Method of manufacturing a ceramic stack

A method of producing a ceramic stack comprising a plurality of stacked ceramic plates having different lengths including at least one long ceramic plate having a principal surface and at least one short ceramic plate stacked on said principal surface of said long ceramic plate, said ceramic stack further including a member having a curved surface disposed at a border between said principal surface of said long ceramic plate and a side surface of said short ceramic plate, said member having at least one inflection point on said curved surface thereof when viewed in cross-section, said method comprising the steps of:

• providing at least a first ceramic green sheet to be formed into said long ceramic plate, said first ceramic green sheet having a principal surface;
• providing at least a second ceramic green sheet to be formed into said short ceramic plate, said second ceramic green sheet having a length extending in a direction that is parallel to a plane of said principal surface of said first ceramic green sheet and that is less than a length of said principal surface of said first ceramic green sheet;
• providing at least a third ceramic green sheet having a length that is greater than said length of said second ceramic green sheet;
• positioning said second ceramic green sheet between a central location on sad principal surface of said first ceramic green sheet and said third ceramic green sheet;
• laminating said ceramic green sheets to form a ceramic green sheet laminate having a lamination border defined between at least a side surface of said second ceramic green sheet and said principal surface of said first ceramic green sheet;
• forming said member having the curved surface at said lamination border by applying a paste to said lamination border such that said curved surface includes one or more inflection points when viewed in cross-section;
• and
• sintering said laminate into an integral unit to form said ceramic stack.