Glass-ceramic structures and sintered multilayer substrates thereof with circuit patterns of gold, silver or copper

Claim 1

A non-porous sintered glass ceramic article comprising: a microstructure of a pervasive continuous network of 2 to 5 μm crystallite selected from the group consisting of β-spodumene and alphacordierite with the interstices of said β-spodumene network occupied by residual glass having dispersed therein discrete secondary 1 to 2 μm crystallites of lithium metasilicate and the interstices of said alphacordierite network occupied by residual glass having dispersed therein 1 to 2 μm crystallites of clinoenstatite.

Claim 3

A method of making a glass ceramic article comprising forming a glass from a batch containing, by weight ______________________________________ 65 to 75% SiO.sub.2 3.5 to 11% LiO.sub.2 12 to 17% Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 0 to 2.5% B.sub.2 O.sub.3 0 to 2% MgO 0 to 2.5% P.sub.2 O.sub.5 0 to 2% ZnO.sub.2 0 to 3% F ______________________________________ and including from 0 to 2% of at least one oxide selected from the group consisting of CaO and BaO, and from 1.0 to 3.5% of at least one oxide selected from the group consisting of Na 2 O and K 2 O; pulverizing said glass to particle sizes of about 2 to about 7 μm; shaping said glass particles into a desired configuration; heating said shaped particles to a temperature in the range of about 870° to about 1000° C. at a rate not exceeding 2° C./minute; sintering said shaped particles at said temperature for times in the range of 1 to 5 hours to coalesce and crystallize said particles; and cooling said sintered particles at a rate not exceeding 4° C. per minute to a temperature of at least about 400° C.

Claim 4

A method of making a glass ceramic article comprising forming a glass from a batch containing, by weight ______________________________________ 65 to 75% SiO.sub.2 3.5 to 11% LiO.sub.2 12 to 17% Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 0 to 2.5% B.sub.2 O.sub.3 0 to 2% MgO 0 to 2.5% P.sub.2 O.sub.5 0 to 2% ZnO.sub.2 0 to 3% F ______________________________________ and including from 0 to 2% of at least one oxide selected from the group consisting of CaO and BaO, and from 1.0 to 3.5% of at least one oxide selected from the group consisting of Na 2 O and K 2 O; pulverizing said glass to particle sizes of about 2 to about 7 μm; shaping said glass particles into a desired configuration; heating said shaped particles to a temperature in the range of about 870° to about 1000° C. at a rate not exceeding 2° C./minute; sintering said shaped particles at said temperature for times in the range of 1 to 5 hours to coalesce and crystallize said particles; and cooling said sintered particles at a rate not exceeding 4° C. per minute to a temperature of at least about 400° C.

Claim 11

A method of making a glass ceramic article comprising forming a glass from a batch containing, by weight ______________________________________ 48 to 55% SiO.sub.2 0 to 3% P.sub.2 O.sub.5 18 to 25% Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 0 to 2.5% TiO.sub.2 18 to 25% MgO 0 to 2.5% SnO.sub.2, and 0 to 2% ZnO 0 to 2.5% ZrO.sub.2 ; ______________________________________ pulverizing said glass to particle sizes of about 2 to about 7 μm; shaping said glass particles into a desired configuration; heating said shaped particles to a temperature in the range of about 870° to about 1000° C. at a rate not exceeding 2° C./minute; sintering said shaped particles at said temperature for times in the range of 1 to 5 hours to coalesce and crystallize said particles; and cooling said sintered particles at a rate not exceeding 4° C. per minute to a temperature of at least about 400° C.

Claim 12

A method of making a glass ceramic article comprising forming a glass from a batch containing, by weight ______________________________________ 48 to 55% SiO.sub.2 0 to 3% P.sub.2 O.sub.5 18 to 25% Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 0 to 2.5% TiO.sub.2 18 to 25% MgO 0 to 2.5% SnO.sub.2, and 0 to 2% ZnO 0 to 2.5% ZrO.sub.2 ; ______________________________________ pulverizing said glass to particle sizes of about 2 to about 7 μm; shaping said glass particles into a desired configuration; heating said shaped particles to a temperature in the range of about 870° to about 1000° C. at a rate not exceeding 2° C./minute; sintering said shaped particles at said temperature for times in the range of 1 to 5 hours to coalesce and crystallize said particles; and cooling said sintered particles at a rate not exceeding 4° C. per minute to a temperature of at least about 400° C.

Claim 19

A method of forming a glass ceramic composite structure comprising forming at least one green sheet comprised of a thermoplastic organic binder having dispersed therein 2 to 7 μm sized particles of glass selected from the group consisting of β-spodumene and alphacordierite glasses, forming on a surface of a first said green sheet a pattern of an electrical conductor forming composition; superimposing a second said sheet on said surface of said first sheet to sandwich said pattern therebetween; laminating said superimposed sheets together; heating said laminate to a temperature in the range of about 870° C. to about 1000° C. at a rate not exceeding 2° C. per minute; firing said laminate at said temperature to (a) decompose and eliminate said binder, and (b) to coalesce and crystallize the said glass of said laminate into a glass ceramic structure having said electrical conductor pattern extending within the interior thereof.

Claim 20

A method of forming a glass ceramic composite structure comprising forming at least one green sheet comprised of a thermoplastic organic binder having dispersed therein 2 to 7 μm sized particles of glass selected from the group consisting of β-spodumene and alphacordierite glasses, forming on a surface of a first said green sheet a pattern of an electrical conductor forming composition; superimposing a second said sheet on said surface of said first sheet to sandwich said pattern therebetween; laminating said superimposed sheets together; heating said laminate to a temperature in the range of about 870° C. to about 1000° C. at a rate not exceeding 2° C. per minute; firing said laminate at said temperature to (a) decompose and eliminate said binder, and (b) to coalesce and crystallize the said glass of said laminate into a glass ceramic structure having said electrical conductor pattern extending within the interior thereof.