A transaction card includes a card body that may comprise a card body comprising a ceramic material, the card body including a primary surface and a first mating surface. A card backer comprises a metallic material and includes a secondary surface and a second mating surface. A portion of the first mating surface and a portion of the second mating surface are coupled together.

A method for producing a joined solid, the method comprising placing a metal powder on a solid; covering at least a portion of the periphery of the metal powder with a high-melting-point material having a melting point higher than the melting point of the metal powder; and irradiating the metal powder, at least a portion of the periphery of which is covered with the high-melting-point material, with microwaves to heat the metal powder, thereby sintering or melt-solidifying the metal powder to form a metal solid on the solid.

A method of manufacturing a susceptor includes preparing an electrostatic chuck (ESC) and a base plate, each including a gas channel, preparing a bush-filter assembly disposed between the gas channel in the ESC and the gas channel in the base plate, and coupling the ESC to the base plate in such a manner that a portion of the bush-filter assembly is accommodated in a first accommodation part formed in a surface of the ESC and that a remaining portion of the bush-filter assembly is at least partially accommodated in a second accommodation part formed in a surface of the base plate.

A ceramic-metal structure in which a metallic body (2) is inserted into or disposed above a through hole (4h) of a ceramic substrate (4) and which includes an annular pad layer (6) disposed around the through hole; an annular ring member (8) joined to the pad layer via a first brazing filler portion (10) and having a coefficient of thermal expansion smaller than that of the metallic body; a second brazing filler portion (12) intervening between the ring member and metallic body; and brazing filler flow prevention layers (7a, 7b) covering an outer surface of the pad layer so as to expose a central region (6c) of the outer surface of the pad layer facing the first brazing filler portion. The first brazing filler portion joins the central region and the ring member without projecting to a radially inner or outer side of the flow prevention layers.

An apparatus for a lead-free piezoelectric ink-jet printhead is disclosed. Piezoelectric printheads, while more expensive are favored because they use a wider variety of inks. The piezoelectric printhead includes a diaphragm, a plurality of piezoelectric actuators comprising a lead-free piezoelectric material, at least one nozzle, at least one ink chamber, a top electrode, and a drive circuit. The deflection of the diaphragm on the body chamber contributes to a pressure pulse that is used to eject a drop of liquid from the nozzle. According to an exemplary embodiment, a lead-free piezoelectric printhead operated at smaller thicknesses and significantly higher electric fields is disclosed, along with methods of making such printheads.

A transaction card includes a card body that may comprise a card body comprising a ceramic material, the card body including a primary surface and a first mating surface. A card backer comprises a metallic material and includes a secondary surface and a second mating surface. A portion of the first mating surface and a portion of the second mating surface are coupled together.

The present invention relates to a heat-permeable tube which has a double-walled construction. The material of the interior wall contains fiber composite ceramic. The material of the exterior wall contains metal. The present invention further relates to the use of this tube in a rotary tube furnace and the use of the rotary tube furnace for thermal treatment of materials. Furthermore, the invention relates to the use of a single-walled tube containing fiber composite ceramic as rotary tube.

Vitreous or at least partly crystallized sealing material is provided. The sealing material is from the system SiO.sub.2B.sub.2O.sub.3CaOMgO, which is free from BaO and/or SrO and which has an improved coefficient of thermal expansion and improved crystallization properties. The sealing material is employed to produce joint connections, electrical feedthroughs, and/or as a barrier layer.

A joined body 10 includes a ceramic body 12, a metal member 14, and a joint portion 15 that joins the ceramic body 12 and the metal member 14 together. The joint portion 15 includes a first joint layer 16 joined to the ceramic body 12 and a second joint layer 18 joined to the metal member 14. The first joint layer 16 is disposed on the ceramic body 12 side and contains an alloy that contains Fe and Cr as main components, and a compound having a thermal expansion coefficient of 4.010.sup.6 (/ C.) or lower is dispersed in the first joint layer 16. The second joint layer 18 is disposed on the metal member 14 side, contains an alloy that contains Fe and Cr as main components, and has a larger thermal expansion coefficient than the first joint layer 16.

A method of brazing a sintered zirconia ceramic body, comprises: providing a sintered zirconia ceramic body having a surface; chemically reducing the sintered zirconia ceramic body in whole or in part to form a reduced surface to the sintered zirconia ceramic body; applying a brazing material to at least part of the reduced surface to form an assembly comprising said brazing material and sintered zirconia ceramic body; heating said assembly to a temperature sufficient to at least partially melt the brazing material such that the brazing material wets the reduced surface; and cooling the assembly to solidify the brazing material.