A metal particle for joint material includes an intermetallic compound crystal that contains Sn, Cu, Ni and Ge, in a basal phase that contains Sn and an Sn—Cu alloy, the metal particle having a chemical composition represented by 0.7 to 15% by mass of Cu, 0.1 to 5% by mass of Ni, 0.001 to 0.1% by mass of Ge and the balance of Sn, the basal phase having a chemical composition represented by 95 to 99.9% by mass of Sn, 5% by mass or less of Cu and 0.1% by mass or less of an inevitable impurity, the intermetallic compound crystal residing in the basal phase so as to be included therein, the metal particle having a particle size of 1 μm to 50 μm, the metal particle containing an orthorhombic crystal structure, and at least parts of the basal phase and the intermetallic compound crystal forming an endotaxial joint.

A metal particle for joint material includes an intermetallic compound crystal that contains Sn, Cu, Ni and Ge, in a basal phase that contains Sn and an Sn—Cu alloy, the metal particle having a chemical composition represented by 0.7 to 15% by mass of Cu, 0.1 to 5% by mass of Ni, 0.001 to 0.1% by mass of Ge and the balance of Sn, the basal phase having a chemical composition represented by 95 to 99.9% by mass of Sn, 5% by mass or less of Cu and 0.1% by mass or less of an inevitable impurity, the intermetallic compound crystal residing in the basal phase so as to be included therein, the metal particle having a particle size of 1 μm to 50 μm, the metal particle containing an orthorhombic crystal structure, and at least parts of the basal phase and the intermetallic compound crystal forming an endotaxial joint.

A solder material may include nickel and tin. The nickel may include first and second amounts of particles. A sum of the particle amounts is a total amount of nickel or less. The first amount is between 5 at % and 60 at % of the total amount of nickel. The second amount is between 10 at % and 95 at % of the total amount of nickel. The particles of the first amount have a first size distribution, the particles of the second amount have a second size distribution, 30% to 70% of the first amount have a particle size in a range of about 5 μm around a particle size the highest number of particles have according to the first size distribution, and 30% to 70% of the second amount have a particle size in a range of about 5 μm around a particle size the highest number of particles have according to the second size distribution.

Particles that can suppress the occurrence of cracking or peeling during a thermal cycle in a connection part that connects two members to be connected are provided. The particles according to the present invention are particles used to obtain a connecting material for forming a connection part that connects two members to be connected, and the particles are used for forming the connection part such that thickness of the connection part after connection exceeds twice the average particle diameter of the particles before connection, or the particles have an average particle diameter of 0.1 μm or more and 15 μm or less, the particles have a 10% K value of 30 N/mm.sup.2 or more and 3000 N/mm.sup.2 or less, and the particles have a particle diameter CV value of 50% or less.

The present application relates to a method for preparing a target material, the method including: spraying a transition layer on the surface of a substrate in an atmospheric atmosphere to obtain a substrate containing the transition layer; spraying a target material layer on the surface of the substrate containing the transition layer in an atmospheric atmosphere. The present application also discloses a method for preparing a tubular target material and a target material.

The present application relates to a method for preparing a target material, the method including: spraying a transition layer on the surface of a substrate in an atmospheric atmosphere to obtain a substrate containing the transition layer; spraying a target material layer on the surface of the substrate containing the transition layer in an atmospheric atmosphere. The present application also discloses a method for preparing a tubular target material and a target material.

Method for manufacturing a spark plug for a combustion engine, wherein the spark plug has at least two components which are joined by at least one welded joint which has been manufactured in a welding process, wherein for improving selected material properties of the welded joint a laser beam is directed to the welded joint and in that a powder which improves the selected material properties is introduced into the welded joint which is melted on its surface by the laser beam such that the powder melts and due to a connection of the melted powder with the melted aggregate structure of the surface of the welded joint a treated area with improved material properties results.

Method for manufacturing a spark plug for a combustion engine, wherein the spark plug has at least two components which are joined by at least one welded joint which has been manufactured in a welding process, wherein for improving selected material properties of the welded joint a laser beam is directed to the welded joint and in that a powder which improves the selected material properties is introduced into the welded joint which is melted on its surface by the laser beam such that the powder melts and due to a connection of the melted powder with the melted aggregate structure of the surface of the welded joint a treated area with improved material properties results.

A metal sintered bonding body bonds a substrate and a die. In the metal sintered bonding body, at least a center part and corner part of a rectangular region where the metal sintered bonding body faces the die have a low-porosity region whose porosity is lower than an average porosity of the rectangular region. The low-porosity region is located within a strip-shaped region whose central lines are diagonal lines of the rectangular region.

An object to be achieved by the present invention is to provide a bonding element in which copper fine particles are used as a bonding element of a semiconductor device component and a crack, peeling, or the like is not caused in a semiconductor device during an operation under a high-temperature condition of 200° C. or higher. The object is achieved by providing a copper fine particle sintered body for bonding a semiconductor device component, in which when a Vickers hardness of the copper fine particle sintered body at 150° C. is set as Hvb and a Vickers hardness of the same copper fine particle sintered body at 25° C. is set as Hva, a value of (Hvb/Hva)×100 (%) is 5% or more and 20% or less.