Method for manufacturing multilayer ceramic substrate and composite sheet

Abstract

A high-quality resistor pattern and conductor pattern is formed on an external surface of a multilayer ceramic substrate by an ink jet method. A composite sheet including a first ceramic green layer and a shrinkage-retardant layer is formed, and a resistor pattern and a conductor pattern are formed on the first ceramic green layer of the composite sheet by an ink jet method. Subsequently, a plurality of second ceramic green layers are stacked with the composite sheet such that the shrinkage-retardant layer of the composite sheet defines an outermost layer, thus forming a multilayer composite including an unfired multilayer ceramic substrate and the shrinkage-retardant layer. Then, the multilayer composite is fired, and the shrinkage-retardant layer is removed to obtain a sintered multilayer ceramic substrate.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A pattern-including composite sheet comprising:
 a ceramic green layer including a low-temperature co-fired ceramic material;   a shrinkage-retardant layer disposed on the ceramic green layer and containing a sintering-resistant ceramic powder that is substantially not sintered under a condition for sintering the low-temperature co-fired ceramic material; and   a resistor pattern and/or conductor pattern formed on the ceramic green layer by an ink jet method using a resistor ink and/or a conductor ink.   
     
     
         2 . The pattern-including composite sheet according to  claim 1 , wherein the ceramic green layer has a voidage of about 30% or more. 
     
     
         3 . The pattern-including composite sheet according to  claim 1 , wherein the ceramic green layer contains a binder, and the binder has a solubility of about 14 g or less in the resistor ink and/or the conductor ink. 
     
     
         4 . The pattern-including composite sheet according to claim  1 , wherein the ceramic green layer has a different color than that of the shrinkage-retardant layer. 
     
     
         5 . A composite sheet comprising:
 a ceramic green layer containing a low-temperature co-fired ceramic material; and   a shrinkage-retardant layer disposed on the ceramic green layer and containing a sintering-resistant ceramic powder that is substantially not sintered under a condition for sintering the low-temperature co-fired ceramic material; wherein   the ceramic green layer has a higher voidage than the shrinkage-retardant layer.