Electric charge trapping, residual stresses and properties of ceramics after metal/ceramics bonding

The use of ceramic components in electrical engineering and mechanical applications is rapidly increasing. Most of these applications require the use of ceramics bonded with metal. In this paper, we have studied the role of residual stresses occurring after joining between an industrial alumina ceramic (Al2O3) and Ni-based super-alloy, on the dielectric behaviour of ceramics. The electric charging phenomenon i.e. trapping–detrapping or diffusion of electric charges is studied by Scanning Electron Microscope Mirror Effect (SEMME) coupled with the Induced Current Method (ICM). Knowing that localized trapped charges in ceramics is a source of damage, the correlation between residual stress intensity, apparent-toughness of ceramics and ability to trap charges near the interface was demonstrated: the SEMME and ICM measurements of the quantities of trapped charges near the interface, highlighted the changes in the ceramic properties related to residual stresses due to both thermo-mechanical effect and diffusion of metallic species in the ceramics, during the bonding process.