Patent ID: 8359905

Claim:
A ceramic heater which comprises: a ceramic substrate having: a heater element which generates heat when energized; and an electrode pad disposed on a surface of the ceramic substrate, the electrode pad being electrically connected to the heater element, and a connection terminal electrically connected to the electrode pad through a braze part bonded to the electrode pad, the braze part being made of an alloy of copper and at least 28 wt % gold and the connection terminal being made of nickel or a nickel alloy, wherein a first region of the braze part within a distance of 15 μm from a contact face between the braze part and the connection terminal has a gold content of more than 6 wt % and less than 10 wt %, and wherein the braze part in a second region disposed farther from the connection terminal than the first region has a gold content that is a maximum gold content within the entire braze part.