskite phase with orthorhombic symmetry. A small quantity of second phase was found in the 1110°C sintered specimen, which resulted from the volatilization of alkali oxides as the temperature increased. The complex permittivity was measured for the first time in the microwave range (8.2–12.4 GHz) and in the temperature range from 100°C to 220°C, and the effects of annealing on the dielectric properties were studied. The results indicate that the complex permittivity of KNN ceramics over the microwave range increases mainly due to high bulk density and the additional dielectric contributions of oxygen vacancies at high temperature.     

Effect of ZnO Nanoparticles on the Sintering Behavior and Physical Properties of Bi<Subscript>0.5</Subscript>(Na<Subscript>0.8</Subscript>K<Subscript>0.2</Subscript>)<Subscript>0.5</Subscript>TiO<Subscript>3</Subscript> Lead-Free Ceramics

Sintered Bi_0.5(Na_0.8K_0.2)_0.5TiO₃ + x wt.% ZnO nanoparticle (BNKT–xZnO_n) ceramics have been fabricated by conventional annealing with the aid of ultrasound waves for preliminary milling. Because of the presence of the liquid Bi₂O₃–ZnO phase at the eutectic point of 738°C, the sintering temperature decreased from 1150°C to 1000°C, and the morphology phase boundary of BNKT–xZnO_n ceramics can be clarified by two separated peaks at (002)_T and (200)_T of 2θ in the x-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns. The improvement of ferroelectric properties has been obtained for BNZT–0.2 wt.% ZnO_n ceramics by the increase of remanent polarization up to 20.4 μC/cm² and a decrease of electric coercive field down to 14.2 kV/cm. The piezoelectric parameters of the ceramic included a piezoelectric charge constant of d ₃₁ = 78 pC/N; electromechanical coupling factors k _p = 0.31 and k _t = 0.34, larger than the values of 42 pC/N, 0.12 and 0.13, respectively, were obtained for the BNKT ceramics.     

添加BaCu(B2O5)和ZnO的CaO-Li2O-Sm2O3-TiO2陶瓷低温烧结研究

采用固相反应法制备了添加复合助烧剂BaCu(B<,2>O<,5>)-ZnO的16CaO-9Li<,2>O-12Sm<,2>O<,3>-63TiO<,2>(CLST)陶瓷研究了所制CLST陶瓷的烧结特性、微观结构及介电性能.结果表明:低熔点的BaCu(B<,2>O<,5>)-ZnO复合助烧剂的加入,使CLST陶瓷的烧结温...     

Piezoelectric and electrical properties of PZT-PSN thin film ceramics for MEMS applications

Piezoelectric and electrical properties of PZT-PSN ceramics have been investigated as a function of WO₃ addition from 0 to 6.0 wt%. The dielectric and piezoelectric characteristics of PZT-PSN ceramics have been investigated at different calcination (800–900°C) and sintering (1100–1300°C) temperatures. The grain size increased in proportion to adding the amount of WO₃ and increasing the sintering temperatures. Anisotropic properties of electromechanical coupling coefficient and piezoelectric coefficient are proven to be dependent on processing temperatures and amount of addition. For the specimen with 0.6 wt% WO₃ addition, using a calcination temperature of 800°C and a sintering temperature of 1100°C, the mechanical quality factor and electromechanical coupling coefficient were 1560 and 0.48, respectively. Thin films were deposited in situ onto Pt/Ti/SiO₂/Si substrates by pulsed laser deposition using a Nd:YAG laser. The microstructure, dielectric, electrical, and piezoelectric properties of thin films with the compound ceramics have been systematically investigated for microtransformer and MEMS applications.     

CuO掺杂对BaZn_2Ti_4O_(11)陶瓷微波介电性能的影响

采用固相反应法制备了CuO掺杂的BaZn2Ti4O11陶瓷,研究了所制陶瓷的物相、微观结构和微波介电性能。结果表明,CuO既可以在晶界处形成低共熔体,导致液相烧结,降低烧结温度40℃,又可使部分Cu2+进入晶格取代了部分Zn2+,增加Q.f值。掺杂质量分数0.5%的CuO在1 160℃烧结2 h所制得BaZn2Ti4O11陶瓷的微波介电性能较佳:相对介电常数εr=29.4,Q.f=50 500 GHz,频率温度系数τf=–35.6×10–6/℃。