Multilayer electronic component

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a multilayer electronic component. The multilayer electronic component includes: a body having first and second internal electrodes, and first and second auxiliary electrodes spaced apart from each other, where the first and second internal electrodes are alternately arranged, and the first and second auxiliary electrodes are spaced apart from each other; the first auxiliary electrode and the second auxiliary electrode are arranged between the first inner electrode and the second inner electrode; a first external electrode connected to the first internal electrode and the first auxiliary electrode; and a second external electrode connected to the second internal electrode and the second auxiliary electrode, in which a portion of the first internal electrode overlaps the second auxiliary electrode, and a portion of the second internal electrode overlaps the first auxiliary electrode.

Description

[0001] This application claims the benefit of priority from Korean Patent Application No. 10-2023-0102776 filed in the Korean Intellectual Property Office on August 7, 2023, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Technical Field

[0002] The present disclosure relates to a multi-layer electronic assembly. Background Art

[0003] A multilayer ceramic capacitor (MLCC, a type of multilayer electronic component) may be a chip capacitor mounted on a printed circuit board of various electronic products such as an image display device (including a liquid crystal display (LCD) or a plasma display panel (PDP)), a computer, a smart phone, or a mobile phone and used to charge or discharge the same. The multilayer ceramic capacitor has a small size, achieves high capacitance, and is easy to mount, and thus can be used as a component of various electronic devices.

[0004] Recently, the demand for multilayer ceramic capacitors has been increasing, and multilayer ceramic capacitors may be required not only for IT products such as existing smartphones, notebook computers, etc., but also for electrical / electronic products and industrial products such as electric vehicles, autonomous driving, etc. Therefore, research on multilayer ceramic capacitors having high reliability in a high-voltage environment is required.

[0005] Figure 8 1 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a cross section of a conventional multilayer ceramic capacitor. The conventional multilayer ceramic capacitor may include: a body 10 including first and second internal electrodes 21 and 22 alternately disposed with a dielectric layer 11 interposed between the first and second internal electrodes 21 and 22; and first and second external electrodes 31 and 32 connected to the first and second internal electrodes, respectively.

[0006] In a conventional multilayer ceramic capacitor, since the area of ​​the capacitor forming portion in which the first internal electrode 21 and the second internal electrode 22 are alternately arranged and the dielectric layer 11 is interposed between the first internal electrode 21 and the second internal electrode 22 to form a capacitor is large, there is the following problem: in a high-voltage environment, a large amount of deformation occurs due to the contraction and expansion of the sheet body, and piezoelectric cracks occur in the main body 10 due to the contraction and expansion of the sheet body.

[0007] In order to solve such a problem, a method of increasing the thickness of the cover portion, the thickness of the edge portion and / or the thickness of the dielectric layer, a method of introducing a buffer layer or a method of introducing a floating electrode may be considered. However, since these methods may reduce the area of ​​the capacitor forming portion in the body, the capacitance of the multilayer ceramic capacitor may inevitably decrease.

[0008] Therefore, there is a need to study the design of a multilayer structure that can improve the withstand voltage and suppress the occurrence of cracks due to piezoelectric stress while minimizing the decrease in capacitance of the multilayer ceramic capacitor. Summary of the invention

[0009] An aspect of the present disclosure is to improve withstand voltage, suppress occurrence of cracks due to piezoelectric stress, and minimize reduction in capacitance.

[0010] However, the purpose of the present disclosure is not limited to the above contents and will be more easily understood in the process of describing specific embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0011] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a multilayer electronic component includes: a body having a first surface and a second surface opposite to each other in a first direction, a third surface and a fourth surface connected to the first surface and the second surface and opposite to each other in the second direction, and a fifth surface and a sixth surface connected to the first surface to the fourth surface and opposite to each other in a third direction, and including a first inner electrode layer, a second inner electrode layer and an auxiliary electrode layer, the first inner electrode layer including a first dielectric layer and a first inner electrode disposed on the first dielectric layer, the second inner electrode layer including a second dielectric layer and a second inner electrode disposed on the second dielectric layer, the auxiliary electrode layer including a third dielectric layer and a second inner electrode disposed on the third dielectric layer, The invention further comprises a first auxiliary electrode and a second auxiliary electrode disposed on the third surface and spaced apart from each other in the second direction, wherein the first inner electrode layer and the second inner electrode layer are alternately disposed in the first direction and the auxiliary electrode layer is interposed between the first inner electrode layer and the second inner electrode layer; a first external electrode disposed on the third surface and connected to the first inner electrode and the first auxiliary electrode; and a second external electrode disposed on the fourth surface and connected to the second inner electrode and the second auxiliary electrode, wherein a portion of the first inner electrode overlaps with the second auxiliary electrode in the first direction and a portion of the second inner electrode overlaps with the first auxiliary electrode in the first direction.

[0012] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a multilayer electronic component includes: a body having a first surface and a second surface opposite to each other in a first direction, a third surface and a fourth surface connected to the first surface and the second surface and opposite to each other in the second direction, and a fifth surface and a sixth surface connected to the first surface to the fourth surface and opposite to each other in a third direction, the body including a plurality of first inner electrode layers, a plurality of second inner electrode layers, and a plurality of auxiliary electrode layers, each of the first inner electrode layers including a first dielectric layer and a first inner electrode disposed on the first dielectric layer, each of the second inner electrode layers including a second dielectric layer and a second inner electrode disposed on the second dielectric layer, each of the auxiliary electrode layers including a third dielectric layer and a first inner electrode disposed on the third dielectric layer and spaced apart from each other in the second direction Auxiliary electrodes and second auxiliary electrodes, wherein the plurality of first inner electrode layers and the plurality of second inner electrode layers are alternately arranged in the first direction, and the auxiliary electrode layers are interposed between the first inner electrode layers and the second inner electrode layers; a first outer electrode, arranged on the third surface and connected to the first inner electrode and the first auxiliary electrode; and a second outer electrode, arranged on the fourth surface and connected to the second inner electrode and the second auxiliary electrode, wherein a portion of the first inner electrode is overlapped with the second auxiliary electrode in the first direction, and a portion of the second inner electrode is overlapped with the first auxiliary electrode in the first direction, and some of the plurality of auxiliary electrode layers are arranged in the central portion of the body in the first direction. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013] The above and other aspects, features and advantages of the present disclosure will be more clearly understood through the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0014] Figure 1 is a perspective view schematically illustrating a multilayer electronic component according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0015] Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view schematically showing a main body of a multilayer electronic component according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0016] Figure 3 It is schematically shown Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of a section taken along line II'.

[0017] Figure 4 It is schematically shown Figure 3 A cross-sectional view of a section taken along line II-II'.

[0018] Figure 5 It is schematically shown Figure 3 A cross-sectional view of a section taken along line III-III'.

[0019] Figure 6 It is schematically shown Figure 3 A cross-sectional view of a section taken along line IV-IV'.

[0020] Figure 7 yes Figure 3 A variation example of .

[0021] Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a cross section of a conventional multilayer ceramic capacitor.

[0022] Fig. 9 is a diagram showing simulation results of measuring the first direction displacement and the piezoelectric stress. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to specific example embodiments and the accompanying drawings. However, embodiments of the present disclosure may be illustrated in many different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the specific embodiments set forth herein. The example embodiments disclosed herein are provided to better explain the present disclosure to those skilled in the art. In the accompanying drawings, for the sake of clarity, the shapes and sizes of the elements may be exaggerated, and the same reference numerals will always be used to represent the same or similar elements.

[0024] In addition, in order to clearly illustrate the present disclosure in the drawings, the contents irrelevant to the description are omitted, and since the size (e.g., thickness) of each component shown in the drawings is arbitrarily shown for the convenience of description, the present disclosure is not limited thereto. In addition, the same reference numerals are used to describe components having the same functions within the same conceptual scope. Throughout the specification, unless otherwise specified, when a part "includes" or "contains" a component, this indicates that other components are not excluded and other components may be further included.

[0025] In the drawings, a first direction may be defined as a thickness direction, a second direction may be defined as a length direction, and a third direction may be defined as a width direction.

[0026] Multilayer electronic components

[0027] Figure 1 is a perspective view schematically illustrating a multilayer electronic component according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0028] Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view schematically showing a main body of a multilayer electronic component according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0029] Figure 3 It is schematically shown Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of a section taken along line II'.

[0030] Figure 4 It is schematically shown Figure 3 A cross-sectional view of a section taken along line II-II'.

[0031] Figure 5 It is schematically shown Figure 3 A cross-sectional view of a section taken along line III-III'.

[0032] Figure 6 It is schematically shown Figure 3 A cross-sectional view of a section taken along line IV-IV'.

[0033] In the following, reference will be made to Figures 1 to 6 The multilayer electronic component 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is described in detail. In addition, a multilayer ceramic capacitor (hereinafter, referred to as "MLCC") will be described as an example of a multilayer electronic component, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and examples of multilayer electronic components may also include various multilayer electronic components such as inductors, piezoelectric elements, varistors, thermistors, etc.

[0034] A multilayer electronic component 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include: a main body 110 in which first and second internal electrode layers 120a and 120b are alternately arranged in a first direction and an auxiliary electrode layer 120c is interposed between the first and second internal electrode layers 120a and 120b; and external electrodes 131 and 132.

[0035] Although the specific shape of the body 110 is not particularly limited, as shown in the figure, the body 110 may have a hexahedral shape or a shape similar to the hexahedral shape. Due to the shrinkage of the ceramic powder included in the body 110 during the sintering process or the polishing of the corners of the body 110, the body 110 may not have a hexahedral shape with perfect straight lines, but may generally have a hexahedral shape.

[0036] The body 110 may have a first surface 1 and a second surface 2 opposite to each other in a first direction, a third surface 3 and a fourth surface 4 connected to the first surface 1 and the second surface 2 and opposite to each other in the second direction, and a fifth surface 5 and a sixth surface 6 connected to the first surface 1, the second surface 2, the third surface 3 and the fourth surface 4 and opposite to each other in a third direction.

[0037] The plurality of dielectric layers 111 forming the main body 110 may be in a sintered state, and adjacent dielectric layers 111 may be integrated to an extent that it is difficult to identify the boundary between adjacent dielectric layers 111 without using a scanning electron microscope (SEM). The plurality of dielectric layers 111 may include: a first dielectric layer 111a, on which a first internal electrode 121 may be disposed; a second dielectric layer 111b, on which a second internal electrode 122 may be disposed; and a third dielectric layer 111c, on which a first auxiliary electrode 123 and a second auxiliary electrode 124 are spaced apart from each other in a second direction. Hereinafter, the description of the dielectric layer 111 may equally apply to the first dielectric layer 111a, the second dielectric layer 111b, and the third dielectric layer 111c.

[0038] The dielectric layer 111 may be formed by: preparing a ceramic slurry containing ceramic powder particles, an organic solvent, and a binder, coating the ceramic slurry on a carrier film and drying it to prepare a green ceramic sheet, and then sintering the green ceramic sheet. The ceramic powder particles are not particularly limited as long as sufficient capacitance can be obtained using them. For example, a barium titanate-based material, a lead composite perovskite-based material, a strontium titanate-based material, etc. may be used. Examples of the ceramic powder particles may include BaTiO3 or (Ba 1-x Ca x )TiO3 (0 < x < 1), Ba(Ti 1-y Ca y )O3 (0 < y < 1), (Ba 1-x Ca x )(Ti 1-y Zr y )O3 (0 < x < 1, 0 < y < 1), Ba(Ti 1-y Zr y )O3 (0 < y < 1), etc.

[0039] The main body 110 may include: a first internal electrode layer 120a including the first dielectric layer 111a and the first internal electrode 121 disposed on the first dielectric layer; a second internal electrode layer 120b including the second dielectric layer 111b and the second internal electrode 122 disposed on the second dielectric layer; and an auxiliary electrode layer 120c including the third dielectric layer 111c and the first auxiliary electrode 123 and the second auxiliary electrode 124 disposed on the third dielectric layer and spaced apart from each other in a second direction, wherein the first internal electrode layer 120a and the second internal electrode layer 120b may be alternately disposed in a first direction, and the auxiliary electrode layer 120c is interposed between the first internal electrode layer 120a and the second internal electrode layer 120b.

[0040] The first inner electrode 121 of the first inner electrode layer 120a may be exposed to the third surface 3 and spaced apart from the fourth surface 4. The second inner electrode 122 of the second inner electrode layer 120b may be exposed to the fourth surface 4 and spaced apart from the third surface 3. In the auxiliary electrode layer 120c, the first auxiliary electrode 123 may be exposed to the third surface 3, and the second auxiliary electrode 124 may be exposed to the fourth surface 4.

[0041] Therefore, the first inner electrode 121 of the first inner electrode layer 120a and the first auxiliary electrode 123 of the auxiliary electrode layer 120c can be connected to the first outer electrode 131 set on the third surface 3, and the second inner electrode 122 of the second inner electrode layer 120b and the second auxiliary electrode 124 of the auxiliary electrode layer 120c can be connected to the second outer electrode 132 set on the fourth surface 4.

[0042] In one embodiment, some of the auxiliary electrode layers 120 c may be disposed in a central portion of the body 110 in the first direction.

[0043] The conductive metal included in the internal electrodes 121 and 122 and the auxiliary electrodes 123 and 124 may be one or more of nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), palladium (Pd), silver (Ag), gold (Au), platinum (Pt), tin (Sn), tungsten (W), titanium (Ti), and alloys thereof, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0044] The internal electrodes 121 and 122 and the auxiliary electrodes 123 and 124 may be formed by coating a conductive paste containing a conductive metal on a ceramic green sheet to have a predetermined thickness and sintering. In addition, the internal electrodes 121 and 122 and the auxiliary electrodes 123 and 124 may also be formed by printing a conductive paste containing a conductive metal. The printing method of the conductive paste may include a screen printing method, a gravure printing method, etc., but the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0045] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a portion of the first internal electrode 121 may overlap the second auxiliary electrode 124 in the first direction, and a portion of the second internal electrode 122 may overlap the first auxiliary electrode 123 in the first direction.

[0046] As in the prior art, when the first internal electrode layer 120a and the second internal electrode layer 120b are alternately arranged without the auxiliary electrode layer 120c, and a high voltage is applied to the external electrodes 131 and 132, an electric field may be applied to the capacitor forming portion having a large area, causing the main body 110 to shrink and expand to a large extent, and there may be a problem of piezoelectric cracks occurring in the main body 110 due to such shrinkage and expansion.

[0047] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the capacitor forming parts Ac1, Ac2 and Ac3 may be provided as a plurality of capacitor forming parts Ac1, Ac2 and Ac3 due to the auxiliary electrode layer 120c provided between the first inner electrode layer 120a and the second inner electrode layer 120b. Since the voltage applied to each of the capacitor forming parts Ac1, Ac2 and Ac3 can be effectively distributed, the problem of piezoelectric stress can be solved and the occurrence of cracks caused by piezoelectric stress can be prevented. Specifically, in an embodiment of the present disclosure, a portion of the first inner electrode 121 may overlap with the second auxiliary electrode 124 in the first direction, and a portion of the second inner electrode 122 may overlap with the first auxiliary electrode 123 in the first direction, so that the capacitor may also be formed between the first inner electrode 121 and the second auxiliary electrode 124, between the second inner electrode 122 and the first auxiliary electrode 123, and between the first inner electrode 121 and the second inner electrode 122. As a result, the withstand voltage can be increased and the reduction of the capacitance of the multilayer electronic component 100 can be minimized.

[0048] Hereinafter, the capacitance forming parts Ac1, Ac2 and Ac3 will be described in more detail. Figure 3 and Figure 4 , the body 110 may include a plurality of first capacitor forming parts Ac1, in which two first auxiliary electrodes 123 adjacent to each other in the first direction are arranged with the second internal electrode 122 interposed therebetween. Figure 3 and Figure 5 , the body 110 may include a plurality of second capacitance forming parts Ac2 in which two second auxiliary electrodes 124 adjacent to each other in the first direction are disposed with the first internal electrode 121 interposed therebetween.

[0049] Each of the plurality of first capacitance forming parts Ac1 and the plurality of second capacitance forming parts Ac2 may be sequentially arranged in the first direction. Figure 3 As shown in , the plurality of first capacitance forming parts Ac1 may be arranged to be staggered with the plurality of second capacitance forming parts Ac2 in the first direction. Figure 3 As shown in , the plurality of first capacitance forming parts Ac1 may at least partially overlap the plurality of second capacitance forming parts Ac2 in the second direction.

[0050] Since the first inner electrode 121 and the first auxiliary electrode 123 located between two first capacitor forming parts Ac1 disposed adjacent to each other have the same polarity, a plurality of first capacitor forming parts Ac1 spaced apart from each other may be formed. Similarly, since the second inner electrode 122 and the second auxiliary electrode 124 located between two second capacitor forming parts Ac2 disposed adjacent to each other have the same polarity, a plurality of second capacitor forming parts Ac2 spaced apart from each other may be formed. That is, in the present disclosure, a plurality of first capacitor forming parts Ac1 are spaced apart in the first direction, and a plurality of second capacitor forming parts Ac2 are spaced apart in the first direction.

[0051] The piezoelectric stress may be proportional to the square of the electric field (V / d, where V is the voltage and d is the distance between the electrodes) and may be proportional to the number of stacks of dielectric layers disposed between the electrodes. Since the total number of stacks of dielectric layers 111b and 111c included in the plurality of first capacitor forming portions Ac1 and the total number of stacks of dielectric layers 111a and 111c included in the plurality of second capacitor forming portions Ac2 may be respectively Figure 8 The conventional multilayer ceramic capacitor shown in FIG. 1 has approximately half the total stacked number of dielectric layers included in the capacitance forming portion, and thus can effectively reduce the piezoelectric stress acting on the plurality of first capacitance forming portions Ac1 and the plurality of second capacitance forming portions Ac2.

[0052] In addition, the body 110 may include a third capacitance forming part Ac3 in which the first and second internal electrodes 121 and 122 are alternately disposed through a region in which the first and second auxiliary electrodes 123 and 124 are spaced apart from each other in the second direction.

[0053] For example, unlike the first capacitance forming portion Ac1 and the second capacitance forming portion Ac2 which may be formed in plural, one third capacitance forming portion Ac3 may be formed in the central portion in the second direction of the body 110. Therefore, the size of the third capacitance forming portion Ac3 in the first direction may be larger than the size of the first capacitance forming portion Ac1 in the first direction and the size of the second capacitance forming portion Ac2 in the first direction, respectively.

[0054] In addition, unlike the first capacitance forming part Ac1 and the second capacitance forming part Ac2, the third capacitance forming part Ac3 may have two dielectric layers disposed between the first internal electrode 121 and the second internal electrode 122. Figure 6 As shown in FIG. 1 , between the first internal electrode 121 and the second internal electrode 122, a first dielectric layer 111a and a third dielectric layer 111c stacked in the first direction may be provided, or a second dielectric layer 111b and a third dielectric layer 111c stacked in the first direction may be provided. Since the total stacking number of dielectric layers included in the third capacitance forming portion Ac3 is Figure 8The conventional multilayer ceramic capacitor shown in FIG. 1 is half the total number of stacked dielectric layers included in the capacitance forming portion, and the distance between the electrodes in the third capacitance forming portion Ac3 is the same as that of the first capacitance forming portion Ac1 and the second capacitance forming portion Ac2 or Figure 8 The distance between the electrodes in the capacitance forming portion of the conventional multilayer ceramic capacitor shown in the figure is approximately twice that of the distance between the electrodes in the capacitance forming portion, so the piezoelectric stress acting on the third capacitance forming portion Ac3 can be reduced to approximately 1 / 8 of the piezoelectric stress acting on the capacitance forming portion in the conventional multilayer ceramic capacitor.

[0055] For example, the multilayer electronic component 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure can reduce the piezoelectric stress acting on each of the capacitor forming parts by forming several capacitor forming parts (for example, a first capacitor forming part Ac1, a second capacitor forming part Ac2, and a third capacitor forming part Ac3), and can minimize the degradation of the capacitance.

[0056] In an embodiment, based on the cross-section of the body 110 in the first direction and the second direction, when L1 is the length of the region where the second inner electrode 122 and the first auxiliary electrode 123 overlap each other in the first direction (or referred to as the overlapping length), L2 is the length of the region where the first inner electrode 121 and the second auxiliary electrode 124 overlap each other in the first direction (or referred to as the overlapping length), and L3 is the distance between the first auxiliary electrode 123 and the second auxiliary electrode 124 in the second direction, L1+L2>L3 may be satisfied.

[0057] The distance between the first inner electrode 121 and the second inner electrode 122 in the third capacitance forming part Ac3 in the first direction may be about twice the distance between the inner electrodes 121 and 122 and the auxiliary electrodes 123 and 124 in the first capacitance forming part Ac1 and the second capacitance forming part Ac2 in the first direction. Therefore, as the distance L3 between the first auxiliary electrode 123 and the second auxiliary electrode 124 in the second direction increases, although the area occupied by the third capacitance forming part Ac3 may increase to reduce the piezoelectric stress, since the capacitance may be inversely proportional to the distance between the electrodes, the third capacitance forming part Ac3 may be disadvantageous in terms of the realization of capacitance compared to the first capacitance forming part Ac1 and the second capacitance forming part Ac2. Therefore, in order to realize the capacitance of the multilayer electronic component 100, it is desirable to satisfy L1+L2>L3. In addition, in order to realize the capacitance of the multilayer electronic component 100, it is desirable to satisfy L1>L3 and L2>L3, respectively.

[0058] L1 and L2 do not need to be particularly limited, for example, if Lo is the size of the body in the second direction, 0.5×Lo≤L1+L2≤0.9×Lo may be satisfied. When L1+L2 is less than 0.5×Lo, it may be difficult to achieve the capacitance of the multilayer electronic component 100, and when L1+L2 exceeds 0.9×Lo, the effect of reducing the piezoelectric stress may be insufficient.

[0059] L3 is not particularly limited, and for example, 0.05×Lo≤L3≤0.4×Lo may be satisfied. When L3 is less than 0.05×Lo, the effect of reducing the piezoelectric stress may be insufficient, and there may be a risk of a short circuit between the first auxiliary electrode 123 and the second auxiliary electrode 124. In addition, when L3 is greater than 0.4×Lo, it may be difficult to achieve the capacitance of the multilayer electronic component 100.

[0060] For example, L1 to L3 may be measured by scanning a cross section in the first and second directions cut from the center of the body 110 in the third direction with a scanning electron microscope (SEM). More specifically, L1 to L3 may refer to: in the cross section in the first and second directions of the body 110, an overlapping length L1 of the second inner electrode 122 and the first auxiliary electrode 123 adjacent to each other in the central region in the first direction of the cross section, an overlapping length L2 of the first inner electrode 121 and the second auxiliary electrode 124 adjacent to each other in the central region in the first direction of the cross section, and a distance L3 at which the first auxiliary electrode 123 and the second auxiliary electrode 124 disposed in the central region in the first direction of the cross section are spaced apart from each other in the second direction. In order to generalize L1 to L3, L1 may be an average value measured from 10 pairs of the second inner electrode 122 and the first auxiliary electrode 123, L2 may be an average value measured from 10 pairs of the first inner electrode 121 and the second auxiliary electrode 124, and L3 may be an average value measured from 10 pairs of the first auxiliary electrode 123 and the second auxiliary electrode 124. Lo may mean a maximum size of the body 110 in the second direction when first and second direction cross sections cut from the center of the body 110 in the third direction are scanned with a scanning electron microscope (SEM).

[0061] The body 110 may include a stacking portion SP in which first and second internal electrode layers 120a and 120b are alternately disposed with an auxiliary electrode layer 120c interposed therebetween, and a first cover portion CP1 and a second cover portion CP2 disposed on two surfaces of the stacking portion that are opposite to each other in a first direction, respectively. The cover portions CP1 and CP2 may be substantially used to prevent damage to the internal electrodes due to physical stress and / or chemical stress.

[0062] The first internal electrode 121 , the second internal electrode 122 , the first auxiliary electrode 123 , and the second auxiliary electrode 124 are not disposed in the cover parts CP1 and CP2 , and the cover parts CP1 and CP2 may have a structure in which a single dielectric layer 111 or two or more dielectric layers 111 are stacked.

[0063] In one embodiment, the stack portion SP may not have the first and second internal electrodes 121 and 122 directly adjacent to each other without any of the first and second auxiliary electrodes 123 and 124 interposed therebetween. That is, the stack portion SP may not have the first and second internal electrode layers 120a and 120b directly adjacent to each other. That is, the stack portion SP may not have the first and second internal electrode layers 120a and 120b directly adjacent to each other. That is, the auxiliary electrode layer 120c may be disposed between the first and second internal electrode layers 120a and 120b directly adjacent to each other.

[0064] The average thickness of the covering parts CP1 and CP2 may not need to be particularly limited. In order to miniaturize the multilayer electronic component and increase the capacitance of the multilayer electronic component, the average thickness of the covering parts CP1 and CP2 may be 300 μm or less, 200 μm or less, 100 μm or less, 30 μm or less, or 20 μm or less. In this case, the average thickness of the covering parts CP1 and CP2 means the average thickness of each of the first covering part CP1 and the second covering part CP2.

[0065] The average thickness of the covering parts CP1 and CP2 may mean the average size of the covering parts CP1 and CP2 in the first direction, and the average thickness of the covering parts CP1 and CP2 may be: the average value of the size in the first direction measured at five points equally spaced in the second direction based on the cross-section of the main body 110 in the first direction and the second direction.

[0066] Figure 7 yes Figure 3 A variation of this example. Figure 7 , the cover parts CP1 and CP2 may include a first dummy electrode 125 connected to the first external electrode 131 and a second dummy electrode 126 spaced apart from the first dummy electrode and connected to the second external electrode 132 .

[0067] The dummy electrodes 125 and 126 may be used to improve the moisture resistance reliability and mechanical strength of the multilayer electronic component. The number or shape of the dummy electrodes 125 and 126 need not be particularly limited. For example, the size of the dummy electrodes 125 and 126 in the second direction may be smaller than the size of the auxiliary electrodes 123 and 124 in the second direction. Figure 7In each of the first cover portion CP1 and the second cover portion CP2, the first dummy electrode 125 and the second dummy electrode 126 are respectively provided in the singular, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and the first dummy electrode 125 and the second dummy electrode 126 may be respectively arranged in the plural number according to the purpose. In addition, the first dummy electrode 125 may be spaced apart from the second internal electrode 122 in the second direction, and the second dummy electrode 126 may be spaced apart from the first internal electrode 121 in the second direction.

[0068] The body 110 may include a first edge portion MP1 and a second edge portion MP2, which are respectively disposed on two surfaces of the stack portion SP that are opposite to each other in the third direction. For example, the edge portions MP1 and MP2 may be regions from the ends of the internal electrodes 121 and 122 and the ends of the auxiliary electrodes 123 and 124 to the outer surface of the body 110 in the cross section of the body 110 in the first direction and the third direction.

[0069] In the edge portions MP1 and MP2, the internal electrodes 121 and 122 and the auxiliary electrodes 123 and 124 are not disposed, and the edge portions MP1 and MP2 may include the same material as that of the dielectric layer 111. The edge portions MP1 and MP2 may substantially serve to prevent the internal electrodes 121 and 122 and the auxiliary electrodes 123 and 124 from being damaged due to physical stress and / or chemical stress.

[0070] The edge portions MP1 and MP2 may be formed by coating a conductive paste on an area of ​​the ceramic green sheet other than an area where the edge portions are to be formed and sintering. Alternatively, in order to suppress the step difference, after stacking, cutting may be performed so that the internal electrodes 121 and 122 and the auxiliary electrodes 123 and 124 are exposed to two surfaces of the stack portion SP opposite to each other in the third direction, and then a single dielectric layer or two or more dielectric layers may be stacked on two surfaces of the stack portion SP opposite to each other in the third direction to form the edge portions MP1 and MP2.

[0071] The average thickness of the edge portions MP1 and MP2 (i.e., the average size in the third direction) may not need to be particularly limited. However, in order to miniaturize the multilayer electronic component and increase the capacitance of the multilayer electronic component, the average thickness of the edge portions MP1 and MP2 may be 100 μm or less, 20 μm or less, or 15 μm or less. In this case, the average thickness of the edge portions MP1 and MP2 refers to the average thickness of each of the first edge portion MP1 and the second edge portion MP2.

[0072] The average thickness of the edge portions MP1 and MP2 may be an average value of dimensions in the third direction measured at five points equally spaced in the first direction based on cross sections of the body 110 in the first and third directions.

[0073] The external electrodes 131 and 132 may be disposed on the third surface 3 and the fourth surface 4 of the body 110, and may be disposed to extend to a portion of the first surface 1, a portion of the second surface 2, a portion of the fifth surface 5, and a portion of the sixth surface 6. The external electrodes 131 and 132 may include a first external electrode 131 connected to the first internal electrode 121 and the first auxiliary electrode 123, and a second external electrode 132 connected to the second internal electrode 122 and the second auxiliary electrode 124.

[0074] The external electrodes 131 and 132 may include: electrode layers 131a and 132a, which are disposed on the third surface 3 and the fourth surface 4 of the body 110 and connected to the internal electrodes 121 and 122 and the auxiliary electrodes 123 and 124; and plating layers 131b and 132b, which are disposed on the electrode layers 131a and 132a. Specifically, the first external electrode 131 may include a first electrode layer 131a disposed on the third surface 3 and connected to the first internal electrode 121 and the first auxiliary electrode 123, and a first plating layer 131b disposed on the first electrode layer 131a, and the second external electrode 132 may include a second electrode layer 132a disposed on the fourth surface 4 and connected to the second internal electrode 122 and the second auxiliary electrode 124, and a second plating layer 132b disposed on the second electrode layer 132a.

[0075] The electrode layers 131a and 132a may include a conductive metal and glass. The conductive metal included in the electrode layers 131a and 132a may be used to ensure electrical connectivity, and the glass may be used to improve bonding with the body 110.

[0076] The conductive metal included in the electrode layers 131a and 132a may use any material as long as it has conductivity, and a specific material may be determined in consideration of electrical characteristics, structural stability, etc. For example, the conductive metal included in the electrode layers 131a and 132a may be one or more selected from the group consisting of nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), palladium (Pd), silver (Ag), gold (Au), platinum (Pt), tin (Sn), tungsten (W), titanium (Ti), and alloys thereof.

[0077] The electrode layers 131 a and 132 a may be composed of only a single layer including a conductive metal and glass, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and the electrode layers 131 a and 132 a may have a multi-layer structure.

[0078] For example, the electrode layers 131a and 132a may include a first layer including a conductive metal and glass and a second layer disposed on the first layer and including a conductive metal and a resin. Since the electrode layers 131a and 132a include the second layer, the bending strength of the multilayer electronic component 100 may be improved.

[0079] The conductive metal included in the second layer is not particularly limited, and may be one or more selected from the group consisting of nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), palladium (Pd), silver (Ag), gold (Au), platinum (Pt), tin (Sn), tungsten (W), titanium (Ti) and alloys thereof.

[0080] The conductive metal included in the second layer may include one or more of a spherical powder and a flaky powder. For example, the conductive metal included in the second layer may be made only in a flaky form, may be made only in a spherical form, or may be made in a mixed form of a flaky form and a spherical form. In this case, the spherical form may also include a shape that may not be completely spherical, for example, a shape in which the length ratio of the major axis to the minor axis (major axis / minor axis) is 1.45 or less. Flake-like refers to a flat and elongated shape, and is not particularly limited, for example, the length ratio of the major axis to the minor axis (major axis / minor axis) may be 1.95 or greater. The lengths of the major and minor axes of the spherical powder and the flaky powder may be measured from an image obtained by scanning a cross section in the first direction and the second direction cut from the central portion of the multilayer electronic component in the third direction with a scanning electron microscope (SEM).

[0081] The resin included in the second layer can ensure adhesiveness and absorb impact. The resin is not particularly limited as long as it has adhesiveness and impact absorption and can be mixed with the conductive metal powder to make a paste, and can include, for example, one or more types selected from epoxy resin, acrylic resin, ethyl cellulose, etc.

[0082] In addition, the second layer may include a plurality of metal particles, an intermetallic compound and a resin. By including the intermetallic compound, electrical connectivity with the first layer may be improved. The intermetallic compound is used to improve electrical connectivity by connecting a plurality of metal particles, and may be used to surround and connect a plurality of metal particles to each other.

[0083] In this case, the intermetallic compound may include a metal having a melting point lower than the curing temperature of the resin. For example, because the intermetallic compound may include a metal having a melting point lower than the curing temperature of the resin, the metal having a melting point lower than the curing temperature of the resin may melt during the drying and curing process, some of the metal particles and the intermetallic compound may be formed, and the intermetallic compound may surround the metal particles. In this case, the intermetallic compound may preferably include a low melting point metal of 300° C. or less.

[0084] In an embodiment, the second layer may include Sn. During the drying and curing process, Sn may melt, and the melted Sn may wet high melting point metal particles such as Ag, Ni, or Cu by capillary action, and may react with some of the high melting point metal particles such as Ag, Ni, or Cu to form intermetallic compounds such as Ag3Sn, Ni3Sn4, Cu6Sn5, Cu3Sn, etc. High melting point such as Ag, Ni, or Cu that does not participate in the reaction may remain in the form of metal particles.

[0085] Thus, the plurality of metal particles may include one or more of Ag, Ni, and Cu, and the intermetallic compound may include one or more of Ag3Sn, Ni3Sn4, Cu6Sn5, and Cu3Sn.

[0086] The plating layers 131b and 132b can improve the mounting characteristics. The types of the plating layers 131b and 132b are not particularly limited, and may be plating layers containing nickel (Ni), tin (Sn), palladium (Pd) and / or their alloys, and may be formed into multiple layers. The plating layers 131b and 132b may be, for example, nickel (Ni) plating layers or tin (Sn) plating layers, or may be prepared by sequentially forming nickel (Ni) plating layers and tin (Sn) plating layers. In addition, the plating layers 131b and 132b may include multiple nickel (Ni) plating layers and / or multiple tin (Sn) plating layers.

[0087] Although the drawings show a structure in which the multilayer electronic component 100 has two external electrodes 131 and 132 , it is not limited thereto, and the number, shape, etc. of the external electrodes 131 and 132 may vary according to the shape of the internal electrode or other purposes.

[0088] The average thickness of the dielectric layer 111 is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, 0.1 μm to 10 μm. In addition, the average thickness of the dielectric layer 111 may be arbitrarily set according to desired characteristics or purposes. For example, in a high voltage electrical / electronic component, the average thickness of the dielectric layer may be less than 2.8 μm, and in a small IT electronic component, the average thickness of the dielectric layer may be 0.4 μm or less to achieve miniaturization and high capacitance, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0089] The average thickness of the inner electrodes 121 and 122 and the average thickness of the auxiliary electrodes 123 and 124 do not need to be particularly limited, and may be, for example, 0.1 μm to 3 μm, respectively. In addition, the average thickness of the inner electrodes 121 and 122 and the average thickness of the auxiliary electrodes 123 and 124 may be arbitrarily set according to the desired characteristics or purpose. For example, in a high-voltage electrical / electronic component, the average thickness of the inner electrodes 121 and 122 and the average thickness of the auxiliary electrodes 123 and 124 may be less than 1 μm, and in a small IT electronic component, the average thickness of the inner electrodes 121 and 122 and the average thickness of the auxiliary electrodes 123 and 124 may be 0.4 μm or less, respectively, to achieve miniaturization and high capacitance, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0090] Generally, as the thickness of the dielectric layer 111 or the internal electrodes 121 and 122 becomes thinner, cracks due to piezoelectric stress may easily occur, which may reduce the reliability of the multilayer electronic component. The multilayer electronic component according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may have a structure in which the first internal electrode layer 120a and the second internal electrode layer 120b are alternately arranged and the auxiliary electrode layer 120c is interposed therebetween to effectively distribute the voltage applied to the capacitor forming parts Ac1, Ac2, and Ac3. Therefore, even if the average thickness of the dielectric layer 111, the average thickness of the internal electrodes 121 and 122, and the average thickness of the auxiliary electrodes 123 and 124 are thinned to meet the above range, the reliability of the multilayer electronic component can be good.

[0091] In an embodiment, if the average thickness of the dielectric layer 111 is td and the average thickness of the internal electrodes 121 and 122 is te, td>2×te may be satisfied. In a high voltage electrical / electronic component, the breakdown voltage characteristic may be improved by making the average thickness of the dielectric layer 111 greater than twice the average thickness of the internal electrodes 121 and 122 to prevent a decrease in the breakdown voltage in a high voltage environment.

[0092] In this case, the average thickness of the dielectric layer 111, the average thickness of the internal electrodes 121 and 122, and the average thickness of the auxiliary electrodes 123 and 124 respectively mean the size of the dielectric layer 111 in the first direction, the size of the internal electrodes 121 and 122 in the first direction, and the size of the auxiliary electrodes 123 and 124 in the first direction. The average thickness of the dielectric layer 111, the average thickness of the internal electrodes 121 and 122, and the average thickness of the auxiliary electrodes 123 and 124 may be measured by scanning a cross section of the body 110 in the first direction and the second direction at a magnification of 10000 using a scanning electron microscope (SEM).

[0093] More specifically, the average thickness of the dielectric layer 111 may be determined by measuring its thickness at a plurality of points (e.g., 30 points equally spaced in the second direction) of one dielectric layer 111. In addition, the average thickness of the internal electrodes 121 and 122 may be determined by measuring its thickness at a plurality of points (e.g., 30 points equally spaced in the second direction) of one internal electrode 121 or 122. The average thickness of the auxiliary electrodes 123 and 124 may be determined by measuring its thickness at a plurality of points (e.g., 30 points equally spaced in the second direction) of one auxiliary electrode 123 or 124.

[0094] When such an average value is determined by extending the measurement of the average value to 10 dielectric layers 111, 10 internal electrodes 121 and 122, and 10 auxiliary electrodes 123 and 124, the corresponding average thickness can be more generalized. 30 equally spaced apart can be specified in the stacked portion SP. For example, the average thickness of the dielectric layer 111 may mean the average thickness of the first dielectric layer 111a, the average thickness of the second dielectric layer 111b, and / or the average thickness of the third dielectric layer 111c.

[0095] The overall size of the multilayer electronic component 100 is not particularly limited. For example, the size of the multilayer electronic component 100 in the second direction may be 0.1 mm to 4.5 mm, the size of the multilayer electronic component 100 in the third direction may be 0.05 mm to 3.2 mm, and the size of the multilayer electronic component 100 in the first direction may be 0.05 mm to 2.5 mm.

[0096] Fig. 9 is a diagram showing simulation results of measuring the first direction displacement and the piezoelectric stress.

[0097] Specifically, the comparative example is Figure 8 The conventional multilayer ceramic capacitor shown in , and Experimental Examples 1 and 2 are multilayer electronic components according to embodiments of the present disclosure. In this case, the size of the body of the comparative example, Experimental Example 1 and Experimental Example 2 in the second direction is set to 4.0 mm, and the size of the body of the comparative example, Experimental Example 1 and Experimental Example 2 in the third direction is set to 3.0 mm, respectively.

[0098] In the comparative example, Figure 8The length of the capacitor forming portion in which the first inner electrode 21 and the second inner electrode 22 are stacked in the stacking direction (i.e., the size in the second direction) is set to 2.0mm. In Experimental Example 1, the length of the first capacitor forming portion Ac1 and the length of the second capacitor forming portion Ac2 are set to 1.25mm, and the length of the third capacitor forming portion Ac3 is set to 0.7mm. In Experimental Example 2, the length of the first capacitor forming portion Ac1 and the length of the second capacitor forming portion Ac2 are set to 1.40mm, and the length of the third capacitor forming portion Ac3 is set to 0.4mm. Afterwards, the number of stacks is determined so that the capacitance of the comparative example, the capacitance of Experimental Example 1, and the capacitance of Experimental Example 2 are 100pF respectively, and in this case, the first direction displacement and piezoelectric stress are measured by simulation.

[0099] Reference Fig. 9 It can be confirmed that, compared with the comparative example, in Experimental Examples 1 and 2, the first direction displacement is reduced by about 40%, and the piezoelectric stress is reduced by about 20%. As a result, it can be confirmed that, when having the same capacitance, the present disclosure can reduce the piezoelectric stress more effectively than the prior art.

[0100] The present disclosure is not limited by the above-mentioned embodiments and drawings, but is intended to be limited by the appended claims. Therefore, within the scope of the technical spirit of the present disclosure described in the claims, those skilled in the art will be able to make various forms of replacement, modification and change, and this will also be considered to fall within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0101] In addition, the expression "embodiment" does not indicate the same embodiment, and is provided to emphasize and describe different features. However, it is not excluded that the embodiment presented above is implemented in combination with the features of another embodiment. For example, unless there is a description that is opposite or contradictory to the content in another embodiment, even if the content described in a specific embodiment is not described in another embodiment, it can also be understood as a description related to another embodiment.

[0102] In addition, expressions such as first and second are used to distinguish one component from another component, and do not limit the order and / or importance of the components. In some cases, without departing from the scope of the present disclosure, the first element may be named as the second element, and similarly, the second element may be named as the first element.

[0103] As one of many effects of the present disclosure, it is possible to improve the withstand voltage, suppress the occurrence of cracks due to piezoelectric stress, and minimize the decrease in capacitance.

[0104] While example embodiments have been shown and described above, it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that modifications and variations may be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure as defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A multilayer electronic component comprising: A body having a first surface and a second surface opposite to each other in a first direction, a third surface and a fourth surface connected to the first surface and the second surface and opposite to each other in the second direction, and a fifth surface and a sixth surface connected to the first surface to the fourth surface and opposite to each other in a third direction, the body comprising a first inner electrode layer, a second inner electrode layer and an auxiliary electrode layer, the first inner electrode layer comprising a first dielectric layer and a first inner electrode arranged on the first dielectric layer, the second inner electrode layer comprising a second dielectric layer and a second inner electrode arranged on the second dielectric layer, the auxiliary electrode layer comprising a third dielectric layer and a first auxiliary electrode and a second auxiliary electrode arranged on the third dielectric layer and spaced apart from each other in the second direction, wherein the first inner electrode layer and the second inner electrode layer are alternately arranged in the first direction, and the auxiliary electrode layer is interposed between the first inner electrode layer and the second inner electrode layer; a first external electrode disposed on the third surface and connected to the first internal electrode and the first auxiliary electrode; and a second outer electrode disposed on the fourth surface and connected to the second inner electrode and the second auxiliary electrode, A portion of the first inner electrode overlaps the second auxiliary electrode in the first direction, and a portion of the second inner electrode overlaps the first auxiliary electrode in the first direction.

2. The multilayer electronic component according to claim 1, wherein the multilayer electronic component satisfies L1+L2>L3, wherein: Based on the cross-section of the body in the first direction and the second direction, L1 is the length of the area where the second inner electrode and the first auxiliary electrode overlap each other in the first direction in the second direction, L2 is the length of the area where the first inner electrode and the second auxiliary electrode overlap each other in the first direction in the second direction, and L3 is the distance between the first auxiliary electrode and the second auxiliary electrode in the second direction. 3 . The multilayer electronic component according to claim 2 , further satisfying L1>L3 and L2>L3.

4. The multilayer electronic component according to claim 2, further satisfying 0.5×Lo≤L1+L2≤0.9×Lo, wherein Lo is the dimension of the body in the second direction.

5. The multilayer electronic component according to claim 2, further satisfying 0.05×Lo≤L3≤0.4×Lo, wherein Lo is the dimension of the body in the second direction.

6. The multilayer electronic component according to claim 1, wherein: The main body includes: a plurality of first capacitance forming parts, each of which includes two first auxiliary electrodes adjacent to each other in the first direction, and the second internal electrode is interposed between the two first auxiliary electrodes; a plurality of second capacitance forming parts, each of which includes two second auxiliary electrodes adjacent to each other in the first direction, and the first internal electrode is interposed between the two second auxiliary electrodes; and a third capacitance forming part, including portions of the first internal electrode and the second internal electrode located in a region where the first auxiliary electrode and the second auxiliary electrode are spaced apart from each other in the second direction.

7. The multilayer electronic component according to claim 6, wherein: The plurality of first capacitance forming portions are spaced apart in the first direction, and the plurality of second capacitance forming portions are spaced apart in the first direction, and The plurality of first capacitance forming portions are arranged to be staggered from the plurality of second capacitance forming portions in the first direction.

8. The multilayer electronic component according to claim 1, wherein The main body includes: a stacking portion in which the first internal electrode layers and the second internal electrode layers are alternately arranged with the auxiliary electrode layer interposed between the first internal electrode layers and the second internal electrode layers; and a covering portion arranged on two surfaces of the stacking portion opposite to each other in the first direction.

9. The multilayer electronic component according to claim 8, wherein: The first internal electrode, the second internal electrode, the first auxiliary electrode, and the second auxiliary electrode are not disposed in the cover portion.

10. The multilayer electronic component according to claim 8, wherein The covering part includes a first dummy electrode connected to the first external electrode and a second dummy electrode spaced apart from the first dummy electrode and connected to the second external electrode.

11. The multilayer electronic component according to claim 10, wherein: The first dummy electrode is spaced apart from the second internal electrode in the second direction, and the second dummy electrode is spaced apart from the first internal electrode in the second direction.

12. A multilayer electronic component comprising: A body having a first surface and a second surface opposite to each other in a first direction, a third surface and a fourth surface connected to the first surface and the second surface and opposite to each other in the second direction, and a fifth surface and a sixth surface connected to the first surface to the fourth surface and opposite to each other in a third direction, the body comprising a plurality of first inner electrode layers, a plurality of second inner electrode layers and a plurality of auxiliary electrode layers, each of the first inner electrode layers comprising a first dielectric layer and a first inner electrode disposed on the first dielectric layer, each of the second inner electrode layers comprising a second dielectric layer and a second inner electrode disposed on the second dielectric layer, each of the auxiliary electrode layers comprising a third dielectric layer and a first auxiliary electrode and a second auxiliary electrode disposed on the third dielectric layer and spaced apart from each other in the second direction, wherein the plurality of first inner electrode layers and the plurality of second inner electrode layers are alternately disposed in the first direction, and the auxiliary electrode layers are interposed between the first inner electrode layers and the second inner electrode layers; a first external electrode disposed on the third surface and connected to the first internal electrode and the first auxiliary electrode; and a second outer electrode disposed on the fourth surface and connected to the second inner electrode and the second auxiliary electrode, wherein a portion of the first inner electrode overlaps the second auxiliary electrode in the first direction, and a portion of the second inner electrode overlaps the first auxiliary electrode in the first direction, and Wherein, some of the plurality of auxiliary electrode layers are disposed in a central portion of the body in the first direction.

13. The multilayer electronic component according to claim 12, wherein: The main body includes: a plurality of first capacitance forming parts, each of which includes two first auxiliary electrodes adjacent to each other in the first direction, and the second internal electrode is interposed between the two first auxiliary electrodes; a plurality of second capacitance forming parts, each of which includes two second auxiliary electrodes adjacent to each other in the first direction, and the first internal electrode is interposed between the two second auxiliary electrodes; and a third capacitance forming part, including portions of the first internal electrode and the second internal electrode located in a region where the first auxiliary electrode and the second auxiliary electrode are spaced apart from each other in the second direction.

14. The multilayer electronic component according to claim 13, wherein: The plurality of first capacitance forming portions are spaced apart in the first direction, and the plurality of second capacitance forming portions are spaced apart in the first direction, and The plurality of first capacitance forming portions are arranged to be staggered from the plurality of second capacitance forming portions in the first direction.

15. The multilayer electronic component according to claim 12, wherein: The main body includes: a stacking portion in which the first internal electrode layers and the second internal electrode layers are alternately arranged with the auxiliary electrode layer interposed between the first internal electrode layers and the second internal electrode layers; and a covering portion arranged on two surfaces of the stacking portion opposite to each other in the first direction.

16. The multilayer electronic component according to claim 15, wherein The auxiliary electrode layer is disposed between the first internal electrode layer and the second internal electrode layer directly adjacent to each other.

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