Strontium oxide-doped alumina-based functional ceramics: microstructure, dielelectric properties, and suitablility for 5G/6G and millimeter-wave applications
摘要
The influence of strontium oxide (SrO) doping on the structural, microstructural, and terahertz (THz) dielectric properties of Al2O3 ceramics is comprehensively investigated. Pure and SrO-doped Al2O3 samples are fabricated and characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and THz time-domain spectroscopy (THz-TDS). XRD analysis reveals the formation of SrAl12O19 secondary phases for doping levels of 0.3 vol% and above, while SEM observations indicate significant densification and grain refinement, particularly for the 0.3-vol% SrO composition, which exhibit the highest relative density and the most uniform microstructure. THz-TDS measurements demonstrate that SrO doping strongly affects the refractive index, absorption coefficient, dielectric permittivity, and loss tangent in a non-linear manner. All doped samples exhibit an increase in refractive index and permittivity compared to the pure Al2O3, whereas the absorption and dielectric losses are highly dependent on the microstructural quality and secondary-phase content. The 0.3-vol% SrO-doped ceramic shows the most favorable THz response, characterized by reduced absorption coefficient (< 20 cm−1), and the lowest loss tangent (< 0.03), indicating minimal extrinsic scattering and optimized densification. In contrast, the 0.1-vol% composition exhibited higher losses due to insufficient microstructural refinement, while the 0.5-vol% samples display moderate losses associated with increased SrAl12O19 phase formation. Overall, the results demonstrate that SrO dopants play dual role in tailoring the THz dielectric response of Al2O3 ceramics. These findings highlight the potential of SrO-doped Al2O3 ceramics as promising materials for 5G/6G and millimeter-wave device applications, and sensing systems where low-loss and structurally stable components are essential.