An illumination system comprising a radiation source and a monolithic ceramic luminescence converter comprising a composite material of at least one luminescent compound, and at least one non-luminescent compound, wherein the material of the non-luminescent compound comprises silicon and nitrogen, is advantageously used, when the luminescent compound comprises an rare-earth metal-activated host compound also comprising silicon and nitrogen. Shared chemical characteristics of the luminescent compound and the non-luminescent material improve phase assemblage, thermal and optical behavior. The invention relates also to a composite monolithic ceramic luminescence converter.

A high temperature fastener including a bolt and a nut, where the bolt and the nut are constructed of an aluminum oxide ceramic material reinforced with silicon-carbide crystal whiskers or silicon nitride.

A high temperature fastener including a bolt and a nut, where the bolt and the nut are constructed of an aluminum oxide ceramic material reinforced with silicon-carbide crystal whiskers or silicon nitride.

A silicon nitride substrate including silicon nitride crystal grains and a grain boundary phase and having a thermal conductivity of 50 W/m.Math.K or more, wherein, in a sectional structure of the silicon nitride substrate, a ratio (T2/T1) of a total length T2 of the grain boundary phase in a thickness direction with respect to a thickness T1 of the silicon nitride substrate is 0.01 to 0.30, and a variation from a dielectric strength mean value when measured by a four-terminal method in which electrodes are brought into contact with a front and a rear surfaces of the substrate is 20% or less. The dielectric strength mean value of the silicon nitride substrate can be 15 kV/mm or more. According to above structure, there can be obtained a silicon nitride substrate and a silicon nitride circuit board using the substrate in which variation in the dielectric strength is decreased.

A silicon nitride substrate including silicon nitride crystal grains and a grain boundary phase and having a thermal conductivity of 50 W/m.Math.K or more, wherein, in a sectional structure of the silicon nitride substrate, a ratio (T2/T1) of a total length T2 of the grain boundary phase in a thickness direction with respect to a thickness T1 of the silicon nitride substrate is 0.01 to 0.30, and a variation from a dielectric strength mean value when measured by a four-terminal method in which electrodes are brought into contact with a front and a rear surfaces of the substrate is 20% or less. The dielectric strength mean value of the silicon nitride substrate can be 15 kV/mm or more. According to above structure, there can be obtained a silicon nitride substrate and a silicon nitride circuit board using the substrate in which variation in the dielectric strength is decreased.

A silicon nitride substrate including silicon nitride crystal grains and a grain boundary phase and having a thermal conductivity of 50 W/m.Math.K or more, wherein, in a sectional structure of the silicon nitride substrate, a ratio (T2/T1) of a total length T2 of the grain boundary phase in a thickness direction with respect to a thickness T1 of the silicon nitride substrate is 0.01 to 0.30, and a variation from a dielectric strength mean value when measured by a four-terminal method in which electrodes are brought into contact with a front and a rear surfaces of the substrate is 20% or less. The dielectric strength mean value of the silicon nitride substrate can be 15 kV/rum or more. According to above structure, there can be obtained a silicon nitride substrate and a silicon nitride circuit board using the substrate in which variation in the dielectric strength is decreased.

In order to provide a sintered, hexagonal boron nitride body (2a, 2b), same is produced by at least one pressing process and subsequent sintering process from a powder (P) made of a hexagonal boron nitride, its density being deliberately set to a value of <1.6 g/cm.sup.3. Studies have shown that, due to the selection of this lower density, the boron nitride body (2a, 2b) exhibits very high isotropy, when compared with conventional hexagonal boron nitride bodies. This relates in particular to thermal conductivity and the coefficient of thermal expansion, which are also largely temperature-independent.

In order to provide a sintered, hexagonal boron nitride body (2a, 2b), same is produced by at least one pressing process and subsequent sintering process from a powder (P) made of a hexagonal boron nitride, its density being deliberately set to a value of <1.6 g/cm.sup.3. Studies have shown that, due to the selection of this lower density, the boron nitride body (2a, 2b) exhibits very high isotropy, when compared with conventional hexagonal boron nitride bodies. This relates in particular to thermal conductivity and the coefficient of thermal expansion, which are also largely temperature-independent.

The invention proposed a novel hot pressing flowing sintering method to fabricate textured ceramics. The perfectly 2-dimensional textured Si3N4 ceramics (Lotgering orientation factor fL 0.9975) were fabricated by this method. During the initial sintering stage, the specimen flowed along the plane which is perpendicular to the hot pressing direction under pressure, through the controlling of the graphite die movement. The rod-like -Si3N4 nuclei was easily to texture during the flowing process, due to the small size of the -Si3N4 nuclei and the high porosity of the flowing specimen. After aligned, the -Si3N4 grains grew along the materials flowing direction with little constraint. textured Si3N4 ceramics fabricated by this invention also showed high aspect ratio. Compared to the conventional hot-forging technique which contained the sintering and forging processes, hot pressing flowing sintering proposed is simpler and lower cost to fabricate textured Si3N4.

The invention proposed a novel hot pressing flowing sintering method to fabricate textured ceramics. The perfectly 2-dimensional textured Si3N4 ceramics (Lotgering orientation factor fL 0.9975) were fabricated by this method. During the initial sintering stage, the specimen flowed along the plane which is perpendicular to the hot pressing direction under pressure, through the controlling of the graphite die movement. The rod-like -Si3N4 nuclei was easily to texture during the flowing process, due to the small size of the -Si3N4 nuclei and the high porosity of the flowing specimen. After aligned, the -Si3N4 grains grew along the materials flowing direction with little constraint. textured Si3N4 ceramics fabricated by this invention also showed high aspect ratio. Compared to the conventional hot-forging technique which contained the sintering and forging processes, hot pressing flowing sintering proposed is simpler and lower cost to fabricate textured Si3N4.