Effects of Li2O3–B2O3–SiO2 addition on dielectric properties and microstructure of MgO–TiO2–ZnO–CaO ceramics

The effect of Li₂O₃–B₂O₃–SiO₂ (LBS) liquid-phase additives on the sintering, microstructures, and dielectric properties of MgO–TiO₂–ZnO–CaO (MTZC) ceramics was investigated. It was found that the sintering temperature could be lowered easily, and the dielectric properties of MTZC ceramics could be greatly improved by adding a small amount of LBS solution additives. With the addition of 10 wt% LBS, the ceramics sintered at 900 °C showed favorable dielectric properties with ε_r = 21.7, Qf = 5.0 × 10⁴ GHz, and TCF = ?21.6 ppm/ °C. The distructive physical analysis showed an excellent co-firing interfacial behavior between the MTZC ceramic and the Ag electrode. It indicated that MTZC ceramics with LBS solution additives have a number of potential applications on passive integrated devices based on the low-temperature co-fired ceramics technology.     

Microwave dielectric properties of CaO–La2O3–Nb2O5–TiO2 ceramics

A series of ceramics with a general formula Ca_1+xLa_4?xNb_xTi_5?xO₁₇ (0 ≤ x ≤ 4) were fabricated using the solid-state ceramic route. The phase, microstructure, and microwave dielectric properties varied distinctly with composition or the value of x. X-ray diffraction results showed that the two end member phases, CaLa₄Ti₅O₁₇ and Ca₅Nb₄TiO₁₇, crystallized into single phases with orthorhombic and monoclinic crystal structure, respectively. For intermediate compounds with x = 1, 2, and 3, mixture phases CaLa₄Ti₅O₁₇ and Ca₅Nb₄TiO₁₇ coexisted and a trace amount of second phase was detected. The ceramics showed high ε _r in the range of 45–52, relatively high quality factors with Q × f in the range of 9,870–15,680 GHz and τ _f value in the range between ?38 and ?126.4 ppm/°C. τ _f of CaLa₄Ti₅O₁₇ can be tuned to a near-zero value by addition of suitable amount of TiO₂.     

Microstructures and dielectric tunable properties of Ba0.5Sr0.5TiO3–MgO–Mg2TiO4 composite ceramics

Ba_0.5Sr_0.5TiO₃–MgO–Mg₂TiO₄ composite ceramics were prepared by a solid-state reaction method, and the dielectric tunable properties were investigated. It is observed that the addition of MgO–Mg₂TiO₄ into the Ba_0.5Sr_0.5TiO₃ forms ferroelectric (Ba_0.5Sr_0.5TiO₃)–dielectric (Mg₂TiO₄–MgO) composites. Increasing Mg₂TiO₄ content causes an increase of Curie temperature T_c towards room temperature and a decrease of dielectric constant peak ε_max. The dielectric constant and loss tangent of Ba_0.5Sr_0.5TiO₃–MgO–Mg₂TiO₄ composites have been reduced and the overall tunability is maintained at a sufficiently high level. With the increase of Mg₂TiO₄ content and the decrease of MgO content, the dielectric constant and tunability of Ba_0.5Sr_0.5TiO₃–MgO–Mg₂TiO₄ composite ceramics increase and the Q × f values decrease. Ba_0.5Sr_0.5TiO₃–Mg₂TiO₄–MgO composites have dielectric constant of 123.0–156.5 and tunability of 14.4–28.5 % at 10 kHz under 3.9 kV/mm, indicating that they are promising candidate materials for tunable microwave applications requiring a low dielectric constant.     

The effect of titanium compounds addition on the microwave dielectric properties of the ZnO–Nb2O5 ceramics for LTCC

The ZnO–Nb₂O₅ ceramics with titanium compounds were prepared by solid state reaction method. The effect of titanium compounds addition on the densification, phase development, microstructure and microwave dielectric properties of the ZnO–Nb₂O₅ ceramics was investigated. Adding TiO₂ to the ZnO–Nb₂O₅ ceramics in different order, the X-ray diffraction patterns showed that ZnTiNb₂O₈ was the main crystalline phase, only the minor crystalline phases were different. The TiO₂ phase could not coexist with ZnNb₂O₆ phase, but the CaTiO₃ phase could coexist with ZnNb₂O₆ phase. The effect of adding TiO₂ in different order on the microstructures of ZnO–Nb₂O₅ ceramics is unconspicuous. Compared to the ZnNb₂O₆–0.2CaTiO₃ ceramics, it is easier to lower the sintering temperature of the ZnNb₂O₆–1.8TiO₂ ceramics by doping BaCu(B₂O₅). The τ _f values of the ZnNb₂O₆–1.8TiO₂ ceramics and ZnNb₂O₆–0.2CaTiO₃ ceramics can be adjusted to zero by doping opposite τ _f values compounds, but the two mechanisms of adjusting τ _f are different.     

Effect of Mn doping on the dielectric tunable properties of Ba0.5Sr0.5TiO3–MgO–Mg2SiO4 composite ceramics

Mn-doped Ba_0.5Sr_0.5TiO₃–MgO–Mg₂SiO₄ composite ceramics were prepared by a solid-state reaction method, and the dielectric tunable properties were investigated. It was observed that the composite ceramics show three crystalline phases: Ba_0.5Sr_0.5TiO₃, MgO and Mg₂SiO₄ phases. Mn doping significantly improves the dielectric tunable properties of Ba_0.5Sr_0.5TiO₃–MgO–Mg₂SiO₄ composite ceramics. Mn-doped Ba_0.5Sr_0.5TiO₃–MgO–Mg₂SiO₄ composites have dielectric constant of 114.2–127.0, and tunability of 11.3–13.0 % at 10 kHz under 3 kV/mm, indicating that they are promising candidate materials for tunable microwave applications requiring a low dielectric constant.     

Effect of TiO2 on the sintering temperature and dielectric properties of Li2O–MgO–ZnO–B2O3–SiO2 ceramic composites for LTCC applications

Journal of Materials Science: Materials in Electronics - The effects of injecting TiO2 to a Li2O–MgO–ZnO–B2O3–SiO2 (LMZBS) microwave dielectric composite on sinterability,...     

Influence of surface modified TiO2 nanoparticles on dielectric properties of PVdF–HFP nanocomposites

Polyvinylidene fluoride-co-hexaflouropropylene (PVdF–HFP)/TiO₂ hybrid nanocomposites membranes for electrical applications have been prepared using a solvent casting technique. The interface between PVdF–HFP and TiO₂ was modified using aminopropyltrimethoxysilane (APS) coupling agent. The silane linkages on the TiO₂ surface have been confirmed using Fourier transform infra red spectroscopy. WAXD and DSC analysis has been employed to estimate the variation in crystallinity within the membrane as a function of the incorporation of both untreated and APS treated TiO₂. The dispersion of both nanoparticles in the PVdF–HFP matrix were characterized by atomic force microscopy and differences were observed in the images of APS treated and untreated. Variation in electrical properties such as conductivity, dielectric constant, dielectric loss and electric modulus of the hybrid composite films were studied employing AC impedance spectroscopy over a range of frequency from 1 kHz to 1 MHz at room temperature. Theoretical models like Maxwell, Faruka, Rayleigh and Lichtenecker were employed to calculate the effective dielectric constant of hybrid nanocomposite membranes and the estimated values were compared with the experimental data. Further, the variation in thermal stability of PVdF–HFP membrane as a function of untreated and silane treated TiO₂ reinforcement has been estimated using thermogravimetric analysis.     

Role of MgF2 on properties of glass–ceramics

Formation of machinable glass–ceramic in the system MgO–SiO₂–Al₂O₃–K₂O–B₂O₃–F with and without addition of MgF₂ has been investigated. Crystallization of glass sample was done by controlled thermal heat treatment at nucleation and crystallization temperatures. The results showed that MgF₂ in high concentration had a synergistic effect and enhanced the formation of interlocked mica crystals. Non-isothermal DTA experiments showed that the crystallization activation energies of base glasses were changed in the range of 235–405 kJ/mol, while the crystallization activation energies of samples with addition of MgF₂ were changed in the range of 548–752 kJ/mol.     

Effects of glass components on crystallization and dielectric properties of BST glass–ceramics

Crystallization behavior was studied for glass powders in which some portions of AlF₃ in the net composition of 60(Ba_0.7Sr_0.3)TiO₃–25SiO₂–15AlF₃ were replaced with Ga₂O₃ or Bi₂O₃. The replacement with Ga₂O₃ resulted in a progressive increase in crystallization temperature, which effectively assisted the viscous sintering of glass powders to produce densified BST glass–ceramics at relatively lower temperatures. For the Bi₂O₃-replaced glass powders, an increasing amount of Bi₂O₃ replacement lowered the crystallization temperature and yielded less densified glass–ceramics containing a considerable amount of glassy phase. The temperature dependence of permittivity was estimated for the Ga₂O₃- and Bi₂O₃-replaced glass–ceramics as a function of sintering conditions and the amount of replacement, respectively.     

Effect of sintering process on electrical properties and ageing behavior of ZnO–V2O5–MnO2–Nb2O5 varistor ceramics

The effect of sintering process on microstructure, electrical properties, and ageing behavior of ZnO–V₂O₅–MnO₂–Nb₂O₅ (ZVMN) varistor ceramics was investigated at 875–950 °C. The sintered density decreased from 5.52 to 5.44 g/cm³ and the average grain size increased from 4.4 to 9.6 μm with the increase of sintering temperature. The breakdown field (E_{1 mA}) decreased from 6991 to 943 V/cm with the increase of sintering temperature. The ZVMN varistor ceramics sintered at 900 °C led to surprisingly high nonlinear coefficient (α = 50). The donor concentration (N_d) increased from 3.33 × 10¹⁷ cm⁻³ to 7.64 × 10¹⁷ cm⁻³ with the increase of sintering temperature and the barrier height (Φ_b) exhibited the maximum value (1.07 eV) at 900 °C. Concerning stability, the varistors sintered at 925 °C exhibited the most stable accelerated ageing characteristics, with %ΔE_{1 mA} = 1.5% and %Δα = 13.3% for DC accelerated ageing stress of 0.85 E_{1 mA}/85 °C/24 h.     

Surface properties of bioactive TEOS–PDMS–TiO2–CaO ormosils

Tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS)–polydimethyl siloxane (PDMS) ormosils with different amounts of Ti and Ca were prepared and characterized. Several surface properties such as specific surface area, porosity, fractality, dispersive and polar surface energies were determined and related with their in-vitro bioactivity. It has been found a dependence of the surface fractal dimension with the concentration of Ca²⁺ ions that induce the appearance of rough surfaces. The dispersive surface energy, γ _S ^d , increased with the incorporation of Ti or Ca and the presence of micropores, but Ca(NO₃)₂ precipitates in the surface coming from non-incorporated Ca lead to a decrease of the surface energy values. In relation with the polar surface energy, it has been observed that all ormosil materials presented amphoteric character with a larger presence of base surface sites than acid ones. The basicity of the surface increased with the concentration of Ti and Ca, while the acidity decreased. The in-vitro bioactivity of the surface was estimated by soaking samples in simulated body fluid (SBF) and afterwards characterized by means of X-ray diffraction (TF-XRD) and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM). It has been observed that in vitro bioactivity is related with the polar surface characteristics of these materials, being necessary for the bioactivity, the presence of a highly polar surface with intermediate base/acid ratio and specific roughness.     

Influence of crystallization time on microstructures and dielectric properties of tungsten–bronze glass–ceramics

A glass with a composition of 22.5SrO–22.5BaO–15Nb₂O₅–40SiO₂ (mol %) was prepared by a melt-quenching method and then heat-treated at 950 °C for different crystallization time. Microstructure observations were carried out using scanning electron microscope and dielectric properties were measured by a LCR meter. The experimental results show that volume fraction of the crystalline phase increased, dielectric constant maximum enhanced, and Curie temperature shifted as the crystallization time is prolonged. The decrease in the Curie temperature for the sample crystallized at 950 °C for 1 h is considered to be caused by the clamping effect from the glass matrix or small compositional fluctuation. Impedance spectroscopy has been employed to study the polarization contributions arising from the glass and crystalline phases in the glass–ceramics for different crystallization time. With the increase in crystallization time, the magnitudes of impedance and modulus as well as the relaxation frequency changed significantly. The activation energy calculated from the relaxation frequency increased for the glass phase due to a denser network structure, while the crystalline phase showed a slight decrease implying there is no change in its polarization mechanism.     

Low temperature sintering and dielectric properties of Li2ZnTi3O8–TiO2 composite ceramics doped with CaO–B2O3–SiO2 glass

The effects of CaO–B₂O₃–SiO₂ (CBS) glass addition on the sintering temperature and dielectric properties of Li₂ZnTi₃O₈–TiO₂ (LZT) composite ceramics have been investigated. Due to the compensating effect of rutile TiO₂ (τ_f ≈ +450 ppm/ °C), the temperature coefficient of resonant frequency (τ_f) for Li₂ZnTi₃O₈ + 4 wt% TiO₂ with biphasic structure was adjusted to a value near zero. The pure LZT ceramics were usually sintered at high temperature of about 1,160 °C. It was found in our experiment that a small amount of CBS glass additives could effectively lower the sintering temperature of LZT ceramics to 900 °C. With increasing the content of CBS glass, both of dielectric constant (ε_r) and quality factor (Q × f) value decreased. Typically, the 1 wt% CBS glass added Li₂ZnTi₃O₈ + 4 wt% TiO₂ ceramic sintered at 900 °C for 4 h exhibited good microwave dielectric properties of ε_r = 26.9, Q × f = 23,563 GHz and τ_f = ?1.5 ppm/ °C, which made it promising for low temperature co-fired ceramics technology application.     

Microwave dielectric ceramics in the BaO–TiO2–ZnO system doped with Nb2O5

The microwave dielectric properties of BaO–TiO₂–ZnO (BTZ) system ceramics were studied as a function of the amount of Nb₂O₅ dopant. With the addition of 0–0.025 mol% Nb₂O₅, the substitution of Ti⁴⁺ ions with Nb⁵⁺ ions decreased the sintering temperature and increased the dielectric constant ε_r and quality factor Q of the system due to the similar atomic radius of Nb⁵⁺ and Ti⁴⁺ ions. When the amount of Nb⁵⁺ increased further (>0.025 mol%), Q was decreased by increasing the titanium vacancies. When the system doped with 0.025 mol% Nb₂O₅ was sintered at 1160 °C for 6 h, the ε_r, Qf₀, and the temperature coefficient of resonant frequency (τ_f) were 36.7, 41,000 GHz, and −5.0 ppm/°C, respectively, at 5 GHz.