Microwave dielectric properties of low temperature sinterable RE2Mo4O15 (RE = Nd, Sm) ceramics for LTCC applications

The present paper investigates the structure and microwave dielectric properties of novel low temperature sinterable RE2Mo4O15 (RE = Nd, Sm) ceramic system. Phase pure ceramics were prepared through solid state ceramic method. The powder X-ray diffraction patterns show that these materials have triclinic crystal structure with space group PA(a). The title compounds are well densified around 690 A degrees C. The Scanning Electron Microscopic image reveals dense microstructure for the well sintered ceramic compacts. Nd2Mo4O15 ceramic exhibits a dielectric constant of 11.1, an unloaded quality factor of 5,123 at 12 GHz, and a temperature coefficient of resonant frequency (tau(f)) of -44 ppm/ A degrees C. Whereas Sm2Mo4O15 samples possess a dielectric constant of 10.7, unloaded quality factor of 5,468 at 11.6046 GHz together with a temperature coefficient of resonant frequency (tau(f)) of -50 ppm/A degrees C. Both the ceramic systems under study show good chemical compatibility with silver electrode.