Disclosed herein are power electronic modules formed by directly bonding a heat sink to a dielectric substrate using transition liquid phase bonding.

This copper/ceramic bonded body includes: a copper member made of copper or a copper alloy; and a ceramic member made of aluminum-containing ceramics, the copper member and the ceramic member are bonded to each other, in which, at a bonded interface between the copper member and the ceramic member, an active metal compound layer containing an active metal compound that is a compound of one or more active metals selected from Ti, Zr, Nb, and Hf is formed on a ceramic member side, and in the active metal compound layer Al and Cu are present at a grain boundary of the active metal compound.

A method for manufacturing a metal-ceramic substrate (1) includes providing a ceramic layer (10), a metal layer (20) and a solder layer (30) coating the ceramic layer (10) and/or the metal layer (20) and/or the solder layer (30) with an active metal layer (40), arranging the solder layer (30) between the ceramic layer (10) and the metal layer (20) along a stacking direction (S), forming a solder system (35) comprising the solder layer and the active metal layer (40), wherein a solder material of the solder layer (30) is free of a melting point lowering material and bonding the metal layer (20) to the ceramic layer (10) via the solder system (35) by means of an active solder process.

An AlN joined body includes a first AlN member and a second AlN member that are joined together. The content of yttria in the first AlN member is equal to or below the detection limit. The second AlN member contains yttria.

A copper-ceramic composite: includes a ceramic substrate containing alumina and a copper or copper alloy coating on the ceramic substrate. The alumina has a mean grain shape factor R.sub.a(Al.sub.2O.sub.3), defined as the arithmetic mean of the shape factors R of the alumina grains, of at least 0.4.

There is provided a group III nitride laminate, including: a substrate comprised of silicon carbide; a first layer comprised of aluminum nitride and formed on the substrate; a second layer comprised of gallium nitride and formed on the first layer; and a third layer formed on the second layer and comprised of group III nitride having an electron affinity lower than that of the gallium nitride which is comprised in the second layer, the second layer having a thickness of less than 500 nm, the second layer containing iron at a concentration of less than 1×10.sup.17/cm.sup.3, and the second layer containing carbon at a concentration of less than 1×10.sup.17/cm.sup.3.

A ceramic composite can include a first ceramic phase and a second ceramic phase. The first ceramic phase can include a silicon carbide. The second phase can include a boron carbide. In an embodiment, the silicon carbide in the first ceramic phase can have a grain size in a range of 0.8 to 200 microns. The first phase, the second phase, or both can further include a carbon. In another embodiment, at least one of the first ceramic phase and the second ceramic phase can have a median minimum width of at least 5 microns.

A copper/ceramic bonded body includes: a copper member (12) made of copper or a copper alloy; and a ceramic member (11) made of nitrogen-containing ceramics, the copper member (12) and the ceramic member (11) being bonded to each other, in which a Mg solid solution layer in which Mg is solid-soluted in a Cu matrix is formed at a bonding interface between the copper member (12) and the ceramic member (11), an active metal nitride layer (41) containing a nitride of one or more active metals selected from Ti, Zr, Nb, and Hf is formed on a ceramic member (11) side, and a thickness of the active metal nitride layer (41) is set to be in a range of 0.05 μm or more and 1.2 μm or less.

A method for producing a metal-ceramic substrate with a plurality of electrically conductive vias includes: attaching a first metal layer in a planar manner to a first surface side of a ceramic layer; after attaching the first metal layer, introducing a copper hydroxide or copper acetate brine into a plurality of holes in the ceramic layer delimiting a via, to form an assembly; converting the copper hydroxide or copper acetate brine into copper oxide; subjecting the assembly to a high-temperature step above 500° C. in which the copper oxide forms a copper body in the plurality of holes; and after converting the copper hydroxide or copper acetate brine into the copper oxide, attaching a second metal layer in a planar manner to a second surface side of the ceramic layer opposite the first surface side. The copper body produces an electrically conductive connection between the first and the second metal layers.

A solder material (30) for bonding a metal layer (20) to a ceramic layer (10), in particular for forming a metal-ceramic substrate as a carrier for electrical components, comprising: a base material and an active metal, wherein the solder material (30) is a foil comprising the base material in a first layer (31) and the active metal in a second layer (32), and wherein the foil has a total thickness (GD) which is less than 50 μm, preferably less than 25 μm and particularly preferably less than 15 μm.