The effect of application variables on thick-film capacitor dielectrics

A previously reported series of thick-film capacitor dielectrics with K´s ranging from 10 to 1000 and high Q´s for use in real-world multilayer applications is examined. Circuits were fired at the standard 850°C firing temperature. Firing in both a conventional and a fast-fire furnace showed that the dielectrics are not very sensitive to furnace profile. Properties of capacitors, between layers and on top of multilayer circuits, were measured. Experiments showed that these inks are usable not only with termination designed for them but also with a variety of gold and silver alloy conductors, including some specifically designed for multilayer circuits. It is concluded that incorporation into multilayer circuits is possible for these dielectrics, both for buried capacitors and on the top layer