Effect of Sintering Conditions on Microwave Dielectric Properties of Ni0.5Ti0.5NbO4 Ceramics

The microwave dielectric properties of Ni0.5Ti0.5NbO4 ceramics have been investigated. Ni0.5Ti0.5NbO4 ceramics were prepared by conventional solid-state route method with various sintering temperature and time. The dielectric constant values (r) of 49.6-60.6 can be obtained when sintering temperatures are in the range of 1060-1140 o C for 2-8 h. The Qf value was a function of sintering temperature and time, Ni0.5Ti0.5NbO4 ceramics is proposed as a suitable material candidate. Recently, high dielectric constant (r) together with low dielectric loss microwave dielectric ceramics are attractive candidates for use in wireless communication applications. The low dielectric loss can provide the prominent frequency selectivity, while the high dielectric constant can reduce the size of resonators or communication devices more effectively. Up to now, many materials with good microwave dielectric properties have been reported (1-3). In this paper, Ni0.5Ti0.5NbO4 microwave dielectric ceramics were prepared via solid-state route method, and the effects of sintering conditions on microwave dielectric properties of Ni0.5Ti0.5NbO4 ceramics were also investigated. The proposed Ni0.5Ti0.5NbO4 ceramics possess dielectric constant values of 49.6-60.6, Qf values of 35,000-701,00 GHz, and temperature coefficient of resonant frequency (f) of around 75 ppm/ o C sintered at 1060-1140 o C for 2-8 h, which are suitable candidate materials for today's small sized passive components application.