Effects of sintering temperature on the microstructure and dielectric properties of titanium dioxide ceramics

Nanostructured (similar to 200 nm grain size) titanium dioxide (TiO2) ceramics were densified at temperature as low as 800 degrees C by pressureless sintering in a pure oxygen atmosphere. Phase transition and microstructural development of sintered samples were studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Dielectric properties including d.c. conductivity, dielectric constant, loss tangent, and dielectric breakdown strength (BDS) were determined for samples sintered at various temperatures. The influence of sintering temperature on the microstructural development, defect chemistry, and dielectric properties of TiO2 is discussed. Nanostructured TiO2 ceramics with high sintering density (>98%) lead to improved dielectric properties; high BDS (similar to 1800 kV/cm), low electrical conductivity (similar to 5 x 10(-15) S/cm), high dielectric constant (similar to 130), and low loss tangent (similar to 0.09% at 1 kHz), which is promising for application in high energy density capacitors.