Chemical Processing and Microwave Characteristics of (Zr,Sn)TiO ₄ Microwave Dielectrics

Abstract

Monosized spherical particles of (Zr, Sn)TiO 4 with an average diameter of about 0.3 μm were synthesized by the controlled hydrolysis of metal alkoxides. The as‐prepared, amorphous, particles were compacted without any sintering aid, crystallized, and then sintered at 1600°C for 3 h into bodies with >96.0% of theoretical density. The dense sintered bodies of (Zr 0.80 Sn 0.20 )TiO 4 showed good microwave characteristics; ɛ r = 40.0, Q = 5000, and τ t = 3 ppm/°C at 10 GHz. The dielectric constant was remarkably dependent upon the relative densities of the sintered bodies and the change of the lattice parameters, while Q value was mainly affected by the oxygen deficiency. An increase of the dielectric constant with the substitution of Sn 4+ in ZrTiO 4 was attributable to the enhancement of ionic polarization with the increase of the c ‐axis length.