Study of deformation and porosity evolution of low temperature co-fired ceramic for embedded structures fabrication

The deformation behaviors of suspended low temperature co-fired ceramic (LTCC) laminates over a cavity and the evolution of open porosity of LTCC are studied for the fabrication of embedded structures in a multi-layer LTCC platform using carbon material. The effects of the type of LTCC materials (self-constrained and unconstrained LTCC), cavity width, laminate thickness, and lamination conditions on the deformation of the suspended LTCC laminate over a cavity are studied. For suspended three-layers and six-layers LTCC laminates over cavity width ranges from 10 to 25 mm, the self-constrained LTCC laminates were more dimensionally stable (sagged by less than −120 μm) after sintering as compared to the unconstrained LTCC. The evolution of open porosity and the distribution of open pores in the self-constrained LTCC with changes in sintering temperature and laminate thickness are also studied for process optimization.