Surface metallization of alumina ceramics was carried out by pulsed high energy density plasma (PHEDP). A layer of copper film was deposited on the surface of alumina ceramics. Scanning auger electron microscopy (SAM) analysis revealed that copper diffused deep into the alumina substrate. Bonding of alumina and copper film was good. The reaction between copper and alumina was studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. A copper aluminum oxide unstable at high temperature and very difficult to be synthesized, cubic phase CuAl2O4, was detected. A kinetics complexity in reaction of PHEDP and ceramics was discussed. An adiabatic model was used to describe heating and quenching of the PHEDP processing and analyze the interaction between PHEDP and alumina ceramics. The experimental results suggest that PHEDP method is a useful technology for various metal-ceramics bonding. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.