Synthesis and Characterization of Low Loss Dielectric Ceramics Prepared from Composite of Titanate Nanosheets with Barium Ions

We report a strategy for preparing barium titanate precursor, being the composite of titanate nanosheets (TN) with bariumions (Ba-TN), which subjected to step sintering allows obtaining TiO2 rich barium titanate ceramics of stoichiometry BaTi4O9 or Ba2Ti9O20. These compounds are important in modern electronics due to their required dielectric properties and grains' size that can be preserved in nanometric range. The morphology studies, structural characterization, and dielectric investigations were performed simultaneously in each step of Ba-TN calcinations in order to properly characterize type of obtained ceramic, its grains' morphology, and dielectric properties. The Ba-TN precursor can be sintered at given temperatures, so that its dielectric permittivity can be tuned between 25 and 42 with controlled temperature coefficients that change from negative 32 ppm/degrees C for Ba-TN sintered at 900 degrees C up to positive 37ppm/degrees C after calcination at 1300 degrees C. XRD analysis and Raman investigations performed for the Ba-TN in the temperature range of 900 divided by 1250 degrees C showed that below 1100 degrees C we obtained as a main phase BaTi4O9, whereas the higher calcinations temperature transformed Ba-TN into Ba2Ti9O20. Taking into account trend of device miniaturization and nanoscopic size requirements, temperatures of 900 degrees C and 1100 degrees C seem to be an optimal condition for Ba-TN precursor calcinations that guarantee the satisfactory value of dielectric permittivity (epsilon = 26 and 32) and ceramic grains with a mean size of similar to 180 nm and similar to 550 nm, respectively.