Investigation of the role of yttrium sesquioxide nanoparticles on the properties of zinc oxide ceramics

Abstract

In this work, zinc oxide (ZnO) ceramics were synthesized containing 0-5wt% of cubic yttrium sesquioxide (Y2O3) nanoparticles with solid state sintering technique at 1150°C. The secondary phase of Y2O3 did not enter into the crystalline zinc oxide. The Y2O3 acts as an inhibitor of grain growth. The absorption of the free charge carriers by the Y2O3 phase influences the infrared transmissions. The minimization of the phase mismatch while transferring the electric signal caused lower losses when Y2O3 was added to the zinc oxide matrices. The presence of the cubic sesquioxide at the grain boundary contributes to the interfacial polarization at lower frequencies when an alternating field is applied to the ceramics. These properties are anticipated to show a wider range of physical, optical and dielectric properties of ZnO: Y ceramics for optoelectronic applications.