A composite ceramic powder of the present invention includes: a LAS-based ceramic powder having precipitated therein -eucryptite or a -quartz solid solution as a main crystal; and TiO.sub.2 powder and/or ZrO.sub.2 powder.

The present application relates to a magnesium oxide based dielectric ceramics with ultrahigh dielectric breakdown strength and a preparation method thereof. The composition of the magnesium oxide based dielectric ceramic material comprises: (1x)MgO-xAl.sub.2O.sub.3, wherein 0<x0.12 and x is a mole percentage. The material has a specific composite structure with magnesium aluminate spinel acting as a second phase surrounding a principal crystalline phase, MgO.

Systems and methods for configuring anisotropic expansion of silicon-dominant anodes using particle size may include a cathode, an electrolyte, and an anode, where the anode may include a current collector and an active material on the current collector. An expansion of the anode during operation may be configured by utilizing a predetermined particle size distribution of silicon particles in the active material. The expansion of the anode may be greater for smaller particle size distributions, which may range from 1 to 10 m. The expansion of the anode may be smaller for a rougher surface active material, which may be configured by utilizing larger particle size distributions that may range from 5 to 25 m. The expansion may be configured to be more anisotropic using more rigid materials for the current collector, where a more rigid current collector may comprise nickel and a less rigid current collector may comprise copper.

Silicon particles for active materials and electro-chemical cells are provided. The active materials comprising silicon particles described herein can be utilized as an electrode material for a battery. In certain embodiments, the composite material includes greater than 0% and less than about 90% by weight of silicon particles. The silicon particles have an average particle size between about 0.1 m and about 30 m and a surface including nanometer-sized features. The composite material also includes greater than 0% and less than about 90% by weight of one or more types of carbon phases. At least one of the one or more types of carbon phases is a substantially continuous phase.

One embodiment of the present invention discloses an electrostatic chuck made of an aluminum nitride sintered body, wherein the aluminum nitride sintered body comprises aluminum nitride and a composite oxide formed along the grain boundaries of the aluminum nitride, wherein the composite oxide comprises at least two kinds of rare earth metals which have a solid-solution relationship with each other, and wherein the composite oxide comprises a collection area having a higher oxygen content than a surrounding area.

A composite sintered body, wherein the composite sintered body consists of ceramic composite sintered body, the ceramic composite sintered body comprises aluminum oxide as a main phase, and silicon carbide as a sub-phase, in which the composite sintered body has mullite in crystal grains of the aluminum oxide.

An aluminum nitride-based sintered compact includes: aluminum nitride crystal particles containing Mg; composite oxide containing a rare earth element and Al, the composite oxide having a garnet crystal structure; and composite oxynitride containing Mg and Al. Particles of the composite oxide and particles of the composite oxynitride are interspersed between the aluminum nitride crystal particles. The composite oxide may include Y. A content of Mg in the aluminum nitride crystal particles may fall in a range of 0.1 mol % or more and 1.0 mol % or less, based on a total of all metal elements contained in the aluminum nitride crystal particles taken as 100 mol %. A semiconductor holding device includes the aluminum nitride-based sintered compact; and an electrostatic adsorptive electrode.

Disclosed are ceramic powder compositions that include Si, N, O, C, Mg, and/or Mn in tailored combinations of different crystalline phases for producing high temperature resistant and high strength ceramic products. In some aspects, a ceramic powder for producing high temperature-resistant and/or high mechanical strength materials comprises a silicon nitride (Si.sub.3N.sub.4) powder, comprising Si.sub.3N.sub.4 particles having a size within a range of 30 nm to 700 nm, wherein the Si.sub.3N.sub.4 powder include alpha and beta phase silicon nitride in an amount up to about 1-100% vol; and an impurity constituent intermixed with the Si.sub.3N.sub.4 powder within the ceramic powder, the impurity constituent comprising at least one of silicon (Si), nitrogen (N), oxygen (O), carbon (C), magnesium (Mg), or manganese (Mn), wherein the impurity constituent constitutes less than about 0.1% wt to 15% wt of the ceramic powder.

A refractory article includes a body having a first portion defining at least a portion of a first exterior surface of the body, the first portion including a carbide, and further including a second portion defining at least a portion of a second exterior surface of the body opposite the first exterior surface, the second portion including an oxide, and a thermal conductivity difference (TC) of at least 10 W/mK between the first exterior surface and the second exterior surface, and an average Shell Temperature of not greater than 400 C.

Silicon particles for active materials and electro-chemical cells are provided. The active materials comprising silicon particles described herein can be utilized as an electrode material for a battery. In certain embodiments, the composite material includes greater than 0% and less than about 90% by weight of silicon particles. The silicon particles have an average particle size between about 0.1 m and about 30 m and a surface including nanometer-sized features. The composite material also includes greater than 0% and less than about 90% by weight of one or more types of carbon phases. At least one of the one or more types of carbon phases is a substantially continuous phase.