Investigation of Cu substituted La0.5Ba0.5CoO3 ceramics as conductive phase for LTCC thick film resistors
摘要
This study systematically investigated the effect of copper (Cu) substitution on the sintering behavior, crystal structure, microstructure, densification, and electrical properties of La0.5Ba0.5Co1-yCuyO3 (0.0 ≤ y ≤ 0.4, LBCCO) ceramics using the solid-state reaction method. Comprehensive characterization via heating microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and the DC two-probe method revealed that Cu substitution effectively lowers the densification temperature but concurrently reduces the electrical conductivity. Excessive doping (y > 0.2) introduced a secondary La3Ba3Cu6O14 phase. To evaluate their application potential, these compositions were formulated into thick-film resistor pastes with lead-borosilicate glass for low temperature co-fired ceramic (LTCC) technology. Analysis indicated that the thick-film sheet resistance was largely independent of Cu content, with La0.5Ba0.5CoO3 and BaPO3 identified as the primary phases. These results demonstrate the potential of the LBCCO system as a cost-effective alternative to precious ruthenium-based materials for LTCC resistor applications.