A polycrystalline diamond structure comprises a first region and a second region adjacent the first region, the second region being bonded to the first region by intergrowth of diamond grains. The first region comprises a plurality of alternating strata or layers, each or one or more strata or layers in the first region having a thickness in the range of around 5 to 300 microns. The polycrystalline diamond (PCD) structure has a diamond content of at most about 95 percent of the volume of the PCD material, a binder content of at least about 5 percent of the volume of the PCD material, and one or more of the layers or strata in the first region comprise and/or the second region comprises diamond grains having a mean diamond grain contiguity of greater than about 60 percent and a standard deviation of less than about 2.2 percent. There is also disclosed a method of making such a polycrystalline diamond structure.

A toughened ceramic component having a residual compressive stress and methods of forming the toughened ceramic component is disclosed. The ceramic component may include an internal portion having a first coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) and an external portion substantially surrounding the internal portion and forming an exterior surface of the ceramic component. The external portion may have a second CTE that is less than the first CTE. Additionally, the external portion may be in compressive stress.

A composition includes granules in which zirconia particles are aggregated. The granules have an average circularity of 0.81 or greater based on a projected image. Additionally, a layered body includes a first layer and a second layer that comprise granules and are adjacent to each other. The granules in the first layer have an average circularity of 0.70 or smaller based on a projected image. The granules in the second layer have an average circularity of 0.92 or greater based on a projected image.

A thermal conductive member includes: first and second surface layers including an insulating material A, and an intermediate layer including an insulating material B. The insulating material A includes a first boron nitride sintered body having an orientation degree of hexagonal boron nitride primary particles of 0.6 to 1.4, and a first heat curable resin composition impregnating in the first boron nitride sintered body. The insulating material B includes a second boron nitride sintered body having an orientation degree of hexagonal boron nitride primary particles of 0.01 to 0.05, and a second heat curable resin composition impregnating in the second boron nitride sintered body.

In a multilayer ceramic capacitor, an intersection of an interface is defined by a second dielectric ceramic layer, a first internal electrode layer or a second internal electrode layer, and a third dielectric ceramic layer, on a plane including a length direction and a width direction, the second dielectric ceramic layer and the third dielectric ceramic layer include a near intersection region at or near the intersection, and an average particle size of dielectric particles in the near intersection region is smaller than average particle sizes of dielectric particles in the first dielectric ceramic layer, the second dielectric ceramic layer, and the third dielectric ceramic layer.

The present invention relates to a copper ceramic substrate incorporating a ceramic carrier, and a copper layer joined to a surface of the ceramic carrier, wherein the copper layer incorporates at least one first layer, which faces the ceramic carrier and has an average first grain size, and a second layer, which is arranged on the face of the copper layer facing away from the ceramic carrier and has an average second grain size, the second grain size being smaller than the first grain size.

A multilayer ceramic capacitor includes: a multilayer structure in which each of a plurality of dielectric layers and each of a plurality of internal electrode layers are alternately stacked. A ceramic protection section includes a cover layer and a side margin. A main component ceramic of the ceramic protection section is a ceramic material having a perovskite structure expressed as a general formula ABO.sub.3. An A site of the perovskite structure includes at least Ba. A B site of the perovskite structure includes at least Ti and Zr. A Zr/Ti ratio which is a molar ratio of Zr and Ti is 0.010 or more and 0.25 or less. An A/B ratio which is a molar ratio of the A site and the B site is 0.990 or less.

An article that includes a substrate; a first layer including yttria and zirconia or hafnia, where the first layer has a columnar microstructure and includes predominately the zirconia or hafnia; a second layer on the first layer, the second layer including zirconia or hafnia, ytterbia, samaria, and at least one of lutetia, scandia, ceria, neodymia, europia, and gadolinia, where the second layer includes predominately zirconia or hafnia, and where the second layer has a columnar microstructure; and a third layer on the second layer, the third layer including zirconia or hafnia, ytterbia, samaria, and a rare earth oxide including at least one of lutetia, scandia, ceria, neodymia, europia, and gadolinia, where the third layer has a dense microstructure and has a lower porosity than the second layer.

A ceramic electronic device includes: a multilayer structure; and a cover layer, wherein a concentration of Mn of the cover layer with respect to a main component ceramic is larger than a concentration of Mn of the dielectric layers with respect to a main component ceramic in a capacity section, wherein an average crystal grain diameter of a first dielectric layer is smaller than that of a second dielectric layer, and a concentration of Mn of the first dielectric layer with respect to the main component ceramic is larger than a concentration of Mn of the second dielectric layer with respect to the main component ceramic, in the capacity section.

An article that includes a substrate; a first layer including yttria and zirconia or hafnia, where the first layer has a columnar microstructure and includes predominately the zirconia or hafnia; a second layer on the first layer, the second layer including zirconia or hafnia, ytterbia, samaria, and at least one of lutetia, scandia, ceria, neodymia, europia, and gadolinia, where the second layer includes predominately zirconia or hafnia, and where the second layer has a columnar microstructure; and a third layer on the second layer, the third layer including zirconia or hafnia, ytterbia, samaria, and a rare earth oxide including at least one of lutetia, scandia, ceria, neodymia, europia, and gadolinia, where the third layer has a dense microstructure and has a lower porosity than the second layer.