Material properties and RF applications of high k and ferrite LTCC ceramics

Abstract

The continuous trend in modern electronic applications towards smaller size, higher integration density and enhanced functionality requires new materials, which allow embedding passive functions into the substrate. In this paper an LTCC material system with specialized dielectric and magnetic LTCC tapes cofireable in a low-shrinkage process for RF-passive integration is reported. An LTCC dielectric with a dielectric constant of up to 80 is presented. The material is successfully used in a cofired multi-material stack to realize a fully integrated band-pass filter for Bluetooth applications of 1.3 mm 3 volume. A ferroelectric LTCC ceramic with a maximum dielectric constant of 3000 is presented and the reduction of the dielectric constant to a maximum value of 1100 under constrained-sintering is discussed. Magnetic permeabilities of 14 for a NiZnCo-ferrite and 3.5 for a Ba 3Co 2Fe 24O 41 (Co 2Z) ferrite have been realized under LTCC processing conditions, with gyromagnetic resonance frequencies above 1 GHz and 3 GHz respectively. The permeability of these materials is determined for constrained and unconstrained sintering conditions. A maximum absorption of 27 dB/cm and 30 dB/cm is measured for an embedded stripline in NiZnCo- and Co 2Z ferrite respectively. Two-winding planar RF-chokes in different multi-layer stacks are compared. A maximum of 14.3 nH inductance is realized for a 1.8 mm × 2 mm coil in an LTCC research pilot line.