A series of Al-Ni reactive multilayer with different modulation periods were fabricated by DC magnetron sputtering process, and transient-liquid-phase (TLP) bonding of copper and Al2O3 ceramic was carried out by the multilayer foils. The microstructure of the as-deposited foils and the cermet joint were investigated. The reaction behaviors of Al/Ni multilayers were characterized by means of DSC and X-ray diffraction. The results show that the application of Al/Ni multilayer foils not only decreases the joining temperature of the copper and Al2O3 ceramic, but also improves the quality of the joint