Effect of microwave heating on BaTiO3:Nb ceramics with positive temperature coefficient of resistivity

The microwave heating technique is employed for obtaining high performance positive temperature coefficient of resistivity (PTCR) ceramics of Nb-doped BaTiO3 with a low resistivity at room temperature and a high resistivity jump above the Curie temperature. The grains of the BaTiO3:Nb ceramics prepared by microwave sintering are as large as 20–50 μm even when the Nb content exceeds 0.2 at. %, whereas such large grain size has never been obtained at this high content of Nb by ordinary sintering with an electric furnace. The large grains are also obtained by subjecting the heavily Nb-doped ceramics composed of fine grains to postheating with microwave after ordinary sintering. The room-temperature resistivity decreases down below 10 Ω cm and the PTCR character is obtained by postannealing in air. The mechanism of grain growth by microwave heating is discussed in terms of nonuniform temperature distribution of specimens during heating. The experimental data indicate that the microwave heating technique and the employment of a dopant that forms donor levels even at high doping levels will enable to develop high performance PTCR ceramics.