Bond analysis of novel MnZrTa2O8 microwave dielectric ceramics with monoclinic structure

A new type of ceramic, namely MnZrTa 2 O 8 , was synthesized after sintering at high temperature in this work. The possible dielectric loss mechanism was discussed by Raman spectroscopy and chemical bond theory. X-ray diffraction indicated that MnZrTa 2 O 8 formed through a reaction between ZrO 2 and intermediate MnTa 2 O 6 . After sintering at 1350 °C, a monoclinic structure with cell parameters a  = 4.8370(3) Å, b  = 5.7163(1) Å, c  = 5.1398(5) Å, β  = 91.7219° was gained for ceramic. Among all bonds, Ta–O with the greatest bond ionicity and lattice energy was the dominant factor that influenced the microwave dielectric properties. The temperature coefficient of the resonant frequency τ f changed from − 50.55 to − 41.21 ppm/ °C, which was related to the lattice energy. The effect of porosity on dielectric loss was also checked and found to be significant. MnZrTa 2 O 8 ceramic exhibited relative permittivity ε r  ~ 23.0 and enhanced quality factor Q  ×  f ~48103 GHz (at 8.97 GHz), which provided a promising candidate for electric components.