This topical book, containing as it does state-of-the-art reviews, neatly encompasses the current status of research into ceramic materials.The topics covered include: Thermal barrier coatings on nickel superalloy substrates; Silicon nitride ceramics; Challenges to the integration of piezoelectric ceramics into micro-electromechanical systems; When should microwaves be used to process technical ceramics?; Ceramic and glass matrix composites containing carbon nanotubes; Stresses in multilayered ceramics subjected to biaxial flexure; Advanced nano-scale metrology for the characterization of ceramic materials in the scanning electron microscope; Finite element calculation of sintering deformation using limited experimental data; Microstructural modeling of ferroelectric materials: state-of-the-art challenges and opportunities; Processing, microstructure and properties of nanograin barium titanate ceramics by spark plasma sintering.These authoritative articles represent critical overviews of the most important developments made in ceramic science and technology, and will be of lasting interest and value.