Effect of process variables on the microwave conductivity of thick-film conductors

This letter presents the preliminary results of an investigation into the effect of process variables on the microwave conductivity of thick-film conductors. The quality factor Q0 of 50 ¿ closed resonators has been measured as a function of the firing temperature of the conductor and the mesh printing size. The results show that fine-mesh screens can be used without increasing the conductor losses, and that a high peak-firing temperature reduces the losses. The radio-frequency conductivity of the films as a fraction of bulk metal ranges from 0.45 at 1 GHz to 0.65 at 12 GHz.