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.

The ceramic structure 10 includes a discoid ceramic base 12 and an electrode 14 buried in the ceramic base 12. The ceramic base 12 is a sintered body composed principally of alumina or a rare-earth metal oxide and has a thermal expansion coefficient of 7.5 to 9.5 ppm/K over the range of 40° C. to 1200° C. The electrode 14 is composed principally of metal ruthenium. The electrode 14 may be formed in the shape of a sheet. Alternatively, the electrode 14 may be patterned in the manner of a one-stroke sketch so as to extend over the entire cross section of the ceramic base 12.

A method for fabricating a porous ceramic heating body, and a method of fabricating a heating body. The method for fabricating includes, in sequence, mixing, ball-milling, defoaming, molding, and drying, pore-forming agent discharging, sintering, and electrode leading. The whole method is simple, and by using a box furnace to sinter the green body under an oxidizing atmosphere and normal pressure, the fabricated ceramic heating body is heated uniformly and the heating efficiency is high.

A method for the joining of ceramic pieces with a hermetically sealed joint comprising brazing a layer of joining material between the two pieces. The ceramic pieces may be aluminum nitride or other ceramics, and the pieces may be brazed with a high purity silicon or a silicon alloy under controlled atmosphere. The joint material is adapted to later withstand both the environments within a process chamber during substrate processing, and the oxygenated atmosphere which may be seen within the interior of a heater or electrostatic chuck.

In some examples, a method may include depositing, from a slurry comprising particles including silicon metal, a bond coat precursor layer including the particles comprising silicon metal directly on a ceramic matrix composite substrate. The method also may include locally heating the bond coat precursor layer to form a bond coat comprising silicon metal. Additionally, the method may include forming a protective coating on the bond coat. In some examples, an article may include a ceramic matrix composite substrate, a bond coat directly on the substrate, and a protective coating on the bond coat. The bond coat may include silicon metal and a metal comprising at least one of Zr, Y, Yb, Hf, Ti, Al, Cr, Mo, Nb, Ta, or a rare earth metal.

An assembly includes a first member, a second member adjacent to the first member, and an aluminum material. At least one of the first member and the second member defines at least one trench. The aluminum material is disposed within the trench and bonds the first member to the second member along adjacent faces. A spacing between the first member and the second member along the adjacent faces is less than 5 m and a surface roughness of the adjacent faces of the first and second ceramic members is between 5 mm and 100 nanometers.

A braze alloy for joining or repairing ceramic matrix composite (CMC) components comprises a braze composition including silicon at a concentration from about 48 at. % to about 66 at. %, titanium at a concentration from about 1 at. % to about 35 at. %, and an additional element selected from aluminum, cobalt, vanadium, nickel, and chromium. The braze composition comprises a melting temperature of less than 1300 C.

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.

An assembly includes a first member, a second member adjacent to the first member, and an aluminum material. At least one of the first member and the second member defines at least one trench. The aluminum material is disposed within the trench and bonds the first member to the second member along adjacent faces. In one form, a spacing between the first member and the second member along the adjacent faces is less than 5 m.