Published online by Cambridge University Press: 25 February 2011
Multilayer capacitors were made from Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3 compositon by an usual technique: ceramic green sheets formed by slip casting method, printed with an 70% wt Ag- 30% wt Pd internal electrode and sintered at temperature ranging from 950 to 11OO°C. Chip capacitors exhibit large capacitance and temperature characteristics meet Z5U specification. Electrical properties of MLC based on PMN depend on specific parameters such as the average concentration of pyrochlore phase and perovskite phase, and the homogeneity degree of dielectric layers. Load humidity life tests show a degradation of some chips which can be connected with the formation of a surface layer rich in pyrochlore phase.