Nanocomposites and nanomaterials

Structural and dielectric characterization of sintered 
BaTiO3-based thin films obtained by tape casting.

D.I. Baranovskyi, S.E. Ivanchenko, A.V. Ragulya
Frantsevich Institute for Problems of Materials Science of NASU, Krzhyzhanovsky St., 3, Kyiv-03142, Ukraine
E-Mail: baranovskyi.dmytro@gmail.com

Electronic ceramics based on the BaTiO3 are well-known for their high permittivity. Therefore, barium titanate is used to produce electric capacitors of extremely high capacitance and to generate powerful ultrasonic waves.
The main aim of this research is a study of grain growth and evolution of porous structure of the ceramic thin films during sintering. After all, porosity is an important factor, because it has a significant impact on the electrical characteristics of the sintered ceramic. Thin films were formed by the tape casting method. Pastes for dielectric layers were prepared with using a nanosized BaTiO3 powder with a particle size of 20-25 nm.
The heat treatment of obtained samples was conducted in two stages. The first stage consisted in heating of the samples to 450 ºC in order to remove the organic component of the pastes. And the next stage is sintering with speeds ranging from 5 to 15 °С/min. Investigation of grain growth and porous structure will be carried out at various stages of sintering, at temperatures range from 700 to 1200 °С. The resulting samples were examined by using a number of techniques: optical profilometry method, XRD, microscopy, and others.