Characterizing and Predicting Sintering Shrinkage of a Glass/Ceramic System

摘要

Controlled sintering is particularly important in multi-materials systems, micro-systems, and complex geometry systems that require precise, as-fired dimensional tolerances. A critical issue in manufacturing low temperature co-fire ceramic (LTCC) microelectronics is the need to precisely and reproducibly control shrinkage on sintering. The anisotropic sintering shrinkage of DuPont 951 Green Tape?, a commercial glass/ceramic system, was characterized using a dynamic mechanical analyzer (DMA). Sintering shrinkage as a function of direction was compiled to determine volumetric densification as a function of time and temperature. This data was used to determine an activation energy for densification during sintering, and to construct a master sintering curve (MSC) for the glass/ceramic system. The master sintering curve obtained can be used to predict and control densification/shrinkage as a function of arbitrary temperaturetime excursions. Additionally, because the MSC for a given material and process is unique, it provides the ability to complete rudimentary measurements to assess and ensure the quality and reproducibility of the materials and processes being used in manufacturing.