Flash sintering of tunable dielectric Ba0.6Sr0.4TiO3 electroceramics

Ba(1-x)SrxTiO3 (BST) is a crucial dielectric material in tunable devices for modern wireless communication technologies, owing to high dielectric tunability and low dielectric loss. However, the conventional processing of BST ceramics requires a high sintering temperature of about 1350 ºC. In this work, we demonstrate the feasibility of using Flash sintering (FS) and corresponding maps to process Ba0.6Sr0.4TiO3 ceramics, resulting in a 350 ºC decrease in sintering temperature and 7 h reduction in sintering process time. The Flash-sintered BST exhibits a finer grain microstructure, lower dielectric loss, and significantly higher K-factor (figure of merit for tunability) when compared to conventionally sintered BST, unequivocally meeting the application criteria for tunable materials. Our findings highlight the effectiveness of FS as an alternative method for the rapid sintering of BST, while also opening up possibilities for further research into more efficient sintering processes for electroceramics.