With the rapidly progress in the microwave communication systems, miniaturization and performance enhancement have become two main requirements of the microwave devices. Microwave dielectric substrates would be the best choice for these requirements, because high dielectric constant of the substrates would reduce the size of the devices, high quality factor of the substrates would improve the microwave characteristics of the devices, and low temperature coefficient of resonant frequency would reduce the shift of the operating frequencies due to the variation of temperature. As mentioned above, the main research of this dissertation is divided into two parts: microwave dielectric materials and microwave filters. 1. Microwave dielectric materials AB2O6 (A=Mg, Zn; B=Ta, Nb) microwave dielectric ceramics have been developed as the microwave dielectric resonators (DRs) in the past, because the dielectric resonators fabricated by AB2O6 ceramics reveal the good microwave dielectric characteristics. However, the temperature coefficients of resonant frequency of MgTa2O6, MgNb2O6, ZnTa2O6, and ZnNb2O6 ceramics are still not good enough for the applications at the microwave frequency. In addition, MgTa2O6 and ZnTa2O6 ceramics reveal positive temperature coefficients of resonant frequency but the MgNb2O6 and ZnNb2O6 ceramics reveal negative temperature coefficients of resonant frequency. In this study, combining of MgNb2O6 ceramics (with negative temperature coefficients of resonant frequency) and MgTa2O6 ceramics (with positive temperature coefficients of resonant frequency) to form Mg(Ta1-xNbx)2O6 ceramics and combining of ZnNb2O6 ceramics (with negative temperature coefficients of resonant frequency) and ZnTa2O6 ceramics (with positive temperature coefficients of resonant frequency) to form Zn(Ta1-xNbx)2O6 ceramics, which all reveal near-zero temperature coefficients of resonant frequencyand are suitable for the applications of microwave communication devices. The sintering and microwave dielectric characteristics of the Mg(Ta1-xNbx)2O6 and Zn(Ta1-xNbx)2O6 dielectric ceramics are also investigated. 2. Wide-band, dual-band, tri-band, and tetra-band bandpass filters Microwave filters have been widely used in the communication systems. The optimal microwave dielectric characteristics of AB2O6 ceramics developed in this thesis were adopted as the substrates of the filters. The performance of the filters was improved obviously due to the high dielectric constant and high quality factor of the microwave dielectric ceramic substrates. At first, a wide-band and a dual-band (2.45/5.2 GHz) bandpass filters are developed by the combination technique of modified end-coupled microstrip lines and half-wavelength ombination technique will generate three transmission zeros easily in the stop-band to improve the characteristics of the filters. And the next, the tri-band (1.57/2.45/5.2 GHz) bandpass filters are developed by the combination of modified end-coupled microstrip lines, outer-frame structures and half-wavelength U-shaped hairpin resonators. The Defected Grounded Structures (DGS) are add into the ground planes of the tri-band bandpass filters to generate the fourth frequency (3.5 GHz), hence, the tetra-band (1.57/2.45/3.5/5.2 GHz) bandpass filters are accomplished. In addition, due to the uses of the high dielectric constant ceramic substrates and the combination techniques, the size of this tetra-band bandpass filter is only 26.3 mm*9.9 mm. Besides, six deeply transmission zeros are generated in the stop-band to improve the characteristics of the filters (1~7 GHz), all the characteristics of this tetra-band filters (frequency, bandwidth, insertion loss, and stop-band rejection) are suitable for the applications of modern communication systems.

With increasing frequency up to the THz frequency range and the desire to optimize performance of modern applications, precise knowledge of the dielectric material parameters of a substrate being used in a planar application is crucial: High performance of the desired device or circuit can often be achieved only by properly designing it, using specific values for the material properties. Especially the integration of planar devices for very broadband applications at high frequencies often demands specific dielectric properties such as a low permittivity, dispersion and loss, assuring a predictable performance over a broad frequency range. Therefore, material characterization at these frequencies is of interest to the developing THz community, although not a lot of methods suitable in terms of frequency range and measurement setup exist yet. In this work, a comprehensive method for dielectric material parameter determination from S-Parameter measurements of unloaded and loaded planar transmission lines up to THz frequencies is developed. A measurement setup and methodology based on wafer prober measurements is established, which allows for characterization of planar substrates and bulk material samples alike. In comparison with most existing methods, no specialized measurement cell or cumbersome micro-machining of material samples is necessary. The required theory is developed, including a discussion of effective parameter extraction methods from measurement, identification of and correction for undesired transmission line effects such as higher order modes, internal inductance and surface roughness, as well as mapping and modelling procedures based on physical permittivity models and electromagnetic simulations. Due to the general approach and modular structure of the developed method, new models to cover additional aspects or enhance its performance even further are easily implementable. Measurement results from 100 MHz to 500 GHz for planar substrates and from 100 MHz to 220 GHz for bulk material samples emphasize the general applicability of the developed method. It is inherently broadband, while the upper frequency limit is only subject to the fabrication capabilities of modern planar technology (i.e. minimum planar dimensions of transmission lines and height of substrate) and thus is easily extendable to higher frequencies. Furthermore, the developed method is not bound to a specific measurement setup and applicable with other measurement setups as well, as is exemplary presented for a free-space setup using antennas, enabling measurement of large, flat material samples not fitting on the wafer prober. Several substrate and bulk material samples covering a wide range of permittivities and material classes are characterized and compared with reference values from literature and own comparison measurements. The uncertainties for both planar substrate as well as bulk material sample measurements are estimated with a single-digit percentage. For all measurements, the order of magnitude of the dielectric loss tangent can be determined, while the lower resolution boundary for bulk material sample measurements is estimated to 0.01. Concerning measurements in the wafer prober environment, fixture-related issues are a main cause of measurement uncertainty. This topic is discussed as well as the design of on-wafer probe pads and custom calibration standards required for broadband operation at THz frequencies. / Mit zunehmender Erschließung des THz-Frequenzbereichs und der zugehörigen Optimierung moderner Anwendungen ist eine genaue Kenntnis der dielektrischen Materialparameter verwendeter planarer Substrate unabdingbar: Eine hohe Performance angestrebter Bauteile oder Schaltungen kann nur durch einen präzisen Entwurf sichergestellt werden, wofür spezifische Werte für die Materialeigenschaften bekannt sein müssen. Insbesondere die Integration planarer Bauelemente für sehr breitbandige Anwendungen bei hohen Frequenzen bedingt spezifische dielektrische Materialeigenschaften, wie bspw. geringe Permittivität, Dispersion und Verluste, sodass eine vorhersagbare Performance über einen breiten Frequenzbereich sichergestellt werden kann. Materialcharakterisierung bei diesen Frequenzen ist folglich von Interesse für die sich entwickelnde THz-Forschungslandschaft, wenngleich derzeit kaum Verfahren existieren, die geeignet in Bezug auf den Frequenzbereich oder Messaufbau sind. Im Rahmen dieser Arbeit wird ein umfassendes Verfahren zur Bestimmung der dielektrischen Materialparameter aus S-Parameter-Messungen unbelasteter und belasteter planarer Leitungen bis in den THz-Bereich entwickelt. Ein Messaufbau mitsamt Messmethodik basierend auf Wafer Prober-Messungen wird entworfen, welcher die Charakterisierung von planaren Substraten und losen Materialproben ermöglicht. Im Vergleich zu existierenden Verfahren ist weder eine spezielle Messzelle noch eine umständliche Mikrobearbeitung der Materialproben notwendig. Die Entwicklung der hierfür notwendigen Theorie beinhaltet eine Diskussion von Methoden zur Extraktion effektiver Parameter aus Messungen, die Identifikation und Korrektur unerwünschter Leitungseffekte wie bspw. höherer Moden, interner Induktivität und Oberflächenrauhigkeit sowie Zuordnungs- und Modellierungsverfahren basierend auf physikalischen Permittivitätsmodellen und elektromagnetischen Simulationen. Durch den allgemeinen, modularen Ansatz des entwickelten Verfahrens lassen sich neue Modelle zur Berücksichtigung zusätzlicher Effekte oder weiteren Verbesserung der Performance einfach einarbeiten. Messergebnisse von 100 MHz bis 500 GHz für planare Substrate und von 100 MHz bis 220 GHz für lose Materialproben unterstreichen die allgemeine Anwendbarkeit des entwickelten Verfahrens. Es ist inhärent breitbandig, wobei eine obere Frequenzgrenze nur durch die Fertigungstoleranzen moderner planarer Technologien gegeben ist (minimale Leitungsdimensionen und Substrathöhe), sodass es einfach zu höheren Frequenzen hin erweiterbar ist. Weiterhin ist das entwickelte Verfahren nicht an einen bestimmten Messaufbau gebunden und auch mit weiteren Aufbauten anwendbar, wie beispielhaft an einem Freiraum-Aufbau mit Antennen präsentiert wird. Eine Vielzahl planarer Substrate und loser Materialproben, die ein weites Spektrum an Permittivitäten und Materialklassen abdecken, werden charakterisiert und mit Referenzdaten aus der Literatur sowie eigenen Messungen verglichen. Die Messunsicherheiten der Permittivitätsmessungen werden im einstelligen Prozentbereich abgeschätzt und der dielektrische Verlustwinkel kann in seiner Größenordnung bestimmt werden. Aufbaubezogene Einflüsse als eine Hauptursache für Messunsicherheiten am Wafer Prober werden adressiert, ebenso wie der Entwurf von On-Wafer Probe Pads und selbsterstellter Kalibrierstandards, die notwendig sind für den Einsatz bei THz-Frequenzen.

In this thesis, the study mainly focuses on developing multiband chip antennas for mobile handsets. Three possible solutions and their extended and integrated designs are presented. By using the dielectric material as the chip base, the chip antenna can be smaller in size and simpler in design. Most of the applications of the traditional chip antennas are rarely used as the mobile phone antenna and are commonly designed with a single operating band to cover GPS or WLAN operation only. Different types of the antennas are proposed in the thesis. The metal patterns of the monopole and loop antennas are manufactured inside the chip base with an occupied volume of generally less than 0.8 cc, some even as small as 0.3 cc. Electronic components like the lens of the embedded camera and the speaker can be integrated close to the chip antenna with little influences on the radiation characteristics. Consequently, the developed chip antennas are suitable for mobile communications and can cover not only GSM850/900/1800/1900/ UMTS bands but also WLAN/WiMAX bands.

A novel material characterization method for magneto-dielectric composite material was proposed. MD materials have been reported as providing new opportunities for effective antenna size reduction in many studies. Since MD materials have to be realized through material synthesis, an accurate measurement method is required to extract them. The proposed method, cavity perturbation technique using substrate integrated waveguide cavity resonator, has been demonstrated through theories, simulations and measurement that it can be used to extract both electric and magnetic properties of the MD composite material effectively. MD materials using cobalt-fluoropolymer have been synthesized and material design guidelines for antenna applications are also provided. The benefits of using MD materials on antenna miniaturization was also demonstrated by comparing the performance of an antenna on MD material to other antennae on high dielectric constant materials and FR-4 material. Through simulations and measurements, the MD material is a promising solution for next generation smartphone or wearable type applications.

<p>Soft actuators and sensors are currently used in many industrial applications due to their capability to produce an accurate response. Researchers have studied dielectric electroactive polymers (DEAPs) because these types of structures can be utilized as actuators and as sensors being able to convert electrical energy into mechanical and vice versa. However, production of this kind of structures is complex and in general involve several steps that are time consuming. Customization of these types of structures will be ideal to enhance the performance of the devices based on the specific application. 3D printing technologies have emerged as innovative manufacturing processes that could improve fabrication speed, accuracy, and consistency with low cost. This additive manufacturing technique allows for the possibility of increased device complexity with high versatility. </p> <p>This research studied the potential of 3D printing technologies to produce DEAPs, soft actuators, and flexible sensors. The study presents novel designs of these composite flexible structures, utilizing the most flexible conductive and nonconductive materials available for fused deposition modeling, achieving versatility and high performance in the produced devices. <a>Produced DEAP actuators showed an actuation and electric resistivity higher than other electroactive structures like shape memory alloys and ferroelectric polymers.</a> In addition, this research describes the electromechanical characterization of a flexible thermoplastic polyurethane, (TPU), produced by additive manufacturing, including measurement of the dielectric constant, percentage radial elongation, tensile proprieties, pre-strain effects on actuation, surface topography, and measured actuation under high voltage. DEAP actuators were produced with two different printing paths, concentric circles and lines, showed an area expansion of 4.73% and 5.71% respectively. These structures showed high resistance to electric fields having a voltage breakdown of 4.67 kV and 5.73 kV respectively. <a>Those results are similar to the resistant of the most used dielectric material “VHB 4910”. </a></p> <p>The produced soft pneumatic actuators were successfully 3D printed in one continuous process without support material. The structures were totally sealed without the use of any sealing material or post process. Computational simulations were made to predict the response of the designed structures under different conditions. These results were compared with experimental results finding that the theoretical model is able to predict the response of the printed actuators with an error of less than 7%. This error is satisfactorily small for modeling 3D printed structures and can be further minimized by characterization of the elastomeric material. Besides that, two different grippers were designed based on the opening and closing movements of single bellows actuators. The functionality of both designs was simulated and tested, finding that both designs are capable lifting a heavier rigid structure. </p> <p>Finally, this study presents a computational simulation of a 3D printed flexible sensor, capable of producing an output signal based on the deformation caused by external forces. Two different sensors were designed and tested, working based on a capacitance and resistance change produced by structural deformation. Computational analysis indicate the capacitance sensor should undergo change of capacitance from 3 to 8.5 pF when is exposed to 30 kPa; and the resistance sensor should experience an increase from 101.8 to 103 kΩ when is exposed to 30 kPa. </p>

<div>Cables play an important role in the design of a power system. DC cable design presents unique challenges due to the fact that space charge can accumulate within the dielectric over time. Space charge accumulation is a function of temperature, electric field, and dielectric properties. Of particular concern is that the space charge leads to electric fields that are sufficient to break down the cable, particularly during transient conditions such as voltage reversal.</div><div><br></div><div>In this research, a focus is on the development of a coupled thermal- and electricalequivalent-circuit model that is general and provides the ability to predict the electric fields and space charge accumulation within single and multi-conductor DC cables. In contrast to traditional analytical models, the approach is more general, allowing for exploration of a wide spectrum of geometries. In contrast to traditional numerical methods, including finite element or finite difference, apriori knowledge of the electric field behavior is used to discretize the dielectric into a small number of electric flux tubes. The electric field dynamics within each tube are then modeled using a first order nonlinear differential equation. The relatively coarse discretization enables the solution to be computed rapidly. This is useful in population-based design where a large number of candidate evaluations is necessary to explore a design space. The modeling approach has been validated using several examples presented in the literature. In addition, its usefulness has been highlighted in the optimization of a 20 kV cable wherein objectives include minimization of mass and loss. </div>

The progress of the silicon-based complementary-metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) technology is mainly contributed to the scaling of the individual component. After decades of development, the scaling trend is approaching to its limitation, and there is urgent needs for the innovations of the materials and structures of the MOS devices, in order to postpone the end of the scaling. Atomic layer deposition (ALD) provides precise control of the deposited thin film at the atomic scale, and has wide application not only in the MOS technology, but also in other nanostructures. In this dissertation, I study rapid thermal processing (RTP) treatment of thermally grown SiO2, ALD growth of SiO2, and ALD growth of high-k HfO2 dielectric materials for gate oxides of MOS devices. Using a lateral heating treatment of SiO2, the gate leakage current of SiO2 based MOS capacitors was reduced by 4 order of magnitude, and the underlying mechanism was studied. Ultrathin SiO2 films were grown by ALD, and the electrical properties of the films and the SiO2/Si interface were extensively studied. High quality HfO2 films were grown using ALD on a chemical oxide. The dependence of interfacial quality on the thickness of the chemical oxide was studied. Finally I studied growth of HfO2 on two innovative interfacial layers, an interfacial layer grown by in-situ ALD ozone/water cycle exposure and an interfacial layer of etched thermal and RTP SiO2. The effectiveness of growth of high-quality HfO2 using the two interfacial layers are comparable to that of the chemical oxide. The interfacial properties are studied in details using XPS and ellipsometry.

Les matériaux diélectriques sont utilisés dans le domaine de l'aérospatial pour assurer la régulation thermique des engins spatiaux. Ils sont soumis à un environnement chargeant composé de rayonnements ionisants tels que les électrons ou les protons. Un stockage de ces charges se produit dans le volume du matériau et engendre des dégradations et un vieillissement prématuré amenant à une perte de fiabilité globale du système qui doit être anticipée. Le but de ce travail de thèse a été d'évaluer la densité de charges d'espace injectées au sein d'un matériau diélectrique pendant une irradiation électronique afin de recréer partiellement l'environnement radiatif auquel il peut être soumis. Pour mener à bien ce projet, nous avons utilisé un dispositif expérimental basé sur la méthode Electro-Acoustique Pulsée (PEA) couramment utilisé dans le domaine du génie électrique. Nous avons développé une électrode de mesure innovante sans contact et circulaire permettant la mesure pendant irradiation électronique car les dispositifs expérimentaux précédents ne le permettaient pas. Ce type de mesures n'avait jamais été réalisé ailleurs auparavant, ce qui un vrai apport pour ce domaine d'étude car il permet de conserver l'échantillon dans une configuration proche de son utilisation finale. L'électrode est basé sur une ligne de transmission de type microstrip. Dont les caractéristiques géométriques ont été déterminées d'une part avec le logiciel Orcad PCB Editor, mais aussi avec le logiciel COMSOL Multiphysics. La validation expérimentale a été menée et les premières mesures réalisées dans l'enceinte d'irradiation MATSPACE du laboratoire ont permis de mettre en évidence le bon fonctionnement de l'électrode et de valider les résultats de simulation obtenus précédemment. Le traitement du signal a également été adapté pour cette nouvelle configuration. Une étude a ensuite été menée avec différentes énergies cinétiques (comprises entre 50 et 100 keV) et différentes densités de flux électronique (0.5 à 2 nA/cm2) pour la phase d'irradiation suivi d'une phase de relaxation (maintien de l'échantillon sous vide) afin de suivre la dynamique des charges d'espace implantées au sein du diélectrique. La représentation par cartographie de la quantité de charges injectées en volume permet de suivre aisément l'évolution de cette dernière en fonction du temps. Ce travail de thèse a permis d'atteindre les objectifs fixés concernant la réalisation de mesures pendant une irradiation électronique. Ce dispositif de caractérisation peut également être utilisé sur des films polymères issus du domaine du génie électrique, les conditions d'irradiation étant contrôlées. Dans un futur proche, ce prototype d'électrode pourra être associé à un capteur à haute résolution spatiale développé dans l'équipe pour un système encore plus performant. / Dielectric materials are widely used in space industries to ensure the spacecrafts thermal regulation. Spacecrafts are submitted to charging environment made of ionizing rays as electrons and protons. These charges are trapped in the material bulk and cause degradations and premature ageing and a global loss of reliability which had to be anticipated. The aim of this work was to evaluate the injected space charges density in a dielectric material during an electronic irradiation in order to partially reproduce the radiative environment. To lead this study, we used an experimental set up based on Pulsed Electro Acoustic (PEA) Method commonly used in electrical engineering. We have developed a new ring and contactless excitation electrode allowing to perform measurements during an electronic irradiation because the previous experimental setups don't allow to realize measurements during an electronic irradiation. This kind of measurements are performed for the first time ever in scientific research which is a real innovation for this research field because it is possible to keep the dielectric sample under vacuum and to be near the space environment. The new electrode is based on a signal transmission line (microstrip). Its geometric characteristics have been determined with two softwares as Orcad PCB Editor and COMSOL Multiphysics. The experimental validation has been led and the first measurements are performed in the irradiation chamber called MATSPACE allowing to highlight the good working of this new electrode and to validate the simulation results previously obtained. Moreover, the signal treatment has been adapted for this new configuration. A study has been also led with several kinetic energies ( 50 to 10 keV) and with several electronic flux density ( 0.5 to 2 nA/cm2) for the irradiation step followed by a relaxation step ( the sample is kept under vacuum) in order to to follow the injection dynamic of the injected electrons in the sample bulk. The space charge cartography representation allow to easily follow the dynamic injection. This work enabled to reach the differents objectives concerning the realizatiion of the space charges measurements during an electronic irradiation. This characterization setup can be used with several dielectric material used in electrical engineering, irradiation conditions being controlled. In next futur, this electrode prototype could be coupled with a very thin piezoelectric sensor to improve the spatial resolution to lead to a high temporal and spatial measurements system.

Neste trabalho descreve-se a implementação da técnica do pulso eletroacústico (PEA) para a determinação de perfis de carga espacial em dielétricos. O método é baseado no sinal acústico gerado pela aplicação de um pulso de tensão elétrica de curta duração na amostra. O sinal acústico gerado é detectado usando-se um transdutor piezoelétrico acoplado à amostra. São discutidos os detalhes experimentais do sistema e os procedimentos matemáticos para o tratamento do sinal elétrico medido. O tratamento matemático do sinal é baseado na técnica de desconvolução que permite determinar a função de transferência do sistema. A função de transferência permite eliminar do sinal medido as distorções introduzidas pelo circuito de medida, pelas reflexões espúrias do sinal acústico, etc.. Mostra-se também os procedimentos matemáticos para se corrigir a atenuação e dispersão do sinal acústico durante a propagação através da amostra. A técnica PEA foi utilizada para o estudo dos perfis de carga espacial injetada em amostras de polietileno sintetizados com diferentes catalisadores: Ziegler-Natta e Metallocene. O campo elétrico aplicado para polarizar as amostras e injetar cargas elétricas nas amostras foi variado de 0,05 MV/cm a 0,9 MV/cm. Nas amostras de polietileno sem aditivos a injeção de cargas elétricas na amostra é bem menor que em amostras com aditivos anti-oxidantes Mostra-se também que o campo elétrico de ruptura depende da carga injetada na amostra, sendo ele maior quando a polaridade da tensão de teste de ruptura é a mesma da tensão aplicada que provocou a injeção de cargas elétricas na amostra. / It is described the implementation of the electroacustic pulse technique, PEA, for the determination of space charge profiles in dielectrics. The method is based on the acoustic signal generated by the application of a voltage pulse with short duration on the sample. The acoustic signal generated by pulse is detected by using a piezoelectric transducer coupled to the sample. Details of the experimental system and of the mathematical procedure for the treatment of the measured electric signals are discussed. The mathematical treatment is based on the deconvolution technique which enables us to obtain the transference function of the system. The use of a transference function eliminates distortions caused by reflections that are introduced by the measurement circuit. Mathematical procedures for the correction of attenuation and dispersion of the acoustic signal during the propagation throughout the sample are also discussed. The PEA technique was used to measure the profiles of injected space charge in polyethylene synthesized using different catalysts: Ziegler-Natta and Metallocene. The electric field applied to polarize and to inject electric charges in the sample was varied form 0.05MV/cm to 0.9MV/cm. In samples of polyethylene without additives it was observed that the injection of charges is less intense than in samples containing anti oxidant additives. It is also shown that the critical electric field for the breakdown depends on the injected charge on the sample being; larger if the rupture tests were performed using the same polarity of the voltage used to pole the samples. Breakdown measurements were also performed with ozone treated samples.

High dielectric constant materials are of technological importance as they lead to the miniaturization of the electronic devices. In this context, the observation of anomalously high dielectric constant (>104) in the body-centered cubic perovskite-related (Space group Im3) material Calcium Copper Titanate ((CaCu3Ti4O12)(CCTO)) over wide frequency (100 Hz – 1MHz at RT) and temperature (100 – 600 K at 1 kHz ) ranges has attracted a great deal of attention. However, high dielectric constant in CCTO is not well understood yet, though internal barrier layer capacitor (IBLC) mechanism is widely been accepted. Therefore, the present work has been focused on the preparation and characterization of CCTO ceramic and to have an insight into the origin of high dielectric constant. Influence of calcination temperature, processing conditions, microstructure (and hence grain size), composition, doping etc on the electrical characteristics of CCTO ceramics were investigated. Electrical properties were found to be strongly dependent on these parameters. The dielectric constant in CCTO was observed to be reduced considerably on substituting La+3 on Ca+2 site. The formation temperature of CCTO was lowered substantially (when compared to conventional solid-state reaction route) by adopting molten-salt synthesis. The dielectric loss in CCTO was reduced by incorporating glassy phases at the grain boundary. Potential candidates for the practical applications such as charge storage devices, capacitors etc, with dielectric constant as high as 700 at 300 K was accomplished in a three-phase percolative composite fabricated by incorporating Aluminium particle into CCTO-epoxy composite. Polycrystalline CCTO thin films with dielectric constant as high as ~ 5000 (1 kHz and 400 K) were fabricated on Pt(111)/Ti/SiO2/Si substrates using radio frequency magnetron sputtering. Effect of sintering conditions on the microstructural, ferroelectric and varistor properties of CCTO and LCTO ceramics belonging to the high and low dielectric constant members of ACu3M4O12 family of oxides were investigated in detail and are compared. Ferroelectric-like hysteresis loop (P vs E) and weak pyroelectricity were observed in CCTO and plausible mechanisms for this unusual phenomenon have been proposed.