Microwave dielectric mechanism studied by microwave near-field microscopy and Raman spectroscopy

Microwave dielectric ceramics such as Ba(Mg_1/3Ta _2/3)O₃ and Ba₂Ti₉O₂₀ possess high dielectric constant and low dielectric loss in microwave frequency regime and have tremendous potential for device applications. In these materials, the presence of extrinsic defects, such as secondary phases, usually altered the microwave dielectric properties of the materials markedly, but the correlation of the microwave dielectric response of the materials with their microstructure has not been fully understood due to the lack of dielectric response in the local area. In this article, microwave near-field microscopy and Raman spectroscopy were used to investigate the microwave dielectric mechanism, viz. we measured the microwave dielectric properties of the materials in micron region by using a evanescent microwave probe (EMP) and, at the same time, examined the lattice vibration characteristics of the region by using a micro-Raman spectrum. How the presence of the secondary phase affects the microwave dielectric properties of the materials is thus systematically investigated. The causes of intrinsic or extrinsic dielectric loss were explored by comparing the dielectric images in SEMP at microwave frequencies and the corresponding Raman Spectra.