Screen printed thick self-biased, low-loss, barium hexaferrite films by hot-press sintering

BaFe12O19 hexaferrite thick films having high hysteresis loop squareness (M-r/M-s) and low ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) linewidths were processed through the use of a screen printing technique coupled with hot-press sintering. Scanning electron microscopy and x-ray diffraction measurements exhibit strong crystallographic c-axis alignment of crystals perpendicular to the film plane. Static magnetic resonance and FMR measurements were performed to determine the effect of the preparation technique on magnetic hysteresis and microwave properties. Hot pressing during sintering produced dense thick films having high squareness (> 0.95) and reduced coercivity (similar to 1900 Oe). Of greater importance was the measurement of a minimum peak-to-peak FMR linewidth, 320 Oe at the U band, for films ranging in thickness from 100 to 500 mu m. Theoretic estimates suggest that such narrow linewidths can be attributed to the reduction in porosity and the improvement in c-axis orientation of crystallites in polycrystalline barium ferrite films. As such, haxaferrite materials prepared using this technique offer opportunities in the next generation of self-biased planar microwave devices. (c) 2006 American Institute of Physics.