Multilayer electronic component

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a multilayer electronic component including: a body including dielectric layers and internal electrodes alternately disposed in a first direction, the first surface and the second surface are opposite to each other in the first direction; a third surface and a fourth surface connected to the first surface and the second surface and opposed to each other in a second direction; and a fifth surface and a sixth surface connected to the first surface to the fourth surface and opposed to each other in a third direction; the insulating layer is arranged on the first surface, the second surface, the fifth surface and the sixth surface and comprises at least one of Al2O3 and BN; and an external electrode disposed on the main body, in which each of the first surface and the second surface is recessed into the main body.

Description

[0001] This application claims the benefit of priority from Korean Patent Application No. 10-2023-0114470 filed on August 30, 2023 in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference. 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, a mobile phone, etc., and used to charge or discharge the same.

[0004] Since multilayer ceramic capacitors can have a small size and high capacitance and can be easily mounted, such multilayer ceramic capacitors can be used as components of various electronic devices. In addition, recently, applications for multilayer ceramic capacitors, including servers and automotive electronic components, have increased. Therefore, there is a need to develop MLCCs with higher specifications and reliability than before. Summary of the invention

[0005] The present disclosure is to provide a multi-layer electronic component with improved reliability.

[0006] The present disclosure is to provide a multi-layer electronic component that prevents cracks.

[0007] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a multilayer electronic component includes: a main body, including dielectric layers and internal electrodes alternately arranged in a first direction, and including a first surface and a second surface opposite to each other in the first direction, a third surface and a fourth surface opposite to each other and connected to the first surface and the second surface in the second direction, and a fifth surface and a sixth surface opposite to each other in the third direction and connected to the first surface to the fourth surface; an insulating layer arranged on the first surface, the second surface, the fifth surface and the sixth surface, and including at least one of Al2O3 and BN; an external electrode arranged on the main body, wherein each of the first surface and the second surface is recessed into the main body.

[0008] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a multilayer electronic component includes: a main body, including dielectric layers and internal electrodes alternately arranged in a first direction, and including a first surface and a second surface opposite to each other in the first direction, a third surface and a fourth surface opposite to each other and connected to the first surface and the second surface in the second direction, and a fifth surface and a sixth surface opposite to each other in the third direction and connected to the first surface to the fourth surface; an insulating layer arranged on the first surface, the second surface, the fifth surface and the sixth surface, and including BN; and an external electrode arranged on the main body. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] 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: Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a multilayer electronic component according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; Figure 2 It is along Figure 1 A cross-sectional view taken along line II' in FIG. Figure 3 It is along Figure 1 A cross-sectional view taken along line II-II'; Figure 4 It is shown Figure 2 An enlarged view of area K1 in FIG. Figure 5 is a diagram showing a cross section of a WT of a comparative example; Figure 6 is corresponding to Figure 4 and illustrates diagrams of embodiments of the present disclosure; Figure 7 is corresponding to Figure 4 and a diagram showing another embodiment of the present disclosure; and Figure 8 is corresponding to Figure 4 A diagram showing another embodiment of the present disclosure is also provided. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0011] These embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the present invention. It should be understood that the various embodiments of the present disclosure are different, but not necessarily mutually exclusive. For example, without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure, the structure, shape and size described as an example in the embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented in another embodiment. In addition, without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure, the position or arrangement of the elements in the embodiments may be modified. Therefore, the following detailed description should not be regarded as having a restrictive meaning, and the scope of the present invention is limited only by the appended claims properly interpreted and the full scope of equivalent schemes given by the claims.

[0012] In the accompanying drawings, the same elements will be indicated by the same reference numerals. In addition, redundant descriptions and detailed descriptions of known functions and elements that may unnecessarily obscure the subject matter of the present disclosure will be omitted. In the accompanying drawings, some elements may be exaggerated, omitted or briefly shown, and the size of the elements does not necessarily reflect the actual size of these elements. The terms "comprise", "comprising", "constructed to", etc. in the specification are used to indicate the presence of features, quantities, steps, operations, elements, parts or combinations thereof, and do not exclude the possibility of combining or adding one or more features, quantities, steps, operations, elements, parts or combinations thereof.

[0013] In the drawings, a first direction may be defined as a thickness (T) direction, a second direction may be defined as a length (L) direction, and a third direction may be defined as a width (W) direction.

[0014] Multilayer electronic components Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a multilayer electronic component according to an embodiment.

[0015] Figure 2 It is along Figure 1 A cross-sectional view taken along line II' in FIG.

[0016] Figure 3 It is along Figure 1 A cross-sectional view taken along line II-II'.

[0017] Figure 4 It is shown Figure 2 Magnified view of area K1 in FIG.

[0018] In the following, reference will be made to Figures 1 to 4 The multilayer electronic component 100 according to the embodiment is described in detail. A multilayer ceramic capacitor will be described as an example of the multilayer electronic component, but the embodiment of the multilayer electronic component is not limited thereto, and the present disclosure can also be applied to other various multilayer electronic components, such as an inductor, a piezoelectric element, a varistor, or a thermistor.

[0019] The multilayer electronic component 100 may include: a main body 110, including a dielectric layer 111 and internal electrodes 121 and 122 alternately arranged in a first direction, and including a first surface 1 and a second surface 2 opposite to each other in the 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 to the fourth surface and opposite to each other in the third direction; an insulating layer 140 arranged on the first surface, the second surface, the fifth surface and the sixth surface; and external electrodes 131 and 132 arranged on the main body.

[0020] In an embodiment, the insulating layer 140 may include BN.

[0021] In an embodiment, the insulating layer 140 may include one or more of Al2O3 and BN, and the first surface and the second surface may be recessed toward the center of the body 110 in the first direction (hereinafter, simply referred to as "recessed into the body"), thus having a concave shape recessed into the body.

[0022] In the ceramic used as the material for the dielectric layer 111, regardless of the type of the material, due to its characteristics, permanent deformation (such as viscous flow and / or plastic deformation) may occur during the high-temperature firing process, which may cause deformation of the sheet, and stress accompanied by volume change due to the deformation may occur. The stress may include mechanical stress and thermal stress in a complex manner, and due to the stress, cracks may be generated in the sheet or the sheet may be destroyed.

[0023] Therefore, in an embodiment, by providing a ceramic material having a shrinkage rate different from that of the body during the firing process on the surface of the body, the deformation characteristics of the ceramic material can be used to relieve stress during sintering, so that cracks can be prevented and the shape of the body can be controlled.

[0024] Reference Figure 5 , in the conventional body 10 (as a comparative example in which an insulating layer is not provided on the surface of the body), the thickness of the body may increase due to the shrinkage of the internal electrode pattern in the sintering process, and the cover portion may have a convex shape, which may cause a cap convex phenomenon, and the edge portion may have a concave shape. When the cover portion has a convex shape as in the conventional body 10, when an electric field is applied to the MLCC sheet, the sheet may expand in the T direction (thickness direction) due to the reverse piezoelectric phenomenon, which may cause cracks.

[0025] Unlike a conventional body, according to the embodiment, by providing an insulating layer on the surface of the body, a capping phenomenon of the body 110 may be prevented during a sintering process, so that cracks may be suppressed.

[0026] Hereinafter, each element included in the multilayer electronic component 100 according to the embodiment will be described.

[0027] In the body 110 , dielectric layers 111 and internal electrodes 121 and 122 may be alternately stacked.

[0028] 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 and the second surface 2 and the third surface 3 and the fourth surface 4 and opposite to each other in a third direction.

[0029] In an embodiment, the first surface 1 and the second surface 2 of the body 110 may have a concave shape that is concave inwardly of the body 110. Since the first surface 1 and the second surface 2 of the body 110 are concave inwardly of the body 110, cracks caused by expansion in the T direction (thickness direction) due to the inverse piezoelectric phenomenon may be prevented.

[0030] In an embodiment, in a cross-section cut along the first direction and the third direction at the center of the multilayer electronic component 100 in the second direction, when the minimum dimension of the multilayer electronic component 100 in the first direction (i.e., the minimum dimension of the central portion of the multilayer electronic component 100 in the third direction in the first direction) is defined as Tc, and the maximum dimension of the multilayer electronic component 100 in the first direction (i.e., the maximum dimension of the end portion of the multilayer electronic component 100 in the third direction in the first direction) is defined as Te, Tc / Te may be less than 1.000 and greater than 0.950.

[0031] In the cross-sections taken along the first direction and the third direction, the multilayer electronic component 100 may be divided into five regions in the third direction, the size of the multilayer electronic component 100 in the first direction may be measured at five points at equal distances in the first region or the fifth region (e.g., the end portion), and the maximum size may be defined as Te. The size of the multilayer electronic component 100 in the first direction may be measured at five points at equal distances in the third region (e.g., the central portion), and the minimum size may be defined as Tc. Even if not described in the present disclosure, other methods and / or other tools understood by those of ordinary skill in the art may be used.

[0032] In an embodiment, the fifth surface 5 and the sixth surface 6 of the body 110 may be recessed toward the center of the body 110 in the third direction (hereinafter, simply referred to as “recessed into the body”), thus having a concave shape recessed into the body.

[0033] In addition, in a cross-section taken along the first direction and the third direction at the center of the multilayer electronic component 100 in the second direction, when the minimum dimension of the multilayer electronic component 100 in the third direction (i.e., the minimum dimension of the central part of the multilayer electronic component 100 in the first direction in the third direction) is defined as Wc, and the maximum dimension of the multilayer electronic component 100 in the third direction (i.e., the maximum dimension of the end part of the multilayer electronic component 100 in the first direction in the third direction) is defined as We, Wc / We may be less than 1.000 and greater than 0.950.

[0034] In the cross-section along the first direction and the third direction, the multilayer electronic component 100 may be divided into five regions in the first direction, the dimension of the multilayer electronic component 100 in the third direction may be measured at five points at equal distances in the first region or the fifth region (e.g., the end portion), and the maximum dimension may be defined as We. The dimension of the multilayer electronic component 100 in the third direction may be measured at five points at equal distances in the third region (e.g., the central portion), and the minimum dimension may be defined as Wc. Even if not described in the present disclosure, other methods and / or other tools understood by those of ordinary skill in the art may be used.

[0035] In an embodiment, the third surface 3 and the fourth surface 4 of the body 110 may be recessed toward the center of the body 110 in the second direction (hereinafter, simply referred to as “recessed into the body”), thus having a concave shape recessed into the body.

[0036] In addition, in a cross-section of the multilayer electronic component 100 taken along the first direction and the second direction at the center in the third direction, when the minimum dimension of the main body 110 in the second direction (i.e., the minimum dimension of the central part of the main body 110 in the first direction in the second direction) is defined as Lc, and the maximum dimension of the main body 110 in the second direction (i.e., the maximum dimension of the end part of the main body 110 in the first direction in the second direction) is defined as Le, Lc / Le is less than 1.000 and greater than 0.950.

[0037] In the cross section along the first direction and the second direction, the multilayer electronic component 100 may be divided into five regions in the first direction, the size of the body in the second direction may be measured at five points at equal distances in the first region or the fifth region (e.g., the end portion), and the maximum size may be defined as Le. The size of the body in the second direction may be measured at five points at equal distances in the third region (e.g., the central portion), and the minimum size may be defined as Lc. Even if not described in the present disclosure, other methods and / or other tools understood by those of ordinary skill in the art may be used.

[0038] The multiple dielectric layers 111 forming the main body 110 may be in a fired state, and adjacent dielectric layers 111 may be integrated with each other such that it is difficult to identify the boundary between them without using a scanning electron microscope (SEM). The number of stacked dielectric layers is not limited to any specific example and may be determined in consideration of the size of the multi-layer electronic component. For example, the main body may be formed by stacking more than 400 dielectric layers.

[0039] The dielectric layer 111 may be formed by preparing a ceramic slurry including ceramic powder, an organic solvent, an additive, and a binder, preparing a green sheet by coating the ceramic slurry on a carrier film and drying the ceramic slurry, and firing the green sheet. The ceramic powder is not limited to any specific example as long as sufficient electrostatic capacitance can be obtained using it. Examples of the ceramic powder may include BaTiO3, (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), and Ba(Ti 1-y Zr y )O3 (0 < y < 1).

[0040] The dielectric layer 111 may include one or more of BaTiO3, (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), and Ba(Ti 1-y Zr y )O3 (0 < y < 1). Thus, during firing, the difference in shrinkage rate between the dielectric layer 111 and the insulating layer 140 can be easily controlled, such that the shape of the main body can be easily controlled.

[0041] In an embodiment, the dielectric layer 111 may include a material having a shrinkage rate lower than that of the insulating layer 140 during firing as a main component. When the dielectric layer 111 has a shrinkage rate higher than that of the insulating layer 140 during firing, a capping phenomenon may occur excessively during the sintering process, so that the first surface and the second surface may easily have a convex shape. When the dielectric layer 111 has a shrinkage rate lower than that of the insulating layer 140 during firing, the capping phenomenon may be suppressed in the sintering process, and further, the first surface and the second surface may easily have a concave shape. The shrinkage rate can be determined by measuring and comparing the dimensions (e.g., length, width, and thickness) of the material layer before and after firing. Even if not described in the present disclosure, other methods and / or other tools understood by a person of ordinary skill in the art may also be used.

[0042] The average thickness of the dielectric layer 111 may not be limited to any specific example, and the average thickness of at least one of the dielectric layers 111 may be greater than or equal to 0.1µm and less than or equal to 10µm. In addition, the average thickness of the dielectric layer 111 may be arbitrarily determined according to the desired characteristics or uses. For example, in the case of a high-voltage electronic component for a vehicle, the average thickness of at least one of the dielectric layers 111 may be 0.5µm or greater, and in order to achieve capacitance of a multilayer electronic component, the average thickness of at least one of the dielectric layers 111 may be less than 2.8µm.

[0043] The main body 110 may include: a capacitor forming portion Ac, in which a first internal electrode 121 and a second internal electrode 122 arranged in the main body 110 are opposite to each other and a dielectric layer 111 is interposed between the first internal electrode 121 and the second internal electrode 122 to form a capacitor; and covering portions 112 and 113 formed above and below the capacitor forming portion Ac in the first direction.

[0044] In addition, the capacitance forming part Ac may contribute to forming the capacitance of the capacitor and may be formed by repeatedly stacking a plurality of first internal electrodes 121 and a plurality of second internal electrodes 122 with the dielectric layer 111 interposed therebetween.

[0045] The cover portions 112 and 113 may include an upper cover portion 112 disposed on the capacitance forming portion Ac in the first direction, and a lower cover portion 113 disposed under the capacitance forming portion Ac in the first direction.

[0046] The upper cover 112 and the lower cover 113 may be formed by stacking a single dielectric layer or two or more dielectric layers on the upper and lower surfaces of the capacitance forming part Ac in the thickness direction, respectively, and may substantially prevent damage to the internal electrodes due to physical stress and / or chemical stress.

[0047] The upper cover 112 and the lower cover 113 do not include an internal electrode, and may include the same material as that of the dielectric layer 111 .

[0048] That is, the upper cover 112 and the lower cover 113 may include a ceramic material, for example, a barium titanate (BaTiO 3 )-based ceramic material.

[0049] The thickness of the covering portions 112 and 113 may not be limited to any specific example. For example, the average thickness of the covering portions 112 and 113 may be 300µm or less, or may be 1%-20% of the size of the main body in the first direction. Here, the average thickness of the covering portions 112 and 113 may indicate the average thickness of the upper covering portion 112 and / or the lower covering portion 113. The average thickness of the covering portions 112 and 113 may refer to the average size of the covering portions 112 and 113 in the first direction, and may be the average value of the first direction size measured at five points at equal distances in a cross section of the main body 110 in the first direction and the second direction.

[0050] In addition, edge portions 114 and 115 may be provided on the side surfaces of the capacitance forming portion Ac.

[0051] The edge portions 114 and 115 may include: a first edge portion 114 disposed on one side surface of the capacitance forming portion Ac in the third direction (ie, the width direction); and a second edge portion 115 disposed on the other side surface of the capacitance forming portion Ac in the third direction. That is, the edge portions 114, 115 may be disposed on the side surface of the capacitance forming portion Ac in the width direction.

[0052] like Figure 3 As shown, the edge portions 114 and 115 may refer to regions between both ends of the first and second internal electrodes 121 and 122 and the outer surface of the body 110 in a width-thickness cross section of the body 110 .

[0053] The edge portions 114 and 115 may substantially prevent damage to the internal electrodes due to physical stress and / or chemical stress.

[0054] The edge portions 114 and 115 may be formed by not coating the conductive paste on regions of the ceramic green sheets where the edge portions are to be formed when forming the internal electrodes 121 and 122 by coating the conductive paste on the ceramic green sheets and sintering the conductive paste.

[0055] In addition, in order to suppress the step difference caused by the internal electrodes 121 and 122, the edge portions 114 and 115 may be formed in the following manner: after stacking ceramic green sheets to obtain a laminate, the laminate is cut to expose the internal electrodes to two side surfaces of the capacitor forming portion blank that are opposite in the third direction, and a single dielectric layer or two or more dielectric layers are stacked on two side surfaces of the capacitor forming portion blank in the third direction (width direction).

[0056] The width of the edge portions 114 and 115 may not be limited to any specific example. For example, the average width of the edge portions 114 and 115 may be less than 400 μm, or may be 1%-15% of the dimension of the body in the third direction.

[0057] The average width of the edge portions 114 and 115 may refer to an average size in the third direction of an area where the inner electrode is spaced apart from the fifth surface, an average size in the third direction of an area where the inner electrode is spaced apart from the sixth surface, or an average value of the sizes of the edge portions 114 and 115 in the third direction measured at five points at equal distances on the side surface of the capacitor forming portion Ac.

[0058] The internal electrodes 121 and 122 may include a first internal electrode 121 and a second internal electrode 122. The first internal electrodes 121 and the second internal electrodes 122 may be alternately disposed opposite to each other with the dielectric layer 111 located therebetween, and the first internal electrodes 121 and the second internal electrodes 122 may be exposed to the third surface 3 and the fourth surface 4 of the body 110, respectively.

[0059] The first inner electrode 121 may be spaced apart from the fourth surface 4 and may be exposed to the third surface 3, and the second inner electrode 122 may be spaced apart from the third surface 3 and may be exposed to the fourth surface 4. The first outer electrode 131 may be disposed on the third surface 3 of the body and may be connected to the first inner electrode 121, and the second outer electrode 132 may be disposed on the fourth surface 4 of the body and may be connected to the second inner electrode 122.

[0060] That is, the first internal electrode 121 is not connected to the second external electrode 132 and is connected to the first external electrode 131, and the second internal electrode 122 is not connected to the first external electrode 131 and is connected to the second external electrode 132. Therefore, the first internal electrode 121 may be spaced apart from the fourth surface 4 by a predetermined distance, and the second internal electrode 122 may be spaced apart from the third surface 3 by a predetermined distance. In addition, the first internal electrode 121 and the second internal electrode 122 may be spaced apart from the fifth and sixth surfaces of the body 110.

[0061] The conductive metal included in the internal electrodes 121 and 122 may be one or more of Ni, Cu, Pd, Ag, Au, Pt, In, Sn, Al, Ti, and alloys thereof, but the embodiment is not limited thereto.

[0062] The method of forming the internal electrodes 121 and 122 is not limited to any specific example. For example, the internal electrodes 121 and 122 may be formed by coating a conductive paste (including a conductive metal) for internal electrodes on ceramic green sheets and firing the ceramic green sheets. As a method of coating the conductive paste for internal electrodes, a screen printing method or a gravure printing method may be used, but the embodiment is not limited thereto.

[0063] As another example, the internal electrodes 121 and 122 may be formed using a sputtering method, a vacuum deposition method, and / or a chemical vapor deposition method.

[0064] The average thickness of the inner electrodes 121 and 122 may not need to be limited to any specific example, and may be, for example, 3.0 µm or less. In addition, the average thickness of the inner electrodes 121 and 122 may be arbitrarily determined according to desired characteristics or uses. For example, in the case of a high-voltage electronic component for a vehicle, the average thickness of at least one of the inner electrodes 121 and 122 may be 0.1 µm or more, and in order to achieve capacitance of a multilayer electronic component, the average thickness of at least one of the inner electrodes 121 and 122 may be less than 1.0 µm.

[0065] The average thickness of the dielectric layer 111 and the average thickness of the internal electrodes 121 and 122 may indicate the average size of the dielectric layer 111 in the first direction and the average size of the internal electrodes 121 and 122 in the first direction, respectively. The average thickness of the dielectric layer 111 and the average thickness of the internal electrodes 121 and 122 may be measured by scanning the cross section of the body 110 in the first direction and the second direction at a magnification of 10,000 using a scanning electron microscope (SEM). More specifically, the average thickness of the dielectric layer 111 may be obtained by measuring the thickness of the dielectric layer 111 at a plurality of points (e.g., 30 points at equal distances in the second direction) and then averaging the measured values. In addition, the average thickness of the internal electrodes 121 and 122 may be obtained by measuring the thickness of one of the internal electrodes 121 and 122 at a plurality of points (e.g., 30 points at equal distances in the second direction) and then averaging the measured values. 30 points at equal distances may be specified in the capacitance forming portion. In addition, measuring the average thickness may be performed on 10 dielectric layers 111 and 10 internal electrodes 121 and 122 , so that the average thickness of the dielectric layer 111 and the average thickness of the internal electrodes 121 and 122 may be more generalized.

[0066] The insulating layer 140 may be disposed on the first, second, fifth and sixth surfaces of the body. Therefore, moisture resistance reliability can be improved by covering pores and cracks of the body 110, and the shape of the body 110 can be easily controlled by effectively controlling stress generated by heat.

[0067] In an embodiment, the insulating layer 140 may include a material having a shrinkage rate higher than that of the material of the dielectric layer 111 during firing. Therefore, by suppressing a capping phenomenon of the body 110 during a sintering process, cracks may be suppressed.

[0068] In an embodiment, the insulating layer 140 may include one or more of Al2O3 (aluminum oxide) and BN (boron nitride). Therefore, the insulating layer 140 may have excellent adhesion to the body 110, and a capping phenomenon of the body 110 may be suppressed during a sintering process. In addition, the first surface and the second surface of the body 110 may easily have a concave shape that is concave inwardly of the body.

[0069] In an embodiment, the insulating layer 140 may include BN. Since BN has a higher shrinkage rate than that of Al2O3 during a sintering process, the capping phenomenon may be more easily suppressed.

[0070] The method of forming the insulating layer 140 is not limited to any specific example. For example, a coating liquid may be prepared by mixing Al2O3 powder and / or BN powder having a particle size of 3µm with an aqueous binder, the coating liquid may be applied to the main body 110 using a brush after the plasticizing process and before the sintering process, and the insulating layer 140 may be formed by the sintering process. In addition to using a brush, the coating liquid may be applied to the main body using a physical vapor deposition method such as electron beam evaporation or sputtering. In addition, the shape of the main body may be more easily controlled by applying the coating liquid after the plasticizing process and before the sintering process, but embodiments thereof are not limited thereto, and the coating liquid may be applied after applying the paste to form the external electrode or before forming the plating layer, or the coating liquid may be applied before forming the conductive resin layer.

[0071] In this case, the content of BN in the coating solution may be 9 wt % or less. In another embodiment, the content of Al 2 O 3 in the coating solution may be 18 wt % or less.

[0072] Reference Figure 4 , the insulating layer 140 may not be disposed on the third surface and the fourth surface of the body.

[0073] However, the embodiments thereof are not limited thereto, and reference is made to Figure 6In an embodiment, the insulating layer 140' may extend to a portion of the third surface and a portion of the fourth surface. In this case, the insulating layer 140' may be provided so as not to cover the inner electrodes 121 and 122 on the third surface and the fourth surface. Therefore, moisture resistance reliability may be improved and the shape of the body 110 may be easily controlled without deteriorating the electrical connection between the inner electrodes 121 and 122 and the outer electrodes 131 and 132.

[0074] In an embodiment, the body 110 may include a material included in the insulating layer 140 in a region adjacent to the insulating layer 140. This is because the material included in the insulating layer 140 may diffuse into the body 110 during a sintering process.

[0075] In addition, the average thickness of the insulating layer 140 is not limited to any specific example, and may be appropriately adjusted to obtain a desired shape. For example, the average thickness of the insulating layer 140 may be 10µm-300µm. The average thickness of the insulating layer 140 may be measured by scanning a cross section along the first direction and the third direction at the center of the body 110 in the second direction at a magnification of 10,000 using a scanning electron microscope (SEM), and the insulating layer 140 is distinct due to a contrast difference with the body 110. The average thickness of the insulating layer 140 may be measured by measuring the thickness at 30 points at equal distances in the central portion of the second surface in the third direction, and averaging the measured values.

[0076] The external electrodes 131 and 132 may be disposed on the body 110 .

[0077] In addition, in an embodiment, the multilayer electronic component 100 may include two external electrodes 131 and 132, but the number of the external electrodes 131 and 132 and their shapes may be changed due to the shapes of the internal electrodes 121 and 122 and other uses. For example, the external electrodes may include a first external electrode disposed on the third surface, a second external electrode disposed on the fourth surface, and a third external electrode disposed on at least one of the first surface, the second surface, the fifth surface, and the sixth surface.

[0078] In an embodiment, the external electrodes 131 and 132 may include: a first external electrode 131 disposed on the third surface 3 of the body 110 and connected to the first internal electrode 121; and a second external electrode 132 disposed on the fourth surface 4 of the body 110 and connected to the second internal electrode 122. In addition, the first external electrode and the second external electrode may be disposed to extend to a portion of the first surface and a portion of the second surface.

[0079] In addition, the external electrodes 131 and 132 may be disposed to cover end surfaces of the side edge portions (the first edge portion 114 and the second edge portion 115 ) in the second direction.

[0080] In embodiments, the external electrodes 131 and 132 may be disposed on the third and fourth surfaces, and may be disposed on a portion of the insulating layer 140 .

[0081] In addition, the external electrodes 131 and 132 may be formed using a material having conductivity such as metal, and a specific material may be determined in consideration of electrical characteristics and structural stability, and the external electrodes 131 and 132 may have a multi-layered structure.

[0082] For example, the external electrodes 131 and 132 may include electrode layers 131 a and 132 a disposed on the body 110 and plating layers 131 b and 132 b formed on the electrode layers 131 a and 132 a .

[0083] The plating layers 131b and 132b may improve mounting characteristics. The type of the plating layers 131b and 132b is not limited to any specific example, and the plating layers 131b and 132b may include one or more of Ni, Sn, Pd, and alloys thereof, and may include a plurality of layers.

[0084] As a specific example of the plating layers 131b and 132b, the plating layers 131b and 132b may be Ni plating layers or Sn plating layers, or Ni plating layers and Sn plating layers may be sequentially formed on the electrode layers 131a and 132a, or Sn plating layers, Ni plating layers, and Sn plating layers may be sequentially formed. In addition, the plating layers 131b and 132b may include a plurality of Ni plating layers and / or a plurality of Sn plating layers.

[0085] Reference Figure 7 In an embodiment, the first external electrode 131 may include an electrode layer 131a connected to the first internal electrode 121 and a plating layer 131b disposed on the electrode layer 131a, and the insulating layer 140" may extend to a region between the electrode layer 131a and the plating layer 131b. Figure 7 In the figure, only the first external electrode 131 is shown, but the second external electrode 132 may also have corresponding components.

[0086] As specific examples of the electrode layers 131a and 132a, the electrode layers 131a and 132a may be fired electrode layers including a conductive metal and glass, or may be resin-based electrode layers including a conductive metal and resin. In addition, the electrode layer 131a may be a multilayer structure including a base electrode layer (i.e., a fired electrode layer) that contacts the internal electrode and includes glass, and a conductive resin layer that is disposed on the base electrode layer and includes resin.

[0087] In addition, the electrode layers 131 a and 132 a may be formed by transferring a sheet including a conductive metal to a body, or may be formed by transferring a sheet including a conductive metal to a fired electrode.

[0088] As the conductive metal included in the electrode layers 131a and 132a, a material having excellent conductivity may be used, and is not limited to any specific example. For example, the conductive metal may be one or more of nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), and alloys thereof.

[0089] Reference Figure 8 In an embodiment, the electrode layer 131a may include a base electrode layer 131a1 that contacts the first internal electrode 121 and includes glass, and a conductive resin layer 131a2 that is disposed on the base electrode layer and includes resin, and the insulating layer 140''' may extend to a region between the base electrode layer 131a1 and the conductive resin layer 131a2. In addition, the second external electrode 132 may also have components corresponding to the first external electrode 131.

[0090] (Example) The ceramic green sheets on which the inner electrode patterns are printed are stacked and compressed, and cut into unit sheet sizes. Afterwards, a plasticizing process may be performed. In the comparative example, no insulating layer is provided on the surface of the main body and a sintering process is performed, thereby manufacturing a sample sheet. In Example 1, after the plasticizing process, a coating liquid containing 9wt% of BN is applied to the surface of the main body and a sintering process is performed, thereby manufacturing a sample sheet, and in Example 2, after the plasticizing process, a coating liquid containing 18wt% of Al2O3 is applied to the surface of the main body and a sintering process is performed, thereby manufacturing a sample sheet. Five sample sheets are manufactured for each of the comparative example, Example 1, and Example 2, and the thickness, width, and length of the five sample sheets are measured. In Table 1, in a cross section cut out in the center of the sample sheet in the second direction and taken along the first direction and the third direction, the minimum dimension of the central part of the sample sheet in the third direction in the first direction is defined as Tc, and the maximum dimension of the end of the sample sheet in the third direction in the first direction is defined as Te, and Tc and Te are listed in Table 1, and the minimum dimension of the central part of the sample sheet in the first direction in the third direction is defined as Wc, and the maximum dimension of the end of the sample sheet in the first direction in the third direction is defined as We, and Wc and We are listed in the following Table 2.

[0091] In addition, in a cross-section in which the sample piece is cut along the first direction and the second direction at the center in the third direction, the minimum dimension of the central part of the body of the sample piece in the first direction in the second direction is defined as Lc, and the maximum dimension of the end of the body of the sample piece in the first direction in the second direction is defined as Le, and Lc and Le are listed in Table 3 below.

[0092] [Table 1]

[0093] Referring to Table 1, in the comparative example, none of the five sample sheets had Tc / Te less than 1.000, and four samples had Tc / Te greater than 1.000, so that the first and second surfaces of the body were convex.

[0094] In Example 1 in which the insulating layer including BN was provided, Tc / Te of the five sample pieces was 0.972 to 0.993, indicating that the first surface and the second surface of the body were concave.

[0095] In Example 2 in which an insulating layer including Al2O3 is provided, Tc / Te of four of the five sample sheets is in the range of 0.995 to 0.998, so that the first surface and the second surface of the body are concave. In addition, in Test No. 5 of Example 2, the protrusion of the first surface and the second surface is reduced compared with Test No. 2 of the comparative example.

[0096] [Table 2]

[0097] Referring to Table 2, in the comparative example, Wc / We of two sample sheets was less than 1.000 (Wc / We of test number 1 of the comparative example was less than 1.000 before rounding), in Example 1, Wc / We of five sample sheets was less than 1.000, and in Example 2, Wc / We of three sample sheets was less than 1.000. Therefore, when the insulating layer including at least one of Al2O3 and BN is provided, the shape of the body in the width direction can also be controlled.

[0098] [Table 3]

[0099] Referring to Table 3, the Lc / Le of the comparative example, example 1, and example 2 is less than 1.000 and has a concave shape. However, compared with the comparative example, examples 1 and 2 have lower Lc / Le values. Therefore, when an insulating layer including at least one of Al2O3 and BN is provided, the shape of the body in the length direction can also be controlled.

[0100] According to the aforementioned embodiments, by controlling the shape of the body by providing the insulating layer on at least a portion of the surface of the body, cracks can be suppressed in the multilayer electronic component.

[0101] The present disclosure is not limited by the above-mentioned specific embodiments. On the contrary, modifications, equivalents and alternatives included in the disclosed concept and technical scope of this specification may be adopted. Throughout the specification, similar reference numerals are used for similar elements.

[0102] In the embodiments, the term "embodiment" may not refer to the same embodiment, and may be provided to describe and emphasize the unique features of each embodiment. The embodiments set forth above may be implemented, but do not exclude the possibility of combining with features of other embodiments. For example, unless otherwise specified, even if a feature described in an embodiment is not described in another embodiment, the description may be understood to be related to another embodiment.

[0103] Unless it has an obviously different meaning in the context, an expression used in the singular includes the expression in the plural.

[0104] While 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 including dielectric layers and internal electrodes alternately arranged in a first direction, and including a first surface and a second surface opposite to each other in the first direction, a third surface and a fourth surface opposite to each other and connected to the first surface and the second surface in the second direction, and a fifth surface and a sixth surface opposite to each other in the third direction and connected to the first surface to the fourth surface; an insulating layer, disposed on the first surface, the second surface, the fifth surface, and the sixth surface, and comprising at least one of Al2O3 and BN; an outer electrode, disposed on the body, Wherein, each of the first surface and the second surface is recessed into the body.

2. The multilayer electronic component according to claim 1, wherein Each of the fifth surface and the sixth surface is recessed inwardly of the body.

3. The multilayer electronic component according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: Each of the third surface and the fourth surface is recessed inwardly of the body.

4. The multilayer electronic component according to claim 1, wherein: The insulating layer extends to a portion of the third surface and a portion of the fourth surface.

5. The multilayer electronic component according to claim 4, wherein: The insulating layer is disposed on the third surface and the fourth surface so as not to cover the internal electrodes.

6. The multilayer electronic component according to claim 1, wherein: The dielectric layer comprises one or more of the following materials: BaTiO3; (Ba 1-x Ca x )TiO3, where 0 < x < 1; Ba(Ti 1-y Ca y )O3, where 0 < y < 1; (Ba 1-x Ca x )(Ti 1-y Zr y )O3, where 0 < x < 1, 0 < y < 1; and Ba(Ti 1-y Zr y )O3, where 0 < y < 1.

7. The multilayer electronic component according to claim 1, wherein: The dielectric layer includes a main component including a material having a shrinkage rate lower than a shrinkage rate of a material of the insulating layer during firing.

8. The multilayer electronic component according to claim 1, wherein The external electrode is disposed on the third surface and the fourth surface, and is disposed on a portion of the insulating layer.

9. The multilayer electronic component according to claim 1, wherein: The external electrode includes an electrode layer connected to the internal electrode and a plating layer disposed on the electrode layer, and the insulating layer extends to a region between the electrode layer and the plating layer.

10. The multilayer electronic component according to claim 9, wherein The electrode layer includes: a base electrode layer contacting the internal electrode and including glass; and a conductive resin layer provided on the base electrode layer and including resin.

11. The multilayer electronic component according to claim 1, wherein The outer electrode comprises: a base electrode layer, contacting the internal electrode and comprising glass, and a conductive resin layer disposed on the base electrode layer and comprising a resin, and The insulating layer extends to a region between the base electrode layer and the conductive resin layer.

12. The multilayer electronic component according to claim 1, wherein In a cross-section of the multilayer electronic component taken along the first direction and the third direction at the center of the second direction, when the minimum dimension of the multilayer electronic component in the first direction is defined as Tc and the maximum dimension of the multilayer electronic component in the first direction is defined as Te, Tc / Te is less than 1.000 and greater than 0.

950.

13. The multilayer electronic component according to claim 1 or 12, wherein: In a cross-section of the multilayer electronic component taken along the first direction and the third direction at the center of the second direction, when the minimum dimension of the multilayer electronic component in the third direction is defined as Wc and the maximum dimension of the multilayer electronic component in the third direction is defined as We, Wc / We is less than 1.000 and greater than 0.

950.

14. The multilayer electronic component according to claim 1 or 12, wherein: In a cross section of the multilayer electronic component taken along the first direction and the second direction at the center of the third direction, when the minimum dimension of the body in the second direction is defined as Lc and the maximum dimension of the body in the second direction is defined as Le, Lc / Le is less than 1.000 and greater than 0.

950.

15. The multilayer electronic component according to claim 1, wherein The body includes a material contained in the insulating layer in a region adjacent to the insulating layer.

16. The multilayer electronic component according to claim 12, wherein: In a cross section taken along the first direction and the third direction at the center of the multilayer electronic component in the second direction, when a minimum dimension of the multilayer electronic component in the third direction is defined as Wc and a maximum dimension of the multilayer electronic component in the third direction is defined as We, Wc / We is less than 1.000 and greater than 0.950, and Wherein, in a cross section of the multilayer electronic component taken along the first direction and the second direction at the center of the third direction, when the minimum dimension of the body in the second direction is defined as Lc and the maximum dimension of the body in the second direction is defined as Le, Lc / Le is less than 1.000 and greater than 0.

950.

17. A multilayer electronic component comprising: a body including dielectric layers and internal electrodes alternately arranged in a first direction, and including a first surface and a second surface opposite to each other in the first direction, a third surface and a fourth surface opposite to each other and connected to the first surface and the second surface in the second direction, and a fifth surface and a sixth surface opposite to each other in the third direction and connected to the first surface to the fourth surface; an insulating layer disposed on the first surface, the second surface, the fifth surface, and the sixth surface, and comprising BN; and The outer electrode is arranged on the main body.

Images