Bonding Method

Abstract

At a comparatively early stage, members to be bonded are pressurized together by an applied pressure that is a comparatively low pressure. Under an applied pressure condition (a gas venting process) of the comparatively low pressure, an organic protective film is vaporized by heating a bonding material, and a void portion of a porous structure that is formed by metal nanoparticles and a binder in the bonding material is not collapsed any more than necessary due to the applied pressure. Thus, the void portion of the porous structure functions as a degassing path for the gasified organic protective film, and the gas is smoothly released from between the members to be bonded. At the time point when the temperature of the bonding material has reached a predetermined temperature, the applied pressure is increased from the comparatively low pressure to a comparatively high pressure (a pressure increase process). Further, the bonding strength is increased by bonding the members to be bonded together by applying the comparatively high pressure (a bonding process).

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.