It is well known that ceramics and metal present very different mechanical, electrical or thermal properties. The combination of these 2 materials in the same device can lead to a multifunctional device. Power electronics substrate requires metallized ceramic supports that fulfill several properties onto an unique device. Consequently, the development of metal-ceramic multi-materials in one step is a challenge for power electronics applications. New design of power electronic assembly can be imagined with a device comprising a mechanically strong linked layer of metal at the surface of a dielectric ceramic as instance. In this work two metal-ceramic component are developed, thanks to a co-sintering by Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS) [1]. A functionally graded (FGM) BaTiO3/Nickel capacitor and an Al2O3/Nickel substrate have been developed. The studied systems present no crack and interesting properties for power electronics applications.
The powder synthesis procedure and the cermet composites preparation are described. The sintering behaviors of the two systems will be detailed. The structure, the microstructure and the density of the materials will be discussed. The presentation will focus on the joining at the metal-ceramic [2] interface with scanning electron microscopy images and the adhesive mechanism will be described with the help of transmission electron microscopy. Finally the difference in the interface quality between the two systems is highlighted.
[1]          M. Tokita, « Progress of Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS) Method, Systems, Ceramics Applications and Industrialization », Ceramics, vol. 4, no 2, Art. no 2, juin 2021, doi: 10.3390/ceramics4020014.
[2]          Y. Zhang, D. Feng, Z. He, et X. Chen, « Progress in Joining Ceramics to Metals », J. Iron Steel Res. Int., vol. 13, no 2, p. 1?5, févr. 2006, doi: 10.1016/S1006-706X(06)60032-0.