Embedded electrical terminations for ceramics

Abstract

In one embodiment, an electrical terminal assembly includes: a first ceramic component; a second ceramic component fixed to the first ceramic component; and at least one electrical component embedded between the first ceramic component and the second ceramic component. The electrical terminal extends through a hole into a recess of one of the first and second ceramic components and electrically contacts the electrical component. The electrical terminal includes a rod disposed within the hole and a flange disposed within the recess. At least one interfacing member is disposed between the flange and the recess. The electrical terminal and the interfacing member are each defined by different materials having specifically defined coefficients of thermal expansion, such that the first and second ceramic components are compressed when the rod is subjected to tension.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application claims priority and interest in U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 622,278, filed January 18, 2024. The disclosures of the aforementioned application are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

[0002] This disclosure relates to electrical terminals, and more particularly to electrical terminals for connecting components embedded in a ceramic substrate, such as, for example, radio frequency (RF) antennas embedded in a ceramic pedestal for semiconductor processing. Prior Technology

[0003] The descriptions in this section provide only background information on this disclosure and do not constitute prior art.

[0004] Ceramic mounts used in semiconductor processing typically include numerous embedded electrical components, such as, for example, a clamping electrode, an RF antenna, and heater circuitry. Because ceramic materials are inherently brittle and have a relatively low coefficient of thermal expansion, embedding conductive terminals with higher coefficients of thermal expansion is challenging and can lead to breakage of these ceramic materials. More specifically, because these electrical components are made of heat-resistant metals or conductive ceramics with very low coefficients of thermal expansion, it is difficult to connect metal electrodes to these embedded electrical components.

[0005] These electrical components are typically multi-layered and usually thin, surrounded by the ceramic material. Ignoring the different coefficients of thermal expansion of the materials, directly bonding metal electrodes, usually nickel or nickel alloys, to these thin electrical components via soldering can cause stress and damage in that area and / or an adjacent conductive layer. Furthermore, any embedded electrical component must be sealed relative to the environment surrounding the ceramic pedestal, i.e., sealed within the semiconductor processing chamber. However, embedded electrical components suffer from poor oxidation resistance at high temperatures, which limits their lifespan and / or reduces reliability.

[0006] This disclosure addresses these and other integration issues related to electrical terminals within ceramic substrates / bases. Summary of the Invention

[0007] This part provides a general overview of this disclosure rather than a complete disclosure of its full scope or all of its features.

[0008] In one embodiment of this disclosure, an electrical terminal assembly includes: a first ceramic component; a second ceramic component fixed to the first ceramic component; at least one electrical component embedded between the first ceramic component and the second ceramic component, wherein the first ceramic component includes a hole and a recess formed in at least one of the first ceramic component and the second ceramic component, the recess being configured to be adjacent to the hole; an electrical terminal extending through the hole into the recess and electrically contacting the at least one electrical component, the electrical terminal including: a rod disposed within the hole, the rod having a proximal portion and a distal portion; and a flange disposed on the distal portion of the rod, the flange being disposed within the recess; and at least one interfacing member disposed between the flange and the recess, wherein the electrical terminal and the interfacing member each include different materials having a specifically defined coefficient of thermal expansion, such that the rod is subjected to tension and the first ceramic component and the second ceramic component are compressed.

[0009] In a variation of this electrical terminal assembly, which can be implemented individually or in any combination: the interface member includes a sputtered layer; the sputtered layer extends along at least a portion of an interface between the first ceramic member and the second ceramic member; a sealing ring is disposed around an upper surface of a flange; the rod is made of a nickel alloy; the flange is 99.5 wt.% nickel; the flange and the rod include a single unitized portion; a distal portion of the rod includes a hole extending through a central portion of the flange; the first ceramic member and the second ceramic member are made of aluminum nitride (AlN); the flange includes an elastically deformable geometry and material; a lower portion of the rod includes a small recess; the flange further includes a sealing ring; the proximal portion of the rod includes external threads, and the electrical terminal assembly further includes: a nut that screws onto the external threads of the rod; and a sealing ring disposed between the nut and an upper surface of the first ceramic member; a washer is disposed. Between the sealing ring and the nut; the nut further includes: a flange having an upper surface and a lower surface; an upper peripheral recess disposed in the upper surface of the flange; a lower peripheral recess disposed in the lower surface of the flange; an interfacing material disposed in each of the upper and lower peripheral recesses; a ceramic ring disposed on the upper surface of the flange and covering the interfacing material; and a shaft extending in a proximal manner, one proximal portion of the shaft having external threads; the nut further includes a peripheral step; the nut further includes a peripheral groove; and a washer disposed between one lower surface of the nut and the second ceramic component.

[0010] In one embodiment of this disclosure, an electrical terminal assembly includes: a first ceramic component; a second ceramic component fixed to the first ceramic component; at least one electrical component embedded between the first ceramic component and the second ceramic component, wherein the first ceramic component includes a hole extending to the at least one electrical component; an electrical terminal extending through the hole and electrically contacting the at least one electrical component, the electrical terminal including: a rod disposed within the hole, the rod having a proximal portion and a distal portion; and a disc disposed at the distal portion of the rod; a first interfacing member disposed between the distal portion of the rod and the disc; and a second interfacing member disposed between the disc and the at least one electrical component, the disc having a coefficient of thermal expansion larger than the first ceramic components and smaller than the rod.

[0011] In a variation of this electrical terminal assembly, which can be implemented individually or in any combination: a first ceramic component; a second ceramic component fixed to the first ceramic component; at least one electrical component embedded between the first ceramic component and the second ceramic component, wherein the first ceramic component includes a hole extending to the at least one electrical component; and an electrical terminal extending through the hole and electrically contacting the at least one electrical component, the electrical terminal including: a rod disposed within the hole, the rod having a proximal portion and a distal portion. An end portion; an interfacing member disposed at the distal end portion of the rod and in contact with the at least one electrical component; a cover including a recess and a plurality of holes extending into the recess, the proximal end portion of the rod being disposed within the recess, the plurality of holes being configured to receive a power pin; and an interfacing ring disposed around the proximal end portion of the rod and in contact with an upper surface of the first ceramic component and a peripheral portion of the cover; and an upper interfacing member disposed between the proximal end portion of the rod and the recess of the cover.

[0012] In one embodiment of this disclosure, an electrical terminal assembly includes: a first ceramic component; a second ceramic component fixed to the first ceramic component; at least one electrical component embedded between the first ceramic component and the second ceramic component, wherein the first ceramic component includes a recess extending into one of the upper surfaces of the first ceramic component and a plurality of holes extending from the recess to the at least one electrical component; and an electrical terminal disposed within the recess and extending through the plurality of holes, the electrical terminal electrically contacting the at least one electrical component, the electrical terminal including: a plurality of rods disposed within the plurality of holes, each rod having a proximal portion and a distal portion; a plurality of first interfacing members disposed within the distal portion of each of the plurality of rods and contacting the at least one electrical component; a cover disposed within the recess in the first ceramic component and above the plurality of rods; and a second interfacing member disposed between the cover and the plurality of rods.

[0013] In a variation of this electrical terminal assembly, which can be implemented individually or in any combination: the cover includes at least two upper recesses formed in one of the upper surfaces of the cover, the upper recesses being configured to receive power pins; an interface material is disposed within the at least two upper recesses; the cover includes a plurality of lower recesses, each of the lower recesses being configured to receive one of the plurality of rods; an interface material is disposed within each of the plurality of lower recesses; and the cover includes: at least two upper recesses formed in one of the upper surfaces of the cover, the upper recesses being configured to receive power pins; a plurality of lower recesses, each lower recess being configured to receive one of the plurality of rods; the cover further includes an internal circuit extending between the power pins and the plurality of rods.

[0014] In one embodiment of this disclosure, an electrical terminal assembly includes: a first ceramic component; a second ceramic component fixed to the first ceramic component; at least one electrical component embedded between the first ceramic component and the second ceramic component, wherein the first ceramic component includes a hole extending to the at least one electrical component; and an electrical terminal extending through the hole and electrically contacting the at least one electrical component, the electrical terminal including: a rod disposed within the hole, the rod having a proximal portion and a distal portion; a first interfacing member disposed between the distal portion of the rod and the at least one electrical component; a clamp disposed around the proximal portion of the rod, the clamp including a lower flange portion; a ceramic ring surrounding the clamp and disposed on the upper surface of the flange portion; and a second interfacing member disposed along an outer surface of the rod.

[0015] In a variation of this electrical terminal assembly, which may be implemented alone or in any combination, the clamp further includes an outer radial extension.

[0016] In one embodiment of this disclosure, an electrical terminal assembly includes: a first ceramic component; a second ceramic component fixed to the first ceramic component; at least one electrical component embedded between the first ceramic component and the second ceramic component, wherein the first ceramic component includes a hole extending to the at least one electrical component; and an electrical terminal extending through the hole and electrically contacting the at least one electrical component, the electrical terminal including: a rod disposed within the hole, the rod having a proximal portion and a distal portion, the proximal portion defining a post portion; a first interfacing member disposed between the distal portion of the rod and the at least one electrical component; a cover disposed around the proximal portion of the rod, the cover including a recess configured to receive the post portion of the rod and a lower flange portion; a ceramic ring surrounding the cover and disposed on an upper surface of the lower flange portion; and a second interfacing member disposed between the cover and an upper surface of the first ceramic component.

[0017] In a variation of this electrical terminal assembly, which may be implemented alone or in any combination, the electrical terminal assembly further includes an interfacing member disposed between the ceramic ring and the lower flange portion of the cover.

[0018] Other application areas can be understood from the descriptions provided herein. It should be understood that the descriptions and specific examples are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. Simple Explanation of the Diagram

[0019] To facilitate a good understanding of this disclosure, the following description illustrates various forms provided by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

[0020] Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view of one configuration of an electrical terminal assembly according to the teachings of this disclosure;

[0021] Figure 2A is a cross-sectional view of another configuration of an electrical terminal assembly according to the teachings of this disclosure;

[0022] Figure 2B is a cross-sectional view of another configuration of an electrical terminal assembly according to the teachings of this disclosure;

[0023] Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of another configuration of an electrical terminal assembly according to the teachings of this disclosure;

[0024] Figure 4A is a cross-sectional view of another configuration of an electrical terminal assembly according to the teachings of this disclosure;

[0025] Figure 4B is an enlarged view of detail 4B-4B from Figure 4A;

[0026] Figures 5A and 5B are cross-sectional views of another configuration of an electrical terminal assembly according to the teachings of this disclosure;

[0027] Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view of another configuration of an electrical terminal assembly according to the teachings of this disclosure;

[0028] Figure 7A is a cross-sectional view of another configuration of an electrical terminal assembly according to the teachings of this disclosure;

[0029] Figure 7B is a cross-sectional view of another configuration of an electrical terminal assembly according to the teachings of this disclosure;

[0030] Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view of another configuration of an electrical terminal assembly according to the teachings of this disclosure;

[0031] Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view of another configuration of an electrical terminal assembly according to the teachings of this disclosure;

[0032] Figure 10A is a cross-sectional view of another configuration of an electrical terminal assembly according to the teachings of this disclosure;

[0033] Figure 10B is a cross-sectional view of another configuration of an electrical terminal assembly according to the teachings of this disclosure;

[0034] Figure 11 is a cross-sectional view of another configuration of an electrical terminal assembly according to the teachings of this disclosure; and

[0035] Figure 12 is a cross-sectional view of another configuration of an electrical terminal assembly according to the teachings of this disclosure.

[0036] The figures described herein are for illustrative purposes only and are in no way intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. Implementation

[0037] The following description is illustrative in nature and is not intended to limit the disclosure, application, or purpose of this work. It should be understood that throughout the drawings, corresponding symbols denote similar or corresponding parts and shapes.

[0038] Please refer to Figure 1, which shows and generally denotes, by reference numeral 20, an electrical terminal assembly for use in ceramics. The electrical terminal assembly 20 includes: a first ceramic material 22; a second ceramic material 24 fixed to the first ceramic material 22; and at least one electrical component 26 embedded between the first ceramic material 22 and the second ceramic material 24. For example, the first and second ceramic components 22 / 24 together form a plate for a semiconductor processing stage, and the electrical component 26 is a radio frequency (RF) antenna. The electrical component 26 may also be a heater or other electrical component, and it should be understood that more than two ceramic components and more than one electrical component may be used while still remaining within the scope of this disclosure. Such ceramic assemblies are shown and described in more detail in U.S. Patent Nos. 11,382,180 and 10,287,215, which are jointly owned with this application and whose contents are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. Other applications beyond semiconductor processing stages are contemplated from the teachings herein.

[0039] Typically, the ceramic components 22 / 24, the electrical terminal assembly 20, and the embedded electrical components 26 are pre-assembled together and then placed in a hot press for final assembly. The details of the hot pressing operation vary depending on the material and geometry of each component, and an exemplary process is disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 8,684,256, which is jointly owned with this application and the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0040] As further shown, the first ceramic material 22 includes a hole 30 and a recess 32 disposed in the hole 30. Although the recess 32 is shown to be formed in the first ceramic material 22, it should be understood that the recess 32 may be formed in at least one of the first ceramic material 22 and / or the second ceramic material 24 and is still within the teachings of this disclosure.

[0041] An electrical terminal 40 extends through the hole 30 and into the recess 32, electrically contacting the electrical component 26. (These components are shown in an exploded view, and it should be understood that the electrical contact is achieved after the components are assembled.) In this configuration, the electrical terminal 40 includes a rod 42 having a proximal portion 44 and a distal portion 46, and the rod 42 is disposed within the hole 30 of the first ceramic material 22 as shown. A flange 48 of the electrical terminal 40 is disposed within the distal portion 46 of the rod 42, and the flange 48 is disposed within the recess 32 as shown. At least one interfacing member 50 is disposed between the flange 48 and the recess 32, and in one configuration is a sputtered nickel-plated material. Typically, the interfacing member 50 is used to join and hermetically seal an interface or joint between two or more components, including the flange 48 and the first ceramic material 22, in this configuration. In one configuration shown in the figure, in addition to the recess 32, the interfacing member 50 also extends along at least a portion of the interface between the first ceramic material 22 and the second ceramic material 24.

[0042] As further shown, another interfacing member 50 is disposed between the first ceramic material 22 and the second ceramic material 24, thereby securing the ceramic components 22 / 24 together and providing an airtight seal therebetween.

[0043] In this configuration, the rod 42 is made of nickel, for example, a nickel alloy with more than 90 wt.% nickel, and the flange 48 is also made of nickel with more than 90 wt.% nickel. The ceramic components 22 / 24 are aluminum nitride (AlN), and the electrical component 26 is made of sputtered nickel. Although the rod 42 and the flange 48 are shown as separate components welded together at the weld portion 43 in this configuration, it should be understood that the rod 42 and the flange 48 can be a single modular component within the scope of this disclosure. Therefore, the rod 42, the flange 48, and the interfacing member 50 each comprise different materials with specifically defined coefficients of thermal expansion such that, after joining, in one configuration, the rod 42 is subjected to tension and the first ceramic material 22 and the second ceramic material 24 are compressed. It should be understood that these materials are merely illustrative, and therefore multiple different materials may be used for the electrical terminal 40 assembly and the various components and members of the ceramic components 22 / 24, while still remaining within the scope of this disclosure.

[0044] Please refer to Figures 2A and 2B below, which show and generally denote a variation of the electrical terminal assembly as denoted by the symbol 60. It should be understood that similar morphologies described above are not repeated below for clarity. The electrical terminal assembly 60, as previously mentioned, includes a rod 62 and a flange 64. In the configuration shown in Figure 2A, the flange 64 includes a sealing ring 66 disposed around one of its upper surfaces 68. In this configuration, the sealing ring 66 is a separate component and is made of a nickel material, and more specifically, nickel 270. Alternatively, as shown in Figure 2B, the sealing ring 66 may be integrally formed with the flange 64. The depth "D" of the recess 32 is less than the thickness "t" of the flange plus the thickness of the sealing ring 66. In this configuration, the sealing ring 66 deforms during the hot-pressing operation to conform to the depth "D" of the recess.

[0045] In this configuration, the rod 62 is made of a nickel alloy, for example, a nickel alloy with more than 90 wt.% nickel, the flange 64 is 99.5 wt.% Ni, and the ceramic components 22 / 24 are aluminum nitride (AlN). The rod 62 and the flange 64 are a single modular assembly, but in another configuration, the rod 62 and the flange 64 may be separate assemblies. The flange 64 defines a geometry (e.g., thickness) and material that allows the flange 64 to elastically deform during assembly of the electrical terminal assembly 60. In one configuration, a distal portion 70 of the rod 62 includes a hole 72 extending through a central portion of the flange 64, as shown. Alternatively, the bottom surface of the rod 62 may include a small recess (not shown) to increase a bonding surface area.

[0046] Please refer to Figure 3 below, which shows and is generally indicated by the symbol 80 for one variation of the electrical terminal assembly. It should be understood that similar morphologies described above are not repeated below for clarity. The electrical terminal assembly 80, as previously mentioned, includes a rod 82 and a flange 84. The proximal end of the rod 82 includes an external thread 86. The electrical terminal assembly 80 further includes a nut 88 screwed onto the external thread 86 of the rod 82 and a sealing ring 90 disposed between the nut 88 and one of the upper surfaces 68 of the first ceramic material 22. In one embodiment, an optional washer 92 is disposed between the sealing ring 90 and the nut 88 to provide a stronger connection for the electrical terminal assembly 80. In one embodiment, the washer 92 is made of alumina or zirconium oxide. In one embodiment, for example, the external thread 86 of the rod 82 is coated with sputtered nickel to seal the interface between the rod 82 and the nut 88 and prevent oxidation. Furthermore, in some applications, such as when a terminal is composed of an RF electrode, one outer surface of the rod 82 is coated with a material having relatively high conductivity (e.g., gold or a gold alloy).

[0047] In one embodiment, the rod 82, flange 84, and nut 88 are made of a tungsten-nickel alloy, and the sealing ring 90 is sputter-plated with nickel. In another embodiment, the rod 82, flange 84, and nut 88 are made of a molybdenum alloy, and the sealing ring 90 is made of nickel. It should be understood that these materials are merely illustrative, and therefore multiple different materials can be used for the various components within the scope of this disclosure, provided that these different materials are selected to match the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) as closely as possible.

[0048] In one embodiment, as shown in Figures 4A and 4B, the nut 88 further includes a peripheral step 94. This peripheral step 94 is configured to position a sealing ring 90, which hermetically seals the interface between the nut 88 and the first ceramic material 22. Also shown, the stepped sealing ring 90 is disposed within the peripheral step 94 and is thus properly positioned for final assembly sealing. In an embodiment not shown, the nut 88 may alternatively include a peripheral groove to position the sealing ring 90 therein.

[0049] As shown in Figure 5A, in a variation of Figure 3, a conical or spherical washer 98 is disposed between a second nut 96 and the upper surface 68 of the first ceramic material 22. Different washer thicknesses along the radial direction provide compressive strength along the rod 82 under different thermal conditions. Furthermore, the conicity helps to provide a uniform load if the rod 82 or nut 88 is slightly misaligned during installation. In this configuration, the washer 98 is made of nickel, and the second nut 96, nut 88, and rod 82 are made of iron-nickel-cobalt (Kova alloy) or molybdenum. Additionally, a sputtered nickel layer (not shown) can be applied to both sides of the spherical washer 98 to achieve an airtight seal.

[0050] Please refer to Figure 5B, which shows a variation of the electrical terminal assembly of Figure 5A, in which a zirconium oxide or alumina washer 92 (which may be tapered or non-tapered) is used. Because zirconium oxide or alumina has a relatively large coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE), compressive stress is generated in the washer 92 and tension is generated in the rod 82 at high temperatures.

[0051] Referring now to Figure 6, another variation of an electrical terminal assembly is shown and generally indicated by the symbol 100. The nut 101 includes: a flange 102 having an upper surface 104 and a lower surface 106; a peripheral recess 108 disposed within the upper surface 104 of the flange 102; a lower peripheral recess 110 disposed within the lower surface 106 of the flange 102; and an interfacing material 112 disposed within each of the peripheral recesses of the upper and lower peripheral recesses 108 / 110. A ceramic ring 114 is disposed on the upper surface 104 of the flange 102 and covers the interfacing material 112, and a shaft 116 extends proximal to the body of the nut 101 as shown. As shown, one proximal portion of the shaft 116 has external threads in this disclosed embodiment. The external thread on the shaft 116 provides a tooling morphology for securing other electrical components and also for tightening the nut 101 onto the rod 82. In this configuration, the ceramic ring 114 is made of alumina (AlN). The interface material 112 is a nickel sputtered or gold-nickel brazed alloy, such as NIORO or NIORO-ABA. The rod 82, flange 84, and nut 88 are made of molybdenum or tungsten alloy.

[0052] Please refer to Figures 7A and 7B, which show a variation of the electrical terminal assembly of Figures 2A and 2B, but with a discontinuous interface member 51.

[0053] Please refer to Figure 8 below, which shows and generally indicates an alternative example of an electrical terminal assembly denoted by the symbol 150. It should be understood that similar morphologies to those described above are not repeated below for clarity. The electrical terminal assembly 150 includes an electrical terminal 152 extending through the aperture 30 and electrically contacting one of the at least one electrical component 26. The electrical terminal 152 includes a rod 154 and a disc 156. The rod 154 (which may be solid or a hollow tube) is disposed within the aperture 30 and has a proximal portion 158 and a distal portion 160. The disc 156 is disposed at the distal portion 160 of the rod 154 and has a coefficient of thermal expansion that is larger than that of the first and second ceramic components 22 / 24 but smaller than that of the rod 154. A first interfacing member 162 is disposed between the distal end portion 160 of the rod 154 and the disc 156, and a second interfacing member 164 is disposed between the disc 156 and the at least one electrical component 26.

[0054] The rod 154, the disc 156, and the ceramic components 22 / 24 each have a specially defined coefficient of thermal expansion such that, after engagement, the rod 154 is subjected to tension, the first ceramic material 22 and the second ceramic material 24 are compressed, and the disc 156 provides an airtight seal between the rod 154 and the electrical component 26.

[0055] In this configuration, the rod 154 is made of a nickel material. The first and second interfacing layers 162 / 164 are made of a solder material such as a sputtered nickel layer and form an airtight seal. The disc 156 is made of a tungsten alloy such as MT 185. In one configuration, the rod 154 is a hollow tube.

[0056] Figure 9 shows another variation of the electrical terminal assembly generally indicated by symbol 170. The electrical terminal assembly 170 includes: a rod 172 having a distal portion 174 and a proximal portion 176; an interfacing member 178 disposed at the distal portion 174 of the rod 172 and contacting the at least one electrical component 26; a cover 180; and an interfacing ring 190. The cover 180 has a peripheral portion 184 and includes a recess 186 and a plurality of holes 188 (two shown) extending into the recess 186. The proximal portion 176 of the rod 172 is disposed within the recess 186, and the plurality of holes 188 are configured to receive a power pin 189. The interfacing ring 190 is disposed around the proximal portion 176 of the rod 172 and contacts the upper surface of the first ceramic material 22 and the peripheral portion 184 of the cover 180. In one embodiment, the electrical terminal assembly 170 also includes an upper connecting member 192 disposed between the proximal end portion 176 of the rod and the recess 186 of the cover 180 for airtight sealing.

[0057] In this configuration, the rod 172 is made of tungsten, the cover 180 is made of AlN, the interfacing ring 190 is made of a gold-nickel material such as NIORO-ABA, and the interfacing member 178 is made of titanium material such as Ti200. In another configuration, the upper interfacing member 192 comprises a layered material consisting of either a Mo-AlN composite (facing the cover 180) or NIORO-ABA (facing the rod 172).

[0058] Please refer to Figures 10A and 10B below, which show, and generally denote as 200, another variation of the electrical terminal assembly. The electrical terminal assembly 200 includes: a first ceramic member 202; a second ceramic member 204 fixed to and hermetically sealed to the first ceramic member 202; at least one electrical component 206 embedded between the first ceramic member 202 and the second ceramic member 204; and an electrical terminal 212. The first ceramic member 202 includes a recess 208 extending into one of its upper surfaces and a plurality of holes 210 extending from the recess 208 to the at least one electrical component 206. Generally, the electrical terminal 212 is disposed within the recess 208 and extends through the holes 210 and electrically contacts the at least one electrical component 206.

[0059] The electrical terminal 212 includes: a plurality of rods 214 disposed within the holes 210; a plurality of first interfacing members 216 disposed at the distal ends of each of the rods 214 and in contact with the at least one electrical component 206; a cover 218 disposed within a recess 208 in the first ceramic member 202 and on the plurality of rods 214; and a second interfacing member 220 disposed between the cover 218 and the plurality of rods 214.

[0060] In one embodiment, the cover 218 includes at least two upper recesses 222 formed in one of its upper surfaces. These upper recesses 222 are configured to receive power pins 219. An interface material 221 is disposed within each upper recess 222, forming an hermetically sealed connection therebetween. In one embodiment shown in FIG. 10B, the cover 218 further includes at least two lower recesses 224 formed in one of its lower surfaces. These lower recesses 224 are configured to receive one of the plurality of rods 214. An interface material 225 is disposed within each lower recess 224. In one embodiment, the cover 218 further includes an internal circuit 226 extending between the power pins 219 in the upper recesses 222 and the plurality of rods 214 in the lower recesses 224 (to provide an electrical connection).

[0061] In the variations of Figures 10A and 10B, the plurality of rods 214 are made of tungsten, such as Densimet, and the first interfacing member 216 is a Ti200 disk. The second interfacing member 220 is made of a gold-nickel alloy, such as a NIORO-ABA disk. The power pins 219 are made of nickel. The interfacing material 225 in the upper and lower recesses 222 / 224 can be a layered material comprising either a Mo-AlN composite (facing the cover 218) or NIORO-ABA (facing the rod 214).

[0062] Figure 11 shows another variation of the electrical terminal assembly generally indicated by symbol 240. The electrical terminal assembly 240 includes: a rod 242; a first interfacing member 244 disposed between a distal portion of the rod 242 and the at least one electrical component 26; a clamp 246 disposed around a proximal portion of the rod 242 and including a lower flange portion 248; a ceramic ring 250 surrounding the clamp 246 and disposed on the upper surface of the lower flange portion 248; a second interfacing member 252 disposed along an outer surface of the rod 242; and a third interfacing member 253 disposed between the clamp 246 and the top of the rod 242. In one embodiment, the clamp 246 further includes an outwardly radial extension 254 for positioning the ceramic ring 250.

[0063] In this configuration, the rod 242 is a tungsten alloy such as MT185 or a composite material of tungsten and aluminum nitride (AlN). The first interfacing member 244 is made of Ti200. The second and third interfacing members 252 / 253 are made of NIORO-ABA. The ceramic ring 250 is made of AlN or silicon nitride (Si3N4). The clamp 246 in this configuration is a nickel material / alloy.

[0064] Figure 12 shows another variation of the electrical terminal assembly generally indicated by symbol 260. This electrical terminal assembly 260 includes: a rod 262 having a proximal portion defining a post portion 264; a first interfacing member 268 disposed between the distal portion of the rod 262 and the electrical component 26; and a cover 270 disposed around the proximal portion of the rod 262 and including a recess 272 and a lower flange portion 274 configured to receive the post portion 264 of the rod 262. A ceramic ring 276 surrounds the cover 270 and is disposed on an upper surface of the lower flange portion 274, and a second interfacing member 278 is disposed between the cover 270 and an upper surface of the first ceramic material 22. In one embodiment, another interfacing member 280 is disposed between the ceramic ring 276 and the lower flange portion 274 of the cover 270.

[0065] In this configuration, the rod 262 is a tungsten alloy such as MT185. The cover 270 is a nickel alloy. The first interface member 268 is a composite material made of tungsten (W) and aluminum nitride (AlN). The second interface member 278 is a gold-nickel alloy such as NIORO. The ceramic ring 276 is AlN.

[0066] It should be understood that the materials described in the entire specification are merely illustrative, and therefore many different materials may be used for the various components while still within the scope of this disclosure, provided that such materials, in combination, provide the desired CTE so that the rods are subjected to tension and the ceramic components 22 / 24 are compressed.

[0067] Unless expressly stated herein, all numerical values ​​representing mechanical / thermal properties, percentages of composition, dimensions and / or tolerances or other characteristics shall be understood to be modified by the terms "approximately" or "probably" in describing the scope of this disclosure. This modification is necessary for various reasons, including industrial practice; material, manufacturing and assembly tolerances; and testing capabilities.

[0068] The phrase “at least one of A, B and C” as used herein should be interpreted as using a non-exclusive logical “OR” to represent a logic (A or B or C), and should not be interpreted as meaning “at least one A, at least one B and at least one C”.

[0069] The descriptions in this disclosure are merely illustrative in nature, and therefore variations that do not depart from the essence of this disclosure should be considered within its scope. Such variations should not be regarded as deviations from the spirit and scope of this disclosure.

[0070] 20, 60, 80, 100, 150, 170, 200, 240, 260: Electrical terminal assembly 22: First Ceramic Material 24: Second ceramic material 26,206: Electrical Components 30,72,188,210: Holes 32,208: concave part 40,152,212: Electrical Terminals 42,62,82,154,172,214,242,262: Rods 43: Welding parts 44,158,176: Proximal portion 46, 70, 160, 174: distal portion 48,64,84,102: Flange 50,178: Interfacing components 51: Discontinuous Interconnection Components 66, 90: Sealing ring 68,104: Upper surface 86: External thread 88,101: Nuts 92, 98: Washers 94: Peripheral Steps 96: Second nut 106: Lower surface 108: Upper edge concave part 110: Lower edge concave part 112,221,225: Interfacing materials 114,250,276: Ceramic rings 116: Shaft 156: Round disc 162: First interfacing member; First interfacing layer 164: Second interfacing member; Second interfacing layer 180, 218, 270: Cover piece 184: Peripheral Section 186,272: Concave portion 189,219: Power pins 190: Interconnecting ring 192: Upper connecting member 202: First ceramic component 204: Second ceramic component 216,244,268: First interfacing member 220, 252, 278: Second Interfacing Member 222: Upper concave part 224: concave part 226: Internal Circuit 246: Hoop 248, 274: Lower flange portion 253: Third Interfacing Component 254: Outer radial extension 264: Column 280: Another interfacing component D: Depth t: thickness

Claims

1. An electrical terminal assembly comprising: a first ceramic component; a second ceramic component fixed to the first ceramic component; and at least one electrical component embedded between the first ceramic component and the second ceramic component, wherein, The first ceramic component includes a hole and a recess formed in at least one of the first ceramic component and the second ceramic component, the recess being configured adjacent to the hole; an electrical terminal extending through the hole into the recess and electrically contacting the at least one electrical component, the electrical terminal including: a rod disposed within the hole, the rod having a proximal portion and a distal portion; and a flange disposed on the distal portion of the rod, the flange being disposed within the recess; and at least one interfacing member disposed between the flange and the recess, wherein the electrical terminal and the interfacing member each comprise different materials having specially defined coefficients of thermal expansion, such that the rod is subjected to tension and the first ceramic component and the second ceramic component are compressed.

2. The electrical terminal assembly as requested in item 1, wherein, The interface component includes a sputtered layer.

3. The electrical terminal assembly as requested in item 2, wherein, The sputtered layer extends along at least a portion of one of the interfaces between the first ceramic component and the second ceramic component.

4. The electrical terminal assembly of claim 1 further includes a sealing ring configured to surround one of the upper surfaces of the flange.

5. The electrical terminal assembly as requested in item 1, wherein, The rod is made of a nickel alloy.

6. The electrical terminal assembly as requested in item 1, wherein, The flange is made of 99.5 wt.% nickel.

7. The electrical terminal assembly as requested in item 1, wherein, The flange and the rod comprise a single unitized section.

8. The electrical terminal assembly as requested in item 7, wherein, One of the distal portions of the rod includes a hole extending through the center portion of one of the flanges.

9. The electrical terminal assembly as requested in item 1, wherein, The first ceramic component and the second ceramic component are made of aluminum nitride (AlN) material.

10. The electrical terminal assembly as requested in item 1, wherein, The flange comprises an elastically deformable geometry and material.

11. The electrical terminal assembly as requested in item 1, wherein, The lower part of one of the rods contains a small indentation.

12. The electrical terminal assembly as requested in item 1, wherein, The flange further includes a sealing ring.

13. The electrical terminal assembly as requested in item 1, wherein, The proximal portion of the rod includes external threads, and the electrical terminal assembly further includes: a nut that screws onto the external threads of the rod; and a sealing ring disposed between the nut and an upper surface of one of the first ceramic components.

14. The electrical terminal assembly of claim 13 further includes a washer disposed between the sealing ring and the nut.

15. The electrical terminal assembly as requested in item 13, wherein, The nut further comprises: a flange having an upper surface and a lower surface; an upper peripheral recess disposed within the upper surface of the flange; a lower peripheral recess disposed within the lower surface of the flange; an interfacing material disposed within each of the upper and lower peripheral recesses; a ceramic ring disposed on the upper surface of the flange and covering the interfacing material; and a shaft extending proximal to the axial direction, one proximal portion of the shaft having external threads.

16. The electrical terminal assembly as requested in item 13, wherein, The nut further includes a stepped edge.

17. The electrical terminal assembly as requested in item 13, wherein, The nut further includes a circumferential groove.

18. The electrical terminal assembly of claim 16 or 17 further includes a washer disposed between a lower surface of the nut and the second ceramic member.

19. An electrical terminal assembly comprising: a first ceramic component; a second ceramic component fixed to the first ceramic component; and at least one electrical component embedded between the first ceramic component and the second ceramic component, wherein, The first ceramic component includes a hole extending to the at least one electrical component; an electrical terminal extending through the hole and electrically contacting the at least one electrical component, the electrical terminal including: a rod disposed within the hole, the rod having a proximal portion and a distal portion; and a disc disposed at the distal portion of the rod; a first interfacing member disposed between the distal portion of the rod and the disc; and a second interfacing member disposed between the disc and the at least one electrical component, wherein the disc has a coefficient of thermal expansion larger than that of the first ceramic component and smaller than that of the rod.

20. An electrical terminal assembly comprising: a first ceramic component; a second ceramic component fixed to the first ceramic component; and at least one electrical component embedded between the first ceramic component and the second ceramic component, wherein, The first ceramic component includes a hole extending to the at least one electrical component; and an electrical terminal extending through the hole and electrically contacting the at least one electrical component, the electrical terminal including: a rod disposed within the hole, the rod having a proximal portion and a distal portion; an interfacing member disposed at the distal portion of the rod and contacting the at least one electrical component; a cover including a recess and a plurality of holes extending into the recess, wherein the proximal portion of the rod is disposed within the recess, the plurality of holes being configured to receive a power pin; and an interfacing ring disposed around the proximal portion of the rod and contacting an upper surface of the first ceramic component and a peripheral portion of the cover.

21. The electrical terminal assembly of claim 20 further includes an upper interfacing member disposed between the proximal portion of the rod and the recess of the cover.

22. An electrical terminal assembly comprising: a first ceramic component; a second ceramic component fixed to the first ceramic component; and at least one electrical component embedded between the first ceramic component and the second ceramic component, wherein, The first ceramic component includes a recess and a plurality of holes, the recess extending into an upper surface of one of the first ceramic components, and the plurality of holes extending from the recess to the at least one electrical component; The device includes an electrical terminal disposed within the recess and extending through the plurality of holes, the electrical terminal electrically contacting the at least one electrical component, the electrical terminal comprising: a plurality of rods, each having a proximal portion and a distal portion, the plurality of rods being disposed within the plurality of holes; a plurality of first interfacing members disposed at the distal portion of each of the plurality of rods and contacting the at least one electrical component; a cover disposed within the recess in the first ceramic member and attached above the plurality of rods; and a second interfacing member disposed between the cover and the plurality of rods.

23. The electrical terminal assembly as described in claim 22, wherein, The cover includes at least two upper recesses formed in the upper surface of one of the cover portions, which are assembled to receive power pins.

24. The electrical terminal assembly of claim 23 further includes an interfacing material disposed within the at least two upper recesses.

25. The electrical terminal assembly as claimed in claim 22, wherein, The cover includes a plurality of recesses, each of which is assembled to receive one of the plurality of rods.

26. The electrical terminal assembly of claim 25 further includes an interfacing material disposed in each of the plurality of recesses.

27. The electrical terminal assembly as claimed in claim 22, wherein, The cover includes: at least two upper recesses formed in an upper surface of one of the cover, the upper recesses being configured to receive power pins; a plurality of lower recesses, each configured to receive one of the plurality of rods, the cover further including an internal circuit extending between the power pins and the plurality of rods.

28. An electrical terminal assembly comprising: a first ceramic component; a second ceramic component fixed to the first ceramic component; and at least one electrical component embedded between the first ceramic component and the second ceramic component, wherein, The first ceramic component includes a hole extending to the at least one electrical component; and an electrical terminal extending through the hole and electrically contacting the at least one electrical component, the electrical terminal including: a rod disposed within the hole, the rod having a proximal portion and a distal portion; a first interfacing member disposed between the distal portion of the rod and the at least one electrical component; a clamp disposed around one proximal portion of the rod, the clamp including a flange portion; a ceramic ring surrounding the clamp and disposed on the upper surface of the flange portion; and a second interfacing member disposed along one outer surface of the rod.

29. The electrical terminal assembly as described in claim 28, wherein, The hoop further includes an outer radial extension.

30. An electrical terminal assembly comprising: a first ceramic component; a second ceramic component fixed to the first ceramic component; and at least one electrical component embedded between the first ceramic component and the second ceramic component, wherein, The first ceramic component includes a hole extending to the at least one electrical component; and an electrical terminal extending through the hole and electrically contacting the at least one electrical component, the electrical terminal including: a rod disposed within the hole, the rod having a proximal portion and a distal portion, the proximal portion defining a post portion; a first interfacing member disposed between the distal portion of the rod and the at least one electrical component; a cover disposed around one proximal portion of the rod, the cover including a recess and a lower flange portion, the recess being assembled to receive the post portion of the rod; a ceramic ring surrounding the cover and disposed on one upper surface of the lower flange portion; and a second interfacing member disposed between the cover and one upper surface of the first ceramic component.

31. The electrical terminal assembly of claim 30 further includes an interfacing member disposed between the ceramic ring and the lower flange portion of the cover.

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