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; an external electrode disposed on the main body and connected to the internal electrode; and a region containing Ni, Al, and Cu. The inner electrode includes Ni, and the outer electrode includes Al and Cu.

Description

[0001] This application claims the benefit of priority from Korean Patent Application No. 10-2023-0197417 filed on December 29, 2023, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, and Korean Patent Application No. 10-2023-0144625 filed on October 26, 2023, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein in their entirety by reference. Technical Field

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

[0003] Multilayer ceramic capacitors (MLCC, a type of multilayer electronic component) are chip capacitors mounted on printed circuit boards of various electronic products such as video devices (e.g., liquid crystal displays (LCDs) and plasma display panels (PDPs)), computers, smart phones, and mobile phones to charge or discharge them.

[0004] Multilayer ceramic capacitors may be used as components in various electronic devices due to their small size, high capacitance, and ease of mounting.

[0005] Recently, as electronic devices have been miniaturized and higher performance has been achieved, multilayer ceramic capacitors have also tended toward miniaturization and higher capacitance. Therefore, the importance of ensuring high reliability of multilayer ceramic capacitors has been increasing.

[0006] Additionally, as high voltage charging of mobile devices becomes more prevalent, there is a need for devices that are compact and have excellent reliability at high voltages.

[0007] When the contact between the inner and outer electrodes is reduced, the electrical connectivity between the inner and outer electrodes may be reduced, which may increase the equivalent series resistance (ESR), and when a high voltage is applied, defects such as arc burn may occur. Summary of the invention

[0008] An aspect of the present disclosure is to provide a multilayer electronic component having relatively high reliability.

[0009] An aspect of the present disclosure is to improve connectivity between inner and outer electrodes.

[0010] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a multilayer electronic component includes: a body including dielectric layers and inner electrodes alternately arranged with the dielectric layers; outer electrodes arranged on the body and connected to the inner electrodes; and a region including Ni, Al, and Cu. The inner electrodes include Ni, and the outer electrodes include Al and Cu.

[0011] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a multilayer electronic component includes: a body including dielectric layers and inner electrodes alternately arranged with the dielectric layers; and an outer electrode disposed on the body and including a base electrode layer connected to the inner electrodes. The base electrode layer includes Al, Cu and glass.

[0012] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a multilayer electronic component includes: a main body, including dielectric layers and inner electrodes alternately arranged with the dielectric layers, the inner electrodes including Ni, and the inner electrodes are spaced apart from the surface of the main body; an outer electrode arranged on the surface of the main body; and a region including Ni, Al and Cu, arranged between the inner electrodes and the outer electrodes to electrically connect the inner electrodes and the outer electrodes. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

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

[0014] Figure 1 schematically illustrates a perspective view of a multi-layer electronic component according to an embodiment;

[0015] Figure 2 Schematically shows the Figure 1 A cross-sectional view taken along line II';

[0016] Figure 3 Schematically shows the Figure 1 A cross-sectional view taken along line II-II';

[0017] Figure 4 The body is schematically shown in a disassembled state;

[0018] Figure 5 Schematically shows Figure 2 part of the subject;

[0019] Figure 6 It is shown Figure 2 An enlarged view of area K1;

[0020] Figure 7 It is shown Figure 2 An enlarged view of an alternative embodiment of the region K1;

[0021] Figure 8 is an enlarged view showing another alternative embodiment of area K1;

[0022] Fig. 9 It is shown Figure 2 An enlarged view of area K2;

[0023] Fig.10 is according to the embodiment corresponding to Figure 2 ; and

[0024] Fig.11 It is shown Fig.10 Magnified view of area K3. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to specific embodiments and the accompanying drawings. However, the embodiments may be modified in various other forms, and the scope of the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described below. In addition, embodiments of the present disclosure are provided to describe the present disclosure in more detail to those skilled in the art. Therefore, for a clearer understanding, 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.

[0026] In order to clearly illustrate the present disclosure in the drawings, parts not related to the description are omitted, and since the sizes (such as thickness) of the various components shown in the drawings are arbitrarily shown for ease of description, the present disclosure is not necessarily limited to the drawings. In addition, the same reference numerals will be used to describe components with the same functions within the same conceptual scope. In addition, throughout the specification, when a part is described as "comprising" a certain element, unless otherwise specified, this means that other elements may also be included without excluding other elements.

[0027] In the drawings, a first direction may be defined as a stacking direction or a thickness direction, a second direction may be defined as a length direction, and a third direction may be defined as a width direction.

[0028] Multilayer electronic components

[0029] Figure 1 A perspective view of a multilayer electronic component according to an embodiment is schematically shown.

[0030] Figure 2 Schematically shows the Figure 1 A cross-sectional view taken along line II'.

[0031] Figure 3 Schematically shows the Figure 1 A cross-sectional view taken along line II-II'.

[0032] Figure 4 The body is schematically shown in an exploded state.

[0033] Figure 5 Schematically shows Figure 2 part of the subject.

[0034] Figure 6 It is shown Figure 2 Magnified view of area K1.

[0035] Figure 7 It is shown Figure 2 An enlarged view of an alternative embodiment of the area K1 of FIG.

[0036] Figure 8 It is shown Figure 2 An enlarged view of another alternative embodiment of the area K1 of FIG.

[0037] In the following, reference will be made to Figures 1 to 7 The multilayer electronic component 100 according to the embodiment is described in detail. In addition, a multilayer ceramic capacitor (hereinafter referred to as "MLCC") will be described as an example of a multilayer electronic component, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto and can also be applied to various multilayer electronic components using ceramic materials, such as inductors, piezoelectric elements, varistors, thermistors, etc.

[0038] The multilayer electronic component 100 according to the embodiment may include a body 110 including a dielectric layer 111 and first and second internal electrodes 121 and 122 alternately disposed with the dielectric layer, the first and second external electrodes 131 and 132 disposed on the body and connected to the internal electrodes, and may include regions 141 and 142 containing Ni, Al, and Cu. The internal electrode may include Ni, and the external electrode may include Al and Cu.

[0039] The connectivity between the outer and inner electrodes has a significant impact on the reliability of multilayer electronic components. When the contact between the inner and outer electrodes is reduced, the electrical connectivity between the inner and outer electrodes is reduced, which may increase the equivalent series resistance (ESR), and when high voltage is applied, defects such as arc burn may occur.

[0040] According to an embodiment, reliability of a multilayer electronic component may be improved by improving connectivity between internal and external electrodes by including the regions 141 and 142 including Ni, Al, and Cu.

[0041] Hereinafter, respective configurations included in the multilayer electronic component 100 according to the embodiment will be described.

[0042] The body 110 may have dielectric layers 111 and first and second internal electrodes 121 and 122 that are alternately stacked.

[0043] The specific shape of the body 110 is not particularly limited, but Figure 1As shown, the body 110 may have a hexahedral shape or the like. Since ceramic powder particles contained 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.

[0044] The body 110 may have a first surface 1 and a second surface 2 opposite to each other in a first direction, a third surface 3 and a fourth surface 4 connected to the first surface 1 and the second surface 2 and opposite to each other in the second direction, and a fifth surface 5 and a sixth surface 6 connected to the first surface 1 and the second surface 2, connected to the third surface 3 and the fourth surface 4 and opposite to each other in a third direction.

[0045] Since the edge regions of the dielectric layer 111 where the first and second internal electrodes 121 and 122 are not provided overlap in the first direction, steps due to the thickness of the first and second internal electrodes 121 and 122 appear. Therefore, when viewed from the first surface or the second surface, the corners connecting the first surface with the third surface, the fourth surface, the fifth surface, and the sixth surface and / or the corners connecting the second surface with the third surface, the fourth surface, the fifth surface, and the sixth surface may have a shape that shrinks toward the center of the body 110 in the first direction. Optionally, due to the shrinkage behavior of the body during the sintering process, when viewed from the first surface or the second surface, 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 may have a shape that shrinks toward the center of the body 110 in the first direction. Optionally, in order to prevent chipping defects, etc., the corners connecting the respective surfaces of the body 110 are rounded by performing a separate process. Therefore, corners connecting the first surface and the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth surfaces and / or corners connecting the second surface and the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth surfaces may have a rounded shape.

[0046] On the other hand, in order to suppress the height difference caused by the first internal electrode 121 and the second internal electrode 122, after lamination, the capacitor forming part Ac (eg, Figure 3 A stack body (as shown) is formed so that the internal electrodes are exposed to both surfaces of the capacitor forming portion Ac in the third direction (width direction), and then when the first edge portion 114 and the second edge portion 115 are formed by stacking a single dielectric layer or two or more dielectric layers on both surfaces of the capacitor forming portion Ac in the third direction (width direction), 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.

[0047] The multiple dielectric layers 111 forming the main body 110 are in a sintered state, and adjacent dielectric layers 111 can be integrated with each other to such an extent that it may be difficult to identify the boundary between them without using a scanning electron microscope (SEM). The number of stacked dielectric layers is not particularly limited and can be determined in consideration of the size of the multilayer electronic component. For example, the main body can be formed by stacking 400 or more dielectric layers.

[0048] The dielectric layer 111 can be formed by the following method: producing a ceramic slurry containing ceramic powder, 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 is not particularly limited as long as sufficient capacitance can be obtained. For example, barium titanate (BaTiO 3 )-based powder can be used as the ceramic powder. For a more detailed example, the ceramic powder can be BaTiO 3 , (Ba 1-x Ca x )TiO 3 (0 < x < 1), Ba(Ti 1-y Ca y )O 3 (0 < y < 1), (Ba 1-x Ca x )(Ti 1-y Zr y )O 3 (0 < x < 1, 0 < y < 1) and Ba(Ti 1-y Zr y )O 3 (0 < y < 1) of at least one kind.

[0049] The average thickness td of the dielectric layer 111 is not particularly limited, but for example, it can be 0.01 μm to 10 μm. In addition, the average thickness td of the dielectric layer 111 can be arbitrarily set according to the required characteristics or uses. For example, in the case of a small IT electronic component, the average thickness td of at least one of the multiple dielectric layers 111 can be less than or equal to 1.5 μm to achieve miniaturization and high capacitance.

[0050] In this case, the average thickness td of the dielectric layer 111 may refer to the size of the dielectric layer 111 disposed between the first inner electrode 121 and the second inner electrode 122 in the first direction. The average thickness of the dielectric layer 111 can be measured by scanning the cross section of the body 110 in the first direction and the second direction at a magnification of 10,000 times with a scanning electron microscope (SEM). In more detail, the average value can be measured by measuring the thickness at a plurality of points (e.g., 30 points equally spaced in the second direction) of one dielectric layer 111. The 30 equally spaced points can be specified in the capacitor forming portion Ac described below. In addition, if the average value measurement is extended to 10 dielectric layers 111 and the average value is measured, the average thickness of the dielectric layer 111 can be further generalized.

[0051] The main body 110 may include a capacitor forming portion Ac and covering portions 112 and 113, wherein the capacitor forming portion Ac is disposed inside the main body 110, and in the capacitor forming portion Ac, a capacitor is formed by including a first internal electrode 121 and a second internal electrode 122 disposed to face each other and having a dielectric layer 111 interposed between the first internal electrode 121 and the second internal electrode 122, and the covering portions 112 and 113 are formed above and below the capacitor forming portion Ac in a first direction.

[0052] In addition, the capacitance forming part Ac is a portion contributing to forming the capacitance of the capacitor, and may be formed by repeatedly stacking a plurality of first internal electrodes 121 and a plurality of second internal electrodes 122 with the dielectric layer 111 interposed therebetween.

[0053] The cover portions 112 and 113 may include an upper cover portion 112 disposed above the capacitance forming portion Ac in the first direction and a lower cover portion 113 disposed below the capacitance forming portion Ac in the first direction.

[0054] The upper cover 112 and the lower cover 113 may be formed by stacking a single dielectric layer or two or more dielectric layers in a thickness direction on the upper and lower surfaces of the capacitance forming part Ac, respectively, and may mainly play a role in preventing damage to the internal electrodes due to physical stress or chemical stress.

[0055] The upper cover 112 and the lower cover 113 do not include an internal electrode, and may include the same material as the dielectric layer 111 .

[0056] For example, the upper cover 112 and the lower cover 113 may include a ceramic material such as barium titanate (BaTiO 3 ) based ceramic materials.

[0057] On the other hand, the thickness of the cover parts 112 and 113 need not be particularly limited. However, in order to more easily achieve miniaturization and high capacitance of the multilayer electronic component, the thickness tc of the cover parts 112 and 113 may be equal to or less than 60 μm.

[0058] The average thickness tc of the covering portions 112 and 113 may refer to the size of the covering portions 112 and 113 in the first direction, and may be an average value of the size of the covering portions 112 and 113 in the first direction measured at five points equally spaced above or below the capacitance forming portion Ac.

[0059] In addition, the first edge portion 114 and the second edge portion 115 may be provided on the surface of the capacitance forming portion Ac in the third direction.

[0060] The first edge portion 114 and the second edge portion 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, thereby respectively forming a fifth surface 5 and a sixth surface 6 of the body 110.

[0061] like Figure 3 As shown, the first and second 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 of the body 110 in a width-thickness direction.

[0062] The first and second edge portions 114 and 115 may mainly prevent the internal electrodes from being damaged due to physical stress or chemical stress.

[0063] The first edge portion 114 and the second edge portion 115 may be formed by not coating the conductive paste on a region of the ceramic green sheet except for a region where the internal electrode is to be formed.

[0064] In addition, in order to suppress the height difference caused by the first internal electrode 121 and the second internal electrode 122, after stacking, the stack including the capacitor forming portion Ac is cut to expose the internal electrodes to two surfaces of the capacitor forming portion Ac in the third direction (width direction), and then a single dielectric layer or two or more dielectric layers may be stacked on the two surfaces of the capacitor forming portion Ac in the third direction (width direction) to form a first edge portion 114 and a second edge portion 115.

[0065] On the other hand, the widths of the first edge portion 114 and the second edge portion 115 are not particularly limited. However, in order to more easily achieve miniaturization and high capacitance of the multilayer electronic component, the average width of the first edge portion 114 and the second edge portion 115 may be less than or equal to 45 μm.

[0066] The average width of the first edge portion 114 and the second edge portion 115 may refer to the average size of the area of ​​the inner electrode spaced apart from the fifth surface and the sixth surface in the third direction, and may be the average value of the sizes of the first edge portion 114 and the second edge portion 115 in the third direction measured at five equally spaced points on the surface of the capacitor forming portion Ac (for example, five points spaced apart in the second direction).

[0067] Therefore, in the embodiment, an average size of regions of the first and second internal electrodes 121 and 122 spaced apart from the fifth and sixth surfaces in the third direction may each be less than or equal to 45 μm.

[0068] On the other hand, when the body 110 uses a magnetic material instead of a dielectric material, the multilayer electronic component can be used as an inductor. The magnetic material can be, for example, ferrite and / or metal magnetic particles. In the case where the multilayer electronic component is used as an inductor, the inner electrode can be a coil-type conductor.

[0069] In addition, when a piezoelectric material is applied to the body 110 instead of a dielectric material, the multilayer electronic component can be used as a piezoelectric element. The piezoelectric material may be, for example, lead zirconate titanate (PZT).

[0070] In addition, when the body 110 uses a ZnO-based material or a SiC-based material instead of a dielectric material, the multilayer electronic component may be used as a varistor. When the body 110 uses a spinel-based material instead of a dielectric material, the multilayer electronic component may be used as a thermistor.

[0071] For example, the multilayer electronic component 100 according to the embodiment may be used as an inductor, a piezoelectric element, a varistor, a thermistor, or a multilayer ceramic capacitor by appropriately changing the material or structure of the body 110 .

[0072] The first internal electrode 121 and the second internal electrode 122 may be alternately disposed with the dielectric layer 111, and for example, the first internal electrode 121 and the second internal electrode 122 (which are a pair of electrodes having different polarities) may be disposed to face each other with the dielectric layer 111 interposed therebetween. The first internal electrode 121 and the second internal electrode 122 may be electrically separated from each other by the dielectric layer 111 disposed therebetween. In this case, the first internal electrode 121 and the second internal electrode 122 may be alternately disposed with the dielectric layer 111 in the first direction.

[0073] The first inner electrode 121 may be spaced apart from the fourth surface 4 but may extend toward the third surface 3 to be exposed to the third surface 3. The second inner electrode 122 may be spaced apart from the third surface 3 but may extend toward the fourth surface 4 to be exposed to the fourth surface 4. The first inner electrode 121 may be electrically connected to the first outer electrode 131 on the third surface 3, and the second inner electrode 122 may be electrically connected to the second outer electrode 132 on the fourth surface 4.

[0074] The conductive metal included in the first and second internal electrodes 121 and 122 may be at least one of Ni, Cu, Pd, Ag, Au, Pt, Sn, W, Ti, and alloys thereof.

[0075] In an embodiment, the first and second internal electrodes 121 and 122 may include Ni. In the case where the first and second internal electrodes 121 and 122 include Ni, when the base electrode layers 131a and 132a are formed, an Al and Ni alloy may be easily formed in the regions 141 and 142 including Ni, Al, and Cu. In addition, the first and second internal electrodes 121 and 122 may include Ni as a main component, and in this case, including Ni as a main component may mean that when a cross section of the internal electrode is analyzed by SEM-EDS, an area ratio occupied by Ni is greater than or equal to 90% compared to the total area of ​​the internal electrode.

[0076] The method of forming the first internal electrode 121 and the second internal electrode 122 is not particularly limited. For example, the first internal electrode 121 and the second internal electrode 122 may be formed by coating a conductive paste (including a conductive metal) for an internal electrode on a ceramic green sheet and sintering the same. The method of coating the conductive paste for the internal electrode may be screen printing, gravure printing, etc., but the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0077] The average thickness te of the first internal electrode 121 and the second internal electrode 122 does not need to be particularly limited, but may be, for example, 0.01 μm to 3 μm. In addition, the average thickness te of the first internal electrode 121 and the second internal electrode 122 may be arbitrarily set according to the desired characteristics or uses. For example, in the case of a small IT electronic component, in order to achieve miniaturization and high capacitance, the average thickness te of at least one of the plurality of internal electrodes 121 and 122 may be less than or equal to 0.8 μm.

[0078] In this case, the average thickness te of the inner electrode can be measured by scanning a cross section of the body 110 in the first direction and the second direction at a magnification of 10000 times with a scanning electron microscope (SEM). In more detail, the average value can be measured by measuring the thickness at multiple points of one inner electrode 121 or 122 (for example, at 30 points equally spaced in the second direction). The 30 equally spaced points can be specified in the capacitor forming portion Ac. In addition, if the average value measurement is extended to 10 first inner electrodes 121 and second inner electrodes 122 and the average value is measured, the average thickness of the first inner electrode 121 and the second inner electrode 122 can be further generalized.

[0079] In an embodiment, the regions 141 and 142 containing Ni, Al, and Cu may be disposed between the first and second inner electrodes 121 and 122 and the first and second outer electrodes 131 and 132. The regions 141 and 142 containing Ni, Al, and Cu may include: a region 141 disposed between the first inner electrode 121 and the first outer electrode 131 and containing Ni, Al, and Cu; and a region 142 disposed between the second inner electrode 122 and the second outer electrode 132 and containing Ni, Al, and Cu.

[0080] In addition, the regions 141 and 142 containing Ni, Al, and Cu may extend from the ends of the first and second internal electrodes 121 and 122 to the base electrode layers 131a and 132a. In addition, Al exists in the entire regions 141 and 142 containing Ni, Al, and Cu, and at least a portion of Al contained in the regions 141 and 142 containing Ni, Al, and Cu may form an alloy with at least one of Ni and Cu. Al included in the regions 141 and 142 containing Ni, Al, and Cu may exist in the form of Al, Al-Cu alloy, Al-Ni alloy, Al-Cu-Ni alloy, etc. Therefore, the connectivity between the first and second internal electrodes 121 and 122 and the first and second external electrodes 131 and 132 may be improved.

[0081] Al can stably form an alloy with Ni and Cu. In addition, Al has a melting point of about 660° C. (lower than the sintering temperature of a conventional sintered electrode), so when forming the first and second external electrodes 131 and 132, it is easy to improve the connectivity between the first and second external electrodes 131 and 132 and the first and second internal electrodes 121 and 122.

[0082] In an embodiment, the regions 141 and 142 containing Ni, Al, and Cu may include a section where the Ni content decreases as the distance from the end of the first internal electrode 121 and the end of the second internal electrode 122 increases, and a section where the Cu content decreases as the distance from the base electrode layers 131a and 132a increases. Such a concentration gradient of the Ni content and the Cu content may be because Ni contained in the first and second internal electrodes 121 and 122 diffuses into the regions 141 and 142 containing Ni, Al, and Cu and Cu contained in the first and second external electrodes 131 and 132 diffuses into the regions 141 and 142 containing Ni, Al, and Cu.

[0083] Figure 6 It is shown Figure 2 A magnified view of the K1 region. Figure 7 is according to an alternative embodiment corresponding to Figure 6 . Figure 8 According to another alternative embodiment, Figure 6 .

[0084] The K1 region is an enlarged view of the region 141 containing Ni, Al, and Cu, a portion of the first external electrode 131, and a portion of the first internal electrode 121. The only difference between the first external electrode 131 and the second external electrode 132 is that the first external electrode 131 is disposed on the third surface and the second external electrode 132 is disposed on the fourth surface, and since the first external electrode 131 and the second external electrode 132 are similar in configuration, although the following description will be based on the first external electrode 131, the description will be considered to be applicable to the second external electrode 132. In addition, the following description will also be based on the region 141 containing Ni, Al, and Cu and the first internal electrode 121, but the description will be considered to be applicable to the second region 142 containing Ni, Al, and Cu and the second internal electrode 122.

[0085] In an embodiment, in the region 141 including Ni, Al and Cu, when a portion adjacent to the first inner electrode 121 is referred to as a first region P1 and a portion adjacent to the first outer electrode 131 is referred to as a second region P2, an Al-Ni alloy may be disposed in the first region P1 and an Al-Cu alloy may be disposed in the second region P2.

[0086] In an embodiment, the region 141 containing Ni, Al, and Cu may be formed of an Al-Ni alloy and an Al-Cu alloy. Figure 6 , the region 141 containing Ni, Al, and Cu may be composed of two layers (including a first region P1 formed of an Al—Ni alloy and a second region P2 formed of an Al—Cu alloy).

[0087] In addition, the Ni content of the first region P1 may decrease in a direction from the first internal electrode 121 to the first external electrode 131 , and the Cu content of the second region P2 may decrease in a direction from the first external electrode 131 to the first internal electrode 121 .

[0088] In addition, the Al content of the first region P1 may increase in a direction from the first internal electrode 121 to the first external electrode 131, and the Al content of the second region P2 may increase in a direction from the first external electrode 131 to the first internal electrode 121. Therefore, the Al content may have a maximum value at a boundary between the first region P1 and the second region P2.

[0089] In an embodiment, the first region P1 may be disposed inside the body 110, and at least a portion of the second region P2 may be disposed outside the body 110. The first region P1 may be disposed inside the body 110 to contact an end of the first internal electrode 121, and the second region P2 may be disposed to contact the base electrode layer 131a outside the body 110.

[0090] Reference Figure 5 , the body 110 may include grooves G1 and G2 at which ends of the first inner electrode 121 and the second inner electrode 122 are spaced apart from the surface of the body 110. The grooves G1 and G2 may be formed due to the difference in shrinkage behavior between the first inner electrode 121 and the second inner electrode 122 and the dielectric layer 111 during the sintering process of the body 110. In the case where the sintering shrinkage rate of the first inner electrode 121 and the second inner electrode 122 is greater than the sintering shrinkage rate of the dielectric layer 111, a problem may occur in which the connectivity between the first inner electrode 121 and the second inner electrode 122 and the first outer electrode 131 and the second outer electrode 132 is reduced due to the grooves G1 and G2. In the prior art, attempts have been made to solve this problem by adding a process of removing the protruding dielectric layer using a sandblasting method or the like. In contrast, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, since at least a portion of the regions 141 and 142 containing Ni, Al, and Cu is disposed in the grooves G1 and G2, connectivity between the first and second internal electrodes 121 and 122 and the first and second external electrodes 131 and 132 can be improved without a separate polishing process. At this time, the first region P1 is disposed to contact the ends of the first and second internal electrodes 121 and 122 in the grooves G1 and G2, at least a portion of the second region P2 may be disposed in the grooves G1 and G2, and the remaining portion of the second region P2 may be disposed outside the body 110.

[0091] Reference Figure 7 In an embodiment, the region 141' containing Ni, Al, and Cu may include an intermediate region Pc' disposed between the first region P1' and the second region P2'. The region 141' containing Ni, Al, and Cu may be composed of three layers including a first region P1' formed of an Al-Ni alloy, a second region P2' formed of an Al-Cu alloy, and an intermediate region (Pc') disposed between the first region P1' and the second region P2'.

[0092] In an embodiment, the Al content of the middle region Pc′ may be higher than the Al contents of the first region P1 ′ and the second region P2 ′.

[0093] In an embodiment, the middle region Pc′ may not include Ni and Cu, and may be substantially formed of Al.

[0094] In addition, the Al content of the middle region Pc′ may be greater than or equal to 99 at %, and the Al content of at least a portion of the middle region Pc′ may be 100 at %.

[0095] In this case, in the first region P1', the Ni content decreases and the Al content increases in the direction from the inner electrode toward the outer electrode, and in the second region P2', the Cu content may decrease and the Al content may increase in the direction from the outer electrode toward the inner electrode. In addition, the Al content may be maintained at a relatively constant level in the intermediate region Pc'.

[0096] However, the middle region Pc' does not necessarily need to be formed of Al, and in an embodiment, a Ni-Al-Cu alloy may be provided in the middle region Pc'. In this case, the Al content may decrease as approaching the first region P1' and the second region P2' from the central portion of the middle region Pc'. In addition, as moving from the boundary between the first region P1' and the middle region Pc' to the boundary between the second region P2' and the middle region Pc', the Ni content may decrease and the Cu content may increase.

[0097] In an embodiment, the first region P1′ may be disposed inside the body 110, and at least a portion of the second region P2′ may be disposed outside the body 110. At this time, the intermediate region Pc′ may be disposed inside the body 110.

[0098] In an embodiment, the region 141″ containing Ni, Al, and Cu may be formed of a Ni—Al—Cu alloy. Figure 8 , the region containing Ni, Al and Cu may be set as a layer formed of a Ni-Al-Cu alloy. However, the contents of Ni, Al, Cu in the region adjacent to the inner electrode and the Ni, Al, Cu in the region adjacent to the outer electrode do not need to be the same. The region 141″ containing Ni, Al and Cu may have a concentration gradient in which the Ni content decreases and the Cu content increases in the direction from the end of the inner electrode toward the outer electrode, and the Al content may be the highest in the central part of the region 141″ containing Ni, Al and Cu in the second direction.

[0099] On the other hand, analysis of elements contained in the regions 141 and 142 including Ni, Al, and Cu may be performed on a cross section in the first and second directions passing through the center of the body 110 in the third direction using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and an energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS).

[0100] In addition, refer to Figure 7 , changes in the contents of Al, Ni, and Cu may be analyzed by performing a line profile along a line L1 from an end of the first internal electrode 121 to the inside of the base electrode layer.

[0101] For a detailed example, a cross section along the first direction and the second direction of the multilayer electronic component 100 cut from its center in the third direction is scanned with a scanning electron microscope (SEM) at a magnification of 20,000 times to obtain an image, and then a line profile analysis can be performed on Al, Ni, and Cu. In the line profile diagram obtained at this time, the portion where the Ni content is almost constant along L1 and then begins to decrease can be referred to as the boundary between the first and second internal electrodes 121 and 122 and the regions 141 and 142 containing Ni, Al, and Cu, and the portion where the Cu content increases and then begins to be almost constant can be referred to as the boundary between the regions 141 and 142 containing Ni, Al, and Cu and the base electrode layers 131a and 132a. In addition, the region from the position where the Al content begins to increase along L1 to the position where the Al content decreases and then becomes almost constant after passing the peak of the Al content can be referred to as the regions 141 and 142 containing Ni, Al, and Cu.

[0102] The first and second external electrodes 131 and 132 may be disposed on the body 110 .

[0103] like Figure 2 As shown, the first and second external electrodes 131 and 132 may include first and second external electrodes 131 and 132 respectively disposed on the third and fourth surfaces 3 and 4 of the body 110 and respectively connected to the first and second internal electrodes 121 and 122 through regions 141 and 142 containing Ni, Al, and Cu.

[0104] The first and second external electrodes 131 and 132 may include Al and Cu. Since the first and second internal electrodes 121 and 122 include Ni, the regions 141 and 142 including Ni, Al, and Cu may be easily formed when the first and second external electrodes 131 and 132 are formed.

[0105] In this embodiment, 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 first and second external electrodes 131 and 132 may be changed according to the shapes of the first and second internal electrodes 121 and 122 or other purposes.

[0106] The first and second external electrodes 131 and 132 may include base electrode layers 131 a and 132 a disposed on the body 110 .

[0107] Reference Figure 6 In an embodiment, the base electrode layers 131a and 132a may include Al (M2), Cu (M1), and glass (G). For example, the base electrode layers 131a and 132a may be sintered electrodes formed by heat treatment after applying a paste containing Al, Cu, and glass.

[0108] In the prior art, a sintered electrode is generally formed using a paste containing Cu and glass, and the glass included in the paste has a melting point of 580°C to 630°C. When the paste containing Cu and glass is applied to the body and a sintering process (a heat treatment process performed at 650°C to 900°C) is performed, during the sintering process, necking of the Cu particles first occurs, and the glass melts to fill the empty space. However, glass is a non-conductor, and it is difficult to fully fill the empty space between the inner electrode and the outer electrode with only Cu particles, thereby causing a problem of reduced contact between the inner electrode and the outer electrode. In this case, the necking of the Cu particles may refer to a phenomenon in which the Cu particles are connected as one particle by diffusion at the contact area.

[0109] However, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, in addition to Cu and glass, the base electrode layers 131a and 132a may further include Al. The melting point of Al is about 660°C, which is lower than the sintering temperature of a conventional sintered electrode, and has a melting point similar to the melting point of glass. Therefore, Al particles melt during the sintering process and can easily fill the empty space between the inner electrode and the outer electrode. In addition, since Al can stably form an alloy with Ni and Cu, the wettability of the conductive material between the inner electrode and the base electrode layer can be improved. Therefore, when the base electrode layers 131a and 132a are formed, it can help to improve the connectivity between the base electrode layers 131a and 132a and the first and second inner electrodes 121 and 122. In addition, since the base electrode layers 131a and 132a also contain Al in addition to Cu and glass, Al can partially replace the role of glass during the sintering process, thereby reducing the glass content and also reducing the equivalent series resistance (ESR).

[0110] Al contained in the paste for forming the base electrode layer may be contained in the form of powder, and during the sintering process, Al and glass are melted at about 660° C. or higher. A portion of the melted Al penetrates into the grooves G1 and G2 where the inner electrode is recessed to reduce the interface energy, and by forming an alloy with Ni, regions 141 and 142 containing Ni, Al, and Cu having a strong metallic bond may be formed. In addition, a portion of the melted Al may penetrate into the empty space between the necked Cu particles, and a portion of the melted Al in contact with Cu may form an alloy with Cu, so that the base electrode layer has a high density.

[0111] In a detailed example of Al and Cu included in the paste for forming the base electrode layer, Al powder having a particle size ranging from 50 nm to 30000 nm may be used as Al, and Cu powder having a particle size ranging from 50 nm to 30000 nm may be used as Cu.

[0112] In an embodiment, the base electrode layers 131a and 132a may be disposed in contact with at least a portion of an end portion of the dielectric layer 111 disposed between the first and second internal electrodes 121 and 122. In addition, at least one of Al, Cu, and glass included in the base electrode layers 131a and 132a may be disposed in contact with at least a portion of an end portion of the dielectric layer 111 disposed between the first and second internal electrodes 121 and 122. In addition, the base electrode layers 131a and 132a may be disposed to cover the regions 141 and 142 containing Ni, Al, and Cu.

[0113] In an embodiment, at least a portion of Al included in the base electrode layers 131a and 132a may be alloyed with Cu to form an Al—Cu alloy. Figure 6 , the Al-Cu alloy (M3) may be disposed to surround at least a portion of the Al (M2) included in the base electrode layer 131a. In addition, the Cu (M1) may be disposed to surround at least a portion of the Al-Cu alloy (M3). At this time, the Al-Cu alloy (M3) may have a concentration gradient in which the Al content decreases and the Cu content increases in a direction from a region adjacent to the Al (M2) toward a region adjacent to the Cu (M1).

[0114] Reference Figure 2 , the first and second external electrodes 131 and 132 may include plating layers 131 b and 132 b disposed on the base electrode layers 131 a and 132 a.

[0115] 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 may be a plating layer including at least one of Ni, Sn, Pd, and alloys thereof, and may be formed of a plurality of layers.

[0116] For a more detailed example of the plating layers 131b and 132b, the plating layers 131b and 132b may be a Ni plating layer or a Sn plating layer formed on the base electrode layers 131a and 132a, or may be a Ni plating layer and a Sn plating layer sequentially formed on the base electrode layers 131a and 132a, or may be a Sn plating layer, a Ni plating layer, and a Sn plating layer sequentially formed on the base 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.

[0117] The first and second external electrodes 131 and 132 include Ni plating layers 131b1 and 132b1 disposed on the base electrode layers 131a and 132a, and Al and Al-Ni alloy may be disposed in at least a portion of the interface region between the base electrode layers 131a and 132a and the Ni plating layers 131b1 and 132b1. Fig. 9, Al(Mz) disposed at the interface region between the base electrode layer 131a and the Ni plating layer 131b1 may be disposed on a portion of the base electrode layer 131a and a portion of the Ni plating layer 131b1. In addition, on the portion of the Al(Mz) disposed in the base electrode layer 131a disposed at the interface region between the base electrode layer 131a and the Ni plating layer 131b1, the Al-Cu alloy (M3a) may be disposed on the portion in contact with the Cu(M1), and on the portion of the Al(Mz) disposed in the Ni plating layer 131b1 disposed at the interface region between the base electrode layer 131a and the Ni plating layer 131b1, the Al-Ni alloy (M3b) may be disposed on the portion in contact with the Ni plating layer 131b1. Therefore, Al(Mz) may be disposed to be at least partially covered by the layer M3' including the Al-Cu alloy (M3a) and the Al-Ni alloy (M3b).

[0118] At this time, the Sn plating layer 131 b 2 may be further disposed on the Ni plating layer 131 b 1 .

[0119] Reference Fig.10 In an embodiment, the external electrodes 131' and 132' may include conductive resin layers 131c' and 132c' disposed on the base electrode layers 131a' and 132a' and containing conductive particles and resin. In addition, the external electrodes 131' and 132' may further include plating layers 131b' and 132b' disposed on the conductive resin layers 131c' and 132c'.

[0120] The conductive particles Mf included in the conductive resin layers 131c' and 132c' need not be specifically limited, and for example, examples of the conductive particles Mf may include Cu, Ni, Sn, Pd, Pt, Au, Ag, Pb and / or alloys thereof, and in more detail, may include at least one of Cu, Ag, Sn and alloys thereof.

[0121] The conductive resin layers 131c' and 132c' are used to electrically connect the plating layers 131b' and 132b' to the base electrode layers 131a' and 132a', and can absorb the tensile stress generated in the mechanical environment or the thermal environment to prevent cracks from occurring when the multilayer electronic components are mounted on the substrate, and can be used to protect the multilayer electronic components from the bending impact of the substrate.

[0122] The resin Rs included in the conductive resin layers 131 c ′ and 132 c ′ may include a thermosetting resin having electrical insulating properties.

[0123] At this time, the thermosetting resin may be, for example, an epoxy resin, and the present disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, the thermosetting resin may be a bisphenol A resin, an ethylene glycol epoxy resin, a novolac epoxy resin, or a derivative thereof having a low molecular weight and being liquid at room temperature.

[0124] In embodiments, the conductive particles Mf included in the conductive resin layers 131c' and 132c' are Cu particles, and Al and Al-Cu alloy may be provided in at least a portion of an interface region between the base electrode layers 131a' and 132a' and the conductive resin layers 131c' and 132c'.

[0125] Reference Fig.11 , Al contained in the base electrode layer 131a' diffuses into the interface region with the conductive resin layer 131c', and a portion of the diffused Al may form an Al-Cu alloy (M3) with the Cu particles Mf contained in the conductive resin layer 131c'. In addition, Al (M2) has good wettability to the Cu particles Mf and the Cu particles Mf among the resin (Rs), so the probability of Al (M2) diffusing toward the Cu particles Mf is high, and it may be difficult to distinguish due to having a shape similar to that of Al disposed in the base electrode layer 131a'. In addition, it may be difficult to clearly distinguish the boundary between the Cu particles Mf included in the conductive resin layer 131c' and the Cu (M1) included in the base electrode layer 131a'.

[0126] On the other hand, the multilayer electronic component 100 according to the embodiment may include a body 110 including a dielectric layer 111 and first and second internal electrodes 121 and 122 alternately disposed with the dielectric layer, and first and second external electrodes 131 and 132 disposed on the body 110 and including base electrode layers 131a and 132a connected to the internal electrodes. The base electrode layer may include Al, Cu, and glass.

[0127] As described above, since the base electrode layers 131a and 132a include Al in addition to Cu and glass, Al melts during the sintering process and may easily fill the empty space between the inner and outer electrodes and may stably form an alloy with Ni and Cu, thereby improving connectivity between the base electrode layers 131a and 132a and the first and second inner electrodes 121 and 122. In addition, Al may partially replace the role of glass during the sintering process, thereby reducing the glass content and thereby reducing the equivalent series resistance (ESR).

[0128] As described above, the reliability of a multi-layer electronic component can be improved.

[0129] The contact between the inner and outer electrodes can be improved.

[0130] Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described in detail above, the present disclosure is not limited to the above embodiments and drawings, but is intended to be defined by the appended claims. Therefore, those skilled in the art may make various types of substitutions, modifications and changes within the scope of the technical spirit of the present disclosure described in the claims, and this may also be interpreted as falling within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0131] In addition, the expression "embodiment" used in the present disclosure does not mean the same embodiment as each other, 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 the content described in a detailed embodiment is not described in another embodiment, unless there is a description contrary to or contradictory to the content in another embodiment, the content can be understood as a description related to another embodiment.

[0132] The terms used in the present disclosure are only used to describe the embodiments and are not intended to limit the present disclosure. In this case, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, a singular expression includes a plural expression.

[0133] While example embodiments have been shown and described above, it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that changes and modifications 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 alternately arranged with the dielectric layer; an outer electrode disposed on the body and connected to the inner electrode; and The area containing Ni, Al and Cu, wherein the inner electrode comprises Ni, and The external electrode includes Al and Cu.

2. The multilayer electronic component of claim 1, wherein: The region containing Ni, Al, and Cu includes a first region adjacent to the inner electrode and a second region adjacent to the outer electrode, and wherein an Al—Ni alloy is disposed in the first region and an Al—Cu alloy is disposed in the second region.

3. The multilayer electronic component of claim 2, wherein: The region containing Ni, Al, and Cu consists of an Al—Ni alloy and an Al—Cu alloy.

4. The multilayer electronic component of claim 2, wherein: The Ni content of the first region decreases in a direction from the inner electrode to the outer electrode, and the Cu content of the second region decreases in a direction from the outer electrode to the inner electrode.

5. The multilayer electronic component of claim 2, wherein: An Al content of the first region increases in a direction from the inner electrode to the outer electrode, and an Al content of the second region increases in a direction from the outer electrode to the inner electrode.

6. The multilayer electronic component of claim 2, wherein: The first region is disposed inside the body, and at least a portion of the second region is disposed outside the body.

7. The multilayer electronic component of claim 2, wherein: When a portion between the first region and the second region is referred to as an intermediate region, an atomic percentage of Al contained in the intermediate region is higher than atomic percentages of Al contained in the first region and the second region.

8. The multilayer electronic component of claim 7, wherein: The intermediate region does not contain Ni and Cu.

9. The multilayer electronic component of claim 7, wherein: The Al content of the middle region is greater than or equal to 99 at %, and the Al content of at least a portion of the middle region is 100 at %.

10. The multilayer electronic component of claim 7, wherein: In the first region, the Ni content decreases and the Al content increases in the direction from the inner electrode to the outer electrode, and in the second region, the Cu content decreases and the Al content increases in the direction from the outer electrode to the inner electrode.

11. The multilayer electronic component of claim 7, wherein: The first region is disposed inside the body, and at least a portion of the second region is disposed outside the body.

12. The multilayer electronic component of claim 7, wherein: The intermediate region is located inside the main body.

13. The multilayer electronic component of claim 1, wherein: The region containing Ni, Al, and Cu is formed of a Ni—Al—Cu alloy.

14. The multilayer electronic component of claim 13, wherein: In the region containing Ni, Al, and Cu, the Ni content decreases and the Cu content increases in a direction from the inner electrode to the outer electrode.

15. The multilayer electronic component of claim 13, wherein: In the region containing Ni, Al, and Cu, the Al content is highest in the central region, decreases in a direction from the central region toward the inner electrode, and decreases in a direction from the central region toward the outer electrode.

16. The multilayer electronic component of claim 1, wherein: The region containing Ni, Al and Cu includes a first region adjacent to the inner electrode, a second region adjacent to the outer electrode, and an intermediate region between the first region and the second region, wherein an Al-Ni alloy is arranged in the first region, an Al-Cu alloy is arranged in the second region, and a Ni-Al-Cu alloy is arranged in the intermediate region.

17. The multilayer electronic component of claim 1, wherein the region containing Ni, Al, and Cu is disposed between the inner electrode and the outer electrode.

18. A multilayer electronic component comprising: A main body, comprising a dielectric layer and inner electrodes alternately arranged with the dielectric layer; as well as an outer electrode disposed on the body and comprising a base electrode layer connected to the inner electrode, Wherein, the substrate electrode layer includes Al, Cu and glass.

19. The multilayer electronic component of claim 18, wherein: The base electrode layer contacts at least a portion of an end portion of the dielectric layer disposed between the internal electrodes.

20. The multilayer electronic assembly of claim 18, wherein: At least one of Al, Cu, and glass included in the base electrode layer contacts at least a portion of an end portion of the dielectric layer disposed between the internal electrodes.

21. The multilayer electronic assembly of claim 18, wherein: At least a portion of Al contained in the base electrode layer is alloyed with Cu.

22. The multilayer electronic assembly of claim 18, wherein: The outer electrode further comprises a Ni plating layer disposed on the base electrode layer, and At least a portion of an interface region between the base electrode layer and the Ni plating layer is provided with Al and an Al—Ni alloy.

23. The multilayer electronic assembly of claim 18, wherein: The external electrode further includes a conductive resin layer disposed on the base electrode layer and including conductive particles and a resin.

24. The multilayer electronic component of claim 23, wherein: The conductive particles included in the conductive resin layer are Cu particles, and At least a portion of an interface region between the base electrode layer and the conductive resin layer is provided with Al and an Al—Cu alloy.

25. The multilayer electronic component according to claim 18, further comprising a region containing Ni, Al, and Cu and extending from an end of the inner electrode to the base electrode layer, in, Al exists in the entire region of the region including Ni, Al, and Cu, and at least a portion of Al included in the region including Ni, Al, and Cu is alloyed with at least one of Ni and Cu.

26. A multilayer electronic component comprising: A body, comprising dielectric layers and inner electrodes alternately arranged with the dielectric layers, the inner electrodes comprising Ni, and the inner electrodes being spaced apart from a surface of the body; an external electrode disposed on the surface of the body; and A region including Ni, Al, and Cu is disposed between the inner electrode and the outer electrode to electrically connect the inner electrode and the outer electrode.

27. The multilayer electronic assembly of claim 26, wherein: The external electrode includes a base electrode layer, and the base electrode layer includes Al, Cu and glass.

28. The multilayer electronic assembly of claim 27, wherein: The outer electrode further comprises a Ni plating layer disposed on the base electrode layer, and At least a portion of an interface region between the base electrode layer and the Ni plating layer is provided with Al and an Al—Ni alloy.

29. The multilayer electronic assembly of claim 26, wherein: At least a portion of the region including Ni, Al, and Cu disposed between the external electrode and the internal electrode has an Al content of 99 at % or more.

30. The multilayer electronic assembly of claim 26, wherein: The region including Ni, Al, and Cu includes a first region adjacent to the inner electrode, a second region adjacent to the outer electrode, and an intermediate region between the first region and the second region.

31. The multilayer electronic assembly of claim 30, wherein: The Ni content in the first region decreases as it moves away from the inner electrode, the Al content in the first region increases as it moves away from the inner electrode, the Cu content in the second region decreases in a direction from the outer electrode toward the inner electrode, and the Al content in the second region increases in a direction from the outer electrode toward the inner electrode.

32. The multilayer electronic assembly of claim 30, wherein: At least a portion of the intermediate region does not contain Ni and Cu.

33. The multilayer electronic assembly of claim 30, wherein: At least a portion of the second region is disposed on the surface of the body and outside the body, and at least a portion of the first region is disposed inside the body.

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