Abstract

Electronic ceramics is a generic term describing a class of inorganic, nonmetallic materials utilized in the electronics industry. The term electronic ceramics generally pertains to polycrystalline inorganic solids comprised of randomly oriented crystallites (grains) intimately bonded together. This random orientation of small, micrometer-size crystals results in an isotropic ceramic possessing equivalent properties in all directions. Electronic ceramics are often combined with metals and polymers to meet the requirements of a broad spectrum of high technology applications, computers, telecommunications, sensors, and actuators. Electronic ceramics encompass a wide range of materials and crystal structure families used as insulators, capacitors, piezoelectrics, magnetics, semiconductor sensors, conductors, and the recently discovered high temperature superconductors. The development of multifunctional three-dimensional ceramic arrays called monolithic ceramics (MMC), continues the miniaturization process to provide a new generation of robust, inexpensive products. Rapid advances in integrated circuit technology have led to improved processing and manufacturing of multilayer ceramics (MLC), which consist of alternating layers of dielectric and metal electrodes, especially for capacitors and microelectronic packages. Presently, multilayer capacitors and packaging make up more than half the electronic ceramics market. Advances in the field of electronic ceramics are being made in new materials, novel powder synthesis methods, and in ceramic integration. The continuing miniaturization of electronic packaging should see the replacement of components and processes using such thin-film technologies developed for semiconductors as sputtering, chemical vapor deposition, and sol–gel.