Microstructure and microwave dielectric characteristics of CaO–B2O3–SiO2 glass ceramics

CaO–B2O3–SiO2 (CBS) glass powders are prepared by traditional glass melting method, whose properties and microstructures are characterized by Differential thermal analysis (DTA), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). It is found that the pure CBS glass ceramics possess excellent dielectric properties (εr = 6.5, tan δ = 5 × 10−3 at 10 GHz), but a higher sintering temperature (>900 °C) and a narrow sintering temperature range (about 10 °C). The addition of a low-melting-point CaO–B2O3–SiO2 glass (LG) could greatly decrease the sintering temperature of CBS glass to 820 °C and significantly enlarge the sintering temperature range to 40 °C. The CBS glass ceramic with 30 wt% LG glass addition sintered at 840 °C exhibits better dielectric properties: εr ≈ 6, tan δ < 2 × 10−3 at 10 GHz, and the major phases of the sample are CaSiO3, CaB2O4 and SiO2.