Diffusion of Silver During Sintering in High Permittivity COG Dielectrics

Abstract

To achieve cost reduction in multi-layer ceramic capacitors and actuators, which use a silver-palladium alloy as internal electrode, the trend is to use alloys with the highest silver content possible. This requires ceramic materials which must be sintered at a relative low temperature. Goal is to avoid much diffusion of silver into the ceramics.

Analysis of the composition of the electrode in multilayer components is a good tool to investigate the diffusion of silver during sintering. Analysis of various multi-layer components with different silver-palladium alloys shows that the diffusion of silver during sintering is dependent on the difference between the sintering temperature of the multilayer component and the melting point of the silver-palladium alloy used. Diffusion of silver into the ceramics during sintering is negligible when this difference is at least 100 °C.

Keywords:

• BaTiO₃
• Sintering
• Silver Electrode
• Diffusion