Abstract
The Nano powder and microwave dielectric properties of zirconium tin titanate (Zr0.8Sn0.2TiO4, ZST) ceramics prepared by sol–gel process were investigated. Pure and fine ZST powders with particle sizes of 10–20 nm were derived by thermal decomposition of an amorphous gel precursor at about 700°C. They formed a single orthorhombic ZST phase and appeared fine and well-dispersed in both scanning electronic microscopy (SEM) and transmission electronic microscopy (TEM). The high sintering ability of the prepared powders enabled the fabrication of dielectric ceramics at low sintering temperatures (1250–1300°C). The well-sintered ZST ceramics with high relative densities (96%) showed excellent microwave dielectric properties compared with those prepared by a conventional method at the same sintering temperature.