Glass-ceramic Substrates Research Articles

Diffusivity of silver ions in the low temperature co-fired ceramic (LTCC) substrates

Diffusion of silver inner-electrode occurred during sintering of commercial low temperature co-fired glass ceramic substrate made the dielectric surface become light yellow. The samples added with silicon oxide (SiO2) powder, however, maintained white color. Silicon-oxide powder was used to modified the sintering behavior and inhibit the silver ions diffusion for the LTCC ceramics. The alumina particles in the LTCC substrates could be regarded as the diffusion barrier of silver ions. The activation energy for silver ions diffusion in the LTCC substrates was 101 kJ/mol. When 5 wt% SiO2 powder was added into the LTCC substrate, the diffusion activation energy of silver ions became 145 kJ/mol. At sintering temperature of 1180 K, the diffusion coefficient of silver ion in the LTCC ceramic substrates with and without additional SiO2 were 8.88 × 10−13 cm2/s and 1.08 × 10−12 cm2/s, respectively.

Hollow waveguide photomixing for quantum cascade laser heterodyne spectro-radiometry

An integrated optic approach, using hollow waveguides, has been evaluated for a compact, rugged, high efficiency heterodyne optical mixing circuit in the middle infrared. The approach has involved the creation of hollow waveguides and alignment features for a beam combiner component in a glass-ceramic substrate. The performance of the integrated beam combiner was tested as part of a full laser heterodyne spectro-radiometer in which a quantum cascade laser local oscillator emitting at 9.7 µm was mixed with incoherent radiation. The performance has been evaluated with both cryogenically-cooled and peltier-cooled photomixers demonstrating consistent detection limits of two and five times the shot noise limit, respectively. The hollow waveguide mixer has also shown advantages in temporal stability, laser spatial mode cleansing, and reduced sensitivity to optical feedback.

Mechanism of brittle-ductile transition of a glass-ceramic rigid substrate

The hardness, elastic modulus, and scratch resistance of a glass-ceramic rigid substrate were measured by nanoindentation and nanoscratch, and the fracture toughness was measured by indentation using a Vickers indenter. The results show that the hardness and elastic modulus at a peak indentation depth of 200 nm are 9.04 and 94.70 GPa, respectively. These values reflect the properties of the glass-ceramic rigid substrate. The fracture toughness value of the glass-ceramic rigid substrate is 2.63 MPa·m1/2. The material removal mechanisms are seen to be directly related to normal force on the tip. The critical load and scratch depth estimated from the scratch depth profile after scratching and the friction profile are 268.60 mN and 335.10 nm, respectively. If the load and scratch depth are under the critical values, the glass-ceramic rigid substrate will undergo plastic flow rather than fracture. The formula of critical depth of cut described by Bifnao et al. is modified based on the difference of critical scratch depth

Mechanism of brittle-ductile transition of a glass-ceramic rigid substrate

Mechanism of brittle-ductile transition of a glass-ceramic rigid substrate

Formation of nanocrystalline foamy coatings by laser irradiation of glass-ceramic substrates in the nanosecond regime: Substrate temperature and wavelength dependence

In this paper a study of the formation mechanisms of foamy coatings on the surface of glass-ceramic substrates produced by laser ablation is presented. Three laser systems emitting at 1064, 532 and 355 nm with pulse-widths in the nanosecond range were used. In the NIR range the formation of the coating is only possible when the temperature of the surface is higher than 300 °C. In this case, the generation is related to an increase of the layer in liquid phase produced in the interaction zone. However, when the sample is machined at 532 or 355 nm the local temperature and the pressure exerted over the interaction zone produce the generation of this coating, obtaining the layer at room temperature. Furthermore, in this case it is possible to reduce the energetic cost improving the efficiency of the process. Morphology, composition, microstructure and thermal properties of the layer are described.

Investigation of gas sensor based on In2O3:Ga2O3 film

We have fabricated a LPG and butane sensor whose sensitive element is a nanosize In2O3:Ga2O3 (96:4 weight %) film covered with a thin palladium catalytic layer. Technology of deposition of these films on a glassceramic substrate by the method of rf magnetron sputtering was elaborated. The surfaces of fabricated films were studied with use of a scanning electron microscope and the thickness of films was measured. The sensitivity of sensors based on the glassceramic/In2O3:Ga2O3 (96:4 weight %)/Pd structure depending on the thickness and sizes of film grains was studied. We revealed technological regimes of sputtering providing fabrication of films with the best parameters.

Growth kinetics and stoichiometry of ZnS films obtained by close-spaced vacuum sublimation technique

Surface roughness, stoichiometry, deposition rates and activation energy of different growth mechanisms of zinc sulfide films are investigated. The films were deposited onto glass-ceramic substrates by close-spaced vacuum sublimation technique (CSVS) at different deposition temperatures. Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy (RBS) using helium ions with 1.8 MeV energy and EDAX method were applied for determination of film thickness and stoichiometry. The effect of the deposition temperature on film properties has been studied.

Sol-Gel Fabrication of Glass-Ceramic Composite Materials for Dental Application

The aim of this study was to investigate the sol-gel technique to fabricate glass-ceramic composite materials. The produced materials have potential application in dental restorations and they are expected to exhibit better control of composition, microstructure and properties due to the intrinsic processing benefits of the sol-gel preparation method. The characterization of the fabricated composites was performed by a range of techniques. The microstructure and bioactive behavior of the materials before and after application of heat treatment were studied. Moreover, the capability of making coatings on dental glass-ceramic substrates using the new glass-ceramics was demonstrated. The formation of well attached coatings exhibiting bioactive behavior was documented.

Formation of Foamy Coatings by Laser Ablation of Glass-ceramic Substrates in the Nanosecond Regime Substrate - Temperature and Wavelength Dependence

ABSTRACTA study of the formation mechanisms of foamy coatings on the surface of glass-ceramic substrates produced by laser ablation is presented. Three laser systems emitting at 1064, 532 and 355 nm with pulse-widths in the nanosecond range were used. In the NIR range the formation of the coating is only possible when the temperature of the surface is higher than 300 ºC. In this case, the generation is related to an increase of the layer in liquid-phase produced in the interaction zone. However, when the sample is machined at 532 or 355 nm, it is not necessary to heat the whole surface to be processed. In this case, the local temperature and the pressure exerted over the interaction zone produce the generation of this coating, obtaining the layer at room temperature. Furthermore, the coating can be produced at higher speeds. In this way, it is possible to reduce the energetic cost improving the efficiency of the process.Morphology, microstructure, composition and thermal properties of the layer are described.

Three novel ways of making thin-film crystalline-silicon layers on glass for solar cell applications

Monolithic solar modules made from thin-film crystalline-silicon layers of high quality on glass substrates could lower the price of photovoltaic electricity substantially. This paper describes three different approaches that we are currently investigating to address the challenge to form high-quality crystalline-silicon layers on glass substrates. The SLiM-Cut approach is a wafering technique that results in 50-micron thick layers with a minimum of material loss. We show that crack initiation can be used as a means to better control the lift-off process. The epifree approach involves the lift-off of ultra-thin monocrystalline films formed by reorganization of cylindrical macropore arrays in silicon upon annealing. So far, films with a thickness of around 1 μm and very simple cells with an efficiency of up to 4.1% have been achieved. Finally, a seed layer approach is presented based on the epitaxial thickening by thermal CVD of monocrystalline silicon layers bonded on glass-ceramic substrates. Very promising cell efficiencies of 11% and Voc values of up to 610 mV have been achieved using a very simple and non-optimized cell structure.

Crystal growth induced by Nd:YAG laser irradiation in patterning glass ceramic substrates with dots

In this work a glass ceramic substrate was processed by focusing a laser beam inside the said material. The crystal phase within the amorphous matrix provides mechanical properties to the glass ceramic substrate in such a way that dots can be patterned inside the fore-mentioned material without producing any cracks. These marks are made up of crystals, the growth of which has been induced by the laser beam. These inner structures can modify the optical, thermal and mechanical properties of the glass ceramic substrate. A Q-switched Nd:YAG laser at its fundamental wavelength of 1064 nm with pulsewidths in the nanosecond range has been used. Morphology, composition, microstructure, mechanical and thermal properties of the processed material are described.

Gas sensor based on nanosize In2O3:Ga2O3 film

Nanosize films of In2O3:Ga2O3 (96:4 weight %) have been deposited on a glassceramic substrate by the method of rf magnetron sputtering. The surfaces of fabricated films were studied with use of a scanning electron microscope; sizes of grains were determined and the thicknesses of films were measured. In order to prepare a gas-sensitive structure, a thin catalytic palladium layer and ohmic comb contacts were deposited on the In2O3:Ga2O3 film surface by the method of ion-plasma sputtering. The sensitivity of sensors based on the glassceramic/In2O3:Ga2O3 (96:4 weight %)/Pd structure to different concentrations of propane and butane gas mixture, as well as to methane was investigated at temperatures of working substance from 250 to 300°C.

Precise monitoring of the surface topology of ST 50-1 glass ceramic substrates

The possibility of obtaining smooth surfaces for glass ceramic substrates under the action of laser radiation is studied. A procedure is considered for local monitoring of ST 50-1 glass ceramic surface topology by means of a scanning probe microscope in contact and semicontact regimes before and after the action of laser radiation.

Development of electrically conductive plasma sprayed coatings on glass ceramic substrates

The production of functional coatings on glass or glass ceramic substrates is of outstanding interest in modern product development due to the specific thermophysical properties of glasses, like low or even negative CTE, low heat conductivity and high dimensional stability. Atmospheric plasma spraying (APS) is an adequate technology for the deposition of a wide variety of materials on glasses and opens new application fields for thermal spraying technology in engineering and consumer industries. Metals are the frequent solution to produce electrically conductive layers in thermal spraying operations. Concerning applications with glass ceramic as a substrate, an intermediate oxide ceramic coating is applied before depositing the metallic layer, so that the distribution of residual stresses in the composite caused during and after the deposition process due to the mismatch in the materials thermophysical properties is minimized. However, the electrical properties required for the developed coatings presented in this paper can be fulfilled using other spraying materials, like mixed phases of oxide ceramics and metal powders, or pure ceramic materials. In this way, mono-layer electrically conductive systems which ensure the required stability and adhesion of the coating can be developed, reducing as well production time and costs. In the proposed approach, the three systems, metal oxide layer-composites, ceramic-metal mixed layers and ceramic mono-layers as conductive coatings on glass ceramics were thermally sprayed with APS. The coatings were characterized in terms of residual stress distribution and electrical conductivity. The influence of the process parameters on the coating electrical and mechanical properties was analyzed using the design of experiments (DOE) methodology.

Growth kinetics and polysilicon formation by aluminium-induced crystallization on glass-ceramic substrates

In this work, we present extended structural properties of poly-Si thin films fabricated by aluminium-induced crystallization (AIC) of amorphous silicon (a-Si) on high-temperature glass-ceramic substrates. The silicon nucleation kinetics on glass-ceramic substrates was investigated by optical microscopy. The crystalline quality of the films was studied by micro-Raman spectroscopy as a function of exchange annealing conditions. By means of electron backscattering diffraction (EBSD), we have analyzed the effect of thermal annealing on silicon grain size and its distribution, intra- and inter-grains defects, and on the grains preferential crystallographic orientation. The optimal thermal annealing condition, allowing 100% crystallized polysilicon large grains with an average grain size of 26 μm and 〈100〉 oriented, acquired a thermal budget of 475°C and 8 h.

Thin-film monocrystalline-silicon solar cells made by a seed layer approach on glass-ceramic substrates

Solar modules made from thin-film crystalline-silicon layers of high quality on glass substrates could lower the price of photovoltaic electricity substantially. One way to create crystalline-silicon thin films on non-silicon substrates is to use the so-called “seed layer approach”, in which a thin crystalline-silicon seed layer is first created, followed by epitaxial thickening of this seed layer. In this paper, we present the first solar cell results obtained on 10-μm-thick monocrystalline-silicon (mono-Si) layers obtained by a seed layer approach on transparent glass-ceramic substrates. The seed layers were made using implant-induced separation and anodic bonding. These layers were then epitaxially thickened by thermal CVD. Simple solar cell structures without integrated light trapping features showed efficiencies of up to 7.5%. Compared to polycrystalline-silicon layers made by aluminum-induced crystallization of amorphous silicon and thermal CVD, the mono-Si layers have a much higher bulk diffusion lifetime.

The effect of TiO2 and P2O5 on densification behavior and properties of Anortite-Diopside glass-ceramic substrates

In this work the synthesis of anorthite-diopside glass-ceramics (GCs) was carried out via sintering and crystallization of glass powder compacts in the temperature interval 800°C and 950°C. Glass powder compacts with mean particle size of 2 μm were prepared. The effects of adding TiO2 and P2O5 on the sintering behavior of glass powder compacts and on the properties of resultant glass- ceramics were studied. Mechanical, thermal, chemical and dielectric properties of sintered GCs were investigated with the aim to evaluate the potential of the GCs as substrate materials for microelectronics applications.

Electrical performance of Ti/Pt thin films on glass-ceramic substrates after high temperature loading

In this study, the influence of post-deposition annealings (PDA) up to temperatures of T PDA=700°C on the room-temperature resistivity of e-beam evaporated titanium/platinum (Ti/Pt) bi-layers on low temperature co-fired (LTCC) substrates covered with a glass encapsulate is investigated. The thickness of the platinum top layer is varied between 24 and 95 nm (titanium film thickness: 5 nm) and between 23 and 90 nm (titanium film thickness: 15 nm), respectively. In the “as-deposited” state and up to post-deposition annealing temperatures of T PDA=450°C, the film resistivity is linearly correlated with the reciprocal value of the platinum film thickness according to the size effect. When applying, however, solely the Fuchs-Sondheimer model for evaluation, the effective mean free path for electrons is substantially above the value reported for crystalline platinum at room temperature. Compared to similar investigations on smooth Si/SiO2 substrates yielding interpretable results within this theoretical approach, this is due to the increase of the thickness-dependent fraction in film resistivity which is strongly affected by the enhanced LTCC/glass surface roughness. At T PDA>600°C, diffusion of titanium into the platinum top layer and the roughening of the LTCC/glass substrate dominate the electrical behavior, both causing an increase in film resistivity above average. In contrast to Si/SiO2 substrates, thermal induced grooving effects in the Pt top layer play a minor role as the temperature coefficients of expansion of metallization and glass-ceramic substrate match better and the effective temperature difference for stress generation is lower due a glass softening temperature of about 450°C.

The Preparation of Barium Hexaferrite Coatings Using HVOF

Thick coatings of barium hexaferrite with the compositions BaFe12O19 and BaCoTiFe10O19 were prepared using high-velocity oxygen-fuel (HVOF) spraying technology. Nanocrystalline precursors embedded in an amorphous matrix were obtained on both Fe and glass–ceramic substrates. To promote the crystallization of the hexaferrites, the coatings were annealed at 800°–1000°C, and single-phase coatings were obtained at 1000°C. The crystallization process was studied with X-ray powder diffraction and with electron microscopy. The magnetic measurements of the coatings were carried out in a static field and at high frequencies. The magnetization of the coatings increased with the annealing temperature to above 50 emu/g for both compositions. The coercivity of BaFe12O19 increased with the annealing temperature to above 2400 Oe, whereas the coercivity of BaCoTiFe10O19 decreased from over 800 Oe, for the as-deposited sample, to 400 Oe for the sample annealed at 1000°C. A minimum 90% absorption was calculated for the BaFe12O19 coatings with thicknesses of 0.15–0.25 mm at around 47 GHz and for the 1–4-mm-thick coatings of BaCoTiFe10O19 at 3–9 GHz.

Influence of Internal Architectures on the Fracture Response of LTCC Components

Low Temperature Co-fired Ceramics (LTCCs) are layered ceramic based components, which – in recent years - are increasingly used as high precision electronic devices (e.g. mobile and automotive technologies) in highly loaded (temperatures, inertia forces, etc.) environments. They consist of a complex three-dimensional micro-network of metal structures embedded within a glass-ceramic substrate. Even though LTCCs have been used for more than 20 years, there is insufficient understanding of the mechanical loads during processing. In this regard, different types of failure of the end component during service have been reported, coming from different parts within the part. In this work, the influence of the internal architectures in the fracture response of LTCC components during bending has been investigated. Strength has been determined in 10 × 10 mm2 specimens using the ball-on-three-balls test (biaxial loading) and evaluated using Weibull statistics. Fractography of broken specimens has been performed to determine the mode of fracture of the components and the role of the internal architecture in the crack path. Results show strength dependence as a function of the testing position within the part. The influence of the internal architecture and residual stresses is also discussed.