Aluminum nitride sintered body, ceramic substrate, ceramic heater and electrostatic chuck

Abstract

The object of the present invention is to provide an aluminum nitride sintered body which has excellent mechanical strength and in which ceramic particles is prevented from coming off from the surface and/or side thereof and generation of free particles is suppressed. The aluminum nitride sintered body of the present invention is wherein it contains sulfur.

1 . An aluminum nitride sintered body containing sulfur.  
     
     
         2 . The aluminum nitride sintered body according to  claim 1 , 
 wherein the content of said sulfur is in a range of 0.05 to 200 ppm.    
     
     
         3 . The aluminum nitride sintered body according to  claim 1  or  2 , 
 wherein said aluminum nitride sintered body contains oxygen.    
     
     
         4 . An aluminum nitride sintered body, 
 wherein said aluminum nitride sintered body exhibits a state of intragranular fracture at the time of fracture and the average grain diameter of a ceramic grain thereof is 3 m or less.    
     
     
         5 . A ceramic substrate having a conductor inside thereof or on the surface thereof, 
 wherein said ceramic substrate has been sintered such that a sectional view of fracture thereof exhibits intragranular fracture.    
     
     
         6 . The ceramic substrate according to  claim 5 , 
 wherein the average grain diameter of a ceramic grain thereof is 3 μm or less.    
     
     
         7 . The ceramic substrate according to  claim 5  or  6 , 
 wherein said ceramic substrate comprises nitride ceramic and said nitride ceramic contains sulfur therein.    
     
     
         8 . The ceramic substrate according to  claim 5  or  6 , 
 wherein the content of said sulfur is in a range of 0.05 to 200 ppm.    
     
     
         9 . The ceramic substrate according to  claim 5  or  6 , 
 wherein said ceramic substrate contains oxygen.    
     
     
         10 . A ceramic heater, 
 wherein the ceramic substrate according to  claim 5  or  6  is used.    
     
     
         11 . An electrostatic chuck, 
 wherein the ceramic substrate according to  claim 5  or  6  is used.    
     
     
         12 . A ceramic substrate having a conductor inside thereof or on the surface thereof, 
 wherein the average grain diameter of the ceramic grain of said ceramic substrate is 2 μm or less.    
     
     
         13 . A ceramic heater, 
 wherein the ceramic substrate according to  claim 12  is used.    
     
     
         14 . An electrostatic chuck, 
 wherein the ceramic substrate according to  claim 12  is used.    
     
     
         15 . A ceramic substrate for a semiconductor producing/examining device having a conductor inside said ceramic substrate, 
 wherein:    a ceramic layer including said conductor and the vicinity thereof and a ceramic layer located lower than said conductor exhibit a state of intergranular fracture at the time of fracture; and    a ceramic layer other than said ceramic layers exhibits a state of intragranular fracture at the time of fracture,    
     
     
         16 . An electrostatic chuck having an electrostatic electrode and a resistance heating element inside a ceramic substrate, 
 wherein:    a ceramic layer including said electrostatic electrode and the vicinity thereof and a ceramic layer located lower than said electrostatic electrode exhibit a state of intergranular fracture at the time of fracture; and    a ceramic layer other than said ceramic layers exhibits a state of intragranular fracture at the time of fracture.