ELECTRONIC-STRUCTURE OF METAL CERAMIC INTERFACES

Increasing technological applications of metal-ceramic systems have demanded a fundamental understanding of the properties of interfaces. In this paper, we describe our approach to the study of electronic structure of metal-ceramic interfaces. Electron spectroscopies have been used as primary techniques to investigate the interaction between metal overlayers and ceramic substrates under various experimental conditions. These data are further elucidated by theoretical calculations, from which the electronic structures of the interface have been deduced. A temperature dependence of the band structures of Al2O3 is first discussed, then the evolution of the electronic structure and bonding of Cu and Ni to Al2O3 is studied. The relationship between electronic structures and interfacial properties are also addressed.