Microwave characteristics of high-Q ZnO-doped Nd(Co1/2Ti1/2)O3 dielectric ceramics

This study elucidates the microwave dielectric properties and the microstructures of Nd(Co1/2Ti1/2)O-3 ceramics that were prepared by the conventional solid-state route. The prepared Nd(Co1/2Ti1/2)O-3 included a mixture of Co and Ti, exhibiting a 1:1 order in the B-site. Doping with ZnO (up to 0.5 wt%) can effectively promote the densification of Nd(Co1/2Ti1/2)O-3 ceramics at low sintering temperature. At 1350 degrees C, Nd(Co1/2Ti1/2)O-3 ceramics with 0.5 wt% ZnO addition have a dielectric constant (epsilon(tau)) of 27.4, a Q x f value of 147,000 GHz (at 8 GHz) and a temperature coefficient of resonant frequency (tau(f)) of -30 ppm/degrees C. ZnO-doped Nd(Co1/2Ti1/2)O-3 ceramics which are better dielectric than pure Nd(Co1/2Ti1/2)O-3 ceramics are candidates for applications in microwave devices. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.