A method of joining a metal-ceramic substrate having metalization on at least one side to a metal body by using a metal alloy is disclosed. The metal body has a thickness of less than 1.0 mm, and the metal alloy contains aluminum and has a liquidus temperature of greater than 450° C. The resulting metal-ceramic module provides a strong bond between the metal body and the ceramic substrate. The resulting module is useful as a circuit carrier in electronic appliances, with the metal body preferably functioning as a cooling body.

The present invention provides a high thermal conductive silicon nitride sintered body having a thermal conductivity of 50 W/m.Math.K or more and a three-point bending strength of 600 MPa or more, wherein when an arbitrary cross section of the silicon nitride sintered body is subjected to XRD analysis and highest peak intensities detected at diffraction angles of 29.3±0.2°, 29.7±0.2°, 27.0±0.2°, and 36.1±0.2° are expressed as I.sub.29.3°, I.sub.29.7°, I.sub.27.0°, and I.sub.36.1°, a peak ratio (I.sub.29.3°)/(I.sub.27.0°+I.sub.36.1°) satisfies a range of 0.01 to 0.08, and a peak ratio (I.sub.29.7°)/(I.sub.27.0°+I.sub.36.1°) satisfies a range of 0.02 to 0.16. Due to above configuration, there can be provided a silicon nitride sintered body having a high thermal conductivity of 50 W/m.Math.K or more, and excellence in insulating properties and strength.

To improve a TCT characteristic of a circuit substrate. The circuit substrate comprises a ceramic substrate including a first and second surfaces, and first and second metal plates respectively bonded to the first and second surfaces via first and second bonding layers. A three-point bending strength of the ceramic substrate is 500 MPa or more. At least one of L1/H1 of a first protruding portion of the first bonding layer and L2/H2 of a second protruding portion of the second bonding layer is 0.5 or more and 3.0 or less. At least one of an average value of first Vickers hardnesses of 10 places of the first protruding portion and an average value of second Vickers hardnesses of 10 places of the second protruding portion is 250 or less.

A ceramic circuit substrate having high bonding performance and excellent thermal cycling resistance properties, wherein a ceramic substrate and a copper plate are bonded by a braze material containing Ag and Cu, at least one active metal component selected from Ti and Zr, and at least one element selected from among In, Zn, Cd, and Sn, wherein a braze material layer, after bonding, has a continuity ratio of 80% or higher and a Vickers hardness of 60 to 85 Hv.

According to the present invention, there is provided a copper/ceramic bonded body including: a copper member made of copper or a copper alloy; and a ceramic member made of silicon-containing ceramics, the copper member and the ceramic member being bonded to each other, in which a maximum indentation hardness in a region is set to be in a range of 70 mgf/μm.sup.2 or more and 150 mgf/μm.sup.2 or less, the region being from 10 μm to 50 μm with reference to a bonded interface between the copper member and the ceramic member toward the copper member side.

Disclosed is a method for manufacturing a ceramic susceptor, the method including: preparing ceramic sheets; preparing a lamination structure of a molded body, in which the ceramic sheets are laminated and a conductive metal layer for electrodes is disposed between the ceramic sheet laminated products; and sintering the lamination structure of the molded body, wherein the preparing of the ceramic sheets includes: obtaining a vitrified first additive powder by heat-treating a slurry containing MgO, SiO.sub.2, and CaO; preparing a slurry by mixing an Al.sub.2O.sub.3 powder with the first additive powder, a second additive powder containing a MgO powder, and a third additive powder containing a Y.sub.2O.sub.3 powder; and forming the ceramic sheets by tape casting the slurry.

In a ceramic/copper/graphene assembly, a ceramic member, a copper member formed of copper or a copper alloy, and a graphene-containing carbonaceous member containing a graphene aggregate are joined. At a joining interface between the copper member and the graphene-containing carbonaceous member, an active metal carbide layer containing a carbide of one or more kinds of active metals selected from Ti, Zr, Nb, and Hf is formed on a side of the graphene-containing carbonaceous member, and a Mg solid solution layer having Mg dissolved in a matrix phase of Cu is formed between the active metal carbide layer and the copper member.

The invention relates to a method for producing a metal-ceramic substrate and to a furnace suitable for carrying out the method. With the method, a metal-ceramic substrate with increased thermal and current conductivity can be obtained. The method comprises the steps of providing a stack containing a ceramic body, a metal foil, and a solder material in contact with the ceramic body and the metal foil, the solder material comprising a metal having a melting point of at least 700° C., a metal having a melting point of less than 700° C., and an active metal, and heating the stack, the stack passing through a heating zone for heating.

The present invention relates to a method for producing a metal-ceramic substrate. The method has the following steps: providing a stack containing a ceramic body, a metal foil, and a solder material in contact with the ceramic body and the metal foil, wherein the solder material has: a metal having a melting point of at least 700° C., a metal having a melting point of less than 700° C., and an active metal; and heating the stack, wherein at least one of the following conditions is satisfied: the high temperature heating duration is no more than 60 min; the peak temperature heating duration is no more than 30 min; the heating duration is no more than 60 min.

In a silicon nitride substrate including a silicon nitride sintered body including silicon nitride crystal grains and a grain boundary phase, a plate thickness of the silicon nitride substrate is 0.4 mm or les, and a percentage of a number of the silicon nitride crystal grains including dislocation defect portions inside the silicon nitride crystal grains in a 50 μm×50 μm observation region of any cross section or surface of the silicon nitride sintered body is not less than 0% and not more than 20%. Etching resistance can be increased when forming the circuit board.