Sintering behaviors, microstructure and properties of CaO–B2O3–SiO2 glass-ceramics for LTCC applications

Abstract

The aim of this work was to investigate the impacts of MgO on the crystalline behaviors, microstructure, and properties of CaO–B2O3–SiO2 (CBS) glass-ceramics. In the study, the CBS samples with various MgO contents were developed via the melting and quenching route. Subsequently, a CBS casting tape and a multi-layered LTCC microcircuit module were created by using the tape casting method. Results indicated that MgO could break the glass network and promote the formation of liquid phase during the sintering process. A suitable amount of MgO additive promoted densification during firing process and improved the properties of the CBS materials. The CBS sample with 1.5 wt% MgO fired at 875 °C exhibited outstanding properties, including a dielectric constant (εr) of 6.5 (at 10 GHz), a dielectric loss (tan δ) of 8 × 10−4, a flexural strength of 167 MPa, a coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of 6.8 ppm/°C, and a thermal conductivity (λ) of 2.2 W/mK. In addition, this LTCC material demonstrated good co-firing compatibility with silver electrodes and superior temperature stability, showing its great potential for microelectronic applications.