Barium strontium titanate (BST) is a promising material for passive tunable microwave devices such as phase shifters or tunable matching networks. This publication covers the preparation of BST thick-films for microwave applications through inkjet printing. Two barium strontium titanate (BST) inks were prepared, printed on alumina substrates and sintered at different temperatures. The first ink was prepared with pure BST and sintered between 1100°C and 1200°C. The second ink was prepared with a BST–ZnO–B2O3 composition and was suitable to reduce the sintering temperature down to 800°C. The microstructure of the thick-films reveals the evolution of grain growth with increasing sintering temperature in the thick-films. Furthermore, a reaction with the substrate was observed for both inks at high sintering temperatures. The microwave characterization of the thick-films shows that for the permittivity and the tunability of the films, the effect of grain growth and reaction with the substrate compete against each other. Hence, the optimal microwave properties were achieved at a transition temperature, where first additional phases could already be observed. Even though, the properties are poorer for lower sintering temperatures, the investigations show that the preparation of silver- or gold-based metal–insulator–metal (MIM) structures through inkjet printing is possible with this composition. This allows various new design concepts for partly or fully inkjet printed passive microwave devices. Furthermore, it gives the opportunity for a future integration of passive tunable microwave devices in a low temperature co-fired ceramic (LTCC) fabrication process.
Preparation of Integrated Passive Microwave Devices Through Inkjet Printing
