Patent ID: 7351935

Claim:
A method for producing a ceramic heater in which firing is conducted in a state where an element green body in which at least a portion containing a conductive ceramic that is to become a heating element after firing is integrated with a powder or green body of an insulating ceramic that is to become a substrate after firing, said ceramic heater comprising said substrate and said heating element, wherein said method comprises: molding an element green body having an annular portion; integrating said element green body with said powder or green body of an insulating ceramic, to form an integrated element holding body; and firing said integrated element holding body to form a fired body so that a first part of said annular portion becomes said heating element, wherein the molding step comprises forming said element green body, including said first part, from a powder of a conductive ceramic by injection molding, and said method further comprises, after the integrating step, cutting or grinding the integrated element holding body to open a second part of the annular portion so that the heating element remains, wherein said ceramic heater is a rod-shaped ceramic heater, in said molding step, said element green body having said annular portion comprises: two lead portions disposed along a longitudinal direction of said ceramic heater; said first part which connects one-end sides of said lead portions togvther; and a connecting portion which connects said lead portions together on a side of other ends with respect to said heating portion, said opening step comprises removing at least a part of said fired body so that a rear end face of said fired body is formed and removing at least a part of said connecting portion, and wherein said connecting portion has an approximately U-shape.