NOVELTY - The ceramic article comprises a monolithic crucible body (201) comprising 20 vol.% of silicon oxynitride, and a coating layer (202) overlying an external surface of the monolithic crucible body. The silicon oxynitride extends throughout the entire volume of the monolithic crucible body. The crucible body has a crucible coefficient of thermal expansion (CTEc) of less than 2x 10-6 1/ degrees C from 20 degrees C to 200 degrees C, a Young's Modulus (E) of 10 GPa, a shear modulus (G) of 5 GPa, and a porosity of 5 vol.%. The crucible body comprises a composite material.    USE - The ceramic article including a crucible body is useful in processing and containing materials during high temperature processing, for holding molten material such as molten silicon, which is useful to form semiconductor components and electronic devices such as solar cells, and for forming single crystal ingots of materials to form products in the electronic industry, optical industry and renewable energy industry.    ADVANTAGE - The ceramic article exhibits high purity, enhanced wetting characteristics, improved thermo-mechanical properties including reduced cracking and controlled coefficient of thermal expansion, and low chemical reactivity.    DETAILED DESCRIPTION - The ceramic article comprises a monolithic crucible body (201) comprising 20 vol.% of silicon oxynitride (SixNyO), where x and y are greater than 0, and a coating layer (202) overlying an external surface of the monolithic crucible body. The silicon oxynitride extends throughout the entire volume of the monolithic crucible body. The crucible body has a crucible coefficient of thermal expansion (CTEc) of less than 2x 10-6 1/ degrees C from 20 degrees C to 200 degrees C, a Young's Modulus (E) of 10 GPa, a shear modulus (G) of 5 GPa, and a porosity of 5 vol.%. A difference in coefficient of thermal expansion ( Delta CTE) between the CTEc and a coefficient of thermal expansion of metal silicon (CTEs) defined by an equation of Delta CTE = ((CTEc-CTEs)/CTEs) is 2%. The crucible body comprises a composite material including a second material in addition to a silicon oxynitride, and a third material (less than 12 vol.%) comprising an oxide and silica. A ratio of the silicon oxynitride to silicon nitride is greater than 0.7. A content of silicon oxynitride is greater than a content of silica. The third material comprises a crystalline phase (90 vol.%) and a vitreous phase, where a ratio of vitreous phase to crystalline phase is less than 0.3. The second material consists of nitrides, oxides, carbides and/or oxynitrides. The external surface is an inner bowl surface (205) of the monolithic crucible body. The coating layer has an average thickness of 0.01 mm. The coating layer comprises a material consisting of carbides, nitrides, oxides, borides and/or oxynitrides. The coating layer has a porosity, which is less than a porosity of the monolithic crucible body. An INDEPENDENT CLAIM is included for a method of forming a ceramic article.    DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING(S) - The diagram shows a schematic cross-sectional view of a crucible body.    Crucible (200)    Crucible body (201)    Coating layer (202)    Exterior surface (203)    Inner bowl surface. (205)