Disclosed are electrical contact materials and a method for preparing the same. The electrical contact material includes (i) one or more kinds of metals selected from the group consisting of silver (Ag), copper (Cu) and gold (Au), and an alloy of nickel (Ni); and (ii) carbon nano tubes (CNTs) coated with Ag nanoparticles, Ag plated CNTs, or Ag nanowires, or (i) one or more kinds of metals selected from the group consisting of Ag, Cu, Ni and Au; (ii) a metal oxide that is cadmium oxide, indium oxide, tin oxide, zinc oxide or mixture thereof; and (iii) CNTs coated with Ag nanoparticles, Ag plated CNTs, or Ag nanowires. Accordingly, it is possible to reduce the content of high-priced Ag and to obtain excellent electrical and mechanical properties.

Methods of flash sintering have been developed in which particle are initially coated with thin layers by atomic layer deposition (ALD). Examples are provided in which 8 mol % yttria-stabilized zirconia (8YSZ) particles are coated with small quantities of Al.sub.2O.sub.3 by particle atomic layer deposition (ALD). Sintered materials that result from the process have been characterized. Sintered materials having unique characteristics are also described.

Disclosed is a chamber component of a processing chamber, the chamber component comprising a body and a coating on at least one surface of the body. The coating comprises about 89 mol % to about 93 mol % Y.sub.2O.sub.3 and about 7 mol % to about 11 mol % ZrO.sub.2. The coating has a hardness of about 1-50 GPa.