Methods of forming ceramic matrix composite structures include joining at least two lamina together to form a flexible ceramic matrix composite structure. Ceramic matrix composite structures include at least one region of reduced inter-laminar bonding at a selected location between lamina thereof. Thermal protection systems include at least one seal comprising a ceramic matrix composite material and have at least one region of reduced inter-laminar bonding at a selected location between lamina used to form the seal. Methods of forming thermal protection systems include providing one or more such seals between adjacent panels of a thermal protection system.

A method for producing an acoustic attenuation panel from a composite material with a ceramic oxide matrix is provided that includes draping a plurality of plies having fibrous reinforcements including fibers of ceramic material in a mold to define a first skin, depositing blocks made of fugitive material on the first skin such that a space between two blocks is defined, and draping a second plurality of plies on a surface formed by the blocks such that a second skin is defined. Rounded corners of the blocks define radii for connecting the first and second skins with walls of a honeycomb core of the acoustic panel. The method further includes using a liquid medium to infiltrate the skins and spaces with a precursor of a ceramic phase, removing the liquid medium by evaporation or polymerization, and sintering to consolidate the ceramic oxide material and removal the fugitive material.

A method of bonding includes applying a glass composition to at least a first material surface. The glass composition includes a glass powder and a solvent. The first material surface is disposed onto a second material surface. An elevated temperature is applied to the first material surface and the second material surface to form a bond between the first material surface and the second material surface. The first material surface and the second material surface are compressed under an isostatic pressure.

A crucible includes an outer element and an inner element. The outer element includes a first portion that is horizontal at a bottom end of the crucible and a second portion that ascends radially outwardly from the bottom end of the crucible to a top end of the crucible at a first acute angle to a vertical axis. The inner element includes a conus with a cylinder at a base of the conus. The conus descends radially outwardly from the top end of the crucible to the bottom end of the crucible at a second acute angle to the vertical axis. The inner element includes a base portion of the cylinder attached to the first portion of the outer element using a sealant to form a hollow mold between an inner portion of the outer element and an outer portion of the inner element.

A shower plate according to the present disclosure includes a ceramic sintered body, the ceramic sintered body comprising a first surface, a second surface facing the first surface, and a through hole positioned between the first surface and the second surface. An inner surface of the through hole includes a protruding crystal grain which protrudes more than an exposed part of a grain boundary phase existing between crystal grains. In addition, a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to the present disclosure includes the shower plate mentioned above.

A thermally-actuatable gas valve assembly comprising a ceramic heater is shown and described. The gas valve assembly comprises a housing with a gas inlet and a gas outlet. A bimetal thermal actuator has a valve plug that removably seals the gas outlet from the interior of the housing. The ceramic heater is energizable to cause the thermal actuator to deflect which unseats the valve plug from the gas outlet, thereby placing the gas outlet in fluid communication with the gas inlet and the interior of the housing. A gas heating system is also shown and described in which the gas valve assembly selectively supplies cooking gas to a silicon nitride ceramic igniter. The igniter and the heater are in series such that when a source of alternating current is applied across the igniter and the heater, the igniter reaches the autoignition temperature of the combustion gas before the valve assembly opens

A multilayer ceramic capacitor includes a ceramic body including a dielectric layer, a first surface and a second surface opposing each other, a third surface and a fourth surface connecting the first surface and the second surface, respectively; internal electrodes disposed inside the ceramic body and exposed to the first and second surfaces, and having one ends exposed to the third surface or the fourth surface; a first side margin portion and a second side margin portion disposed on sides of the internal electrodes exposed to the first and second surfaces; and adhesive layers disposed between the first surface of the ceramic body and the first side margin portion and between the first surface of the ceramic body and the second side margin portion, respectively. An average thickness of each of the first and second side margin portions is 2 m or more and 10 m or less.

A zirconia sintered body that includes a transparent zirconia portion and an opaque zirconia portion has a biaxial bending strength of 300 MPa or more. In addition, the opaque zirconia portion is configured by an opaque zirconia sintered body that is any one of a dark-colored zirconia sintered body, a medium-light-colored zirconia sintered body, and a light-colored zirconia sintered body.

A holding device including a ceramic member formed of a sintered ceramic material containing aluminum nitride as a main component, a heating resistor element formed of a metal and disposed in the ceramic member, an electrically conductive electricity supply connection member in contact with the heating resistor element, and an electrically conductive electricity supply terminal electrically connected to the electricity supply connection member. The holding device holds an object on the surface of the ceramic member. In the holding device, at least a portion of the surface of the electricity supply connection member, excluding its contact surface for contact with the heating resistor element and its connection surface for connection with the electricity supply terminal, is covered with a coat layer formed of a nitride containing at least one of Al, Ti, Zr, V, Ta, and Nb. Also disclosed is a method of manufacturing the holding device.

A method to produce a protective surface layer having a predetermined topography on a ceramic matrix composite is described. The method includes applying a slurry layer to a surface of a fiber preform, and drying the slurry layer to form a particulate layer. A surface of the particulate layer is machined to improve surface smoothness and to form a machined surface. A ceramic tape is attached to the machined surface, and a tool comprising one or more features to be imprinted is placed on the ceramic tape, thereby forming a compression assembly. Heat and pressure are applied to the compression assembly to consolidate and bond the ceramic tape to the machined surface, while the one or more features of the tool are imprinted. Thus, a protective surface layer having a predetermined topography is formed.