Sintering behavior, structure and dielectric properties of CuO-ZnO-MgO-B2O3 glass-ceramics for ULTCC applications

Abstract

High performance ultra-low temperature co-fired ceramic (ULTCC) materials were prepared from CuO- MgO- ZnO- Al2O3- B2O3- Li2O glass-ceramics. The sintering behaviors, crystalline phase evolution, microstructure and dielectric properties, as well as their compatibility with Ag and Al electrodes, were investigated. With the suitable substitution of MgO for ZnO, the dielectric properties of glass-ceramics were improved. It is mainly associated with the fine microstructure, highly crystallinity, and decrease in tetrahedral distortion in the crystal lattice. All the glasses completed the densification at 575–600 °C, and ZnB4O7 is the only crystalline phase precipitated from the glasses. Moreover, the glass-ceramic with 1 wt% MgO sintered at 575 °C for 5 h, exhibited low relative permittivity ~ 7.1 and low dielectric loss ~ 6.40 × 10−4. And the glass-ceramic with 4 wt% MgO sintered at 600 °C for 5 h, also displayed low relative permittivity ~ 7.1 and low dielectric loss ~ 5.77 × 10−4. Both two glasses have good sintering compatibility with silver and aluminum electrodes, which provided high potential for ULTCC application.