| abstract |
A ceramic heater including a ceramic body and a heating element buried in the ceramic body under the surface of thereof is provided, wherein metal pads are disposed on the outside of the ceramic body and electrically connected to the heating element, outer leads are joined by a braze layer onto a metal plated layer covering each of the pads, and the braze layer contains an amount of 500 ppm or less by weight of palladium in a brazing metal material based on Au, Cu, or Ni. The plated layer may be formed on the surface of the metal pads which have been activated with an activating solution containing an amount of 90 ppm of less by weight of Pd, in order to reduce the Pd content as defined above in the braze layer, preventing the braze layer from being cracked and enhancing the useful life of the ceramic heater. |