Glass‐Free Zn ₂ Te ₃ O ₈ Microwave Ceramic for LTCC Applications

Abstract

A Zn 2 Te 3 O 8 ceramic was investigated as a promising dielectric material for low‐temperature co‐fired ceramics (LTCC) applications. The Zn 2 Te 3 O 8 ceramic was synthesized using the solid‐state reaction method by sintering in the temperature range 540°–600°C. The structure and microstructure of the compounds were investigated using X‐ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy methods. The dielectric properties of the ceramics were studied in the frequency range 4–6 GHz. The Zn 2 Te 3 O 8 ceramic has a dielectric constant (ɛ r ) of 16.2, a quality factor ( Q u × f ) of 66 000 at 4.97 GHz, and a temperature coefficient of resonant frequency (τ f ) of −60 ppm/°C, respectively. Addition of 4 wt% TiO 2 improved the τ f to −8.7 ppm/°C with an ɛ r of 19.3 and a Q u × f of 27 000 at 5.14 GHz when sintered at 650°C. The chemical reactivity of the Zn 2 Te 3 O 8 ceramic with Ag and Al metal electrodes was also investigated.