Chemical Composition-Microstructure-Dielectric Constant Relations of Mg-Doped Calcium Titanate Synthesized by Solid State Reaction Technique

Abstract

It has been generally accepted that doping of dielectric materials could significantly contribute to compositional and microstructural evolution, which consequently lead to alteration in dielectric properties. In this study, the effects of adding magnesium (Mg) at 5,10 and 20at% on the chemical composition, microstructure and dielectric constant of calcium titanate (CaTiO3) synthesized by solid state reaction was assessed. Chemical composition analysis using an X-ray diffraction technique CaTiO3 doped with 5 at% Mg has been found to contain a single phase whereas samples doped with 10 and 20 at% Mg both exhibited apparent secondary phase (MgO). Microstructural examination however, revealed that no significant variation in particle size, grain size and density were evident among the samples of different Mg contents. Average dielectric constants obtained from the entire samples ranged from 245.9 to 387.6 (at 1 MHz) and the sample with the highest dielectric constant was that doped with 5 at% Mg. Enhancement of dielectric constant in the samples with the lowest level of Mg doping has been attributed largely to the homogeneity of its chemical composition.