Grain Size Effect on LTCC Tape Performance as Substrate for Microelectronic Devices

As substrates for microelectronic devices, LTCC tape must have excellent combination of dielectric and thermal properties. This paper reports the grain size effect on the dielectric and thermal performance of alumina based LTCC tape. LTCC tape was prepared using tape-casting technique, then fired up to 850degC. The dielectric and thermal performance of the fired LTCC tape was carried out using impedance analyzer and thermal analyzer respectively. It was found that the reduction in grain size effectively reduces the thermal diffusivity value and increases the dielectric constant value of the LTCC tape. The grain size effect on the dielectric and thermal behavior can be explained by the changing of the grain microstructure.