Low‐temperature co‐fired ceramic application of SmTaO₄ and YTaO₄ with ZnO‐B₂O₃‐SiO₂ additive

Abstract

In this study, ZnO‐B2O3‐SiO2 (ZBS) glass was employed as a sintering facilitator, enabling low‐temperature sintering of SmTaO4 and YTaO4 ceramics. The influence of varying quantities of ZBS glass on sintering behavior and phase composition was investigated to reveal the low‐temperature sintering mechanism. ZBS glass exhibits favorable wetting behavior on the SmTaO4 and YTaO4 ceramic matrices and dramatically decreases the initial shrinkage temperature of ceramics throughout the sintering process. Composited with 20 wt. % ZBS and sintered at their optimal sintering temperature, the composite ceramics of SmTaO4 and YTaO4 possess favorable microwave dielectric properties: εr = 8.46, Q×f = 15,723 GHz, and τf = –6.68 ppm/°C (at 14.339 GHz), and εr = 4.21, Q×f = 18,939 GHz, and τf = –18.92 ppm/°C (at 15.512 GHz), respectively.