Method of estimating dielectric properties of dielectric layers in low-temperature-cofired ceramic devices

Abstract

method of estimating the dielectric constant (E) of dielectric layers in low-temperature-cofired ceramic (LTCC) devices was developed. A band-pass filter (BPF) circuit was designed such that its second harmonic frequency (SHF) strongly depended on the epsilon of the relevant capacitor built in the BPF. The epsilon-SHF correlation was established by model simulation. The design of the BPF was realized with various dielectric layers, and the measured SHF was used to determine the E values of the capacitors from the epsilon-SHF relationship. These epsilon values were found to be consistent with those of the sintered pellets, prepared with the same dielectrics and process as BPFs. The e values of the dielectric layers in other LTCC devices were estimated by this method, in which the BPFs made of the same dielectric layers were fired as dummy samples along with the devices.