# US 2019/0314918 A1 · Ceramic-aluminum assembly with bonding trenches > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2019/0314918 A1 - Document ID: US20190314918A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/955,431 - Filed: 2018-04-17 - Published: 2019-10-17 - Earliest claimed: 2018-04-17 - Assignees: Watlow Electric Manufacturing Company - Inventors: Patrick Margavio; Kurt English; Jacob Wilson; Miranda Pizzella; Todd Brooke - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190314918A1 ## CPC - B23K 1/19: taking account of the properties of the materials to be soldered - C04B 37/006: {consisting of metals or metal salts} - C04B 35/645: Pressure sintering - C04B 37/00: Joining burned ceramic articles with other burned ceramic articles or other articles by heating {(soldering and welding materials B23K35/24; laminated products B32B, E04C)} - H10P 72/72: using electrostatic chucks - C04B 2235/945: Products containing grooves, cuts, recesses or protusions - C04B 2235/963: Surface properties, e.g. surface roughness - C04B 2237/121: based on aluminium - C04B 2237/343: Alumina or aluminates - C04B 2237/348: Zirconia, hafnia, zirconates or hafnates - C04B 2237/365: Silicon carbide - C04B 2237/366: Aluminium nitride - C04B 2237/50: Processing aspects relating to ceramic laminates or to the joining of ceramic articles with other articles by heating - C04B 2237/592: whereby the interlayer is not continuous, e.g. not the whole surface of the smallest substrate is covered by the interlayer - C04B 2237/64: Forming laminates or joined articles comprising grooves or cuts - B23K: SOLDERING OR UNSOLDERING; WELDING; CLADDING OR PLATING BY SOLDERING OR WELDING; CUTTING BY APPLYING HEAT LOCALLY, e.g. FLAME CUTTING; WORKING BY LASER BEAM - C04B: LIME, MAGNESIA; SLAG; CEMENTS; COMPOSITIONS THEREOF, e.g. MORTARS, CONCRETE OR LIKE BUILDING MATERIALS; ARTIFICIAL STONE {(roofing granules E04D7/005)}; CERAMICS (devitrified glass-ceramics C03C10/00); REFRACTORIES; TREATMENT OF NATURAL STONE - H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10 ## Abstract An assembly includes a first member, a second member adjacent to the first member, and an aluminum material. At least one of the first member and the second member defines at least one trench. The aluminum material is disposed within the trench and bonds the first member to the second member along adjacent faces. In one form, a spacing between the first member and the second member along the adjacent faces is less than 5 μm. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An assembly comprising: a first member; a second member disposed adjacent to the first member, wherein at least one of the first member and the second member defines at least one trench; and an aluminum material disposed within the trench and bonding the first member to the second member along adjacent faces, wherein a spacing between the first member and the second member along the adjacent faces is less than 5 μm. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The assembly according to claim 1, wherein a surface roughness of the adjacent faces of the first and second members is between 5 μm and 100 nanometers. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The assembly according to claim 1, wherein the trench defines at least one of a square, rectangular, arcuate, and polygonal geometry. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The assembly according to claim 1, wherein the trench defines a depth and a width, and the width of the trench is between 5 and 20 times the depth of the trench. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The assembly according to claim 1 further comprising a plurality of trenches that are spaced a distance apart less than 2mm. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The assembly according to claim 5, wherein the plurality of trenches are parallel to each other. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The assembly according to claim 1, wherein the first member and the second member are selected from the group consisting of aluminum nitride (AIN), alumina, zirconia, and silicon carbide (SiC). ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The assembly according to claim 1, wherein each of the first member and the second member are each aluminum nitride (AIN). ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The assembly according to claim 1, wherein each of the first member and the second member are each a flat plate. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The assembly according to claim 1, wherein the first member is a flat plate and the second member is a hollow shaft. ### Claim 11 A method of joining comprising: preparing a first member; preparing a second member; forming at least one trench in at least one of the first member or the second member; placing a strip of solid aluminum material between the first member and the second member across the trench; bringing the first member and the second member together to contact the solid aluminum material and to form an assembly; applying a force and heat to the assembly above a melting point of the solid aluminum material such that the solid aluminum material flows into the trench; applying additional heat to the assembly at or above a wetting temperature of the member in which the trench is formed to bond the first member to the second member along adjacent faces; and cooling the assembly, wherein a spacing between the first member and the second member along the adjacent faces is less than 5 μm. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method according to claim 11, wherein preparing the first and second member comprises creating a surface roughness of the adjacent faces of the first and second members between 5 μm and 100 nanometers. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The assembly according to claim 11, wherein the first member and the second member are selected from the group consisting of aluminum nitride (AIN), alumina, zirconia, and silicon carbide (SiC). ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The assembly according to claim 11, wherein each of the first member and the second member are each aluminum nitride (AIN). ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The assembly according to claim 11, wherein the solid aluminum material is aluminum foil. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The assembly according to claim 11, wherein the solid aluminum material is applied by a physical vapor deposition (PVD) process. ### Claim 17 An assembly comprising: a first ceramic member; a second ceramic member disposed adjacent to the first member, wherein at least one of the first ceramic member and the second ceramic member defines a plurality of trenches spaced a distance apart less than 2 mm; and an aluminum material disposed within the plurality of trenches and bonding the first ceramic member to the second ceramic member along adjacent faces, wherein a spacing between the first member and the second member along the adjacent faces is less than 5 μm. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The assembly according to claim 17, wherein a surface roughness of the adjacent faces of the first and second ceramic members is between 5 μm and 100 nanometers. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The assembly according to claim 17, wherein the plurality of trenches each define a depth and a width, and the width of each trench is between 5 and 20 times the depth of each trench. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) The assembly according to claim 17, wherein the first and second ceramic members are each aluminum nitride (AIN). ### Claim 21 (depends on 17) The assembly according to claim 17, wherein the plurality of trenches are parallel to each other. ### Claim 22 (depends on 17) The assembly according to claim 17, wherein the plurality of trenches is at least three. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) The assembly according to claim 22, wherein the plurality of trenches is five.