Sintering parameters influence on dielectric properties of modified nano-BaTiO3 ceramics

Abstract

BaTiO3 (BTO) is considered the most commonly used ceramic material in multilayer ceramic capacitors due to its desirable dielectric properties. Considering that the miniaturization of electronic devices represents an expanding field of research, modification of BTO has been performed to increase dielectric constant and DC bias characteristic/sensitivity. This research presents the effect of N2 and air atmospheres on morphological and dielectric properties of BTO nanoparticles modified with organometallic salt at sintering temperatures of [Formula: see text]C, [Formula: see text]C, [Formula: see text]C, and [Formula: see text]C. Measured dielectric constants were up to 35,000, with achieved very high values in both atmospheres. Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) was used for morphological characterization, revealing a porous structure in all the samples. The software image analysis of FESEM images showed a connection between particle and pore size distribution, as well as porosity. Based on the data from the image analysis, the prediction of dielectric properties in relation to morphology indicated that yttrium-based organometallic salt reduced oxygen vacancy generation in N2 atmosphere. DC bias sensitivity measurements showed that samples with higher dielectric constant had more pronounced sensitivity to voltage change, but most of the samples were stable up to 100 V, making our modified BTO a promising candidate for capacitors.