Ultra-low-fire Zn₂Te₃O₈-TiTe ₃O₈ ceramic composites

In this study, ceramic composites of the Zn₂Te₃O ₈-TiTe₃O₈ system were adopted to improve the dielectric properties of the ultra-low-fire single-phase Zn₂Te ₃O₈. The ceramic composites were densified at 600°C. The X-ray diffraction results show no interaction between Zn₂Te ₃O₈ and TiTe₃O₈ during sintering. Granular grains in the range of 1-5 μm were observed, and the microstructural evolution was nearly independent of the TiTe₃O₈ content. Owing to the inertness between Zn₂Te₃O₈ and TiTe₃O₈ ceramics, the dielectric constant (ε_r) and the temperature coefficient of resonant frequency (τ_f) increased nearly linearly, while the quality factor (Q×f) decreased with the content of TiTe₃O₈ in the Zn₂Te₃O₈ ceramic. The Zn₂Te ₃O₈-30 wt% TiTe₃O₈ ceramic composite sintered at 600°C reported the best dielectric properties with an ε_r of 19.8, a Q×f of 50 042 GHz (at a measurement frequency of 11.8 GHz), and a τ_f of 3.0 ppm/°C, qualifying the ultra-low-fire composites for use in ceramic resonators.