Multilayer electronic component

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a multilayer electronic component including a body including dielectric layers and internal electrodes alternately disposed with the dielectric layers, and external electrodes disposed on the body and connected to the internal electrodes. The external electrode includes a conductive resin layer including a metal particle, a core-shell particle, and a resin, the core-shell particle including a polymer core and a metal shell disposed on at least a portion of the polymer core. The conductive resin layer includes a first region adjacent to the body and a second region adjacent to an outer side of the conductive resin layer. In at least one cross-section passing through the conductive resin layer and the body, an area fraction occupied by the core-shell particles in the second region is greater than an area fraction occupied by the core-shell particles in the first region.

Description

[0001] This application claims the benefit of priority from Korean Patent Application No. 10-2023-0136530 filed on October 13, 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] Multilayer ceramic capacitors (MLCCs), a type of multilayer electronic component, are chip capacitors that are mounted on printed circuit boards of various electronic products, such as video display devices including liquid crystal displays (LCDs) or plasma display panels (PDPs), computers, smart phones, and mobile phones, and are used to charge or discharge them. Such multilayer ceramic capacitors are used as components in various electronic devices because of their small size, high capacitance, and ease of mounting.

[0004] The product groups of multilayer ceramic capacitors can be roughly divided into MLCCs for information technology (IT) and MLCCs for automotive electronics. In the case of MLCCs for automotive electronics, they perform the same capacitor role as MLCCs for IT, while MLCCs for automotive electronics are easily exposed to an environment where stress is concentrated in the mounting area between the external electrode and the board, and therefore, in order to alleviate this stress, excellent bending strength is required. In order to ensure the bending strength of MLCCs, a method of applying a conductive resin layer to the external electrode has been proposed. The conductive resin layer can generally be formed using a resin and metal particles dispersed in the resin.

[0005] On the other hand, if the content of metal particles included in the conductive resin layer is reduced to improve its bending strength, the metal particles may not be sufficiently disposed on the outer surface of the conductive resin layer, resulting in reduced plating properties, and as a result, a problem of increased equivalent series resistance (ESR) may occur.

[0006] In contrast, if the content of metal particles included in the conductive resin layer is increased to improve plating properties and ESR characteristics, the conductive resin layer may not effectively absorb bending stress, which may cause a problem in that the bending strength of the MLCC is reduced.

[0007] Therefore, there is a need to study a conductive resin layer that improves the bending strength of MLCC and has excellent electrical properties. Summary of the invention

[0008] An aspect of the present disclosure is to provide a multilayer electronic component having excellent bending strength and electrical properties.

[0009] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a multilayer electronic component includes a main body and an external electrode, wherein the main body includes a dielectric layer and an internal electrode alternately arranged with the dielectric layer, and the external electrode is arranged on the main body and connected to the internal electrode. The external electrode includes a conductive resin layer, and the conductive resin layer includes metal particles, core-shell particles and resin, and the core-shell particles include a polymer core and a metal shell arranged on at least a portion of the polymer core. The conductive resin layer includes a first region adjacent to the main body and a second region adjacent to the outside of the conductive resin layer. In at least one cross-section passing through the conductive resin layer and the main body, the area fraction occupied by the core-shell particles in the second region is greater than the area fraction occupied by the core-shell particles in the first region. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] 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 schematically showing a multilayer electronic component according to an embodiment; Figure 2 It is schematically shown Figure 1 An exploded perspective view of the subject in the Figure 3 is a schematic diagram showing the Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of a section taken along line II' in FIG. Figure 4 is a schematic diagram showing the Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of a section taken along line II-II' in FIG. Figure 5 yes Figure 3 An enlarged view of area K1 in FIG. Figure 6 and Figure 7 They are Figure 3 and are each a cross-sectional view schematically showing a multilayer electronic component according to another embodiment; and Figure 8 is an image of a region adjacent to a plating layer in a conductive resin layer of a multilayer electronic component according to an embodiment captured by a scanning electron microscope (SEM). DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0011] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to detailed embodiments and the accompanying drawings. However, the embodiments of the present disclosure may be modified in many different forms, and the scope of the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described below. In addition, the embodiments of the present disclosure are provided in order to more completely describe the present disclosure to those skilled in the art. Therefore, in order to illustrate more clearly, the shapes and sizes of the elements in the accompanying drawings may be exaggerated, and the elements indicated by the same reference numerals in the accompanying drawings are the same elements.

[0012] In addition, in order to clearly describe the present disclosure in the drawings, parts not related to the description are omitted, and for the convenience of description, the size (e.g., thickness) of each component shown in the drawings is arbitrarily shown, and therefore, the present disclosure is not necessarily limited to the illustrated embodiments. In addition, the same reference numerals are used to describe components having the same functions within the scope of the same concept. In addition, throughout the specification, unless otherwise specified, when a component is referred to as "comprising", it means that the component may also include other components without excluding other components.

[0013] 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.

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

[0015] Figure 2 It is schematically shown Figure 1 An exploded perspective view of the subject in FIG.

[0016] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram showing the Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of a section taken along line II' in FIG.

[0017] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram showing the Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of a section taken along line II-II' in FIG.

[0018] Figure 5 yes Figure 3 Magnified view of area K1 in FIG.

[0019] Figure 8 is an image of a region adjacent to a plating layer in a conductive resin layer of a multilayer electronic component according to an embodiment captured by a scanning electron microscope (SEM).

[0020] In the following, reference will be made to Figures 1 to 5The multilayer electronic component 100 according to the embodiment is described in detail. In addition, a multilayer ceramic capacitor is described as an example of a multilayer electronic component, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto and may be applied to various multilayer electronic components such as an inductor, a piezoelectric element, a varistor, or a thermistor.

[0021] The multilayer electronic component 100 according to the embodiment may include a body 110 including a dielectric layer 111 and internal electrodes 121 and 122 , and external electrodes 130 and 140 .

[0022] There is no particular limitation on the specific shape of the body 110, but Figure 1 As shown, the body 110 may have a hexahedral shape or a shape similar to a hexahedral shape. Due to shrinkage of the ceramic powder included in the body 110 during the sintering process, or due to polishing the edges of the body, the body 110 may not have a hexahedral shape with perfect straight lines, but may generally have a hexahedral shape.

[0023] 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.

[0024] The body 110 may include dielectric layers 111 and internal electrodes 121 and 122 alternately disposed with the dielectric layers 111. The plurality of dielectric layers 111 forming the body 110 may be in a sintered state, and adjacent dielectric layers 111 may be integrated to the extent that a boundary therebetween is difficult to identify without using a scanning electron microscope (SEM).

[0025] The dielectric layer 111 may be formed by preparing a ceramic slurry including a ceramic powder, an organic solvent, and a binder, coating the slurry on a carrier film and drying to prepare a ceramic green sheet, and then sintering the ceramic green sheet. The ceramic powder is not particularly limited as long as sufficient capacitance can be obtained, but for example, barium titanate-based materials, lead composite perovskite-based materials, strontium titanate-based materials, etc. may be used. Examples of ceramic powders may include BaTiO3, BaTiO3 in which calcium (Ca), zirconium (Zr), etc. are partially dissolved in BaTiO3, and BaTiO3 in which calcium (Ca), zirconium (Zr), etc. are partially dissolved in BaTiO3. 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) or Ba(Ti 1-y Zr y )O3 (0 < y < 1), etc.

[0026] For example, the inner electrodes 121 and 122 may be alternately arranged with the dielectric layer 111 in the first direction. For example, the first inner electrode 121 and the second inner electrode 122 (a pair of electrodes with different polarities) may be arranged to face each other with the dielectric layer 111 therebetween. The first inner electrode 121 and the second inner electrode 122 may be electrically separated from each other by the dielectric layer 111 provided therebetween.

[0027] The first inner electrode 121 is spaced apart from the fourth surface 4 and may be connected to the first outer electrode 130 on the third surface 3. The second inner electrode 122 is spaced apart from the third surface 3 and may be connected to the second outer electrode 140 on the fourth surface 4.

[0028] The conductive metal included in the inner electrodes 121 and 122 may be at least one of Ni, Cu, Pd, Ag, Au, Pt, Sn, W, Ti, and their alloys, and more specifically, the conductive metal included in the inner electrodes 121 and 122 may be Ni, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0029] The inner electrodes 121 and 122 may be formed by coating a conductive paste (including a conductive metal) for the inner electrode on a green sheet of ceramic to a predetermined thickness and sintering the conductive paste. The printing method of the conductive paste for the inner electrode may be a screen printing method, a gravure printing method, etc., but the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0030] The average thickness td of the dielectric layer 111 does not need to be particularly limited, but may be, for example, 0.1 μm to 10 μm. The average thickness te of the inner electrodes 121 and 122 does not need to be particularly limited, but may be, for example, 0.1 μm to 3.0 μm. In addition, the average thickness td of the dielectric layer 111 and the average thickness te of the inner electrodes 121 and 122 may be arbitrarily set according to the required characteristics or uses. For example, in the case of a high-voltage automotive electronic component for achieving miniaturization and high capacitance, the average thickness td of the dielectric layer 111 may be less than 2.8 μm, and the average thickness te of the inner electrodes 121 and 122 may be less than 1 μm. Furthermore, in the case of a small-sized IT electronic component for achieving miniaturization and high capacitance, the average thickness td of the dielectric layer 111 may be 0.4 μm or less, and the average thickness te of the inner electrodes 121 and 122 may be 0.4 μm or less.

[0031] In addition, generally, the main problem of high-voltage automotive electronic components is the reliability problem caused by the reduction of dielectric breakdown voltage under high voltage environment. In the multilayer electronic component according to the embodiment, the average thickness td of the dielectric layer 111 may exceed twice the average thickness te of the inner electrodes 121 and 122 to prevent the dielectric breakdown voltage from being reduced under high voltage environment. That is, td>2×te may be satisfied. As a result, the dielectric breakdown voltage characteristics are improved by increasing the thickness of the dielectric layer (the distance between the inner electrodes).

[0032] The average thickness td of the dielectric layer 111 and the average thickness te of the internal electrodes 121 and 122 refer to 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 td of the dielectric layer 111 and the average thickness te of the internal electrodes 121 and 122 can be measured by scanning the cross section of the body 110 in the first direction and the second direction at a magnification of 10000 with a scanning electron microscope (SEM). In more detail, the average thickness td of the dielectric layer 111 can be obtained by measuring the thickness at a plurality of points (for example, 30 points equally spaced in the second direction) of one dielectric layer 111 and then taking the average value thereof. In addition, the average thickness te of the internal electrodes 121 and 122 can be obtained by measuring the thickness at a plurality of points (for example, 30 points equally spaced in the second direction) of one internal electrode 121 or 122 and then taking the average value thereof. 30 equally spaced points can be specified in the capacitance forming portion Ac. On the other hand, if thickness measurements are performed on 10 dielectric layers 111 and 10 internal electrodes 121 and 122, respectively, and then averaged, the average thickness td of the dielectric layer 111 and the average thickness te of the internal electrodes 121 and 122 may be more generalized.

[0033] The body 110 may include a capacitor forming portion Ac and a first cover portion 112 and a second cover portion 113, the capacitor forming portion Ac is disposed inside the body 110 and includes a first internal electrode 121 and a second internal electrode 122, the first internal electrode 121 and the second internal electrode 122 are alternately disposed with a dielectric layer 111 interposed therebetween to form a capacitor, and the first cover portion 112 and the second cover portion 113 are disposed on opposite sides of the capacitor forming portion Ac in a first direction, respectively. The cover portions 112 and 113 may be basically used to prevent damage to the internal electrode due to physical stress or chemical stress. The cover portions 112 and 113 may have the same configuration as the dielectric layer 111 except that the internal electrode is not included.

[0034] The average thickness tc of the covering portions 112 and 113 does not need to be particularly limited. For example, the average thickness tc of the covering portions 112 and 113 can be arbitrarily set according to the desired characteristics or uses. For example, in order to miniaturize the multilayer electronic component and increase the capacitance of the multilayer electronic component, the average thickness tc of the covering portions 112 and 113 can be 300μm or less, 100μm or less, 30μm or less, or 20μm or less, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. In this case, the average thickness tc of the covering portions 112 and 113 refers to the average thickness of each of the first covering portion 112 and the second covering portion 113.

[0035] The average thickness tc of the covering parts 112 and 113 may refer to an average size of the covering parts 112 and 113 in the first direction, and may be an average value of the size in the first direction measured at five equally spaced points in a cross section of the body 110 in the first and second directions.

[0036] The body 110 may include a first edge portion 114 and a second edge portion 115, respectively disposed on both sides of the capacitance forming portion Ac that are opposite to each other in the third direction. For example, the edge portions 114 and 115 may refer to regions between both ends of the internal electrodes 121 and 122 and the outer surface of the body 110 in a cross section of the body 110 in the first direction and the third direction.

[0037] The edge portions 114 and 115 may include the same material as the dielectric layer 111 except that the internal electrodes 121 and 122 are not included. The edge portions 114 and 115 may substantially serve to prevent damage to the internal electrodes 121 and 122 due to physical stress or chemical stress.

[0038] The edge portions 114 and 115 may be formed by coating a conductive paste for internal electrodes on a region of the ceramic green sheet except for a region where the edge portions are to be formed and then sintering. Alternatively, in order to suppress a step difference caused by the internal electrodes 121 and 122, after stacking the ceramic green sheets on which the conductive paste for internal electrodes is formed, cutting is performed to expose the internal electrodes 121 and 122 to both sides of the capacitor forming portion Ac that are opposite to each other in the third direction, and thereafter, a single dielectric layer or two or more dielectric layers may be stacked on both sides of the capacitor forming portion Ac that are opposite to each other in the third direction, thereby forming the edge portions 114 and 115.

[0039] The average thickness tm of the edge portions 114 and 115 does not need to be particularly limited. For example, the average thickness tm of the edge portions 114 and 115 can be arbitrarily set according to the desired characteristics or uses. For example, in order to miniaturize the multilayer electronic component and increase the capacitance of the multilayer electronic component, the average thickness tm of the edge portions 114 and 115 can be 100 μm or less, 20 μm or less, or 15 μm or less, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. In this case, the average thickness tm of the edge portions 114 and 115 refers to the average thickness of each of the first edge portion 114 and the second edge portion 115.

[0040] The average thickness tm of the edge portions 114 and 115 may refer to the average size of the edge portions 114 and 115 in the third direction, and may be the average value of the size of the edge portions 114 and 115 in the third direction measured at five equally spaced points in the cross-section of the body 110 in the first direction and the third direction.

[0041] The external electrodes 130 and 140 may be disposed on the third surface 3 and the fourth surface 4 of the body 110, respectively, and may extend on a portion of the first surface 1, a portion of the second surface 2, a portion of the fifth surface 5, and / or a portion of the sixth surface 6, respectively. In addition, the external electrodes 130 and 140 may include a first external electrode 130 connected to the first internal electrode 121 and a second external electrode 140 connected to the second internal electrode 122.

[0042] For example, the external electrodes 130 and 140 may include substrate electrode layers 131 and 141 disposed on the third surface 3 and the fourth surface 4, respectively, conductive resin layers 132 and 142 disposed on the substrate electrode layers 131 and 141, respectively, and plating layers 133 and 143 disposed on the conductive resin layers 132 and 142, respectively. For example, the first external electrode 130 may include a first substrate electrode layer 131 disposed on the third surface 3, a first conductive resin layer 132 disposed on the first substrate electrode layer 131, and a first plating layer 133 disposed on the first conductive resin layer 132, and the second external electrode 140 may include a second substrate electrode layer 141 disposed on the fourth surface 4, a second conductive resin layer 142 disposed on the second substrate electrode layer 141, and a second plating layer 143 disposed on the second conductive resin layer 142.

[0043] The substrate electrode layers 131 and 141 may include, for example, a conductive metal and glass. The conductive metal included in the substrate electrode layers 131 and 141 plays a role of ensuring electrical connectivity, and the glass plays a role of improving bonding strength with the body 110.

[0044] The conductive metal included in the substrate electrode layers 131 and 141 may include Cu, Ni, Pd, Pt, Au, Ag, Pb and / or an alloy thereof, and in more detail, the conductive metal included in the substrate electrode layers 131 and 141 may be Cu, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0045] like Figure 3 As shown, the substrate electrode layers 131 and 141 may be disposed on the third surface 3 and the fourth surface 4, respectively, and extend onto a portion of the first surface 1 and a portion of the second surface 2. However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and for example, the substrate electrode layers 131 and 141 may be disposed between an extension line of the first surface 1 and an extension line of the second surface 2.

[0046] The base electrode layers 131 and 141 may be formed by dipping the third surface 3 and the fourth surface 4 in a conductive paste for external electrodes including conductive metal and glass and then sintering, respectively. Alternatively, the base electrode layers 131 and 141 may be formed by transferring a sheet including conductive metal and glass.

[0047] The conductive resin layers 132 and 142 may be disposed on the base electrode layers 131 and 141 , respectively, and extend onto a portion of the first surface 1 and a portion of the second surface 2 , respectively.

[0048] In the following, reference will be made to Figure 5 The first conductive resin layer 132 is described in more detail. Figure 5 The illustrated region K1 is an enlarged portion of the first external electrode 130. The only difference between the first external electrode 130 and the second external electrode 140 is that the first external electrode 130 is connected to the first internal electrode 121, and the second external electrode 140 is connected to the second internal electrode 122. Since the configuration of the second external electrode 140 is similar to that of the first external electrode 130, the following description of the first conductive resin layer 132 in the first external electrode 130 may be applied to the second conductive resin layer 142 in the second external electrode 140.

[0049] The first conductive resin layer 132 may include metal particles 132a, core-shell particles 132b, and resin 132c, the core-shell particles 132b including a polymer core 132b1 and a metal shell 132b2 disposed on at least a portion of the polymer core 132b1. The first conductive resin layer 132 may be formed by coating a conductive resin composition including metal powder, core-shell particles, and resin on the base electrode layer 131 and drying it, and then curing the conductive resin composition at a temperature of about 280°C or less.

[0050] The first conductive resin layer 132 includes a plurality of metal particles 132a, and the plurality of metal particles 132a may be present in the resin 132c in a dispersed form. Basically, the metal particles 132a may play a role in ensuring electrical connectivity, and the resin 132c may play a role in improving the bending strength of the multilayer electronic component 100 by absorbing stress. The type of the resin 132c does not need to be specifically limited, and may include, for example, one or more types selected from epoxy resin, acrylic resin, and ethyl cellulose resin.

[0051] The type of the metal particles 132a need not be particularly limited, and for example, may include Cu, Ag, Ni, Pd, Sn, and / or alloys thereof, and in more detail, the metal particles 132a may include one or more of Cu, Ni, and Ag.

[0052] For example, the metal particles 132a may include one or more of spherical metal particles 132a1 and flake metal particles 132a2, and in more detail, the metal particles 132a may include both spherical metal particles 132a1 and flake metal particles 132a2. The spherical metal particles 132a1 may be advantageous in improving the bonding strength between the first conductive resin layer 132 and the first plating layer 133, and the flake metal particles 132a2 may be advantageous in improving the bending strength of the multilayer electronic component 100.

[0053] In this case, the spherical metal particles 132a1 may include an incomplete spherical shape, such as a shape in which the length ratio of the major axis to the minor axis (major axis / minor axis) is 1.45 or less. The flake metal particles 132a2 refer to particles having a flat and elongated shape, and are not particularly limited, but for example, the length ratio of the major axis to the minor axis (major axis / minor axis) may be 1.95 or more. The length of the major axis and the length of the minor axis of the spherical metal particles 132a1 and the flake metal particles 132a2 may be measured from an image obtained by scanning a cross section of the multilayer electronic component 100 in the first direction and the second direction cut from the central portion of the body 110 in the third direction with a scanning electron microscope (SEM).

[0054] As described above, in order to ensure electrical properties, the first conductive resin layer 132 should include a certain amount or more of the metal particles 132a, but there is a limit to improving the bending strength of the multilayer electronic component 100. On the other hand, in the case where the metal particles 132a are composed of only the flake metal particles 132a2 in order to improve the bending strength, side effects such as deterioration of plating properties or excessive increase in ESR may occur.

[0055] Therefore, in the related art, a certain amount or more of spherical metal particles are added to the conductive resin layer. However, as the content of the spherical metal particles increases, it is not conducive to improving the bending strength of the multilayer electronic component. In addition, when Ag is used as the metal particle, there is a problem of ion migration due to the lack of ductility of Ag. In addition, when Cu is used as the metal particle, additional quality defects may occur because Cu is susceptible to oxidation.

[0056] On the other hand, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the first conductive resin layer 132 includes core-shell particles 132b, which include a polymer core 132b1 and a metal shell 132b2 disposed on at least a portion of the polymer core 132b1, thereby ensuring plating properties and ESR while improving the bending strength of the multilayer electronic component 100. A plurality of core-shell particles 132b may be disposed in the first conductive resin layer 132.

[0057] In detail, the polymer core 132b1 can improve the bending strength of the multilayer electronic component 100 by including a polymer, and the polymer effectively absorbs stress due to its low Young's modulus. In addition, for example, the core-shell particles 132b having the polymer core 132b1 can replace a portion of the spherical metal particles 132a1 included in the first conductive resin layer 132, and accordingly, the ion migration due to Ag or the warping defect due to oxidation of Cu can be effectively prevented by reducing the content of the metal component included in the first conductive resin layer 132.

[0058] The type of polymer included in the polymer core 132b1 need not be particularly limited, but a polymer that is not thermally decomposed at a curing temperature of the resin may be preferred. For example, the polymer core 132b1 may include at least one of styrene, silicone, and urethane.

[0059] If the core-shell particle 132b is composed only of the polymer core 132b1, the plating property or ESR characteristic may be reduced, but since the metal shell 132b2 is provided on the outer surface of the polymer core 132b1, the plating property and the ESR characteristic can also be ensured. For example, at least some of the core-shell particles 132b may contact the interface IF between the first conductive resin layer 132 and the first plating layer 133. For example, even if the inside of the core-shell particle 132b is composed of the polymer core 132b1, the metal shell 132b2 that can be used as a plating seed is provided on the outer surface of the polymer core 132b1 to ensure the plating property.

[0060] Additionally, in embodiments, at least one of the plurality of core-shell particles 132b may contact two or more metal particles 132a. As a result, the core-shell particles 132b may improve the ESR characteristics of the multilayer electronic component 100 by providing a current path between the metal particles 132a.

[0061] The type of metal included in the metal shell 132b2 does not need to be particularly limited. The metal shell 132b2 may include, for example, one or more of Ag, Cu, Ni, Sn, and alloys thereof.

[0062] The first conductive resin layer 132 may include a first region R1 adjacent to the body 110 and a second region R2 adjacent to the outer side of the first conductive resin layer 132. The first region R1 and the second region R2 may be regions where the first conductive resin layer 132 is equally divided into two in the thickness direction of the first conductive resin layer 132. According to an embodiment, in at least one cross section passing through the first conductive resin layer 132 and the body 110, an area fraction occupied by the core-shell particles 132b in the second region R2 may be greater than an area fraction occupied by the core-shell particles 132b in the first region R1.

[0063] At least one cross section passing through the first conductive resin layer 132 and the body 110 may refer to, for example, Figure 5 1 and 1 , showing a cross section of the multilayer electronic component 100 in the first and second directions through the center of the body 110 in the third direction. The area fraction occupied by the core-shell particles 132b in the second region R2 may be greater than the area fraction occupied by the core-shell particles 132b in the first region R1, thereby improving the electrical contact between the first conductive resin layer 132 and the first plating layer 133. For example, the core-shell particles 132b including the metal shell 132b2 (which may be a plating seed) are distributed in a biased manner in the second region R2 adjacent to the interface IF between the first conductive resin layer 132 and the first plating layer 133, thereby improving the contact between the first conductive resin layer 132 and the first plating layer 133.

[0064] The reason why the distribution of the core-shell particles 132b is biased toward the second region R2 is that the core-shell particles 132b have a polymer core 132b1 and are lighter than the metal particles 132a. Accordingly, the lightweight core-shell particles 132b can be biased in the second region R2 due to the convection phenomenon occurring during the drying process of the conductive resin composition.

[0065] In an embodiment, in a cross section of the multilayer electronic component 100 in the first and second directions (through the center of the body 110 in the third direction), the area fraction occupied by the core-shell particles 132b in a region within 20 μm from the interface IF between the first conductive resin layer 132 and the first plating layer 133 may be greater than or equal to 10% and less than or equal to 70%. In an embodiment, in a range within 20 μm from the interface IF between the first conductive resin layer 132 and the first plating layer 133 in the second region R2, the area fraction occupied by the core-shell particles 132b may be greater than or equal to 10% and less than or equal to 70%. In the case where the area fraction occupied by the core-shell particles 132b in a region within 20 μm from the interface IF between the first conductive resin layer 132 and the first plating layer 133 is less than 10%, the bending strength and plating property improvement effect of the present disclosure may not be significant, and if it exceeds 70%, the distribution of the core-shell particles 132b may be excessive and the ESR of the multilayer electronic component 100 may be reduced.

[0066] Hereinafter, an example of a method for measuring the area fraction occupied by the core-shell particles 132 b will be described. A central area (e.g., Figure 5 Next, the first conductive resin layer 132 in the image is equally divided into two in the thickness direction of the first conductive resin layer 132. At this time, the area adjacent to the body 110 may be defined as the first area R1, and the area adjacent to the outside of the first conductive resin layer 132 may be defined as the second area R2. Next, by measuring the total area of ​​the first area R1 in the image and the area occupied by the plurality of core-shell particles 132b present in the first area R1, the area fraction of the core-shell particles 132b in the first area R1 may be measured, and by measuring the total area of ​​the second area R2 in the image and the area occupied by the plurality of core-shell particles 132b present in the second area R2, the area fraction of the core-shell particles 132b in the second area R2 may be measured. For example, the area fraction occupied by the core-shell particles 132b in the first area R1 may refer to the ratio (e.g., percentage) between the area value occupied by the plurality of core-shell particles 132b and the total area value of the first area R1. In addition, the metal particles 132a and the core-shell particles 132b may be automatically or manually determined based on information such as particle size, particle shape, and particle composition. In addition, the area fraction of the core-shell particles 132b may be measured in a partial area after a predetermined area is photographed in an SEM image. Even if not described in the present disclosure, other methods and / or tools understood by those of ordinary skill in the art may be used.

[0067] The area fraction occupied by the core-shell particles 132b in the region within 20 μm from the interface IF between the first conductive resin layer 132 and the first plating layer 133 may be measured in a manner similar to measuring the area fraction occupied by the core-shell particles 132b in the second region R2. The area fraction occupied by the core-shell particles 132b in the region within 20 μm of the interface IF between the first conductive resin layer 132 and the first plating layer 133 may be measured by measuring the total area of ​​the region within 20 μm from the interface IF between the first conductive resin layer 132 and the first plating layer 133 in an image taken with a scanning electron microscope and the area occupied by a plurality of core-shell particles 132b present in the region within 20 μm from the interface IF between the first conductive resin layer 132 and the first plating layer 133.

[0068] In an embodiment, in a cross section in the first and second directions of the multilayer electronic component 100 passing through the center of the body 110 in the third direction, the number of core-shell particles 132b in contact with the first plating layer 133 may be 5 or more. In an embodiment, in a cross section in the first and second directions of the multilayer electronic component 100 passing through the center of the body 110 in the third direction, the second region R2 may include five or more core-shell particles 132b in contact with the first plating layer 133. Since the metal shell 132b2 of the core-shell particle 132b in contact with the first plating layer 133 can be used as a plating seed, when the number of the core-shell particles 132b in contact with the first plating layer 133 is 5 or more, the effect of improving the contact between the first conductive resin layer 132 of the present disclosure and the first plating layer 133 may become more significant. The number of core-shell particles in contact with the plating layer can be determined by SEM alone or in combination with an energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer (EDS). Even if not described in the present disclosure, other methods and / or tools understood by one of ordinary skill in the art may also be used.

[0069] In an embodiment, when the average particle size of the core-shell particles 132b is P1, the average particle size of the spherical metal particles 132a1 is P2, and the average particle size of the flake metal particles 132a2 is P3, P1≤P2≤P3 may be satisfied. From the perspective of improving plating properties, it is preferred that P1 is less than or equal to P2 and P3. In addition, from the perspective of improving bending strength, it is preferred that P3 is greater than or equal to P1 and P2.

[0070] The average particle size P1 of the core-shell particles 132b does not need to be particularly limited, but, for example, may be greater than or equal to 1 μm and less than or equal to 5 μm. If the average particle size P1 of the core-shell particles 132b is less than 1 μm, the bending strength improvement effect of the present disclosure may be extremely small. In addition, if the average particle size P1 of the core-shell particles 132b is greater than 5 μm, the effect of improving the plating properties of the present disclosure may be extremely small.

[0071] For example, in a cross section of the multilayer electronic component 100 in the first and second directions passing through the center of the body 110 in the third direction, a central region (eg, Figure 5 After obtaining an image of the region K1 in the image, P1 to P3 can be measured by analyzing the image using an image analysis program (such as the Zootos program). Even if not described in the present disclosure, other methods and / or tools understood by a person of ordinary skill in the art may also be used.

[0072] The plating layers 133 and 143 can improve the mounting characteristics. The type of the plating layers 133 and 143 is not particularly limited, and may be a plating layer including Ni, Sn, Pd and / or an alloy thereof, and may be formed of a plurality of layers. The plating layers 133 and 143 may be, for example, a Ni plating layer or a Sn plating layer, or may be formed by sequentially forming a Ni plating layer and a Sn plating layer. In addition, the plating layers 133 and 143 may include a plurality of Ni plating layers and / or a plurality of Sn plating layers.

[0073] The drawing shows a structure in which the multilayer electronic component 100 has two external electrodes 130 and 140, but the structure is not limited thereto. The number or shape of the external electrodes 130 and 140 may be changed according to the shape or other uses of the internal electrodes 121 and 122.

[0074] Figure 6 yes Figure 3 , and is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a multilayer electronic component 200 according to another embodiment. Figure 6 A multilayer electronic component 200 according to another embodiment is described, and in the configuration of the multilayer electronic component 200, components similar to those in the above-described multilayer electronic component 100 will be denoted using the same symbols, and descriptions overlapping with those of the above-described multilayer electronic component 100 will be omitted.

[0075] A multilayer electronic component 200 according to another embodiment may include external electrodes 230 and 240, which include base electrode layers 231 and 241 disposed on the third surface 3 and the fourth surface 4, respectively, conductive resin layers 232 and 242 disposed on the first surface 1 and the second surface 2, and plating layers 233 and 243 disposed on the conductive resin layers 232 and 242, respectively. In detail, the first external electrode 230 may include a first base electrode layer 231 disposed on the third surface 3, a first conductive resin layer 232 disposed on the first surface 1 and the second surface 2, and a first plating layer 233 disposed on the first conductive resin layer 232. The second external electrode 240 may include a second base electrode layer 241 disposed on the fourth surface 4, a second conductive resin layer 242 disposed on the first surface 1 and the second surface 2, and a second plating layer 243 disposed on the second conductive resin layer 242.

[0076] The plating layers 233 and 243 may extend onto the third surface 3 and the fourth surface 4 and contact the substrate electrode layers 231 and 241. For example, the substrate electrode layers 231 and 241 have areas not covered by the conductive resin layers 232 and 242 on the third surface 3 and the fourth surface 4, respectively, and may directly contact the plating layers 233 and 243 through the above areas, respectively.

[0077] For example, portions of the base electrode layers 231 and 241 located on the third surface 3 and the fourth surface 4, respectively, are not electrically connected to the plating layers 233 and 243 through the high resistance conductive resin layers 232 and 242 but are in direct / physical contact with the plating layers 233 and 243. The ESR of the multilayer electronic component 200 can be improved.

[0078] Figure 7 yes Figure 3 , and is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a multilayer electronic component 300 according to another embodiment. Figure 7 A multilayer electronic component 300 according to another embodiment is described, and in the configuration of the multilayer electronic component 300, configurations similar to those of the above-described multilayer electronic component 100 will be denoted using the same symbols, and descriptions overlapping with those of the above-described multilayer electronic component 100 will be omitted.

[0079] A multilayer electronic component 300 according to another embodiment may include external electrodes 330 and 340 including substrate electrode layers 331 and 341 disposed on the third surface 3 and the fourth surface 4, respectively, conductive resin layers 332 and 342 disposed on the first surface 1 and the second surface 2 and extending over a portion of the substrate electrode layers 331 and 341, respectively, and plating layers 333 and 343 disposed on the conductive resin layers 332 and 342, respectively. In detail, the first external electrode 330 may include a first substrate electrode layer 331 disposed on the third surface 3, a first conductive resin layer 332 disposed on the first surface 1 and the second surface 2 and extending over a portion of the first substrate electrode layer 331, and a first plating layer 333 disposed on the first conductive resin layer 332. The second external electrode 340 may include a second substrate electrode layer 341 disposed on the fourth surface 4, a second conductive resin layer 342 disposed on the first surface 1 and the second surface 2 and extending over a portion of the second substrate electrode layer 341, and a second plating layer 343 disposed on the second conductive resin layer 342.

[0080] The plating layers 333 and 343 may extend onto the third surface 3 and the fourth surface 4, respectively, and contact the substrate electrode layers 331 and 341. For example, the substrate electrode layers 331 and 341 may have areas not covered by the conductive resin layers 332 and 342 on the third surface 3 and the fourth surface 4, respectively, and may directly contact the plating layers 333 and 343 through the above-mentioned areas, respectively. The areas of the substrate electrode layers 331 and 341 not covered by the conductive resin layers 332 and 342 may be arranged to overlap with the capacitance forming portion Ac in the second direction. In more detail, the size of the areas of the substrate electrode layers 331 and 341 not covered by the conductive resin layers 332 and 342 in the first direction may be smaller than the size of the capacitance forming portion Ac in the first direction.

[0081] Parts of the base electrode layers 331 and 341 located on the third surface 3 and the fourth surface 4, respectively, are not electrically connected to the plating layers 333 and 343 through the high resistance conductive resin layers 332 and 342 but are in direct / physical contact with the plating layers 333 and 343. The ESR of the multilayer electronic component 200 can be improved.

[0082] As described above, according to the embodiments, a multilayer electronic component having excellent bending strength and electrical properties may be provided.

[0083] 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.

[0084] In addition, the expression "embodiment" does not refer to the same embodiment, but is provided to emphasize and describe different unique characteristics. However, the embodiments presented above do not exclude implementation in combination with features of another embodiment. For example, even if a matter described in a particular embodiment is not described in another embodiment, it can also be understood as a description related to another embodiment unless there is a contrary or contradictory description of the matter in another embodiment.

[0085] 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 rights, the first element may be named the second element, and similarly, the second element may be named the first element.

[0086] 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 main body, comprising a dielectric layer and inner electrodes arranged alternately with the dielectric layer; as well as an outer electrode disposed on the body and connected to the inner electrode, wherein the outer electrode comprises a conductive resin layer, the conductive resin layer comprises metal particles, core-shell particles and resin, the core-shell particles comprise a polymer core and a metal shell disposed on at least a portion of the polymer core, The conductive resin layer includes a first region adjacent to the body and a second region adjacent to an outer side of the conductive resin layer, and In at least one cross section passing through the conductive resin layer and the body, an area fraction occupied by the core-shell particles in the second region is greater than an area fraction occupied by the core-shell particles in the first region.

2. The multilayer electronic component of claim 1, wherein: The external electrode further includes a plating layer disposed on the conductive resin layer, and At least some of the core-shell particles are in contact with an interface between the conductive resin layer and the plating layer.

3. The multilayer electronic component of claim 1, wherein: The body includes a first surface and a second surface opposite to each other in a first direction, a third surface and a fourth surface opposite to each other in a second direction and connected to the first surface and the second surface, and a fifth surface and a sixth surface opposite to each other in a third direction and connected to the first surface to the fourth surface, The external electrodes are arranged on the third surface and the fourth surface, The external electrode further includes a plating layer disposed on the conductive resin layer, In a cross section of the multilayer electronic component in the first direction and the second direction passing through the center of the body in the third direction, the number of the core-shell particles in contact with the plating layer is 5 or more.

4. The multilayer electronic component of claim 1, wherein: The body includes a first surface and a second surface opposite to each other in a first direction, a third surface and a fourth surface opposite to each other in a second direction and connected to the first surface and the second surface, and a fifth surface and a sixth surface opposite to each other in a third direction and connected to the first surface to the fourth surface, The external electrodes are arranged on the third surface and the fourth surface, The external electrode further includes a plating layer disposed on the conductive resin layer, and In a cross-section of the multilayer electronic component in the first direction and the second direction passing through the center of the body in the third direction, an area fraction occupied by the core-shell particles in a region within 20 μm from an interface between the conductive resin layer and the plating layer is greater than or equal to 10% and less than or equal to 70%.

5. The multilayer electronic component of claim 1, wherein: At least one of the core-shell particles is in contact with two or more of the metal particles.

6. The multilayer electronic component of claim 1, wherein: The metal particles include one or more of spherical metal particles and flake metal particles.

7. The multilayer electronic component of claim 6, wherein: When the average particle size of the core-shell particles is P1, the average particle size of the spherical metal particles is P2, and the average particle size of the flaky metal particles is P3, P1≤P2≤P3 is satisfied.

8. The multilayer electronic component of claim 1, wherein: The core-shell particles have an average particle size greater than or equal to 1 μm and less than or equal to 5 μm.

9. The multilayer electronic component of claim 1, wherein: The polymer core includes at least one of styrene, silicone, and urethane.

10. The multilayer electronic component of claim 1, wherein: The metal shell includes at least one of Ag, Cu, Ni, Sn and alloys thereof.

11. The multilayer electronic component of claim 1, wherein: The body includes a first surface and a second surface opposite to each other in a first direction, a third surface and a fourth surface opposite to each other in a second direction and connected to the first surface and the second surface, and a fifth surface and a sixth surface opposite to each other in a third direction and connected to the first surface to the fourth surface, The external electrode further includes a base electrode layer provided on the third surface and the fourth surface and a plating layer provided on the conductive resin layer, and The conductive resin layer is provided on the base electrode layer and extends over a portion of the first surface and a portion of the second surface.

12. The multilayer electronic component of claim 1, wherein: The body includes a first surface and a second surface opposite to each other in a first direction, a third surface and a fourth surface opposite to each other in a second direction and connected to the first surface and the second surface, and a fifth surface and a sixth surface opposite to each other in a third direction and connected to the first surface to the fourth surface, The external electrode further includes a base electrode layer disposed on the third surface and the fourth surface and a plating layer disposed on the conductive resin layer. The conductive resin layer is provided on the first surface and the second surface, and The plating layer extends onto the third surface and the fourth surface.

13. The multilayer electronic component of claim 12, wherein: At least a portion of the plating layer contacts at least a portion of the base electrode layer on the third surface and the fourth surface.

14. The multilayer electronic component of claim 13, wherein: At least some of the core-shell particles are in contact with an interface between the conductive resin layer and the plating layer.

15. The multilayer electronic component of claim 13, wherein: In the cross-section of the multilayer electronic component in the first direction and the second direction passing through the center of the main body in the third direction, the number of the core-shell particles in contact with the plating layer is 5 or more, and the area fraction occupied by the core-shell particles in the area within 20 μm from the interface between the conductive resin layer and the plating layer is greater than or equal to 10% and less than or equal to 70%.

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