Aqueous processing and effects of V2O5 on microwave dielectric properties of multilayer Li1.075Nb0.625Ti0.45O3 ceramics

Abstract

In the present work, we report the development of an aqueous tape casting method and a low temperature co-firing process for fabrication of multilayer Li1.075Nb0.625Ti0.45O3 microwave dielectric ceramics. A co-binder, consisting of polyvinyl acetate latex (PVAc) and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), was used to prepare aqueous Li1.075Nb0.625Ti0.45O3 tapes. PVA addition increased the tape flexibility and adhesiveness but resulted in decreased tensile strength. Rheological tests indicated that the aqueous ceramic slurry exhibited a typical shear thinning behavior without thixotropy, suitable for tape casting. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) studies revealed that the green tapes have a defect-free surface and that the multilayer ceramics sintered at 900°C have a fine plate like, grainy microstructure of uniform size. At lower temperatures, increased densification rates were achieved by addition of V2O5 to Li1.075Nb0.625Ti0.45O3 ceramics. The saturated bulk densities and dielectric constants (ɛr) of Li1.075Nb0.625Ti0.45O3 multilayer ceramics affected by lower sintering temperatures with an increase in V2O5 doping, and then an improvement in the quality factor (Q × f value) of the samples was achieved at the lower sintering temperatures. As a result, the ɛr of 64.9 and the Q × f value of 8800 GHz were obtained in the sample with an addition of 3 wt.% V2O5, sintered at a temperature of 900°C. No reaction was observed between the ceramic and silver layers when sliver inner-electrode, was sintered with ceramic tapes at 900°C.