Ceramic member, probe holder, and manufacturing method of ceramic member

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9238593-B2
Application number	US-201113809290-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 13, 2011
Priority date	Jul 14, 2010
Publication date	Jan 19, 2016
Grant date	Jan 19, 2016

Abstract

There is provided a ceramic member which is a sintered body containing enstatite and boron nitride as constituents, in which boron nitride is oriented in a single direction, a probe holder formed using the ceramic member, and a manufacturing method of the ceramic member. In the ceramic member, an index of orientation degree is not less than 0.8. In so doing, it is possible to provide a ceramic member which has a free machining property, a coefficient of thermal expansion which is close to that of silicon, and high strength, and a probe holder which is formed using the ceramic member, and a manufacturing method of the ceramic member.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A ceramic member comprising enstatite and boron nitride as constituents,
wherein the ceramic member is a sintered body in which the boron nitride is oriented in a single direction.

2. The ceramic member according to claim 1 ,
wherein an index of an orientation degree K=|log 10 {(I (100) /I (002) )∥/(I (100) /I (002) )⊥}|, which is given based on a ratio (I (100) /I (002) )∥ between strength I (002) of x-ray diffraction along a (002) plane of a crystal of the boron nitride and strength I (100) of x-ray diffraction along a (100) plane when x-ray irradiation is performed in a direction which is perpendicular to an orientation direction of the boron nitride and a ratio (I (100) /I (002) )⊥ between strength I (002) of x-ray diffraction along the (002) plane and strength I (100) of x-ray diffraction along the (100) plane when x-ray irradiation is performed in the orientation direction, is not less than 0.8.

3. The ceramic member according to claim 1 ,
wherein a coefficient of thermal expansion which is measured based on JIS R 1618 at 20° C. to 250° C. in a direction in parallel to a direction in which the boron nitride is oriented is (3 to 5)×10 −6 /° C.

4. The ceramic member according to claim 1 ,
wherein three-point bending strength measured based on JIS R 1601 is not less than 200 MPa.

5. The ceramic member according to claim 1 ,
wherein relative density is not less than 99%.

6. The ceramic member according to claim 1 ,
wherein boron nitrogen has a hexagonal crystal structure and is in a form of scale-shaped grains.

7. A probe holder, comprising:
a base material formed using a ceramic member comprising enstatite and boron nitride as constituents, the ceramic member being a sintered body in which the boron nitride is oriented in a single direction; and
through holes capable of allowing probes formed of a conductive material to be inserted and accommodates the probes,
wherein the through holes are formed in the base material in a direction which is perpendicular to the orientation direction of the boron nitride.

8. A manufacturing method of a ceramic member comprising:
a mixing step of mixing boron nitride, silicon oxide, magnesium oxide, and sintering agent;
an external force acting step of making external force directed in a single direction act on a mixture mixed in the mixing process; and
a sintering step of sintering the mixture.

9. The manufacturing method of a ceramic member according to claim 8 ,
wherein the sintering agent contains yttrium oxide and aluminum oxide.

10. The manufacturing method of a ceramic member according to claim 8 ,
wherein the external force acting step and the sintering step are collectively performed by a hot pressing sintering method.

11. The manufacturing method of a ceramic member according to claim 8 ,
wherein a sintering temperature in the sintering step is from 1200° C. to 1300° C.

12. The manufacturing method of a ceramic member according to claim 8 ,
wherein the sintering step is performed in a depressurized atmosphere or an inert atmosphere.

13. The manufacturing method of a ceramic member according to claim 8 ,
wherein the boron nitride has a hexagonal crystal structure and is in a form of scale-shaped grains.

Assignees

• Nakamura Akira
• Suzuki Kohei
• Miyaji Shinya
• Saito Shinji
• Nhk Spring Co Ltd

Inventors

• Nakamura Akira
• Suzuki Kohei
• Miyaji Shinya
• Saito Shinji

Classifications

• G01R1/06722

  Spring-loaded · CPC title

• C04B2235/3206

  Magnesium oxides or oxide-forming salts thereof · CPC title

• C04B2235/96

  Properties of ceramic products, e.g. mechanical properties such as strength, toughness, wear resistance · CPC title

• C04B2235/77

  Density · CPC title

• C04B2235/656

  characterised by specific heating conditions during heat treatment · CPC title