Crystal Structure and Microwave Dielectric Property of xMgO-SiO₂ (x = 1~2) System for 5G Applications

Mg₂SiO₄ and MgSiO₃ ceramics with superior microwave dielectric properties are considered to be promising candidates for 5G applications. However, a slight deviation from the stoichiometric Mg/Si ratio will significantly influence their microwave dielectric properties, which will hinder their practical applications. In this work, the xMgO-SiO₂ (x = 1~2) ceramics were synthesized by a solid-state reaction method. The influence of the Mg/Si ratio x on the crystalline phase, microstructure, and microwave dielectric properties was investigated through X-ray diffraction (XRD), a scanning electron microscope (SEM), and the resonant cavity method. The XRD patterns revealed the coexistence of Mg₂SiO₄ and MgSiO₃ within the x range of 1~2, which was further demonstrated by the energy-dispersive X-ray spectra. The SEM images show a typical polycrystalline morphology of ceramics with an inhomogeneous grain size distribution. It is found that the microwave dielectric properties fluctuate at both sides of the x range while those remain relatively stable with minor changes at the intermediate components, indicating an obvious low composition dependence helpful for practical applications. Further, a demonstrator of a microstrip patch antenna for 5G applications using the 1.5MgO-SiO₂ ceramic was designed and fabricated, and a return loss of −16.2 dB was demonstrated, which demonstrated the potential applications.