Kyocera Corporation

Masafumi Matsunaka

Kiyoshi Yokoyama

Makoto Yoshida

Kazunori Koga

Kazumi Osamura

Shoji Kousaka

Tatsumi Maeda

Disclosed is a silicon nitride sintered body comprising 85 to 99 mole % of .beta.-Si.sub.3 N.sub.4, 1 to 5 mole % as the oxide (M.sub.2 O.sub.3) of at least one compound of an element (M) selected from the group consisting of Sc, Vb, Er, Ho and Dy and less than 10 mole % of excessive oxygen (O.sub.2) based on the three components, wherein the excessive oxygen/M.sub.2 O.sub.3 molar ratio is lower than 2.

Silicon nitride sintered body and process for preparation thereof

Disclosed is a silicon nitride sintered body comprising 85 to 99 mol % of .beta.-Si.sub.3 N.sub.4, 1 to 5 mol % as the oxide (M.sub.2 O.sub.3) of at least one compound of an element (M) selected from the group consisting of Sc, Vb, Er, Ho and Dy and less than 10 mol % of excessive oxygen (O.sub.2) based on the three components, wherein the excessive oxygen/M.sub.2 O.sub.3 molar ratio is lower than 2.

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Kokubu, Japan

Masafumi Matsunaka