Multilayer electronic component

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a multilayer electronic component, which may include: a body including dielectric layers and internal electrodes alternately disposed in a first direction; and outer electrodes disposed on the body and connected to the inner electrodes, where each of the inner electrodes may include a plurality of electrode portions and a break portion, and the break portion may include at least one of a dielectric and an aperture. When a ratio of a length of the void to a length of the break portion is referred to as a porosity of the break portion, the porosity of the break portion measured in a central portion of the inner electrode in the third direction in a cross-section of the body in the first direction and the third direction is defined as Dc, and a porosity of the broken portion measured in an end portion of the inner electrode in the third direction is defined as Dm, Dm / Dc being less than 0.79.

Description

[0001] This application claims the priority of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2023-0137748 filed in the Korean Intellectual Property Office on October 16, 2023, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Technical Field

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

[0003] Multilayer ceramic capacitors (MLCCs), a type of multilayer electronic component, are chip capacitors mounted on printed circuit boards of various types of electronic products, such as image display devices including liquid crystal displays (LCDs) and plasma display panels (PDPs), computers, smart phones, and mobile phones, for charging or discharging therefrom.

[0004] The multilayer ceramic capacitor may be used as a component in various electronic devices because it has a small size, ensures high capacitance, and is easy to mount.

[0005] Since ceramics are highly brittle, cracks may be generated during installation or use of the multilayer ceramic capacitor. In addition, there may be a concern that cracks may be generated or propagated during a sintering process for manufacturing the multilayer ceramic capacitor.

[0006] Therefore, there is a need for a method for suppressing crack generation and propagation in a multilayer ceramic capacitor. Summary of the invention

[0007] An aspect of the present disclosure is to provide a multilayer electronic component having excellent reliability.

[0008] An aspect of the present disclosure is to provide a multilayer electronic component in which generation and propagation of cracks are suppressed.

[0009] However, aspects of the present disclosure are not limited to the above and may be more readily understood in the process of describing specific embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0010] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a multilayer electronic component may include: 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 connected to the first surface and the second surface and opposite to each other in the second direction, and a fifth surface and a sixth surface connected to the first surface to the fourth surface and opposite to each other in a third direction; and an external electrode, arranged on the main body and connected to the internal electrode, wherein each of the internal electrodes may include a plurality of electrode portions and a plurality of disconnected portions, and the disconnected portions may include at least one of a dielectric and a pore, and when the ratio of the length of the pore to the length of the disconnected portion is referred to as the porosity of the disconnected portion, in the cross-section of the main body in the first direction and the third direction, the porosity of the disconnected portion measured in the central portion of the internal electrode in the third direction is defined as Dc, and the porosity of the disconnected portion measured in the end portion of the internal electrode in the third direction is defined as Dm, and Dm / Dc may be less than 0.79.

[0011] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a multilayer electronic component may include: 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 connected to the first surface and the second surface and opposite to each other in the second direction, and a fifth surface and a sixth surface connected to the first surface to the fourth surface and opposite to each other in a third direction; and external electrodes arranged on the body and connected to the internal electrodes, wherein each of the internal electrodes may include a plurality of electrode portions and a plurality of disconnected portions, and the disconnected portions may include at least one of a dielectric and a pore, and when a ratio of a length of the pore to a length of the disconnected portion is referred to as a porosity of the disconnected portion, in a cross section of the body in the first direction and the third direction, a porosity of the disconnected portion measured in a central portion of the internal electrode in the third direction is defined as Dc, and a porosity of the disconnected portion measured in an end portion of the internal electrode is defined as Dm, Dm may be less than or equal to 40%, and Dm may satisfy <Dc。

[0012] As one of various effects of the present disclosure, the porosity of the disconnected portion of the inner electrode may be controlled to suppress the occurrence and propagation of cracks.

[0013] However, the advantages and effects of the present disclosure are not limited to the above and can be more easily understood from the description of the process of the specific embodiment of the present disclosure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] 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 illustrating a multilayer electronic component according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure; Figure 2 It is along Figure 1 A schematic cross-sectional view taken along line II' of ; Figure 3 It is along Figure 1 A schematic cross-sectional view taken along line II-II'; Figure 4 is an exploded view schematically showing the main body; Figure 5 schematically shows an enlarged view of one inner electrode; Figure 6 is an image obtained by observing the central portion of the inner electrode of the invention example (sample number 7) in the third direction; Figure 7 is an image obtained by observing the end portion of the inner electrode of the invention example (sample number 7) in the third direction; Figure 8 is an image obtained by observing the central portion of the inner electrode of the comparative example (sample number 1) in the third direction; and Fig. 9 This is an image obtained by observing the end portion of the internal electrode of the comparative example (sample number 1) in the third direction. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0015] Hereinafter, some embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to specific example embodiments and the accompanying drawings. However, the embodiments of the present disclosure may be illustrated in many different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the specific embodiments set forth herein. The example embodiments disclosed herein are provided to enable those skilled in the art to better explain the present disclosure. Therefore, in the accompanying drawings, for the sake of clarity, the shapes and sizes of the elements may be exaggerated, and the same or similar reference numerals will always be used to represent the same or similar elements.

[0016] In addition, in order to clearly describe the present disclosure in the drawings, contents irrelevant to the description are omitted, and since the size (e.g., thickness) of each component shown in the drawings is arbitrarily shown for the convenience of description, the present disclosure is not limited thereto. In addition, components having the same functions within the same conceptual scope are described using the same reference numerals. Throughout the specification, when a part is described as "including" or "comprising" a component, unless otherwise specified, the expression does not exclude other components and may further include other components.

[0017] In the drawings, a first direction may be defined as a thickness direction (T direction), a second direction may be defined as a length direction (L direction), and a third direction may be defined as a width direction (W direction).

[0018] Multilayer electronic components Figure 1 is a perspective view schematically illustrating a multilayer electronic component according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0019] Figure 2 It is along Figure 1 Schematic cross-sectional view taken along line II'.

[0020] Figure 3 It is along Figure 1 Schematic cross-sectional view taken along line II-II'.

[0021] Figure 4 is an exploded view schematically showing the main body.

[0022] Figure 5 An enlarged view of one inner electrode is schematically shown.

[0023] In the following, reference will be made to Figures 1 to 5 The multilayer electronic component 100 according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure is described in detail. In addition, as an example of a multilayer electronic component, a multilayer ceramic capacitor (hereinafter referred to as "MLCC") will be described, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and the multilayer electronic component 100 can also be applied to various multilayer electronic components using ceramic materials, such as an inductor, a piezoelectric element, a varistor, or a thermistor.

[0024] The multilayer electronic component 100 according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure may include: a body 110 including dielectric layers 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 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; and external electrodes 131 and 132 arranged on the body and connected to the internal electrodes. The internal electrode may include a plurality of electrode portions Ep and disconnected portions Cp, and the disconnected portions may include at least one of a dielectric D and a pore P.

[0025] In some example embodiments, when the disconnect portion includes both a dielectric D and pores P, and the ratio of the length of the pores P to the length of the disconnect portion Cp is referred to as the porosity of the disconnect portion, in the cross-sections of the body in the first direction and the third direction, the porosity of the disconnect portion measured in the central portion of the inner electrode in the third direction is defined as Dc, and the porosity of the disconnect portion measured in the end portion of the inner electrode in the third direction is defined as Dm, and Dm / Dc may be less than 0.79.

[0026] In some example embodiments, a ratio of the length of the pore P to the length of the disconnection portion Cp is referred to as a porosity of the disconnection portion, and in the cross-section of the body in the first direction and the third direction, a porosity of the disconnection portion measured in a central portion of the inner electrode in the third direction is referred to as Dc, and a porosity of the disconnection portion measured in an end portion of the inner electrode in the third direction is referred to as Dm, and Dm may be less than or equal to 40%, and may satisfy Dm <Dc。

[0027] In the present disclosure, in the process of manufacturing multi-layer electronic components, attempts are made to suppress the initiation and propagation of cracks by fundamentally understanding the plastic behavior and crack initiation mechanism.

[0028] For cracks to form in the body or for cracks to increase and cause damage, there must be microcracks inside the body, and there must be energy to grow these microcracks. The pores present in the disconnected portion of the inner electrode may act as microcracks inside the body. In the present disclosure, the porosity of the disconnected portion of the inner electrode may be controlled to suppress the generation and propagation of cracks. Specifically, the pores formed in the end of the inner electrode may act as the starting point of the crack, and in the present disclosure, the formation of pores in the end of the inner electrode may be suppressed, so that the generation and propagation of cracks can be suppressed by fundamentally removing the cause of the crack generation.

[0029] Hereinafter, each configuration included in the multilayer electronic component 100 according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure will be described.

[0030] The body 110 may include dielectric layers 111 and internal electrodes 121 and 122 that are alternately stacked.

[0031] The specific shape of the body 110 is not particularly limited, but as shown in the figure, the body 110 may have a hexahedral shape or a shape similar thereto. Since the ceramic powder particles included in the body 110 shrink during the sintering process, the body 110 may not have a hexahedral shape with perfect straight lines, but may have a substantially hexahedral shape.

[0032] The body 110 may include 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, connected to the third surface 3 and the fourth surface 4 and opposite to each other in a third direction.

[0033] Since edge regions on the dielectric layer 111 where the internal electrodes 121 and 122 are not disposed overlap in the first direction, a step portion due to the thickness of the internal electrodes 121 and 122 may occur, so that when viewed from the first surface or the second surface, a corner connecting the first surface 1 with the third surface 3, the fourth surface 4, the fifth surface 5, and the sixth surface 6 and / or a corner connecting the second surface 2 with the third surface 3, the fourth surface 4, the fifth surface 5, and the sixth surface 6 may have a shape that shrinks in the first direction toward the center of the body 110. Alternatively, due to shrinkage behavior during the sintering process of the body, when viewed from the first surface or the second surface, a corner connecting the first surface 1 with the third surface 3, the fourth surface 4, the fifth surface 5, and the sixth surface 6 and / or a corner connecting the second surface 2 with the third surface 3, the fourth surface 4, the fifth surface 5, and the sixth surface 6 may have a shape that shrinks in the first direction toward the center of the body 110. Alternatively, in order to prevent chipping defects, etc., the corners of each surface of the connecting body 110 can be rounded by performing a separate process, so that the corners connecting the first surface 1 with the third surface 3, the fourth surface 4, the fifth surface 5 and the sixth surface 6 and / or the corners connecting the second surface 2 with the third surface 3, the fourth surface 4, the fifth surface 5 and the sixth surface 6 can have a rounded shape.

[0034] In addition, in order to suppress the step portion caused by the internal electrodes 121 and 122, the stacked body may be cut after stacking to expose the internal electrodes to both surfaces of the stacked body in the third direction, and when the capacitor forming part Ac (such as Figure 3 When a single dielectric layer or two or more dielectric layers are stacked on two surfaces in the third direction (width direction) of a stacked body (as shown) to form edge portions 114 and 115, the portion connecting the first surface to the fifth surface and the sixth surface and the portion connecting the second surface to the fifth surface and the sixth surface may not have a contracted shape.

[0035] In a state where the plurality of dielectric layers 111 included in the body 110 are sintered, the adjacent dielectric layers 111 may be integrated with each other so that the boundaries therebetween are difficult to identify without using a scanning electron microscope (SEM). The number of stacked dielectric layers is not particularly limited and may be determined in consideration of the size of the multilayer electronic component. For example, the body may be formed by stacking 400 or more dielectric layers.

[0036] The dielectric layer 111 can be formed through the following steps: producing a ceramic slurry including ceramic powder particles, an organic solvent, and a binder, coating the slurry on a carrier film and drying it to prepare a green ceramic sheet, and then sintering the green ceramic sheet. The ceramic powder particles are not particularly limited as long as sufficient electrostatic capacitance can be obtained. However, for example, barium titanate-based (BaTiO3-based) powder particles and CaZrO3-based phase dielectric powder particles can be used as the ceramic powder particles. For more specific examples, the barium titanate-based (BaTiO3-based) powder particles can be at least one selected from the group consisting of BaTiO3, (Ba 1-x Ca x )TiO3 (0 < x < 1), Ba(Ti 1-y Cay)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), and the CaZrO3-based phase dielectric powder particles can be (Ca 1- x Sr x )(Zr 1-y Ti y )O3 (0 < x < 1, 0 < y < 1).

[0037] Therefore, the dielectric layer 111 can include at least one selected from the group consisting 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), Ba(Ti 1-y Zr y )O3 (0 < y < 1), and (Ca 1-x Sr x )(Zr 1-y Ti y )O3 (0 < x < 1, 0 < y < 1). In some example embodiments, the dielectric layer 111 can include (Ca 1-x Sr x )(Zr 1-y Ti y)O3 (0 < x < 1, 0 < y < 1) is used as the main component.

[0038] The average thickness td of the dielectric layer 111 in the first direction is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, less than or equal to 2.5 μm. Additionally, the average thickness td of the dielectric layer 111 in the first direction can be arbitrarily set according to desired characteristics or purposes.

[0039] Here, the average thickness td of the dielectric layer 111 may refer to the dimension of the dielectric layer 111 in the first direction disposed between the inner electrodes 121 and 122. The average thickness of the dielectric layer 111 can be measured by scanning the cross-sections of the main body 110 in the first and second directions with a scanning electron microscope (SEM) at a magnification of 10,000 times. More specifically, the average value can be measured by measuring the thicknesses at multiple regions of one dielectric layer 111 (for example, 30 regions spaced apart from each other at equal intervals in the second direction). The 30 regions with equal intervals can be specified in the capacitance forming portion Ac described below. Additionally, when the average value measurement is extended to 10 dielectric layers 111 to measure the average value, the average thickness of the dielectric layer 111 can be further generalized.

[0040] The main body 110 may include a capacitance forming portion Ac, and covering portions 112 and 113. The capacitance forming portion Ac is disposed inside the main body 110 and is configured to form a capacitance by including a first inner electrode 121 and a second inner electrode 122. The first inner electrode 121 and the second inner electrode 122 are disposed to face each other with the dielectric layer 111 interposed therebetween. The covering portions 112 and 113 are formed above and below the capacitance forming portion Ac in the first direction.

[0041] In addition, the capacitance forming portion Ac is a part that contributes to forming the capacitance of the capacitor, and can be formed by repeatedly stacking a plurality of first inner electrodes 121 and a plurality of second inner electrodes 122 with the dielectric layer 111 interposed therebetween.

[0042] The covering portions 112 and 113 may include an upper covering portion 112 disposed above and adjacent to the capacitance forming portion Ac in the first direction, and a lower covering portion 113 disposed below and adjacent to the capacitance forming portion Ac in the first direction.

[0043] The upper covering portion 112 and the lower covering portion 113 can be formed by stacking a single dielectric layer or two or more dielectric layers in the thickness direction on the upper surface and the lower surface of the capacitance forming portion Ac, respectively, and can be mainly used to prevent damage to the inner electrodes due to physical stress or chemical stress.

[0044] The upper covering portion 112 and the lower covering portion 113 do not include inner electrodes and may include the same material as that of the dielectric layer 111.

[0045] 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.

[0046] In addition, the thickness of the cover parts 112 and 113 does not need to be particularly limited. However, in order to more easily achieve miniaturization and high capacitance of the multilayer electronic component, the thickness of the cover parts 112 and 113 in the first direction may be 15 μm or less.

[0047] The average thickness tc of the covering portions 112 and 113 may refer to a first direction dimension, and is a value obtained by averaging the first direction dimensions of the covering portions 112 and 113 measured at five regions spaced apart from each other at equal intervals in the upper or lower portion of the capacitance forming portion Ac.

[0048] In addition, edge portions 114 and 115 may be provided on the side surfaces of the capacitance forming portion Ac.

[0049] The edge portions 114 and 115 may include a first edge portion 114 disposed on one surface of the capacitance forming portion Ac in the third direction and a second edge portion 115 disposed on the other surface of the capacitance forming portion Ac in the third direction to respectively form the fifth surface 5 and the sixth surface 6 of the body. That is, the edge portions 114 and 115 may be disposed on both side surfaces of the stacked body in the width direction.

[0050] 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 an outer surface of the body 110 in a cross section obtained by cutting the body 110 in a width-thickness (WT) direction.

[0051] The edge portions 114 and 115 may mainly serve to prevent the inner electrodes from being damaged due to physical stress or chemical stress.

[0052] The edge portions 114 and 115 may be formed by forming an internal electrode by coating a conductive paste on a region of the ceramic green sheet except for a region where the edge portions are to be formed.

[0053] In addition, in order to suppress the step portion caused by the internal electrodes 121 and 122, as described above, the stacked body formed after stacking can be cut so that the internal electrodes are exposed to both surfaces of the stacked body in the third direction, and then, the edge portions 114 and 115 can be formed by stacking a single dielectric layer or two or more dielectric layers on both side surfaces of the stacked body including the capacitor forming portion Ac in the third direction (width direction).

[0054] In addition, the width of the edge portions 114 and 115 in the third direction is not particularly limited. However, in order to more easily achieve miniaturization and high capacitance of the multilayer electronic component, the average width of the edge portions 114 and 115 may be equal to or less than 15 μm.

[0055] The average width of edge portion 114 may refer to an average dimension MW1 of an area where the inner electrode is spaced apart from the fifth surface in the third direction, and the average width of edge portion 115 may refer to an average dimension MW2 of an area where the inner electrode is spaced apart from the sixth surface in the third direction, and the average widths of edge portions 114 and 115 may be an average value obtained by averaging the third-direction dimensions of edge portions 114 and 115 measured at five areas spaced apart from each other at equal intervals on the side surface of the capacitor forming portion Ac.

[0056] Therefore, in some example embodiments, each of an average size MW1 of a region in which the internal electrodes 121 and 122 are spaced apart from the fifth surface in the third direction and an average size MW2 of a region in which the internal electrodes 121 and 122 are spaced apart from the sixth surface in the third direction may be equal to or less than 15 μm.

[0057] Each of the internal electrodes 121 and 122 may include a plurality of electrode portions Ep and a plurality of disconnection portions Cp, and the disconnection portions Cp may include at least one of a dielectric D and pores P.

[0058] Since the conductive paste and the ceramic green sheet for the internal electrode have different shrinkage starting temperatures, agglomeration or disconnection of the internal electrode may occur after the sintering process. Therefore, when observing a cross section obtained by cutting the body 110 in the stacking direction after the sintering process, a disconnection portion Cp, which is a portion where the connection in each of the internal electrodes 121 and 122 is broken, can be observed.

[0059] Generally, the disconnection portion Cp of the inner electrode may be formed by pores P, and the pores P may act as microcracks inside the body and may cause the generation and propagation of cracks. In the present disclosure, the porosity of the disconnection portion Cp of the inner electrode may be controlled by filling the disconnection portion Cp with a dielectric D, thereby suppressing the generation and propagation of cracks.

[0060] In some example embodiments, the ratio of the length of the pore P to the length of the break portion Cp is referred to as the porosity of the break portion, and in the cross-section of the body in the first direction and the third direction, the porosity of the break portion measured in the central portion of the inner electrode in the third direction is referred to as Dc, and the porosity of the break portion measured in the end portion of the inner electrode in the third direction is referred to as Dm, and Dm / Dc may be less than 0.79.

[0061] Since the pores P present in the end portions of the inner electrode in the third direction can serve as the starting points of cracks, the ratio of the porosity Dm of the discontinuous portion measured in the end portions of the inner electrode in the third direction to the porosity Dc of the discontinuous portion measured in the central portion of the inner electrode in the third direction can be controlled to be less than 0.79, thereby fundamentally suppressing the causes of crack generation and suppressing the generation and propagation of cracks. Therefore, Dm / Dc can preferably be less than 0.79, and more preferably less than or equal to 0.51. On the other hand, the lower limit of Dm / Dc does not need to be particularly limited. For example, Dm / Dc can be greater than or equal to 0.26.

[0062] In an exemplary embodiment, the porosity Dm of the discontinuous portion measured in the end portions of the inner electrode in the third direction can be less than or equal to 40%, and Dm < Dc can be satisfied. Therefore, the causes of crack generation can be fundamentally suppressed, and the generation and propagation of cracks can be suppressed.

[0063] In an exemplary embodiment, the porosity Dm of the discontinuous portion measured in the end portions of the inner electrode in the third direction can be less than or equal to 40%.

[0064] When Dm is greater than 40%, since cracks may be likely to occur, Dm can preferably be less than or equal to 40%, and Dm can more preferably be less than or equal to 19%.

[0065] The lower limit of Dm does not need to be particularly limited, and can most preferably be 0%, but it may be difficult to control Dm to 0% in the manufacturing process. Therefore, the lower limit of Dm can be, for example, greater than or equal to 5%, or greater than or equal to 9%.

[0066] In an exemplary embodiment, the porosity Dc of the discontinuous portion measured in the central portion of the inner electrode in the third direction can be less than or equal to 43%. Although the influence of the porosity Dc of the discontinuous portion measured in the central portion of the inner electrode in the third direction on the generation and suppression of cracks is less than the influence of the porosity Dm of the discontinuous portion in the end portions of the inner electrode in the third direction, since the pores P in the central portion of the inner electrode in the third direction may also be the starting points of cracks, Dc can preferably be less than or equal to 43%.

[0067] The lower limit of Dc does not need to be particularly limited, and can most preferably be 0%, but it may be difficult to control Dc to 0% in the manufacturing process. Therefore, the lower limit of Dc can be, for example, greater than or equal to 20%, or greater than or equal to 27%.

[0068] Figure 5 is a schematic enlarged view of a cross-section of an inner electrode 121 in the first direction and the third direction. Hereinafter, with reference to Figure 5 , the inner electrode of the present disclosure will be described in detail focusing on the first inner electrode 121, and the description of the first inner electrode 121 can also be applied to the second inner electrode 122.

[0069] In example embodiments, the disconnection portion Cp may be provided to penetrate the internal electrodes 121 and 122 in the first direction. When the disconnection portion Cp is provided to penetrate the internal electrodes 121 and 122 in the first direction, cracks may be more easily generated, and thus, when the disconnection portion Cp is provided to penetrate the internal electrodes 121 and 122 in the first direction, the effect of suppressing the generation and propagation of cracks of the present disclosure may be more significant.

[0070] In some example embodiments, the dielectric D may be provided to connect the dielectric layers 111a and 111b adjacent to the disconnection portion Cp. Therefore, by improving the adhesion between the dielectric layers 111a and 111b, the strength of the multilayer electronic component may be improved, delamination and cracking may be suppressed, and moisture resistance reliability may be improved.

[0071] In some example embodiments, at least one of the plurality of disconnected portions Cp may include both the dielectric D and the void P.

[0072] In addition, at least one of the plurality of disconnected portions Cp has a length longer than the thickness of the internal electrode in the cross-sections in the first and third directions, which may further improve adhesion between adjacent dielectric layers.

[0073] In addition, at least one of the plurality of disconnected portions Cp may be formed using the dielectric D. That is, when the disconnected portion Cp is completely filled with the dielectric D, adhesion between the dielectric layers 111a and 111b may be further improved, and the effect of suppressing generation and propagation of cracks may be further improved.

[0074] On the other hand, not all dielectrics D included in the disconnection portion Cp may be provided in a form connecting adjacent dielectric layers 111a and 111b, and some dielectrics included in the disconnection portion Cp may be provided in a form connected to neither the upper dielectric layer 111a nor the lower dielectric layer 111b.

[0075] The voids P are empty spaces that may be filled with air, and are regions in which adhesive force is not formed.

[0076] In the internal electrode, a region not including the disconnection portion Cp may be an electrode portion Ep, and the electrode portion Ep may be formed by sintering a conductive paste for the internal electrode.

[0077] In example embodiments, the dielectric D may include the same material as that of the dielectric layer. For example, the dielectric D and the dielectric layer 111 may include a material selected from the group consisting of BaTiO3, (Ba 1-x Ca x )TiO3(0 <x<1)、Ba(Ti 1-y Ca y )O3(0 <y<1)、(Ba 1-xCa x )(Ti 1-y Zr y )O3 (0 < x < 1, 0 < y < 1), Ba(Ti 1-y Zr y )O3 (0 < y < 1) and (Ca 1-x Sr x )(Zr 1-y Ti y )O3 (0 < x < 1, 0 < y < 1). In an exemplary embodiment, dielectric D and dielectric layer 111 may include (Ca 1-x Sr x )(Zr 1-y Ti y )O3 (0 < x < 1, 0 < y < 1) as a main component.

[0078] In addition, dielectric D may include any one or more selected from the group consisting of Ca, Mg, Mn, Al, and Si. Ca, Mg, Mn, Al, and Si included in the inner electrode paste may diffuse during the sintering process and may be included in the dielectric.

[0079] Referring to Figure 5 , the porosity of disconnection part Cp can be defined as the ratio of the total length of pores P to the total length of disconnection part Cp, and can be measured by scanning an image obtained by cutting a cross-section in the first direction and the third direction from the center of the main body 110 in the second direction with a scanning electron microscope (SEM). After setting a certain area in the image, the total length of the inner electrode (a = e + g), the total length of electrode part Ep (e = e1 + e2 + e3 + e4 + e5), the total length of disconnection part Cp (g = g1 + g2 + g3 + g4), and the total length of pores P (p = p1 + p2 + p3) can be calculated, so that (p / g)*100[%] can be used as the porosity of disconnection part Cp, and (p / a)*100[%] can be used as the porosity of the inner electrode.

[0080] In addition, the porosity Dc of the disconnection part in the central portion of the inner electrode in the third direction may be a value obtained by observing a region with a third direction dimension of 23 μm of the part of the inner electrode including the central portion of the main body, and the porosity Dm of the disconnection part in the end portion of the inner electrode in the third direction may be a value obtained by observing a region with a third direction dimension of 15 μm of the part of the inner electrode including the end portion of the inner electrode. Referring to Figure 3, Dc may be a value obtained by observing the scanned image in the area K1 and the size of K1 in the third direction is 23 μm (i.e., the size of the internal electrode in K1 in the third direction is 23 μm), and Dm may be a value obtained by observing the scanned image in the area K2 and the size of K2 in the third direction is 15 μm (i.e., the size of the internal electrode in K2 in the third direction is 15 μm).

[0081] In addition, Dc may be more generalized by calculating the porosity of the disconnected portion in the central portion of the inner electrode in the third direction of 7 or more inner electrodes and then averaging them, and Dm may be further generalized by calculating the porosity of the disconnected portion in the end portion of the inner electrode in the third direction of 7 or more inner electrodes and then averaging them. That is, Dc may refer to the average porosity of the disconnected portion in the central portion of the inner electrode in the third direction, and Dm may refer to the average porosity of the disconnected portion in the end portion of the inner electrode in the third direction.

[0082] In addition, the method of controlling the average porosity of the disconnected portion Cp is not particularly limited.

[0083] For example, the average porosity of the disconnected portion Cp can be controlled by applying an appropriate pressure to the main body in the stacking direction during the sintering process. In addition, the average porosity of the disconnected portion Cp can be controlled by adjusting the heating rate, time, sintering atmosphere, etc. during the sintering process. In addition, the average porosity of the disconnected portion Cp can be controlled by adjusting the amount of conductive powder particles, organic materials, and ceramics added to the conductive paste for the inner electrode. In addition, conductive powder particles of different sizes can be mixed and their ratios can be adjusted, and the printing conditions of the conductive paste can be changed to control the average porosity of the disconnected portion Cp.

[0084] For a specific example, when the sintering temperature is set to 1185°C or higher in an atmosphere with a hydrogen concentration of 0.2 vol% and the thickness of the inner electrode is adjusted to be less than or equal to 1 μm, the average porosity of the disconnection portion Cp can be controlled to meet the requirements. When the above sintering conditions are controlled, the formation of pores can be suppressed by micro-oxidation of the end of the inner electrode.

[0085] 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 to face each other with the dielectric layer 111 included in the body 110 interposed 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.

[0086] The first internal electrode 121 may be spaced apart from the fourth surface 4 and may be exposed through the third surface 3, and the second internal electrode 122 may be spaced apart from the third surface 3 and may be exposed through the fourth surface 4. The first external electrode 131 may be disposed on the third surface 3 of the body and may be connected to the first internal electrode 121, and the second external electrode 132 may be disposed on the fourth surface 4 of the body and may be connected to the second internal electrode 122.

[0087] That is, the first internal electrode 121 is not connected to the second external electrode 132 but is connected to the first external electrode 131, and the second internal electrode 122 is not connected to the first external electrode 131 but is connected to the second external electrode 132. Therefore, the first internal electrode 121 may be formed to be spaced apart from the fourth surface 4 by a certain distance, and the second internal electrode 122 may be formed to be spaced apart from the third surface 3 by a certain distance. In addition, the first internal electrode 121 and the second internal electrode 122 may be disposed to be spaced apart from the fifth and sixth surfaces of the body 110.

[0088] The conductive metal included in the internal electrodes 121 and 122 may be one or more selected from the group consisting of Ni, Cu, Pd, Ag, Au, Pt, In, Sn, Al, Ti, and alloys thereof, and the present disclosure is not limited thereto. In addition, in order to control the porosity of the disconnected portion, an appropriate amount of one or more selected from the group consisting of Ca, Mg, Mn, Al, and Si may be included in the conductive paste for the internal electrode.

[0089] The method of forming the internal electrodes 121 and 122 is not particularly limited. For example, the internal electrodes 121 and 122 may be formed by coating a conductive paste for internal electrodes including a conductive metal on a ceramic green sheet and sintering the conductive paste. The method of coating the conductive paste for internal electrodes may use a screen printing method or a gravure printing method, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0090] The average thickness te of the internal electrodes does not need to be particularly limited. In this case, the thickness of the internal electrodes 121 and 122 may refer to the first direction dimension of the internal electrodes 121 and 122. For example, when the average thickness te of the internal electrodes 121 and 122 is less than or equal to 1.0 μm, the effect of suppressing the generation and propagation of cracks according to the present disclosure may be more significant.

[0091] Here, the average thickness te of the internal electrode can be measured by scanning the first and second direction cross sections of the body 110 with a scanning electron microscope (SEM) at a magnification of 10,000 times. More specifically, the average value can be measured by measuring the thickness at a plurality of regions of one internal electrode 121 or 122 (for example, 30 regions spaced apart from each other at equal intervals in the second direction). 30 regions with equal intervals can be specified in the capacitor forming portion Ac. In addition, when the average value is measured by extending the average value measurement to 10 internal electrodes 121 and 122, the average thickness of the internal electrodes 121 and 122 can be further generalized.

[0092] The external electrodes 131 and 132 may be disposed on the body 110 and connected to the internal electrodes 121 and 122 .

[0093] like Figure 2 As shown in FIG. 1 , the external electrodes 131 and 132 may include first and second external electrodes 131 and 132 that are respectively disposed on the third and fourth surfaces 3 and 4 of the body 110 and connected to the first and second internal electrodes 121 and 122 , respectively.

[0094] In some example embodiments, a structure in which the multilayer electronic component 100 has two external electrodes 131 and 132 is described, but the number or shape of the external electrodes 131 and 132 may be changed according to the shapes of the internal electrodes 121 and 122 or other purposes.

[0095] In addition, the external electrodes 131 and 132 may be formed using any material as long as the material has conductivity, such as metal, and a specific material may be determined in consideration of electrical characteristics, structural stability, etc., and further, the external electrodes 131 and 132 may have a multi-layered structure.

[0096] For example, the external electrodes 131 and 132 may include electrode layers 131 a and 132 a disposed on the body 110 and plated layers 131 b and 132 b formed on the electrode layers 131 a and 132 a , respectively.

[0097] For a more specific example of the electrode layers 131 a and 132 a , the electrode layers 131 a and 132 a may be sintered electrodes including a conductive metal and glass, or may be resin-based electrodes including a conductive metal and resin.

[0098] In addition, the electrode layers 131a and 132a may be formed by sequentially forming a sintered electrode and a resin-based electrode on the body. In addition, the electrode layers 131a and 132a may be formed by transferring a sheet including a conductive metal onto the body, or may be formed by transferring a sheet including a conductive metal onto a sintered electrode.

[0099] As the conductive metal included in the electrode layers 131a and 132a, a material having excellent conductivity may be used without particular limitation. For example, the conductive metal may be one or more selected from the group consisting of nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), and alloys thereof.

[0100] The plating layers 131b and 132b may be used to improve mounting characteristics. The type of the plating layers 131b and 132b is not particularly limited, and the plating layers 131b and 132b may be plating layers including one or more selected from the group consisting of Ni, Sn, Pd, and alloys thereof, and may be formed using a plurality of layers.

[0101] For a more specific example of the plating layers 131b and 132b, the plating layers 131b and 132b may be Ni plating layers or Sn plating layers, and may be in a form in which Ni plating layers and Sn plating layers are sequentially formed on the electrode layers 131a and 132a, or may be in a form in which Sn plating layers, Ni plating layers, and Sn plating layers are sequentially formed on the electrode layers 131a and 132a. In addition, the plating layers 131b and 132b may include a plurality of Ni plating layers and / or a plurality of Sn plating layers.

[0102] <Example> In the following Table 1, the porosity Dc of the broken portion measured in the central part of the inner electrode in the third direction, the porosity Dm of the broken portion measured in the end part of the inner electrode in the third direction, the porosity Ic of the inner electrode measured in the central part of the inner electrode in the third direction, and the porosity Im of the inner electrode measured in the end part of the inner electrode in the third direction of each sample obtained under changing the sintering conditions are measured and shown, and the frequency of crack generation in each sample is observed and shown.

[0103] Dc, Dm, Ic, and Im are measured by scanning an image obtained by cutting a first-direction and a third-direction cross section from the center of the body in the second direction with a scanning electron microscope (SEM), and an average value of the values ​​of each of 7 or more inner electrodes is described. Dc and Ic are values ​​obtained by observing an area having a third-direction dimension of 23 μm in a central portion of the inner electrode in the third direction, and Dm and Im are values ​​obtained by observing an area having a third-direction dimension of 15 μm in an end portion of the inner electrode in the third direction.

[0104] Here, refer to Figure 5 , the porosity of the inner electrode refers to the ratio of the total length of the pores P (p=p1+p2+p3) to the total length of the inner electrode in the observation area (a).

[0105] The crack frequency was measured by preparing 100 sample pieces for each sample number, then observing 18 points on each sample piece, 6 points each at the upper, middle, and lower parts in the first and third direction cross-sections cut from the center of the sample piece in the second direction, and listing the percentage of points where cracks occurred among the total 1800 points for each sample number. The crack frequency was measured using an indenter (nanoindenter) under the condition of an indentation strength of 0.2 kgf.

[0106] Table 1:

[0107] It was confirmed that Samples Nos. 1 to 6 had a high crack frequency and Dm / Dc was greater than or equal to 0.79.

[0108] On the other hand, it was confirmed that Samples Nos. 7 to 11 had a low crack frequency and Dm / Dc was less than 0.79, and thus the generation and propagation of cracks were suppressed.

[0109] In addition, in Samples Nos. 7 to 11, it was confirmed that Dm was less than or equal to 40% and Dm < Dc was satisfied, so the crack frequency was low and the generation and propagation of cracks were suppressed.

[0110] In addition, it was confirmed that there was no significant correlation between the porosity of the inner electrode and the crack frequency, and it was confirmed that the crack frequency was related to the porosity of the disconnection part rather than the porosity of the inner electrode.

[0111] Figure 6 It is an image obtained by observing the central part of the inner electrode in the third direction in the inventive example (Sample No. 7). Figure 7 It is an image obtained by observing the end part of the inner electrode in the third direction in the inventive example (Sample No. 7). Figure 8 It is an image obtained by observing the central part of the inner electrode in the third direction in the comparative example (Sample No. 1). Fig. 9 It is an image obtained by observing the end part of the inner electrode in the third direction in the comparative example (Sample No. 1).

[0112] Comparison Figure 6 and Figure 8 , there was no significant difference in the porosity of the disconnection part in the central part of the inner electrode between the example and the comparative example. However, comparing Figure 7 and Fig. 9 , it was confirmed that the porosity of the disconnection part in the end part of the inner electrode in the example was significantly lower than that in the comparative example.

[0113] Although the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure have been described in detail above, the present disclosure is not limited to the above embodiments and the accompanying drawings, but is defined by the appended claims. Therefore, those of ordinary skill in the art may make various substitutions, modifications or changes without departing from the scope of the present disclosure defined by the appended claims, and these substitutions, modifications or changes should be interpreted as being included within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0114] In addition, the expression "exemplary embodiment" used in the present disclosure does not mean the same embodiment, but is provided to emphasize and explain different unique characteristics. However, the embodiment presented above does not exclude the combination of features with another embodiment. For example, although an item described in a particular embodiment is not described in another embodiment, unless there is a description contrary to or contradictory to the item in another embodiment, the item can be understood as a description related to another embodiment.

[0115] In the present disclosure, the terms are used only to describe specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the present disclosure. Unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, a singular form may also include a plural form.

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 connected to the first surface and the second surface and opposite to each other in the second direction, and a fifth surface and a sixth surface connected to the first surface to the fourth surface and opposite to each other in the third direction; as well as an outer electrode disposed on the body and connected to the inner electrode, wherein each of the inner electrodes comprises a plurality of electrode portions and a plurality of disconnected portions, and the disconnected portions comprise at least one of a dielectric and a pore, and When the ratio of the length of the pore to the length of the break portion is referred to as the porosity of the break portion, in the cross-sections of the body in the first direction and the third direction, the porosity of the break portion measured in the central part of the inner electrode in the third direction is defined as Dc, and the porosity of the break portion measured in the end part of the inner electrode in the third direction is defined as Dm, satisfying that Dm / Dc is less than 0.

79.

2. The multilayer electronic component according to claim 1, wherein Dm / Dc is less than or equal to 0.

51.

3. The multilayer electronic component according to claim 1, wherein: Dm / Dc is greater than or equal to 0.26 and less than or equal to 0.

51.

4. The multilayer electronic component according to claim 1, wherein: A third-direction dimension of the central portion of the inner electrode in the third direction is 23 μm, and a third-direction dimension of the end portion of the inner electrode in the third direction is 15 μm.

5. The multilayer electronic component according to claim 1, wherein Dm is less than or equal to 40%.

6. The multilayer electronic component according to claim 1, wherein: Dm is less than or equal to 19%.

7. The multilayer electronic component according to claim 1, wherein: The disconnection portion is provided to penetrate the internal electrode in the first direction.

8. The multilayer electronic component according to claim 1, wherein The dielectric is provided to connect dielectric layers adjacent to the disconnection portion.

9. The multilayer electronic component according to claim 1, wherein: At least one of the plurality of disconnected portions includes both the dielectric and the pores.

10. The multilayer electronic component according to claim 1, wherein At least one of the plurality of disconnected portions is formed using the dielectric.

11. The multilayer electronic component according to claim 1, wherein The dielectric includes the same material as that of the dielectric layer.

12. The multilayer electronic component according to claim 1, wherein The dielectric includes one or more selected from the group consisting of Ca, Mg, Mn, Al, and Si.

13. The multilayer electronic component according to claim 1, wherein The average thickness of the inner electrode is less than or equal to 1 μm.

14. 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 connected to the first surface and the second surface and opposite to each other in the second direction, and a fifth surface and a sixth surface connected to the first surface to the fourth surface and opposite to each other in the third direction; as well as an outer electrode disposed on the body and connected to the inner electrode, wherein each of the inner electrodes comprises a plurality of electrode portions and a plurality of disconnected portions, and the disconnected portions comprise at least one of a dielectric and a pore, and When the ratio of the length of the pore to the length of the disconnected portion is referred to as the porosity of the disconnected portion, in the cross-section of the body in the first direction and the third direction, the porosity of the disconnected portion measured in the central portion of the inner electrode in the third direction is defined as Dc, and the porosity of the disconnected portion measured in the end portion of the inner electrode is defined as Dm, Dm is less than or equal to 40%, and Dm is <Dc。 15. The multilayer electronic component according to claim 13, wherein Dm is less than or equal to 19%.

16. The multilayer electronic component according to claim 13, wherein: Dc is less than or equal to 43%.

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