Medium-high K LiNb0.6Ti0.5-x(Zn1/3Nb2/3)xO3 microwave dielectric ceramics for miniaturized dielectric resonant antennas

Abstract

High performance and miniaturization are becoming increasingly important for practical microwave electronics and high-density communication systems. Here, LiNb0.6Ti0.5-x(Zn1/3Nb2/3)xO3 (LNT-xZN, x = 0, 2, 4, 6, 8 mol%) ceramics have been successfully prepared by a solid-phase reaction. The relationship between the physical structure, microscopic morphology, Raman spectroscopy, and microwave properties is revealed. The better microwave dielectric properties of the LNT-4ZN ceramic sintered at 1075 °C are εr∼59.9, Q×f∼8261 GHz, and τf∼-7.4 ppm/°C. Using this ceramic, a miniaturized dielectric resonant antenna (DRA) is designed and demonstrated. The return loss, radiation efficiency, and realized gain of this device at the center frequency are −43.57 dB, 78.4 %, and 8.59 dB, respectively. The antenna, in addition to the good radiation performance, has a size advantage over similar devices (#Cylindrical sample, #R 3.1 mm × h 1.6 mm, @Square substrate, @a = b = 18 mm × h 3.1 mm). This work exemplifies the great potential of LNT-4ZN materials in communication devices and promotes the application of microwave dielectric ceramics in antenna fields.