BST powder with sol-gel process in tape casting and firing

Ferroelectric films such as Barium Strontium Titanate (BST) films are potential candidates for several microwave applications. In this work, the suitability of fine BST powder prepared by the sol-gel process for tape casting and firing were studied and compared with one commercial BST powder. The particle size of the sol-gel powder was 0.05–0.1 μm. The effects of different powders and slurry properties on the tape casting procedure, the thickness and tensile strength of the final tapes and their surface roughness were investigated. Furthermore, the sintering properties of different powders were measured using a dilatometer. The tapes made with sol-gel powder were sintered at 1250 °C and had large shrinkage.