Characterization of structural and electrical properties of Ca0.61Nd0.26TiO3 ceramic tailored by complex ions (Al0.5Nb0.5)(4+)

Miniaturization and low power dissipation are a trend for the development of ceramic-based microwave devices. Therefore, the decrease of the dielectric loss properties of microwave dielectric ceramic material compounds with a high dielectric constant is considered a quite important subject. In this work, the Ca0.61Nd0.26TiO3 material configuration with orthorhombic perovskite structure was thoroughly investigated by applying the strategy of (Al0.5Nb0.5)(4+) substitution at the B-site. More specifically, the Ca0.61Nd0.26Ti1-x(Al0.5Nb0.5)(x)O-3 sample with a nearly 60% increase in the quality factor (Qxf) was obtained. Also, the relationship between the structural and the electrical properties of Ca0.61Nd0.26Ti1-x(Al0.5Nb0.5)(x)O-3 (0 <= x <= 0.15) samples were explored via performing X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements, Raman spectra, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and calculation of the insulation resistance, etc. The extracted outcomes divulged that samples at x = 0-0.12 formed a single perovskite-structured phase, while the grain size of samples decreased by increasing the x value, leading to a drop decline of both the dielectric constant (epsilon(r)) and electrical conductivity. Additionally, insights from the acquired Raman spectra confirmed that the stressed-rigid oxygen octahedral networks could lower the positive tau(f) value of Ca0.61Nd0.26TiO3-based ceramic compounds. Interestingly, as the doping content of (Al0.5Nb0.5)(4+) increased, the Ti3+ in samples was restrained at x = 0.04, whereas the insulation properties of the samples increased. Hence, the conductivity loss was declined. Furthermore, the TEM images illustrated the appearance of a 1: 1 ordered structure at the B-site of the (Al0.5Nb0.5)(4+)-doped samples. As a result, the Qxf value of the samples raised from 11,095GHz at x = 0-17,802 GHz at x = 0.12, enhanced by 60%. On top of that, for the sample with x = 0.15, the existence of the Ca2Nb2O7 phase deteriorated the microwave dielectric properties of the Ca0.61Nd0.26Ti1-x(Al0.5Nb0.5)(x)O-3 samples, and especially Qxf value. (C) 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.