Effect of Sintering Temperature on Structure and Dielectric Properties of BZN Ceramics

Bismuth zinc niobate [(Bi1.5Zn0.5)(Nb1.5Zn0.5)07, abbreviated as BZN] ceramics are receiving increasing attention due to their excellent dielectric properties in the microwave frequency range. This work is aimed at improving the fabrication technology of BZN ceramics. BZN ceramic specimens were prepared using the general electronic ceramic technique including milling, calcining, crushing, pressing, and sintering. Different sintering temperatures in the range of 950-1080 degrees C were used to study how sintering temperature affects the structure and dielectric properties of BZN ceramics. The crystallinity and microstructure of the BZN ceramics, which were measured respectively by X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy, were improved with increasing of the sintering temperature. The frequency dependence of the dielectric constant and loss tangent was measured at room temperature from 1 kHz to 1 MHz. The dielectric properties of the specimen sintered at 1050 degrees C were found to be the best, for which the relative permittivity (epsilon(r)) and the loss tangent (tan delta) are around 146 and 0.005, respectively. It was also found that when the sintering temperature was higher than 1000 degrees C, the epsilon(r) and the tan delta of BZN ceramics sintered at different temperatures were similar. As a result, 1000 degrees C may be an appropriate sintering temperature for BZN ceramics.