Microstructure and Microwave Dielectric Properties of Ba(Zn 1/3 Ta 2/3 )O 3 Ceramics with ZrO 2 Addition

The effect of ZrO 2 on crystallographic order, microstructure, and microwave dielectric properties of Ba(Zn 1/3 Ta 2/3 )O 3 (BZT) ceramics was investigated. A small amount of ZrO 2 disturbed the 1:2 cation ordering. The average grain size of the BZT significantly increased with the addition of ZrO 2 , which was attributed to liquid‐phase formation. The relative density increased with the addition of a small amount of ZrO 2 , but it decreased when the ZrO 2 content was increased. Variation of the dielectric constant with ZrO 2 addition ranged between 27 and 30, and the temperature coefficient of resonant frequency increased abruptly as the ZrO 2 amount exceeded 2.0 mol%. The Q value of the BZT significantly improved with the addition of ZrO 2 , which could be explained by the increased relative density and grain size. The maximum Q × f value achieved in this investigation was ∼164 000 GHz for the BZT with 2.0 mol% ZrO 2 sintered at 1550°C for 10 h.