4. Function development

A component is usually made up of several different materials: any material on which electrodes are deposited is an example of this. Ceramic technology also makes it possible to create much more complex assemblies. One of the most significant examples of such inhomogeneous components is the multilayer capacitor. During the manufacturing process, the ceramic layers are cast, the metallic inner electrodes are screen-printed, then the layers are assembled and pressed into a block, the ceramic and metallic materials are then co-sintered, the outer electrodes are then added, and the whole assembly then undergoes a further firing. The result is an inhomogeneous component which, using the same metaphor as those used in the titles of