Synthesis and Microwave Dielectric Properties of A16V18O61 (A = Ba, Sr and Ca) Ceramics for LTCC Applications

Low-temperature co-firable A16V18O61 (A = Ba, Sr, Ca) ceramics have been prepared through the solid state ceramic route. The structural features of these ceramics have been studied using the x-ray diffraction (XRD) technique. The existence of the A16V18O61 (A = Ba, Sr, Ca) ceramic phase was confirmed through laser Raman spectroscopic studies. Scanning electron microscopy analysis revealed a dense microstructure for the ceramics with closely packed polygonal grains. Among the samples studied, Ba16V18O61 ceramic was prepared in the ultralow sintering temperature of 620°C for 1 h, which can be co-firable with an aluminium electrode. XRD and electron dispersive spectroscopy analyses showed that the samples under study have excellent compatibility with metal electrodes. The microwave dielectric properties measured using a vector network analyzer revealed that A16V18O61 (A = Ba, Sr, Ca) ceramics have excellent unloaded quality factors.