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Low-temperature sintering and microwave dielectric properties of ZnGa2–xO4–1.5x ceramics with added B2O3

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Abstract

In this work, ZnGa2–xO4–1.5x (0.0 ≤ x ≤ 0.15) ceramics were synthesized by a solid-state reaction method. ZnGa2O4 ceramic that is sintered at 1300 °C/3 h exhibits good microwave dielectric properties with εr of 11.06, Q × f of 74,730 GHz, and τf of − 69.7 ppm/°C. However, it cannot be fully densified at temperatures lower than 960 °C, even when a large amount of B2O3 is added, which seriously inhibits its application in the LTCC (low temperature cofired ceramic) field. Therefore, adding B2O3 to Ga2O3-deficient ZnGa2O4 ceramics is proposed to decrease the sintering temperature to below 960 °C. Owing to the dual effect of the B2O3-rich and ZnO-B2O3 related liquid phases, ceramics with added B2O3 (≥ 20 mol%) were found to sinter well at 950 °C, and good microwave dielectric properties were also achieved. In particular, 25 mol% B2O3 added to ZnGa1.95O3.925 ceramic sintered at 950 °C showed promising microwave dielectric properties for 5 G/6 G technologies without reaction with a silver electrode: εr = 9.19, Q × f = 37,337 GHz, and τf = − 58.3 ppm/°C.

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Funding

We would like to acknowledge the financial support from Shandong Provincial Natural Science Foundation, China [ZR2020QE039]; Xingyi Ma acknowledges the grants from Natural Science Foundations of Shenzhen (JCYJ20210324132815037, GXWD20220818171934001) and Guangdong (2022A1515220158), the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (Grant No. HIT.OCEF.2022040), and Zhujiang Talents Programme (2021QN02Y120).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Mechanical and Automotive Engineering, Qingdao University of Technology, Qingdao, 266520, Shandong, China

    Junjia Xia, Xing-Hua Ma, Shuling Zhang & Feng Guo

  2. School of Science, Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Beijing, 100876, China

    Zhenlu Zhang

  3. Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea

    Sahn Nahm

  4. School of Science, Harbin Institute of Technology, Shenzhen, 518055, Guangdong, China

    Xingyi Ma

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Contributions

JJX: data curation, formal analysis, investigation, methodology, validation and writing of the original draft. XHM: project administration, conceptualisation, supervision, writing, review and editing. ZLZ: formal analysis, investigation and writing. SN: supervision. SLZ: review. XYM: project administration. FG: supervision.

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Correspondence to Xing-Hua Ma or Zhenlu Zhang.

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Xia, J., Ma, XH., Zhang, Z. et al. Low-temperature sintering and microwave dielectric properties of ZnGa2–xO4–1.5x ceramics with added B2O3. J Mater Sci: Mater Electron 34, 1941 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10854-023-11331-8

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