Multilayer electronic component

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a multilayer electronic component. The multilayer electronic component includes: a body including dielectric layers and internal electrodes alternately disposed with the dielectric layers; and external electrodes disposed on opposing surfaces of the body in a length direction, in which when a center portion of the dielectric layer in a width direction is a first region and an end portion of the dielectric layer in the width direction is a second region, the first region has a dielectric constant higher than a dielectric constant of the second region.

Description

[0001] This application claims the benefit of priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2023-0191759, filed with the Korean Intellectual Property Office on December 26, 2023, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Technical Field

[0002] The present disclosure relates to a multilayer electronic component. Background Art

[0003] A multilayer ceramic capacitor, a type of multilayer chip electronic component, is a chip capacitor mounted on a printed circuit board of various electronic products such as image display devices (e.g., liquid crystal displays (LCDs), plasma display panels (PDPs), etc.) and computers, smartphones, mobile phones, etc., for charging or discharging from them.

[0004] Due to advantages such as small size, high capacitance, and easy installation of multilayer ceramic capacitors (MLCCs), multilayer ceramic capacitors can be used as components in various electronic devices, and as various electronic devices (such as computers and mobile devices) become smaller and have higher performance, the demand for miniaturization and high capacitance of multilayer ceramic capacitors has increased.

[0005] In addition, since the application of multilayer ceramic capacitors in automotive electronic components has increased, high reliability in various environments is required.

[0006] Multilayer ceramic capacitors are generally manufactured by stacking and pressing ceramic green sheets having printed conductive paste for internal electrodes thereon, and then performing a cutting process and a sintering process. Due to the thickness of the internal electrode pattern, a step difference is formed between a portion where the conductive paste for the internal electrode is printed and a portion where the conductive paste for the internal electrode is not printed, and as the number of layers increases, the step difference may become larger.

[0007] In addition, during the stacking operation, a gap may occur in a portion where the conductive paste for the internal electrode is not printed, and a portion of the ceramic green sheet and a portion of the conductive paste for the internal electrode may move into the gap during the pressing operation, so the thickness of the dielectric layer and the internal electrode in a region adjacent to the portion where the conductive paste for the internal electrode is not printed may become thinner. As a result, a high electric field may be generated at the width direction end portion compared to the central portion in the width direction of the dielectric layer, which may reduce reliability. Summary of the Invention

[0008] One aspect of the present disclosure is to provide a multilayer electronic component having excellent reliability.

[0009] Another aspect of the present disclosure is to provide a multilayer electronic component having excellent withstand voltage.

[0010] Another aspect of the present disclosure is to ensure high capacitance.

[0011] However, the object of the present disclosure is not limited to the foregoing, and it can be more easily understood during the description of specific exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0012] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a multilayer electronic component includes: a body including a dielectric layer and inner electrodes alternately disposed with the dielectric layer; and outer electrodes disposed on opposite surfaces in the length direction of the body, wherein when a central portion in the width direction of the dielectric layer is a first region and an end portion in the width direction of the dielectric layer is a second region, the first region has a higher dielectric constant than the second region.

[0013] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a multilayer electronic component includes: a dielectric layer disposed in a body of the multilayer electronic component and including a first region and a second region in a length-width plane of the body, the first region being disposed in a central portion in the width direction of the dielectric layer, the second region being disposed in an end portion in the width direction of the dielectric layer; and inner electrodes disposed above the dielectric layer, wherein the first region of the dielectric layer has a higher dielectric constant than the second region. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] The above and other aspects, features, and advantages of the present disclosure will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of a multilayer electronic component according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure; Figure 2 is along Figure 1 sectional view taken along line I-I'; Figure 3 is along Figure 1 sectional view taken along line II-II'; Figure 4 is Figure 1 exploded perspective view of the body; Figure 5 is along Figure 1 sectional view taken along line III-III'; Figure 6 is Figure 5 view showing the body without inner electrodes; Figure 7 is a graph showing the change in dielectric constant according to the position in the width direction; Figure 8is a view showing a method for manufacturing a green sheet for manufacturing a multilayer electronic component according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure; Figure 9 is a view showing a green sheet printed with a conductive paste for an internal electrode; and Figure 10 is a view showing a cross-section of a stack in which Figure 9 the green sheets are stacked and pressed. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0015] Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, the present disclosure can be illustrated in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the specific exemplary embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these exemplary embodiments are provided so that the present disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the present disclosure to those skilled in the art. In the drawings, for clarity, the shapes and sizes of elements may be exaggerated, and the same reference numerals will always be used to denote the same elements.

[0016] To clarify the present disclosure, parts irrelevant to the description are omitted, and the same reference numerals denote the same elements throughout the specification. In the drawings, for clarity, the thicknesses of layers, films, panels, regions, etc. are exaggerated. Further, in the drawings, although the same reference numerals are shown in different drawings, they denote the same elements. Throughout the specification, unless explicitly described to the contrary, the word "comprising" and variations such as "comprises" and "having" will be understood to imply the inclusion of the stated elements but not the exclusion of any other elements.

[0017] In the drawings, the first direction may be defined as the stacking direction or the thickness direction, the second direction may be defined as the length direction, and the third direction may be defined as the width direction.

[0018] Multi-layer electronic component Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of a multilayer electronic component according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0019] Figure 2 is along Figure 1 a sectional view taken along line I-I'.

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

[0021] Figure 4 is Figure 1 an exploded perspective view of the main body of.

[0022] Figure 5 is alongFigure 1 A sectional view taken along line III-III'.

[0023] Figure 6 is Figure 5 A view showing the interior without the inner electrodes.

[0024] Hereinafter, the multilayer electronic component 100 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to Figures 1 to 6 In addition, a multilayer ceramic capacitor is described as an example of the multilayer electronic component, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto and can be applied to various multilayer electronic components using ceramic materials, such as inductors, piezoelectric elements, varistors, or thermistors.

[0025] The multilayer electronic component 100 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure may include: a body 110 including dielectric layers 111 and inner electrodes 121 and 122 alternately disposed with the dielectric layers 111; and outer electrodes 131 and 132 disposed on the body 110, wherein when a central portion in the width direction of the dielectric layer 111 is a first region 111c and end portions in the width direction of the dielectric layer 111 are second regions 111e1 and 111e2, the first region 111c may have a higher dielectric constant than the dielectric constants of the second regions 111e1 and 111e2.

[0026] Multilayer ceramic capacitors are generally manufactured by stacking and pressing ceramic green sheets having printed thereon a conductive paste for inner electrodes, and then performing a cutting process and a sintering process. Due to the thickness of the inner electrode pattern, a step difference is formed between a portion where the conductive paste for inner electrodes is printed and a portion where the conductive paste for inner electrodes is not printed, and as the number of layers increases, the step difference may become larger.

[0027] In addition, during the stacking operation, gaps may occur in portions where the conductive paste for inner electrodes is not printed, and a part of the ceramic green sheet and a part of the conductive paste for inner electrodes may move into the gaps during the pressing operation. As a result, the thicknesses of the dielectric layer and the inner electrode in a region adjacent to the portion where the conductive paste for inner electrodes is not printed may become thinner. Consequently, a high electric field may be generated at the end portions in the width direction compared to the central portion in the width direction of the dielectric layer, which may reduce the reliability. Specifically, dielectric breakdown may occur at the end portions in the width direction at a low voltage compared to the central portion in the width direction of the dielectric layer, and the lifetime may be shortened during a high-acceleration life test (HALT).

[0028] In addition, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, by making the central portion in the width direction of the dielectric layer have a higher dielectric constant than the end portions in the width direction, high capacitance can be easily ensured while improving reliability. That is, while the first region 111c of the dielectric layer 111 has a high dielectric constant to ensure high capacitance, the second regions 111e1 and 111e2 of the dielectric layer 111 may have a relatively low dielectric constant compared to the first region 111c, thereby improving the withstand voltage at the end portions in the width direction of the dielectric layer 111 to improve reliability.

[0029] Hereinafter, each component included in the multilayer electronic component 100 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure will be described.

[0030] In the main body 110, the dielectric layer 111 and the internal electrodes 121 and 122 may be alternately stacked.

[0031] Although the specific shape of the main body 110 is not particularly limited, as Figures 1 to 4 shown, the main body 110 may have a hexahedral shape or a shape similar to a hexahedral shape. Due to the shrinkage of the ceramic particles included in the main body 110 during the sintering process, the main body 110 may not have a completely straight hexahedral shape, but may generally have a hexahedral shape.

[0032] The main body 110 may have a first surface 1 and a second surface 2 that face each other in a first direction, a third surface 3 and a fourth surface 4 that are connected to the first surface 1 and the second surface 2 and face each other in a second direction, and a fifth surface 5 and a sixth surface 6 that are connected to the first surface 1 and the second surface 2, are connected to the third surface 3 and the fourth surface 4, and face each other in a third direction. The first surface 1 may be an installation surface that is set to face the substrate when the multilayer electronic component 100 is mounted on the substrate.

[0033] Since the edge regions of the dielectric layer 111 where the internal electrodes 121 and 122 are not provided are stacked in the first direction, a step difference may occur due to the thickness of the internal electrodes 121 and 122, such that when observed based on the first surface 1 and / or the second surface 2, the corners connecting the first surface 1 to the third surface 3 to the sixth surface 6 and / or the corners connecting the second surface 2 to the third surface 3 to the sixth surface 6 may have a shape that contracts centrally in the first direction toward the main body 110. Optionally, due to the shrinkage behavior during the sintering process of the main body, when observed based on the first surface 1 and / or the second surface 2, the corners connecting the first surface 1 to 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 to the third surface 3, the fourth surface 4, the fifth surface 5, and the sixth surface 6 may have a shape that contracts centrally in the first direction toward the main body 110. Optionally, in order to prevent fragmentation defects and the like, each corner connecting the surfaces of the main body 110 may be rounded by performing a separate process, such that the corners connecting the first surface 1 to the third surface 3 to the sixth surface 6 and / or the corners connecting the second surface 2 to the third surface 3 to the sixth surface 6 may have a rounded shape.

[0034] The multiple dielectric layers 111 forming the main body 110 are in a sintered state, and adjacent dielectric layers 111 may be integrated such that their boundaries may not be easily distinguishable without using a scanning electron microscope (SEM). The number of stacked dielectric layers may not be particularly limited and may be determined in consideration of the size of the multilayer electronic component. For example, the main body may be formed by stacking 400 or more dielectric layers.

[0035] The main body 110 may include: a capacitance forming portion Ac provided inside the main body 110 and forming a capacitance by including a first internal electrode 121 and a second internal electrode 122 facing each other and having a dielectric layer 111 disposed between the first internal electrode 121 and the second internal electrode 122; and covering portions 112 and 113 formed above and below the capacitance forming portion Ac in the first direction.

[0036] In addition, the capacitance forming portion Ac contributes to the formation of 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 and having a dielectric layer 111 disposed between them.

[0037] The covering portions 112 and 113 may include: an upper covering portion 112 disposed above the capacitance forming portion Ac in the first direction; and a lower covering portion 113 disposed below the capacitance forming portion Ac in the first direction.

[0038] The upper covering part 112 and the lower covering part 113 can be formed by stacking a single dielectric layer or two or more dielectric layers on the upper surface and the lower surface in the thickness direction of the capacitor forming part Ac, respectively, and can be mainly used to prevent damage to the internal electrode due to physical stress and / or chemical stress.

[0039] The upper covering part 112 and the lower covering part 113 do not include the internal electrode and can include the same material as that of the dielectric layer 111.

[0040] That is to say, the upper covering part 112 and the lower covering part 113 can include ceramic materials, for example, barium titanate (BaTiO3)-based ceramic materials.

[0041] In addition, the thickness of the covering parts 112 and 113 can have no limitation. For example, the average thickness tc of the covering parts 112 and 113 can be less than or equal to 200 μm. Here, the average thickness of the covering parts 112 and 113 can refer to the average thickness of each of the upper covering part 112 and the lower covering part 113.

[0042] The average thickness tc of the covering parts 112 and 113 can refer to the average dimension in the first direction, and can be the average value of the dimensions in the first direction of the covering parts 112 and 113 measured at five equally spaced points in the second direction above or below the capacitor forming part Ac.

[0043] In addition, the edge parts 114 and 115 can be arranged on the side surfaces of the capacitor forming part Ac in the third direction.

[0044] The edge parts 114 and 115 can include a first edge part 114 arranged on one side surface of the capacitor forming part Ac in the third direction and a second edge part 115 arranged on the other side surface of the capacitor forming part Ac in the third direction. That is to say, the edge parts 114 and 115 can be arranged on the two side surfaces of the capacitor forming part Ac in the width direction.

[0045] As Figure 3 shown, the edge parts 114 and 115 can refer to: in the cross section of the main body 110 in the width direction - thickness direction, the regions between the two ends in the width direction of the first internal electrode 121 and the second internal electrode 122 and the outer surface of the main body 110 in the width direction.

[0046] The edge parts 114 and 115 can be used to prevent damage to the internal electrode due to physical stress and / or chemical stress.

[0047] The edge parts 114 and 115 can be formed by the following method: forming the internal electrode by coating a conductive paste on the region of the ceramic green sheet except for the region where the edge part is to be formed.

[0048] In addition, the widths of the edge portions 114 and 115 may not be limited. For example, the average widths of the edge portions 114 and 115 may be less than or equal to 200 μm. Here, the average widths of the edge portions 114 and 115 may refer to the average widths of each of the first edge portion 114 and the second edge portion 115.

[0049] The average widths of the edge portions 114 and 115 may refer to the average dimension MW1 in the third direction of the region where the inner electrode is spaced apart from the fifth surface and the average dimension MW2 in the third direction of the region where the inner electrode is spaced apart from the sixth surface, and may be the average value of the dimensions in the third direction of the edge portions 114 and 115 measured at five equally spaced points in the first direction on the side surface of the capacitance forming portion Ac.

[0050] Therefore, in an exemplary embodiment, the average dimension MW1 in the third direction of the region where the inner electrodes 121 and 122 are spaced apart from the fifth surface 5 and the average dimension MW2 in the third direction of the region where the inner electrodes 121 and 122 are spaced apart from the sixth surface 6 may be less than or equal to 200 μm, respectively.

[0051] When the central portion in the width direction of the dielectric layer 111 is the first region 111c and the end portions in the width direction of the dielectric layer 111 are the second regions 111e1 and 111e2, the first region may have a dielectric constant higher than that of the second region. The first region 111c of the dielectric layer 111 may have a high dielectric constant to ensure a high capacitance, while the second regions 111e1 and 111e2 of the dielectric layer 111 may have a relatively low dielectric constant compared to the first region 111c, thereby improving the withstand voltage at the end portions in the width direction of the dielectric layer 111 to enhance reliability. The second regions 111e1 and 111e2 may include: a 2-1 region 111e1 provided at one end portion of the dielectric layer 111 in the width direction; and a 2-2 region 111e2 provided at the other end portion of the dielectric layer 111 in the width direction.

[0052] In an exemplary embodiment, the first region 111c may be provided to connect the third surface 3 and the fourth surface 4 in the second direction, and the second regions 111e1 and 111e2 may be provided to connect the third surface 3 and the fourth surface 4 in the second direction.

[0053] Refer to Figure 3, since the first region 111c is arranged to connect the third surface 3 and the fourth surface 4 in the second direction, in the cross-section in the first and second directions cut at the center of the main body 110 in the third direction, only the first region 111c among the first region and the second region can be observed. Additionally, in the cross-section in the first and second directions cut at a point (not the center) of the main body 110 in the third direction where the second region 111e1 or 111e2 is provided, only the second region 111e1 or 111e2 among the first region and the second region can be observed.

[0054] In an exemplary embodiment, a part of the second regions 111e1 and 111e2 may be arranged to overlap with the inner electrodes 121 and 122 in the first direction. Since the electric field is mainly applied to the parts of the second regions 111e1 and 111e2 that overlap with the inner electrodes 121 and 122 in the first direction, the effect of improving the withstand voltage due to the second regions 111e1 and 111e2 can be further improved. Additionally, the outer end portions in the width direction of the second regions 111e1 and 111e2 may not overlap with the inner electrodes 121 and 122.

[0055] In an exemplary embodiment, the second regions 111e1 and 111e2 may be provided in the edge portions 114 and 115 and the capacitance forming portion Ac. Since the electric field is mainly applied to the parts of the second regions 111e1 and 111e2 provided in the capacitance forming portion Ac, the effect of improving the withstand voltage due to the second regions 111e1 and 111e2 can be further improved.

[0056] In an exemplary embodiment, among the second regions 111e1 and 111e2, the region provided in the capacitance forming portion Ac is the 2a region, and the region provided in the edge portions 114 and 115 is the 2b region. The 2a region may have a higher dielectric constant than the 2b region.

[0057] Figure 7 is a graph showing the change in dielectric constant according to the position in the width direction. Specifically, Figure 7 is a graph showing the change in dielectric constant along Figure 3 and Figure 5 the dielectric constant change along the W0 line shown in

[0058] Refer to Figure 7, the dielectric constant gradually increases from the 2-1 region 111e1 toward the first region 111c, and the rate of increase of the dielectric constant can also increase. The rate of increase of the dielectric constant can be maximum at the boundary between the 2-1 region 111e1 and the first region 111c. The rate of increase of the dielectric constant in the first region 111c decreases from the 2-1 region 111e1 toward the 2-2 region 111e2, and after having the maximum dielectric constant at the center of the first region 111c, the dielectric constant can gradually decrease toward the 2-2 region 111e2. The rate of decrease of the dielectric constant can be maximum at the boundary between the first region 111c and the 2-2 region 111e2. In the 2-2 region 111e2, the dielectric constant can gradually decrease as it moves away from the first region 111c, and the rate of decrease of the dielectric constant can also decrease.

[0059] Therefore, the dielectric constant of the first region 111c can gradually decrease toward the second regions 111e1 and 111e2.

[0060] In addition, the dielectric constants of the second regions 111e1 and 111e2 can gradually decrease as they move away from the first region 111c.

[0061] At this time, the average dielectric constant of the first region 111c can be in the range of 1.05 times to 1.6 times the average dielectric constants of the second regions 111e1 and 111e2. Therefore, the capacitance improvement effect and the withstand voltage improvement effect can be further improved.

[0062] If the average dielectric constant of the first region 111c is less than 1.05 times the average dielectric constants of the second regions 111e1 and 111e2, the capacitance improvement effect and / or the withstand voltage improvement effect may be insufficient, and if the average dielectric constant of the first region 111c exceeds 1.6 times the average dielectric constants of the second regions 111e1 and 111e2, the shrinkage difference between the first region and the second regions may increase during sintering, which may cause deterioration of the connectivity of the internal electrodes, cracks, etc.

[0063] The respective values of the average dielectric constant of the first region 111c and the average dielectric constants of the second regions 111e1 and 111e2 can be without limitation. For example, the average dielectric constant of the first region 111c can be in the range of 2400 to 3800, and the average dielectric constants of the second regions 111e1 and 111e2 can be in the range of 2300 to 3700.

[0064] In addition, in order to distinguish the first region 111c from the second regions 111e1 and 111e2, the first region 111c is Figures 1 to 6is shaded, and the additives of the slurry forming the first region 111c and the additives of the slurry forming the second regions 111e1 and 111e2 are adjustable such that the first region 111c and the second regions 111e1 and 111e2 are distinguishable by the naked eye.

[0065] However, the first region 111c and the second regions 111e1 and 111e2 may be difficult to distinguish by the naked eye.

[0066] In an exemplary embodiment, the absolute value of the rate of change of the dielectric constant at the point where the dielectric layer 111 intersects the first region 111c and the second regions 111e1 and 111e2 may be maximized. Thus, even when the first region 111c and the second regions 111e1 and 111e2 are difficult to distinguish by the naked eye, the first region 111c and the second regions 111e1 and 111e2 can be distinguished. In other words, the Figure 7 point where the absolute value of the slope of the dielectric constant curve graph is maximized can be set as the boundary between the first region 111c and the second regions 111e1 and 111e2.

[0067] In addition, the rate of decrease of the dielectric constant of the second regions 111e1 and 111e2 may decrease in a direction away from the first region 111c.

[0068] In addition, the rate of increase of the dielectric constant of the first region 111c may decrease in a direction away from the second regions 111e1 and 111e2.

[0069] The method for measuring the dielectric constant at different positions in the width direction of the dielectric layer 111 is not particularly limited. For example, the dielectric constant at different positions in the width direction of the dielectric layer 111 can be obtained by dividing the multilayer electronic component 100 into specific unit lengths in the width direction and measuring the dielectric constant for each unit length.

[0070] In addition, when the dielectric constant in the width direction is made different by adjusting the additive concentration, the cross-sections of the multilayer electronic component 100 in the first direction and the third direction can be analyzed by laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma (LA-ICP) to measure the additive concentration distribution, thereby indirectly confirming the change in the dielectric constant.

[0071] In addition, when the dielectric constant is made different by adjusting the sizes of dielectric grains at different positions in the width direction (the third direction) of the dielectric layer 111, the cross-sections of the multilayer electronic component 100 in the first direction and the third direction can be scanned by SEM, and the sizes of dielectric grains at different positions in the width direction (the third direction) of the dielectric layer 111 can be compared, thereby indirectly confirming the change in the dielectric constant. For example, the sizes of dielectric grains in the first region 111c may be different from those in the second regions 111e1 and 111e2.

[0072] In an exemplary embodiment, as Figure 5 shown, when the average width of the first region 111c in the third direction is Wc and the average widths of the inner electrodes 121 and 122 in the third direction are Wi, 0.3 ≤ Wc / Wi ≤ 0.9 can be satisfied. Therefore, the capacitance improvement effect and the withstand voltage improvement effect can be further improved.

[0073] If Wc / Wi is less than 0.3, the capacitance improvement effect may be insufficient, and if Wc / Wi is greater than 0.9, the withstand voltage improvement effect may be insufficient.

[0074] Furthermore, as Figure 5 and Figure 6 shown, when the average widths of the 2a regions of the second regions 111e1 and 111e2 in the third direction are We1a and We2a respectively, Wi is the sum of Wc, We1a, and We2a, and when the average widths of the 2b regions of the second regions 111e1 and 111e2 in the third direction are We1b and We2b respectively and the average widths of the second regions 111e1 and 111e2 in the third direction are We1 and We2 respectively, We1 is the sum of We1a and We1b, and We2 is the sum of We2a and We2b.

[0075] In an exemplary embodiment, the covering portions 112 and 113 may also include the dielectric layer 111. That is, the covering portions 112 and 113 may be formed using the same ceramic green sheet as the ceramic green sheet used to form the dielectric layer 111 included in the capacitance forming portion Ac and the edge portions 114 and 115.

[0076] Therefore, the first region 111c of the dielectric layer 111 included in the covering portions 112 and 113 may be arranged to connect the third surface 3 and the fourth surface 4 in the second direction, and the second regions 111e1 and 111e2 of the dielectric layer 111 included in the covering portions 112 and 113 may be arranged to connect the third surface 3 and the fourth surface 4 in the second direction.

[0077] However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and the covering portions 112 and 113 may be formed using a ceramic green sheet different from the ceramic green sheet used to form the dielectric layer 111 included in the capacitance forming portion Ac and the edge portions 114 and 115.

[0078] The dielectric layer 111 may be formed by: manufacturing a ceramic slurry including ceramic powder, an organic solvent, and a binder, coating the ceramic slurry on a carrier film and drying it to prepare a ceramic green sheet, and then sintering the ceramic green sheet. The ceramic powder is not particularly limited as long as sufficient capacitance can be obtained using it. For example, a barium titanate (BaTiO3)-based powder may be used as the ceramic powder. For a more specific example, the ceramic powder may be a barium titanate (BaTiO3)-based powder, a CaZrO3-based paraelectric powder, etc. For a more specific example, the barium titanate (BaTiO3)-based powder may be BaTiO3, (Ba 1-x Ca x )TiO3 (0 < x < 1), Ba(Ti 1-y Ca y )O3 (0 < y < 1), (Ba 1-x Ca x )(Ti 1-y Zr y )O3 (0 < x < 1, 0 < y < 1), and Ba(Ti 1-y Zr y )O3 (0 < y < 1) or one or more of them, and the CaZrO3-based paraelectric powder may be (Ca 1-x Sr x )(Zr 1-y Ti y )O3 (0 < x < 1, 0 < y < 1).

[0079] Therefore, the dielectric layer 111 may include BaTiO3, (Ba 1-x Ca x )TiO3 (0 < x < 1), Ba(Ti 1-y Ca y )O3 (0 < y < 1), (Ba 1-x Ca x )(Ti 1-y Zr y )O3 (0 < x < 1, 0 < y < 1), 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) or one or more of them. In an exemplary embodiment, the dielectric layer 111 may include (Ca 1-x Srx )(Zr 1-y Ti y )O3 (0 < x < 1, 0 < y < 1) as the main component.

[0080] In addition, there is no need to specifically limit the method for controlling the dielectric constant at different positions in the width direction of the dielectric layer 111. For example, the dielectric constant can be controlled by changing the composition, additive concentration, etc. at different positions in the width direction of the green ceramic sheet, or the dielectric constant can be controlled by adjusting the sintering conditions, etc.

[0081] Referring to Figure 8 , which is a diagram showing a method for manufacturing a green ceramic sheet for manufacturing a multilayer electronic component according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the green ceramic sheet 11 can be manufactured in the following manner: separately prepare a slurry 11c for forming a first region and a slurry 11e for forming a second region, spray the slurry 11c for forming the first region and the slurry 11e for forming the second region onto a carrier film simultaneously through a plurality of nozzles 21 and 22, and press and dry them through a roller 23. At this time, the slurry 11c for forming the first region can be sprayed through the first nozzle 22, and the slurry 11e for forming the second region can be sprayed through the second nozzle 21.

[0082] Thereafter, as Figure 9 shown in

[0083] Thereafter, as Figure 10 shown in

[0084] The internal electrodes 121 and 122 may include a first internal electrode 121 and a second internal electrode 122. The first internal electrode 121 and the second internal electrode 122 may be alternately arranged to face each other, and the dielectric layer 111 forming the main body 110 is interposed between the first internal electrode 121 and the second internal electrode 122, and the first internal electrode 121 and the second internal electrode 122 may be respectively exposed to the third surface 3 and the fourth surface 4 of the main body 110.

[0085] The first internal electrode 121 may be spaced apart from the fourth surface 4 and may be exposed to the third surface 3, and the second internal electrode 122 may be spaced apart from the third surface 3 and may be exposed to the fourth surface 4. The first external electrode 131 may be disposed on the third surface 3 of the main body 110 and connected to the first internal electrode 121, and the second external electrode 132 may be disposed on the fourth surface 4 of the main body 110 and connected to the second internal electrode 122.

[0086] That is, the first internal electrode 121 is not connected to the second external electrode 132 but to the first external electrode 131, and the second internal electrode 122 is not connected to the first external electrode 131 but to the second external electrode 132. Accordingly, the first internal electrode 121 may be formed at a predetermined distance from the fourth surface 4, and the second internal electrode 122 may be formed at a predetermined distance from the third surface 3. In addition, the first internal electrode 121 and the second internal electrode 122 may be disposed to be spaced apart from the fifth surface 5 and the sixth surface 6 of the main body 110.

[0087] The conductive metal included in the internal electrodes 121 and 122 may be at least one of Ni, Cu, Pd, Ag, Au, Pt, In, Sn, Al, Ti, and alloys thereof, and the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0088] The average thickness td of the dielectric layer 111 may not be limited, but for example, it may be 0.1 μm to 10.0 μm. The average thickness te of the internal electrodes 121 and 122 may not be limited, but for example, it may be 0.05 μm to 3.0 μm. In addition, the average thickness td of the dielectric layer 111 and the average thickness te of the internal electrodes 121 and 122 may be arbitrarily set according to desired characteristics or purposes. For example, in the case of a small information technology (IT) electronic component for miniaturization and high capacitance, the average thickness td of the dielectric layer 111 may be less than or equal to 0.4 μm, and the average thickness te of the internal electrodes 121 and 122 may be less than or equal to 0.4 μm.

[0089] The average thickness td of the dielectric layer 111 and the average thickness te of the inner electrodes 121 and 122 respectively refer to the average dimensions of the dielectric layer 111 and the inner electrodes 121 and 122 in the first direction. The average thickness td of the dielectric layer 111 and the average thickness te of the inner electrodes 121 and 122 can be obtained from an image obtained by scanning a cross-section 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 thickness td of the dielectric layer 111 can be obtained by measuring the thickness at a plurality of points (e.g., 30 equally spaced points) in the second direction of one dielectric layer 111 and averaging the measured thicknesses. Additionally, the average thickness te of the inner electrodes 121 and 122 can be obtained by measuring the thickness at a plurality of points (e.g., 30 equally spaced points) in the second direction of one inner electrode 121 or 122 and averaging the measured thicknesses. The 30 equally spaced points can be specified in the capacitance forming section Ac. Furthermore, when these average thickness measurements are performed for each of the 10 dielectric layers 111 and each of the 10 inner electrodes 121 and 122 and then the average values are calculated, the average thickness td of the dielectric layer 111 and the average thickness te of the inner electrodes 121 and 122 can be made more general.

[0090] The outer electrodes 131 and 132 can be respectively provided on the third surface 3 and the fourth surface 4 of the main body 110.

[0091] The outer electrodes 131 and 132 can include a first outer electrode 131 and a second outer electrode 132, which are respectively provided on the third surface 3 and the fourth surface 4 of the main body 110 and are respectively connected to the first inner electrode 121 and the second inner electrode 122.

[0092] Referring to Figure 1 , the outer electrodes 131 and 132 can be provided to cover two end surfaces of the edge portions 114 and 115 in the second direction.

[0093] In the present exemplary embodiment, a structure in which the multilayer electronic component 100 has two outer electrodes 131 and 132 is described, but the number or shape of the outer electrodes 131 and 132 can be changed according to the shape of the inner electrodes 121 and 122 or other purposes.

[0094] In addition, the outer electrodes 131 and 132 can be formed of any conductive material (such as a metal), and the specific material can be determined by considering electrical characteristics, structural stability, etc. Furthermore, the outer electrodes 131 and 132 can have a multilayer structure.

[0095] For example, the outer electrodes 131 and 132 may include electrode layers 131a and 132a provided on the main body 110 and plating layers 131b and 132b formed on the electrode layers 131a and 132a.

[0096] For more specific examples of the electrode layers 131a and 132a, the electrode layers 131a and 132a may be fired electrodes including a conductive metal and glass, and / or resin-based electrodes including a conductive metal and a resin.

[0097] In addition, the electrode layers 131a and 132a may be in a form in which the fired electrode and the resin-based electrode are sequentially formed on the main body 110. In addition, the electrode layers 131a and 132a may be formed by transferring a sheet including a conductive metal onto the main body 110, or may be formed by transferring a sheet including a conductive metal onto the fired electrode.

[0098] A material having excellent conductivity may be used as the conductive metal included in the electrode layers 131a and 132a, and there is no particular limitation. For example, the conductive metal may be at least one of nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), and their alloys.

[0099] The plating layers 131b and 132b are for improving the mounting characteristics. The types of the plating layers 131b and 132b are not particularly limited, and the plating layers 131b and 132b may be a single plating layer including at least one of Ni, Sn, Pd, and their alloys, or may be formed as a multilayer.

[0100] For more specific examples of the plating layers 131b and 132b, the plating layers 131b and 132b may be Ni plating layers or Sn plating layers, or may be in a form in which the Ni plating layer and the Sn plating layer are sequentially formed on the electrode layers 131a and 132a, or may be in a form in which the Sn plating layer, the Ni plating layer, and the Sn plating layer 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.

[0101] Method for manufacturing a multi-layer electronic component Figure 8 is a diagram showing a method for manufacturing a green ceramic sheet for manufacturing a multilayer electronic component according to an exemplary embodiment in the present disclosure.

[0102] Figure 9 A green ceramic sheet on which a conductive paste for an internal electrode is printed is shown.

[0103] Figure 10 is a diagram showing a cross-section of a stack in which Figure 9 the green ceramic sheets are stacked and pressed.

[0104] Hereinafter, reference will be made toFigures 8 to 10 A method for manufacturing a multilayer electronic component according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is described. However, the multilayer electronic component according to the exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is not limited by the following manufacturing method, and descriptions identical to those given above may be omitted to avoid redundant descriptions.

[0105] Referring to Figure 8 which is a diagram showing a method for manufacturing a ceramic green sheet for manufacturing a multilayer electronic component according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, after separately preparing a slurry 11c for forming a first region and a slurry 11e for forming a second region, the slurry 11c for forming the first region and the slurry 11e for forming the second region can be simultaneously sprayed onto a carrier film through a plurality of nozzles 21 and 22, and then they are pressed and dried by a roller 23 to manufacture a ceramic green sheet 11. At this time, the slurry 11c for forming the first region can be sprayed through the first nozzle 22, and the slurry 11e for forming the second region can be sprayed through the second nozzle 21.

[0106] However, the present disclosure is not limited to using two types of slurries, and three or more types of slurries having different compositions can be simultaneously sprayed through separate nozzles, and they are pressed and dried by a roller to manufacture a ceramic green sheet.

[0107] Thereafter, as Figure 9 shown in

[0108] an inner electrode pattern 120 can be formed on the ceramic green sheet 11 to prepare a ceramic green sheet for forming a capacitance forming portion Ac.

[0109] The inner electrode pattern 120 forms inner electrodes 121 and 122 after a sintering process.

[0110] Thereafter, as Figure 10 shown in

[0111] the ceramic green sheets are stacked and pressed to obtain a stacked body 10', and then the stacked body 10' can be cut into a plurality of stacked bodies having a unit sheet size along cutting lines C1 and C2. Thereafter, the cut stacked bodies can be sintered to obtain a main body 110.

[0112] The method for forming the outer electrodes 131 and 132 is not particularly limited, and a method of dipping the main body 110 in a paste including a conductive metal and glass may be used, or the outer electrodes 131 and 132 may also be formed by transferring a sheet including a conductive metal onto the main body 110. Additionally, a paste including a conductive metal and a resin may be used to form the outer electrodes, or the outer electrodes may be formed by using an atomic layer deposition (ALD) method, a molecular layer deposition (MLD) method, a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method, a sputtering method, or the like.

[0113] Additionally, a plating process may be additionally performed such that the outer electrodes 131 and 132 include plating layers 131b and 132b.

[0114] As one of the various effects of the present disclosure, the reliability of the multilayer electronic component may be improved by making the central portion in the width direction of the dielectric layer have a higher dielectric constant than the end portions in the width direction.

[0115] As one of the various effects of the present disclosure, the capacitance of the multilayer electronic component may be improved.

[0116] 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 limited by the appended claims. Therefore, without departing from the technical idea of the present disclosure described in the claims, those skilled in the art may make various forms of substitution, modification, and change within the scope of the present disclosure, and this will also be considered to fall within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0117] The expressions "exemplary embodiment" or "an example" used in the present disclosure do not refer to the same example, and are provided to emphasize the different unique features between each example. However, the examples provided in the above description do not exclude the implementation in combination with the features of other examples. For example, unless otherwise mentioned in its description, even if the matters described in a specific example are not described in another example different from it, the matters may be understood as related to the description of the other example.

[0118] The terms used herein are for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and are not intended to limit the present disclosure. As used herein, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the singular meaning is also intended to include the plural meaning.

[0119] Although the exemplary embodiments have been shown and described above, it will be readily understood by those skilled in the art that modifications and variations can be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A multilayer electronic component comprising: A main body, comprising a dielectric layer and inner electrodes arranged alternately with the dielectric layer; as well as External electrodes are provided on opposite surfaces of the main body in the longitudinal direction, When a central portion in a width direction of the dielectric layer is a first region and an end portion in a width direction of the dielectric layer is a second region, the first region has a higher dielectric constant than the second region.

2. The multilayer electronic component according to claim 1, wherein The body includes a first surface and a second surface opposite to each other in a first direction, a third surface and a fourth surface 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, the second surface, the third surface and the fourth surface and opposite to each other in a third direction, and The body includes: a capacitance forming portion in which the dielectric layer and the inner electrode are alternately arranged in the first direction; a covering portion arranged above and below the capacitance forming portion in the first direction; and an edge portion arranged at both sides of the capacitance forming portion in the third direction, Wherein, the third direction is a width direction, and the second direction is a length direction.

3. The multilayer electronic component according to claim 2, wherein: The first region is configured to connect the third surface and the fourth surface in the second direction, and the second region is configured to connect the third surface and the fourth surface in the second direction.

4. The multilayer electronic component according to claim 2, wherein: A portion of the second region is disposed to overlap the internal electrode in the first direction.

5. The multilayer electronic component according to claim 2, wherein: The second region is provided in the edge portion and the capacitance forming portion.

6. The multilayer electronic component according to claim 2, wherein: When a region of the second region provided in the capacitance forming portion is a 2a region and a region of the second region provided in the edge portion is a 2b region, the 2a region has a higher dielectric constant than that of the 2b region.

7. The multilayer electronic component according to claim 2, wherein: The dielectric constant gradually decreases from the first region toward the second region.

8. The multilayer electronic component according to claim 2, wherein: The dielectric constant of the second region gradually decreases as it moves away from the first region.

9. The multilayer electronic component according to claim 2, wherein: An average dielectric constant of the first region is in a range of 1.05 to 1.6 times an average dielectric constant of the second region.

10. The multilayer electronic component according to claim 2, wherein: When Wc is an average width of the first region in the third direction and Wi is an average width of the internal electrode in the third direction, 0.3≤Wc / Wi≤0.

9.

11. The multilayer electronic component according to claim 2, wherein: The absolute value of the rate of change of the dielectric constant of the dielectric layer is maximum at a point where the first region intersects the second region.

12. The multilayer electronic component according to claim 11, wherein The reduction rate of the dielectric constant of the second region decreases as it moves away from the first region.

13. The multilayer electronic component according to claim 11, wherein The increase rate of the dielectric constant of the first region decreases as it moves away from the second region.

14. The multilayer electronic component according to claim 2, wherein: The cover also includes the dielectric layer.

15. The multilayer electronic component according to claim 14, wherein The first region of the dielectric layer included in the cover is disposed to connect the third surface and the fourth surface in the second direction, and the second region of the dielectric layer included in the cover is disposed to connect the third surface and the fourth surface in the second direction.

16. A multilayer electronic component comprising: a dielectric layer disposed in a body of the multilayer electronic component and including, in a length-width plane of the body, a first region disposed in a widthwise central portion of the dielectric layer and a second region disposed in widthwise end portions of the dielectric layer; as well as an inner electrode disposed above the dielectric layer, The first region of the dielectric layer has a higher dielectric constant than that of the second region.

17. The multilayer electronic component according to claim 16, wherein: An outer end portion of the second region in the width direction does not overlap with the inner electrode.

18. The multilayer electronic component according to claim 16, wherein: An average width of the first region is between 0.3 and 0.9 times an average width of the inner electrode.

19. The multilayer electronic component according to claim 16, wherein: A dielectric grain size in the first region is different from a dielectric grain size in the second region.

20. The multilayer electronic assembly of claim 16, wherein: A ratio of an average dielectric constant of the first region to an average dielectric constant of the second region is in a range of 1.05 to 1.6.

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