Spinel Mg(Al, Ga)2O4 Solid Solution as High-Performance Microwave Dielectric Ceramics

Spinel Mg(Al 1− x Ga x ) 2 O 4 ( x = 0–1) solid solutions were synthesized via solid-state method. Replacement of Al 3+ by Ga 3+ in MgAl 2 O 4 gave rise to the expansion of the lattice, as well as blueshifts of FT-IR and Raman peaks. The homogeneous solid solutions, high relative densities, large grain sizes, and compact microstructures resulted in excellent microwave dielectric properties for spinel Mg(Al 1− x Ga x ) 2 O 4 ( x = 0.6) ceramics sintered at 1485°C: that is, ε r = 8.87, Q × f = 107 000 GHz (at 14.8 GHz), and τ f = −16 ppm/°C. Spinel-structured Mg(Al 1− x Ga x ) 2 O 4 ( x = 0–1) solid solutions possessed low sintering temperatures, wide temperature regions (~100°C), and small negative τ f values. These outstanding performance make Mg(Al, Ga) 2 O 4 a promising candidate material for millimeter-wave devices.