Hot-pressed Si3N4 was brazed to 410-stainless steel using a Ag-Cu-Ti alloy foil in a vacuum. The occurrence of cracking due to processing was examined by systematically varying the brazing temperature and time between 840 and 900 degrees C and 6 and 60 min, respectively. Cracks were found in Si3N4 parallel to the bonding interface when the braze joints were processed at the tower temperatures (for all processing times at 840 degrees C and for times of 6 and 12 min at 860 degrees C). A reaction layer was observed to develop in the filler metal adjacent to Si3N4, rich in Ti and containing some Si. The thickness of this layer depended on brazing temperature and time. Microcracks were found in the reaction layer normal to the bonding interface in the joints processed at higher brazing temperatures (880 degrees C for 60 min and at 900 degrees C for 30 and 60 min). The low temperature cracks occurred, apparently, as a result of the incomplete relaxation of thermal stresses due to the presence of a hard continuous titanium strip in the filler metal; the high temperature microcracks seemed to be affected by the increase in thickness of the reaction layer and by the precipitation of intermetallic compounds. The compressive shear strength of the braze joints were evaluated and correlated with the cracking behaviour and microstructure changes in the joint. A strong braze joint was obtained when the reaction layer was relatively thin and no cracks were present in either the reaction layer or the Si3N4.