Provided herein are energy storage devices. In some cases, the energy storage devices are capable of being transported on a vehicle and storing a large amount of energy. An energy storage device is provided comprising at least one liquid metal electrode, an energy storage capacity of at least about 1 MWh and a response time less than or equal to about 100 milliseconds (ms).

A method for the joining of ceramic pieces includes applying a layer of titanium on a first ceramic piece and applying a layer of titanium on a second ceramic piece; applying a layer of nickel on each of the layers of titanium on the first ceramic piece and the second ceramic piece; applying a layer of nickel phosphorous to each of the layers of nickel on the first ceramic piece and the second ceramic piece; assembling the first ceramic piece and the second ceramic piece with the layers of titanium, nickel, and nickel phosphorous therebetween; pressing the layer of nickel phosphorous of the first ceramic piece against the layer of nickel phosphorous of the second ceramic piece; heating the first ceramic piece and the second ceramic piece to a joining temperature in a vacuum; and cooling the first ceramic piece and the second ceramic piece. A hermetic seal is formed between the first ceramic piece and the second ceramic piece.

A metal-ceramic substrate (1) comprising an insulating layer (11) comprising a ceramic and having a first thickness (D1), and a metallization layer (12) bonded to the insulation layer (11) and having a second thickness (D2),
wherein the first thickness (D1) is less than 250 μm and the second thickness (D2) is greater than 200 μm and wherein the first thickness (D1) and the second thickness (D2) are dimensioned such that a ratio of an amount of the difference between a thermal expansion coefficient of the metallization layer (12) and a thermal expansion coefficient of the metal-ceramic substrate (1) to a thermal expansion coefficient of the metal-ceramic substrate (1)
has a value less than 0.25, preferably less than 0.2 and more preferably less than 0.15 or even less than 0.1.

An electrostatic chuck includes a ceramic top plate layer made of a beryllium oxide material, a ceramic bottom plate layer made of a beryllium oxide material, a ceramic middle plate layer disposed between the ceramic top plate layer and the ceramic bottom plate layer, an electrode layer disposed between the ceramic top plate layer and the ceramic middle plate layer, and a heater layer disposed between the ceramic middle plate layer and the ceramic bottom plate layer. The electrode layer joins and hermetically seals the ceramic top plate layer to the ceramic middle plate layer, and the heater layer joins and hermetically seals the ceramic middle plate layer to the ceramic bottom plate layer.

The disclosure provides seals for devices that operate at elevated temperatures and have reactive metal vapors, such as lithium, sodium or magnesium. In some examples, such devices include energy storage devices that may be used within an electrical power grid or as part of a standalone system. The energy storage devices may be charged from an electricity production source for later discharge, such as when there is a demand for electrical energy consumption.

A bonded body of the present invention includes a ceramic member formed of ceramics and a Cu member formed of Cu or a Cu alloy. In a bonding layer formed between the ceramic member and the Cu member, an area ratio of a Cu.sub.3P phase in a region extending by up to 50 μm toward the Cu member side from a bonding surface of the ceramic member is equal to or lower than 15%.

A DBC substrate for power semiconductor devices includes a ceramic workpiece of a non-oxide ceramic having first and second opposing main sides, the ceramic workpiece having a thickness of 10 μm or more measured between the first and second main sides, a copper-containing layer disposed over the first main side, the copper-containing layer having a thickness of 5 μm or more, and an intermediate layer comprising Al.sub.2O.sub.3 disposed between the ceramic workpiece and the copper-containing layer.

A bonded body of the present invention includes a ceramic member formed of ceramics and a Cu member formed of Cu or a Cu alloy. In a bonding layer formed between the ceramic member and the Cu member, an area ratio of a Cu.sub.3P phase in a region extending by up to 50 μm toward the Cu member side from a bonding surface of the ceramic member is equal to or lower than 15%.

A joined material and a method of manufacturing the joined material are provided which enable a metal layer and a carbon material layer to be easily joined to each other while making the thickness of the metal layer larger and which can inhibit failure. A joined material includes a CFC layer (3) and a tungsten layer (4) that are joined to each other. A sintered tungsten carbide layer (5), a mixed layer (6) of SiC and WC, and SiC and WC (7) that have been sintered while intruding into the CFC layer (3), are formed between the CFC layer (3) and the tungsten layer (4), and these layers (3, 4, 5, 6, and 7) are joined to each other by sintering.

The disclosure provides seals for devices that operate at elevated temperatures and have reactive metal vapors, such as lithium, sodium or magnesium. In some examples, such devices include energy storage devices that may be used within an electrical power grid or as part of a standalone system. The energy storage devices may be charged from an electricity production source for later discharge, such as when there is a demand for electrical energy consumption.