Effects of Bi2O3–ZnO–B2O3–SiO2 glass addition on the sintering and microwave dielectric properties of ZnZrNb2O8 ceramics for LTCC applications

A novel low-temperature sinterable microwave dielectric ceramic was successfully developed by adding low-melting-point Bi2O3–ZnO–B2O3–SiO2 (BBSZ) glass to ZnZrNb2O8 (ZZN) ceramic. The influence of BBSZ glass on the densification behavior and microwave dielectric properties of ZZN ceramic was systematically investigated by means of an X-ray diffractometer, a scanning electron microscope and a network analyzer. By adding an appropriate amount of BBSZ glass into ZZN ceramic, the sintering temperature was lowered to 950 °C, indicating that BBSZ glass was an effective firing agent for ZZN ceramic. Furthermore, favorable microwave dielectric properties of ɛr = 32.5, Q×f = 38,400 GHz and τf = − 51 ppm/°C were yielded in the ZZN sample with 6 wt% BBSZ glass addition, simultaneously maintaining uniform and compact microstructure. The chemical compatibility between the present composite and Ag electrode was also investigated for commercial applications.