Metal mask, method for forming internal electrode pattern of multilayer ceramic capacitor, method for forming internal electrode of multilayer ceramic capacitor, method for manufacturing multilayer ceramic capacitor, and management method of metal mask for forming internal electrode of multilayer ceramic capacitor

Abstract

A metal mask for manufacturing an internal electrode of a laminated ceramic capacitor in which a through-hole in a plan view is formed in a base material made of metal. A dimension of a through-hole site in a short side direction of the through-hole in the plan view is 300 μm or less. In a cross-sectional shape facing a periphery of the through-hole site, a step height is formed on a first side in a thickness direction of the base material, and a tapered portion extending in a direction away from the through-hole site is formed on a second side in the thickness direction. A dimension in the thickness direction of the step height in the short side direction is 12.2 μm or less. A taper angle of the tapered portion in the short side direction with respect to the short side direction is 47.0° or less.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a metal mask, a method for forming internal electrode patterns of a multilayer ceramic capacitor, a method for forming internal electrodes of a multilayer ceramic capacitor, a method for manufacturing a multilayer ceramic capacitor, and a method for managing the metal mask used for forming internal electrodes of a multilayer ceramic capacitor.

[0002] This application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-145739 and Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-145117, both filed in Japan on August 27, 2024, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Background Technology

[0003] MLCC (Multilayer Ceramic Capacitor) is a type of chip capacitor formed by stacking multiple layers of internal electrodes and dielectric wafers (often called green wafers). With the miniaturization of MLCCs, sufficient capacitance is required as a capacitor. To increase capacitance without increasing size, the film thickness of the internal electrodes needs to be reduced, increasing the number of layers. While screen printing was previously used for internal electrode formation, sputtering can be employed to form thinner films of the internal electrodes, allowing for a potentially larger number of layers compared to previous methods.

[0004] As one of the methods for fabricating metal masks used in sputtering, evaporation, etc., there is a method for fabricating thin-film metal substrates by wet etching (for example, see Patent Document 1). Material sputtered from the target passes through a through-hole formed by etching, thereby forming a film at a specified location with a specified size and shape.

[0005] Existing technical documents Patent documents Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent No. 5382259 Summary of the Invention

[0006] The problem that the invention aims to solve In the sputtering method described above, a film is also deposited on the metal mask. If a film is deposited near the through-holes in the metal mask, it hinders the formation of the internal electrodes, potentially leading to a decrease in linewidth and other deterioration of the internal electrode shape. Furthermore, the deposition of film near the through-holes in the metal mask also hinders the formation of the internal electrodes, potentially resulting in a decrease in film thickness and a deterioration in film deposition efficiency (film deposition rate).

[0007] When the shape of the internal electrode deteriorates, the effective area of ​​the electrode decreases, resulting in reduced capacitance. Furthermore, increasing the number of cleaning cycles of the film deposited on the metal mask to eliminate these problems shortens the time until a waste metal mask is generated.

[0008] The shape of the internal electrode is strongly reflected by the cross-sectional shape of the periphery of the through-hole in the metal mask. Furthermore, the film thickness of the internal electrode is strongly reflected by the cross-sectional shape of the periphery of the through-hole in the metal mask.

[0009] Indicators for characterizing the cross-sectional shape of a metal mask include step height and cone angle.

[0010] Based on the above-mentioned viewpoints, the inventors of this application conducted various studies on the cross-sectional shape of metal masks and completed this invention.

[0011] In view of the above, the object of the present invention is to provide a metal mask for internal electrodes with good shape and capable of forming internal electrodes with good electrical properties, a method for forming internal electrode patterns of a multilayer ceramic capacitor, a method for forming internal electrodes of a multilayer ceramic capacitor, and a method for manufacturing a multilayer ceramic capacitor.

[0012] Furthermore, based on the above, the object of the present invention is to provide a metal mask with good film formation rate and capable of forming internal electrodes with good electrical properties, a method for forming internal electrode patterns of a multilayer ceramic capacitor, a method for forming internal electrodes of a multilayer ceramic capacitor, and a method for manufacturing a multilayer ceramic capacitor.

[0013] Another object of the present invention is to provide a method for managing metal masks used for forming internal electrodes of stacked ceramic capacitors that can extend the period until the waste metal mask is discarded.

[0014] Methods for solving problems The first aspect of the present invention relates to a metal mask for manufacturing internal electrodes of a stacked ceramic capacitor having a through-hole with a rectangular top view formed on a metal substrate, wherein the through-hole has a through-port dimension of 300 μm or less along its short side, and in the cross-sectional shape facing the periphery of the through-port, a step height is formed on a first side in the thickness direction of the substrate, and a tapered portion extending away from the through-port is formed on a second side in the thickness direction, wherein the thickness direction dimension of the step height in the short side direction is 12.2 μm or less, and the cone angle of the tapered portion in the short side direction relative to the short side direction is 47.0° or less.

[0015] A second aspect of the present invention relates to a method for forming an internal electrode pattern of a multilayer ceramic capacitor, comprising: forming the internal electrodes by physical vapor deposition using a metal mask as described in the first aspect.

[0016] A third aspect of the present invention relates to a method for forming internal electrodes of a multilayer ceramic capacitor, comprising: forming the internal electrodes using the method for forming internal electrode patterns of a multilayer ceramic capacitor as described in the second aspect.

[0017] The fourth aspect of the present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a multilayer ceramic capacitor, comprising: forming the internal electrodes using the method for forming the internal electrodes of a multilayer ceramic capacitor as described in the third aspect.

[0018] The fifth aspect of the present invention relates to a method for managing a metal mask for forming internal electrodes of a multilayer ceramic capacitor, comprising: managing an upper limit of the dimension in the thickness direction of a film deposited on the metal mask of the first aspect to 15 μm; and cleaning the metal mask when the dimension in the thickness direction of the film reaches the upper limit.

[0019] The sixth aspect of the present invention relates to a metal mask for manufacturing internal electrodes of a stacked ceramic capacitor having a through-hole with a rectangular top view formed on a metal substrate, wherein the through-hole has a through-port dimension of 300 μm or less along its short side, and in the cross-sectional shape facing the periphery of the through-port, a step height is formed on a first side in the thickness direction of the substrate, and a tapered portion extending away from the through-port is formed on a second side in the thickness direction, wherein the thickness direction dimension of the step height in the short side direction is 8.3 μm or less, and the tapered portion in the short side direction has a taper angle of 50.2° or less relative to the short side direction.

[0020] The seventh aspect of the present invention relates to a method for forming an internal electrode pattern of a multilayer ceramic capacitor, comprising: forming the internal electrode by physical vapor deposition using a metal mask as described in the sixth aspect.

[0021] The eighth aspect of the present invention relates to a method for forming an internal electrode of a multilayer ceramic capacitor, comprising: forming the internal electrode using the method for forming an internal electrode pattern of a multilayer ceramic capacitor as described in the seventh aspect.

[0022] The ninth aspect of the present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a multilayer ceramic capacitor, comprising: forming the internal electrodes using the method for forming the internal electrodes of a multilayer ceramic capacitor as described in the eighth aspect.

[0023] The tenth aspect of the present invention relates to a method for managing a metal mask for forming internal electrodes of a multilayer ceramic capacitor, comprising: managing an upper limit of the dimension in the thickness direction of a film deposited on the metal mask of the sixth aspect to 15 μm; and cleaning the metal mask when the dimension in the thickness direction of the film reaches the upper limit.

[0024] Invention Effects According to the present invention, a metal mask for internal electrodes with good shape and good electrical properties, a method for forming an internal electrode pattern of a multilayer ceramic capacitor, a method for forming internal electrodes of a multilayer ceramic capacitor, and a method for manufacturing a multilayer ceramic capacitor are provided.

[0025] According to the present invention, a method for managing a metal mask for forming internal electrodes of a multilayer ceramic capacitor can be provided, which can extend the period until the waste metal mask is used. Attached Figure Description

[0026] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram showing the positional relationship of metal masks, etc., during film formation.

[0027] Figure 2 It is a diagram showing the relationship between the cross-sectional shape of the through hole in the metal mask and the film formed.

[0028] Figure 3A This is an example of the thickness profile of a nickel film.

[0029] Figure 3B This is an example of the thickness profile of a nickel film.

[0030] Figure 4 This is a schematic top view showing an example of a component formed using the metal mask of this embodiment.

[0031] Figure 5 This is a schematic top view showing another example of a component formed using the metal mask of this embodiment.

[0032] Figure 6 It means Figure 4 The components are divided into two equal parts, or the components are divided into two equal parts. Figure 5 A schematic top view showing the positional relationship when the ends of either the left or right side are cut off and then alternately stacked. Detailed Implementation

[0033] The following is for reference Figures 1 to 6 Embodiments of the metal mask, the method for forming the internal electrode pattern of the multilayer ceramic capacitor, the method for forming the internal electrode of the multilayer ceramic capacitor, the manufacturing method of the multilayer ceramic capacitor, and the method for managing the metal mask for forming the internal electrode of the multilayer ceramic capacitor according to the present invention will be described.

[0034] Furthermore, the following embodiments represent one aspect of the present invention and do not limit the present invention; modifications can be made arbitrarily within the scope of the technical concept of the present invention.

[0035] The metal mask 1 in this embodiment is as follows: Figure 1 As schematically shown, it is arranged to overlap with the dielectric sheet (often called a green sheet) 100, which serves as a substrate. In physical vapor deposition processes such as sputtering and evaporation, material sputtered from the target T toward the metal mask 1 that passes only through the through-hole 1a is deposited on the dielectric sheet 100 to form a thin film 101 that is a conductive film (see reference). Figure 2 The material constituting the conductive film can be a metal. For example, nickel, or nickel alloys containing aluminum, silver, copper, platinum, etc., with nickel as the main component, can be used.

[0036] Figure 2 This is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a through hole 1a in the metal mask 1. The through hole 1a is formed by etching the sheet-like metal substrate (hereinafter referred to as "substrate 110") constituting the metal mask from both sides in the thickness direction.

[0037] When forming the through-hole 1a by wet etching, the etching is usually performed in two stages. Specifically, first, the surface 110a of the substrate 110 that is in contact with the dielectric sheet is etched, and then the surface 110b of the substrate 110 on the target T side is etched, thereby forming the through-hole 1a. Surface 110a corresponds to a first side in the thickness direction of the substrate 110. Surface 110b corresponds to a second side in the thickness direction of the substrate 110.

[0038] Since etching is isotropic, the top view size of the through hole 1a is larger as it gets closer to the surfaces 110a and 110b of the substrate 110, and smaller as it gets further away from the surfaces 110a and 110b of the substrate 110. Therefore, if two-stage etching is performed from the surfaces 110a and 110b of the substrate 110 during the fabrication of the metal mask 1, the top view size of the formed through hole is smallest at the through portion 1b in the middle of the thickness direction of the substrate 110. The top view shape and size of this portion determine the top view shape of the film structure.

[0039] The smallest through-hole 1b, viewed from above, is formed at the point where the etching from surfaces 110a and 110b meets. Therefore, depending on the degree of etching from each surface, the position of the through-hole 1b in the thickness direction (hereinafter referred to as the "thickness direction") of the substrate 110 changes.

[0040] The film-forming material is radially sputtered from the target T, thus entering at an angle relative to the through-hole 1a, etc. Figure 2As indicated by the dashed arrow Ta, it is possible for the material to splatter beyond the area of ​​the through-hole when viewed from above, even after passing through the through-hole 1b, and reach the dielectric sheet 100. This phenomenon is sometimes referred to as the "shadow effect," but the farther the through-hole 1b is from the dielectric sheet 100, i.e., the larger the thickness dimension of the substrate 110 from the surface 110a to the through-hole 1b, i.e., the step height h1 (described in detail later), the higher the probability of its occurrence. Moreover, the stronger the shadow effect, the smaller the area of ​​the upper surface of the formed film 101 is relative to the area of ​​the bottom surface of the formed film 101. That is, the edge of the formed film 101 is thinner than the central side.

[0041] On the other hand, such as Figure 2 As indicated by the dashed arrow Tb, it is possible for material to splash from outside the area of ​​the through-hole 1b when viewed from above to reach the dielectric sheet 100. This phenomenon is caused by a tapered portion h2 formed in the substrate 110 on the side closer to the surface 110b than the through-hole 1b. The tapered portion h2 extends away from the through-hole 1b towards the surface 110b, moving in a direction where the gap increases. Regarding the probability of this phenomenon of material splashing from outside the area of ​​the through-hole 1b when viewed from above to reach the dielectric sheet 100, the higher the position of the tapered portion h2 at the opening on the surface 110b, and the smaller the cone angle θ, resulting in a thicker film 101.

[0042] The cone angle θ of the tapered part h2 is the smaller angle of the intersection angle between the line segment connecting the tapered part h2 at the opening position on the surface 110b and the through part 1b and the surface 110b in the cross-sectional shape facing the periphery of the through hole 1a.

[0043] That is, in the cross-sectional shape of the metal mask 1 facing the periphery of the through hole 1a, as a structure that influences the shape and thickness of the thin film 101, a step height h1 is formed on the surface 110a side in the thickness direction, and a tapered portion h2 is formed on the surface 110b side in the thickness direction.

[0044] Based on this, the inventors studied the step height (in the short side direction) of the metal mask 1, which is the distance from the surface 110a, which is in close contact with the dielectric sheet 100 serving as the substrate, to the through portion 1b in the thickness direction. Figure 2 The inventors investigated the conditions suitable for manufacturing a metal mask for internal electrodes of MLCCs, including the portion h1 (represented by reference numeral h1) and the tapered portion h2 located in the short side direction. Furthermore, they studied the effect of film-forming material sputtered from the target T deposited on the surface 110b of the substrate 110 and the tapered portion h2, and investigated the conditions suitable for manufacturing a metal mask for internal electrodes of MLCCs. Here, the short side direction is... Figure 2 The two ends of the through hole 1a in the left and right directions (long side direction) are relative to Figure 2The direction in which the paper extends vertically.

[0045] Example (Preparation of metal mask samples) As the substrate, prepare a 50μm thick stainless steel SUS430 sheet (top view size 350mm × 715mm).

[0046] The substrate is etched on both sides in a two-stage process to create multiple through-holes that are rectangular in shape when viewed from above, with a certain spacing. The through-hole 1b in the short side direction has a size of 300 μm.

[0047] At this point, by changing the etching amount from both sides, metal mask samples 1 to 8 with the step height and cone angle shown in Table 1 are produced. Similarly, at this point, by changing the etching amount from both sides, metal mask samples 1A to 7A with the step height and cone angle shown in Table 1 are produced.

[0048] After each sample was completed, regarding the step height, the metal mask was cut along the long side across the through-hole. The thickness dimension of the step height in the short side direction was measured using a laser confocal scanning device (KEYENCE VK-X200). Similarly, regarding the cone angle, the metal mask was cut along the long side across the through-hole, and the same measurement device (KEYENCE VK-X200) was used to measure the cone angle from the spatter side of the target, i.e., surface 110b. After obtaining the cross-sectional profile data, the data was processed to calculate the cone angle θ.

[0049] (Measurement of the linewidth of the film after deposition) Assuming repeated use of the metal mask, six film-forming samples were prepared for each metal mask sample from Sample 1 to Sample 8. These included samples where film-forming materials with intentional thicknesses of 0.5 μm, 1.0 μm, 5.0 μm, 10.0 μm, and 15.0 μm were deposited, and a sample without film-forming material deposition (deposition amount: 0.0 μm). The deposition thickness of the film-forming material in the metal mask samples was controlled by repeatedly depositing 0.5 μm layers using the metal mask samples under conditions identical to those used in the thin film deposition process.

[0050] Thin films with a thickness of 150 nm were deposited using the prepared metal mask samples, and the linewidth of the deposited films in the short side direction was measured. Nickel was used for both the thin films and the film-forming material (target).

[0051] In the linewidth measurement, images of the thin film were obtained using a measuring device (KEYENCE VK-X3000) via white interferometry scanning. The cross-sectional profile of the obtained thin film images was then obtained at the center of the short side using the VK-X3000 multi-file analysis application software.

[0052] Figure 3A This is an example of the thickness profile of a thin film (nickel film).

[0053] like Figure 3A As shown, a straight line parallel to the bottom surface is set at a position 10nm below the maximum film height H (the position where the height is 10nm lower than the maximum film height H). The distance W between the intersection of this straight line and the film profile is defined as the line width.

[0054] The measured linewidth is expressed as a ratio to the linewidth of the film deposited using a metal mask sample with a deposition amount of 0.0 μm.

[0055] (Evaluation Method) Samples showing a variation within 20% of the general "capacitance guarantee value of MLCC" are marked as "○" (OK), and samples showing a variation exceeding 20% ​​are marked as "×" (NG).

[0056] As shown in Table 1, it can be confirmed that among the metal mask samples of samples 1 to 6, where the thickness dimension of the step height is less than 12.2 μm and the cone angle of the tapered portion in the short side direction is less than 47.0° relative to the short side direction, good film formation with a variation of less than 20% can be achieved in any sample with a film deposition thickness (metal mask deposition amount) ranging from 0.0 μm to 15.0 μm.

[0057] Therefore, by using a metal mask with a step height of less than 12.2 μm in the thickness direction and a cone angle of less than 47.0° relative to the short side direction of the tapered portion, even if the deposition thickness of the film is 15.0 μm, good film deposition with a variation of less than 20% can be achieved. Therefore, the deposition thickness of the film can be used as an indicator when cleaning the metal mask, and a management method for the metal mask used for forming the internal electrode of MLCC can be set according to this indicator.

[0058] Specifically, the management method for the metal mask used for forming the internal electrodes of MLCC includes: managing the upper limit of the thickness dimension of the film deposited on the metal mask to 15 μm; and cleaning the metal mask when the thickness dimension of the film reaches the upper limit.

[0059] On the other hand, in the metal mask samples of samples 7 to 8, when the deposition thickness of the film is 15.0 μm, even if the thickness dimension of the step height is less than 12.2 μm, the cone angle exceeds 47.0°, so the variation exceeds 20%, which cannot be evaluated well.

[0060] That is, samples 1 to 6 in this embodiment are examples, and samples 7 to 8 are comparative examples.

[0061] It can be inferred that this is because, due to the large cone angle, the possibility of splashing from outside the range of the through portion 1b when viewed from above and reaching the dielectric sheet 100 is reduced. In addition, the film-forming material is deposited in large quantities from the through portion 1b to the cone portion, thereby blocking the film-forming material splashed from the target T and hindering the formation of the thin film.

[0062] Furthermore, by setting the thickness dimension of the step height to 12.2 μm or less, and setting the cone angle of the tapered portion in the short side direction to 47.0° or less relative to the short side direction, it is possible to set (linewidth in the short side direction of the film formed by a metal mask sample with a deposition thickness of 1.0 μm) / (linewidth in the short side direction of the film formed by a metal mask sample with a deposition thickness of 0.0 μm) ≥ 0.97. That is, the value equivalent to a metal mask deposition amount of 1.0 μm for samples 1 to 6 in Table 1 that satisfy the above conditions is 0.97.

[0063] Furthermore, by setting the thickness dimension of the step height to 12.2 μm or less, and setting the cone angle of the tapered portion in the short side direction to 47.0° or less relative to the short side direction, it is possible to set (linewidth in the short side direction of the film deposited from a metal mask sample with a deposition thickness of 5.0 μm) / (linewidth in the short side direction of the film deposited from a metal mask sample with a deposition thickness of 0.0 μm) ≥ 0.92. That is, the value equivalent to a metal mask deposition amount of 5.0 μm for samples 1 to 6 in Table 1 that meets the above conditions is 0.92 or more.

[0064] Furthermore, by setting the thickness dimension of the step height to 12.2 μm or less, and setting the cone angle of the tapered portion in the short side direction to 47.0° or less relative to the short side direction, it is possible to set (linewidth in the short side direction of the film deposited from a metal mask sample with a deposition thickness of 10.0 μm) / (linewidth in the short side direction of the film deposited from a metal mask sample with a deposition thickness of 0.0 μm) ≥ 0.90. That is, the value equivalent to a metal mask deposition amount of 10.0 μm for samples 1 to 6 in Table 1 that satisfy the above conditions is 0.90 or more.

[0065] Furthermore, by setting the thickness dimension of the step height to 12.2 μm or less, and setting the cone angle of the tapered portion in the short side direction to 47.0° or less relative to the short side direction, it is possible to set (linewidth in the short side direction of the film deposited from a metal mask sample with a deposition thickness of 15.0 μm) / (linewidth in the short side direction of the film deposited from a metal mask sample with a deposition thickness of 0.0 μm) ≥ 0.80. That is, the value equivalent to a metal mask deposition amount of 15.0 μm for samples 1 to 6 in Table 1 that satisfy the above conditions is 0.80 or more.

[0066] On the other hand, it can be confirmed that among the metal mask samples 1 to 4 with a cone angle of 44.6° or less and a thickness dimension of 1.8 μm or more in the step height direction, the samples with a film deposition thickness of 5.0 μm and 15.0 μm can achieve better film formation than the metal mask samples 5 to 6. That is, the values ​​of 5.0 μm and 15.0 μm equivalent metal mask deposition amounts for samples 1 to 4 in Table 1 are greater than the values ​​of 5.0 μm and 15.0 μm equivalent metal mask deposition amounts for samples 5 to 6 in Table 1. In other words, the linewidth in the short side direction of the film formed by the metal mask samples with metal mask deposition amounts of 5.0 μm and 15.0 μm is closer in samples 1 to 4 than in samples 5 to 6 to the linewidth in the short side direction of the film formed by the metal mask sample with a metal mask deposition amount of 0.0 μm.

[0067] Furthermore, it was confirmed that among the metal mask samples 1 to 2 with a cone angle of 40.3° or less and a thickness dimension of 10.0 μm or more in the thickness direction of the step height, better film formation was achieved in samples with film deposition thicknesses of 5.0 μm, 10.0 μm, and 15.0 μm compared to that of the metal mask samples 3 to 6. That is, the values ​​of 5.0 μm, 10.0 μm, and 15.0 μm equivalent metal mask deposition amounts for samples 1 to 2 in Table 1 are greater than the values ​​of 5.0 μm, 10.0 μm, and 15.0 μm equivalent metal mask deposition amounts for samples 3 to 6 in Table 1. That is, the linewidth in the short side direction of the film formed by metal mask samples with metal mask deposition amounts of 5.0 μm, 10.0 μm and 15.0 μm is closer in sample 1 to sample 2 than in sample 3 to sample 6 to the linewidth in the short side direction of the film formed by metal mask sample with metal mask deposition amount of 0.0 μm.

[0068] (Measurement of film thickness after film formation) The film thickness of the film after film formation was measured separately from the linewidth of the film after film formation.

[0069] Using the metal mask samples described above, and assuming repeated use of the metal masks, six film-forming samples were prepared for each of the metal mask samples 1 to 5 and 7 to 8. These samples included those with intentionally deposited film-forming materials of thicknesses of 0.5 μm, 1.0 μm, 5.0 μm, 10.0 μm, and 15.0 μm, and those without film-forming material deposition (deposition amount: 0.0 μm).

[0070] Thin films with a thickness of 150 nm were deposited using the prepared metal mask samples, and the film thickness was measured. Nickel was used for both the film and the target. The film thickness was defined as the maximum deposition height H shown in Figure 3.

[0071] The measured film thickness is expressed as a ratio to the film thickness of the film deposited using a metal mask sample with a deposition amount of 0.0 μm.

[0072] (Evaluation Method) In samples with a film deposition of 15.0 μm, samples showing a decrease in film thickness of less than 10% are marked as "○" (OK), and samples showing a decrease of more than 10% are marked as "×" (NG).

[0073] As shown in Table 2, it can be confirmed that in the metal mask samples of samples 3 to 5, where the thickness dimension of the step height is less than 8.3 μm and the cone angle of the tapered portion in the short side direction is more than 42.1° and less than 47.0° relative to the short side direction, good film formation with a variation of less than 10% can be achieved in any sample with a film deposition thickness of 0.0 μm to 15.0 μm.

[0074] On the other hand, in the metal mask samples of samples 1 to 2, when the deposition thickness of the film is at least one of 1.0 μm, 5.0 μm, 10.0 μm and 15.0 μm, the change in film thickness exceeds 10%, which makes it impossible to obtain a good evaluation.

[0075] This is because the thickness dimension of the step height is large, thus the shadowing effect is stronger, and the film-forming material may reach a large amount of the edge, which does not contribute to the maximum film thickness. In addition, it can be thought that this is because more film-forming material is deposited from the through-section 1b to the conical part, thereby blocking the film-forming material splashed from the target T and hindering the formation of the film.

[0076] Thus, when the film thickness variation exceeds 10%, more than 1.1 times the number of film deposition processes are required to achieve the same film thickness. The time required for repeated film stacking on a single dielectric sheet 100 also increases proportionally by more than 1.1 times. Besides reduced production efficiency, the overall stability of the film thickness also deteriorates, making this undesirable. Therefore, by setting the thickness dimension of the step height to 8.3 μm or less, and setting the cone angle of the tapered portion in the short-side direction to 42.1° or more and 47.0° or less relative to the short-side direction, the aforementioned problems can be eliminated.

[0077] On the other hand, it can be confirmed that among the metal mask samples 3 to 4, where the thickness dimension in the step height is 3.1 μm or less and the cone angle of the tapered portion in the short side direction is 42.1° or more and 47.0° or less relative to the short side direction, better film formation can be achieved in samples with film deposition thicknesses of 1.0 μm, 5.0 μm, and 10.0 μm than in the metal mask sample 5. That is, the values ​​of 1.0 μm, 5.0 μm, and 10.0 μm equivalent metal mask deposition amounts for samples 3 to 4 in Table 2 are greater than the values ​​of 1.0 μm, 5.0 μm, and 10.0 μm equivalent metal mask deposition amounts for sample 5 in Table 2. That is, the linewidth in the short side direction of the film formed by metal mask samples with metal mask deposition amounts of 1.0 μm, 5.0 μm and 10.0 μm is closer in sample 3 to sample 4 than in sample 5 to the linewidth in the short side direction of the film formed by metal mask sample with metal mask deposition amount of 0.0 μm.

[0078] Furthermore, it was confirmed that in sample 4, where the thickness dimension of the step height is less than 1.9 μm and the cone angle of the tapered portion in the short side direction is greater than 44.6° in the short side direction, film deposition thicknesses of 5.0 μm, 10.0 μm, and 15.0 μm were better than those of sample 5. That is, the values ​​of sample 4 in Table 2 corresponding to metal mask deposition amounts of 5.0 μm, 10.0 μm, and 15.0 μm are greater than those of sample 5 in Table 2. That is, the linewidth in the short side direction of the film formed by metal mask samples with metal mask deposition amounts of 5.0 μm, 10.0 μm and 15.0 μm is closer in sample 4 to the linewidth in the short side direction of the film formed by metal mask sample with metal mask deposition amount of 0.0 μm than in sample 5.

[0079] Figure 4This illustrates an example of a component 50 formed using the metal mask of this embodiment, which serves as an internal electrode for an MLCC. The component 50 has a structure in which a thin film 20 made of conductors is formed on a substrate (dielectric sheet) 10 made of dielectric material as an internal electrode by an internal electrode formation method. This internal electrode formation method includes a method for forming an internal electrode pattern using a physical vapor deposition method, namely sputtering, using the metal mask of this embodiment.

[0080] The thin film 20 is formed by using the metal mask of this embodiment, thereby forming a linewidth in the short side direction that is more than 80% of the linewidth when the film is not deposited on the metal mask. Figure 4 As shown by the dashed line, component 50 is divided into component 50A and component 50B in the long side direction to become the internal electrode for MLCC, with the blank 11 without thin film 20 as shown. Figure 6 Multiple units can be stacked in a staggered manner as shown in the diagram. Figure 5 The component 50 shown, as indicated by the dashed line, becomes an internal electrode for MLCCs by cutting off either the left or right end along its long side. Figure 6 Multiple blank 11 without film are stacked in a staggered manner to be used.

[0081] That is, the manufacturing method of MLCC (multilayer ceramic capacitor) includes: forming internal electrodes by means of the internal electrode patterning method described above, in... Figure 4 A thin film 20, serving as an internal electrode, is formed on the substrate 10 shown; the substrate on which the internal electrode is formed... Figure 4 The substrate 10 shown is divided into two equal parts, component 50A and component 50B, along its long side; and the substrate 10 is divided into two equal parts by... Figure 6 Multiple blanks 11 without film 20 are stacked in a staggered manner.

[0082] Additionally, this includes: a method for forming internal electrodes using an internal electrode pattern forming method as described above, in... Figure 5 The thin film 20 region of the component 50 shown is each cut off at either the left or right end in the long side direction; and the cut substrate 10 is... Figure 6 Multiple blanks 11 without film 20 are stacked in a staggered manner.

[0083] Figure 4 Even after the component 50 shown is divided into component 50A and component 50B, the linewidth of the film remains within the specified range, thus enabling proper fabrication of the aforementioned MLCC that guarantees electrostatic capacitance. Figure 5Even after the component 50 shown is cut into component 50A and component 50B in each of the two regions of the thin film 20, the linewidth of the thin film remains within the specified range, thus enabling proper fabrication of the aforementioned MLCC with guaranteed electrostatic capacitance.

[0084] Figure 6 It means in Figure 4 The component 50 shown is divided into two equal parts, or in Figure 5 This diagram illustrates the positional relationship of two regions of each of the thin films 20 when one end is cut off along the long side and the other end is alternately stacked. In practice, this combination is treated as a group and multiple groups are overlapped.

[0085] like Figure 6 As shown, Figure 4 The components 50 shown are divided into two equal parts, 50A and 50B, which are stacked in a state of left-right symmetry at both ends along the long side. Furthermore, in Figure 5 In the case of component 50 shown, components 50A and 50B, which are obtained by cutting off either the left or right end in each of the two regions of the film 20 region, are stacked in a state where the two ends in the long side direction are symmetrical.

[0086] In the stacked components 50A and 50B, the film 20A in component 50A overlaps with the film 20B in component 50B. Figure 6 The area shown by the dashed line functions as a physical capacitor. Furthermore, the film 20A in the member 50A exposed at the end (right end) of the long side direction and the film 20B in the member 50B exposed at the end (left end) of the long side direction are respectively connected to external terminals in a stacked state.

[0087] As described above, in the metal mask 1 of this embodiment, the size of the through portion 1b in the short side direction is 300 μm or less, the size of the step height h1 in the thickness direction in the short side direction is 12.2 μm or less, and the cone angle of the tapered portion h2 in the short side direction relative to the short side direction is 47.0° or less. Therefore, the shape of the internal electrode is good, and an internal electrode with good electrical characteristics can be formed.

[0088] Furthermore, in the metal mask 1 of this embodiment, the reduction in effective area during repeated use is minimal. Therefore, in the management method of the metal mask for forming the internal electrode of MLCC, by managing the upper limit of the thickness dimension of the film deposited on the metal mask 1 to 15 μm, the number of cleaning times of the metal mask 1 can be reduced, and as a result, the period until the metal mask 1 is discarded can be extended.

[0089] The preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings, but the present invention is not limited to the examples described above. The shapes, combinations, etc. of the constituent components shown in the examples above are just examples, and various modifications can be made based on design requirements, etc., without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0090] For example, the substrate of the metal mask of the present invention is not limited to stainless steel such as SUS430 used in the above studies. For example, other magnetic metal substrates made of alloys such as Invar alloy and super Invar alloy can also be used. If the thin film metal substrate is formed of a magnetic metal material as described above, it has the advantage of being able to be fixed to the film forming apparatus by magnetic force. In addition, the thickness of the substrate is not limited to 50 μm in the above studies; even with different thicknesses, the same effect can be achieved by setting the step height or cone angle within the above range.

[0091] Furthermore, when the metal mask of the present invention is typically mounted on a film deposition apparatus, either side in the thickness direction can be positioned opposite the substrate. Consequently, the step height also changes. However, the step height in the present invention is defined as the lower of the values ​​described above. Additionally, regarding the step height in the metal mask of the present invention, considering the manufacturing process, the cross-section of the through-hole in the short-side direction differs from that in the long-side direction. Therefore, from a clearly defined perspective, the step height in the short-side direction is defined as the step height of the portion of the through-hole forming the edge of the short side in the cross-section extending along the long-side direction.

[0092] Next, the measurement results using samples 1A to 7A are described.

[0093] (Measurement of film thickness after film formation) Assuming repeated use of metal masks, six film-forming samples were prepared for each metal mask sample from Sample 1A to Sample 7A. These included samples where film-forming materials with intentional thicknesses of 0.5 μm, 1.0 μm, 5.0 μm, 10.0 μm, and 15.0 μm were deposited, and a sample without film-forming material deposition (deposition amount: 0.0 μm). The deposition thickness of the film-forming material in the metal mask samples was controlled by repeatedly performing a 0.5 μm deposition process using the metal mask samples under conditions identical to those used in the thin film deposition process.

[0094] Thin films with a thickness of 150 nm were deposited using the prepared metal mask samples, and the film thickness was measured. Nickel was used for both the thin film and the target. For the film thickness measurement, images of the thin films were obtained using a white interferometric scanning instrument (KEYENCE VK-X3000). The cross-sectional profile of the obtained thin film images was obtained at the center of the short side using the VK-X3000 multi-file parsing application software.

[0095] Figure 3B This is an example of the thickness profile of a nickel film. For example... Figure 3B As shown, the film thickness is defined by setting a straight line parallel to the bottom surface, and the maximum deposition height H is defined from this line. The measured film thickness is expressed as a ratio to the film thickness of the film deposited using a metal mask sample with a deposition amount of 0.0 μm.

[0096] (Evaluation Method) In samples with a film deposition of 15.0 μm, samples showing a decrease in film thickness of less than 10% are marked as "○" (OK), and samples showing a decrease of more than 10% are marked as "×" (NG).

[0097] As shown in Table 3, it can be confirmed that in the metal mask samples 1A to 5A, where the thickness dimension of the step height is less than 8.3 μm and the cone angle of the tapered portion in the short side direction is less than 50.2° relative to the short side direction, good film formation with a variation of less than 10% can be achieved in any sample with a film deposition thickness of 0.0 μm to 15.0 μm.

[0098] Therefore, by using a metal mask with a thickness dimension of 8.3 μm or less in the step height direction and a cone angle of 50.2° or less in the short side direction relative to the short side direction of the tapered portion, good film formation with a variation of less than 10% can be achieved even if the deposition thickness of the film is 15.0 μm. Therefore, the deposition thickness of the film can be used as an indicator when cleaning the metal mask, and a management method for the metal mask used for forming the internal electrode of MLCC can be set according to this indicator.

[0099] Specifically, the management method for the metal mask used for forming the internal electrodes of MLCC includes: managing the upper limit of the thickness dimension of the film deposited on the metal mask to 15 μm; and cleaning the metal mask when the thickness dimension of the film reaches the upper limit.

[0100] On the other hand, in the metal mask samples 6A to 7A, when the deposition thickness of the film is at least one of 1.0 μm, 5.0 μm, 10.0 μm and 15.0 μm, the change in film thickness exceeds 10%, which makes it difficult to obtain a good evaluation.

[0101] That is, samples 1A to 5A in this embodiment are examples, and samples 6A to 7A are comparative examples.

[0102] This is because the thickness dimension of the step height is large, thus the shadowing effect is stronger, and the film-forming material may reach a large amount of the edge, which does not contribute to the maximum film thickness. In addition, it can be thought that this is because more film-forming material is deposited from the through-section 1b to the conical part, thereby blocking the film-forming material splashed from the target T and hindering the formation of the film.

[0103] Thus, when the film thickness variation exceeds 10%, more than 1.1 times the number of film deposition processes are required to achieve the same film thickness. The time required for repeated film stacking on a single dielectric sheet 100 also increases proportionally by more than 1.1 times. Besides reduced production efficiency, the overall stability of the film thickness also deteriorates, making this undesirable. Therefore, by setting the thickness dimension of the step height to 8.3 μm or less, and setting the cone angle of the tapered portion relative to the short side direction to 50.2° or less, the aforementioned problems can be eliminated.

[0104] Furthermore, by setting the thickness dimension of the step height to 8.3 μm or less, and setting the cone angle of the tapered portion in the short side direction to 50.2° or less relative to the short side direction, it is possible to set the value as (film thickness of the central portion of the film deposited from a metal mask sample with a film deposition thickness of 1.0 μm) / (film thickness of the central portion of the film deposited from a metal mask sample with a film deposition thickness of 0.0 μm) ≥ 0.94. That is, the value equivalent to a metal mask deposition amount of 1.0 μm for samples 1A to 5A in Table 3 that satisfy the above conditions is 0.94 or more.

[0105] Furthermore, by setting the thickness dimension of the step height to 8.3 μm or less, and setting the cone angle of the tapered portion relative to the short side direction to 50.2° or less, it is possible to set the value as (film thickness of the central portion of the film deposited from a metal mask sample with a deposition thickness of 5.0 μm) / (film thickness of the central portion of the film deposited from a metal mask sample with a deposition thickness of 0.0 μm) ≥ 0.93. That is, the value equivalent to a metal mask deposition amount of 5.0 μm for samples 1A to 5A in Table 3 that satisfy the above conditions is 0.93 or more.

[0106] Furthermore, by setting the thickness dimension of the step height to 8.3 μm or less, and setting the cone angle of the tapered portion in the short side direction to 50.2° or less relative to the short side direction, it is possible to set the value as (film thickness of the central portion of the film deposited from a metal mask sample with a deposition thickness of 10.0 μm) / (film thickness of the central portion of the film deposited from a metal mask sample with a deposition thickness of 0.0 μm) ≥ 0.91. That is, the value equivalent to a metal mask deposition amount of 10.0 μm for samples 1A to 5A in Table 3 that satisfy the above conditions is 0.91 or more.

[0107] Furthermore, by setting the thickness dimension of the step height to 8.3 μm or less, and setting the cone angle of the tapered portion in the short side direction to 50.2° or less relative to the short side direction, it is possible to set the value as (film thickness of the central portion of the film deposited from a metal mask sample with a film deposition thickness of 15.0 μm) / (film thickness of the central portion of the film deposited from a metal mask sample with a film deposition thickness of 0.0 μm) ≥ 0.90. That is, the value equivalent to a metal mask deposition amount of 15.0 μm for samples 1A to 5A in Table 3 that satisfy the above conditions is 0.90 or more.

[0108] On the other hand, it can be confirmed that among the metal mask samples 1A to 4A, where the thickness dimension in the step height is 5.7 μm or less and the cone angle of the tapered portion in the short side direction is 50.2° or less relative to the short side direction, film formation is better in the sample with a film deposition thickness of 1.0 μm than in the metal mask sample 5A. That is, the values ​​for 1.0 μm metal mask deposition amount for samples 1A to 4A in Table 3 are greater than the values ​​for 1.0 μm metal mask deposition amount for sample 5A in Table 3. In other words, the linewidth in the short side direction of the film formed by the metal mask sample with a metal mask deposition amount of 1.0 μm is closer in samples 1A to 4A than in sample 5A in the short side direction of the film formed by the metal mask sample with a metal mask deposition amount of 0.0 μm.

[0109] Furthermore, it was confirmed that among the metal mask samples 1A to 3A, where the thickness dimension in the step height is less than 3.1 μm and the cone angle of the tapered portion in the short side direction is greater than 42.1° in the short side direction, film deposition thicknesses of 1.0 μm and 5.0 μm were better than those of the metal mask samples 4A to 5A. That is, the values ​​of 1.0 μm and 5.0 μm equivalent metal mask deposition amounts for samples 1A to 3A in Table 3 are greater than the values ​​of 1.0 μm and 5.0 μm equivalent metal mask deposition amounts for samples 4A to 5A in Table 3. That is, the linewidth in the short side direction of the film formed by the metal mask samples with metal mask deposition amounts of 1.0 μm and 5.0 μm is closer in the sample 1A to sample 3A than in the sample 4A to sample 5A to the linewidth in the short side direction of the film formed by the metal mask sample with a metal mask deposition amount of 0.0 μm.

[0110] Furthermore, it can be confirmed that among the metal mask samples 1A to 2A, where the thickness dimension in the step height is less than 1.9 μm and the cone angle of the tapered portion in the short side direction is 44.6° or more relative to the short side direction, film formation is better than that of the metal mask sample 5A in samples with film deposition thicknesses of 5.0 μm, 10.0 μm, and 15.0 μm. That is, the values ​​of 5.0 μm, 10.0 μm, and 15.0 μm equivalent metal mask deposition amounts for samples 1A to 2A in Table 3 are greater than the values ​​of 5.0 μm, 10.0 μm, and 15.0 μm equivalent metal mask deposition amounts for sample 5A in Table 3. That is, the linewidth in the short side direction of the film formed by metal mask samples with metal mask deposition amounts of 5.0 μm, 10.0 μm and 15.0 μm is closer in sample 1A to sample 2A than in sample 5A to the linewidth in the short side direction of the film formed by metal mask sample with metal mask deposition amount of 0.0 μm.

[0111] Furthermore, it can be confirmed that in sample 1A, where the thickness dimension in the step height is less than 0.8 μm and the cone angle of the tapered portion in the short side direction is 48.4° or more relative to the short side direction, film deposition is better achieved in samples with film thicknesses of 5.0 μm, 10.0 μm, and 15.0 μm than in samples 2A to 5A. That is, the values ​​of 5.0 μm, 10.0 μm, and 15.0 μm equivalent metal mask deposition amounts for sample 1A in Table 3 are greater than those for samples 2A to 5A in Table 3. That is, the linewidth in the short side direction of the film formed by the metal mask samples with metal mask deposition amounts of 5.0 μm, 10.0 μm and 15.0 μm is closer in sample 1A to the linewidth in the short side direction of the film formed by the metal mask sample with a metal mask deposition amount of 0.0 μm than in samples 2A to 5A.

[0112] Figure 4 This illustrates an example of a component 50 formed using the metal mask of this embodiment, which serves as an internal electrode for an MLCC. The component 50 has a structure in which a thin film 20 made of conductors is formed on a substrate (dielectric sheet) 10 made of dielectric material as an internal electrode by an internal electrode patterning method. This internal electrode patterning method includes an internal electrode patterning method performed by sputtering using a physical vapor deposition method based on the metal mask of this embodiment.

[0113] The thin film 20 is formed by using the metal mask of this embodiment, thereby forming a film thickness in the central part that is more than 90% of the film thickness when the film-forming material is not deposited on the metal mask. Figure 4As shown by the dashed line, component 50 is divided into component 50A and component 50B in the long side direction to become the internal electrode for MLCC, with the blank 11 without thin film 20 as shown. Figure 6 Multiple units can be stacked in a staggered manner as shown in the diagram. Figure 5 The component 50 shown, as indicated by the dashed line, becomes an internal electrode for MLCCs by cutting off either the left or right end along its long side. Figure 6 Multiple blank 11 without film are stacked in a staggered manner to be used.

[0114] That is, the manufacturing method of MLCC (multilayer ceramic capacitor) includes: forming internal electrodes by means of the internal electrode patterning method described above, in... Figure 4 A thin film 20, serving as an internal electrode, is formed on the substrate 10 shown; the substrate on which the internal electrode is formed... Figure 4 The substrate 10 shown is divided into two equal parts, component 50A and component 50B, along its long side; and the substrate 10 is divided into two equal parts by... Figure 6 Multiple blanks 11 without film 20 are stacked in a staggered manner.

[0115] Furthermore, the manufacturing method of MLCC (a method for manufacturing multilayer ceramic capacitors) includes: forming internal electrodes by means of an internal electrode pattern forming method as described above, in... Figure 5 The thin film 20 region of the component 50 shown is each cut off at either the left or right end in the long side direction; and the cut substrate 10 is then... Figure 6 Multiple blanks 11 without film 20 are stacked in a staggered manner.

[0116] Figure 4 Even after the component 50 shown is divided into component 50A and component 50B, the film thickness remains within the specified range, thus enabling proper fabrication of the aforementioned MLCC with guaranteed electrostatic capacitance. Figure 5 Even after the component 50 shown is cut into component 50A and component 50B in each of the two regions of the thin film 20, the film thickness remains within the specified range, thus enabling proper fabrication of the aforementioned MLCC with guaranteed electrostatic capacitance.

[0117] Figure 6 It means in the future Figure 4 The component shown is divided into 50 equal parts, or in Figure 5 This diagram illustrates the positional relationship of two regions of each of the thin films 20 when one end is cut off along the long side and the other end is alternately stacked. In practice, this combination is treated as a group and multiple groups are overlapped.

[0118] like Figure 6 As shown, Figure 4 The components 50 shown are divided into two equal parts, 50A and 50B, which are stacked in a state of left-right symmetry at both ends along the long side. Furthermore, in Figure 5 In the case of component 50 shown, components 50A and 50B, which are obtained by cutting off either the left or right end in each of the two regions of the film 20 region, are stacked in a state where the two ends in the long side direction are symmetrical.

[0119] In the stacked components 50A and 50B, the film 20A in component 50A overlaps with the film 20B in component 50B. Figure 6 The area shown by the dashed line functions as a physical capacitor. Furthermore, the film 20A in the member 50A exposed at the end (right end) of the long side direction and the film 20B in the member 50B exposed at the end (left end) of the long side direction are respectively connected to external terminals in a stacked state.

[0120] As described above, in the metal mask 1 of this embodiment, the size of the through portion 1b in the short side direction is 300 μm or less, the size of the step height h1 in the thickness direction in the short side direction is 8.3 μm or less, and the cone angle of the tapered portion h2 in the short side direction relative to the short side direction is 50.2° or less. Therefore, the film formation rate is good, and an internal electrode with good electrical properties can be formed.

[0121] Furthermore, in the metal mask 1 of this embodiment, the reduction in effective area during repeated use is minimal. Therefore, in the management method of the metal mask for forming the internal electrode of MLCC, by managing the upper limit of the thickness dimension of the film deposited on the metal mask 1 to 15 μm, the number of cleaning times of the metal mask 1 can be reduced, and as a result, the period until the metal mask 1 is discarded can be extended.

[0122] The preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings, but the present invention is not limited to the examples described above. The shapes, combinations, etc. of the constituent components shown in the examples above are just examples, and various modifications can be made based on design requirements, etc., without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0123] For example, the substrate of the metal mask of the present invention is not limited to stainless steel such as SUS430 used in the above studies. For example, other magnetic metal substrates made of alloys such as Invar alloy and super Invar alloy can also be used. If the thin film metal substrate is formed of a magnetic metal material as described above, it has the advantage of being able to be fixed to the film forming apparatus by magnetic force. In addition, the thickness of the substrate is not limited to 50 μm in the above studies; even with different thicknesses, the same effect can be achieved by setting the step height or cone angle within the above range.

[0124] Furthermore, when the metal mask of the present invention is typically mounted on a film deposition apparatus, either side in the thickness direction can be positioned opposite the substrate. Consequently, the step height also changes. However, the step height in the present invention is defined as the lower of the values ​​described above. Additionally, regarding the step height in the metal mask of the present invention, considering the manufacturing process, the cross-section of the through-hole in the short-side direction differs from that in the long-side direction. Therefore, from a clearly defined perspective, the step height in the short-side direction is defined as the step height of the portion of the through-hole forming the edge of the short side in the cross-section extending along the long-side direction.

[0125] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures 1. Metal mask 1a. Through hole 1b. Through section 10. Substrate 20. Thin film (internal electrode) 21. Upper surface 22. Bottom surface 100. Dielectric sheet (substrate) 110. Substrate h1, step height h2, conical part

Claims

1. A metal mask for manufacturing internal electrodes of a stacked ceramic capacitor having through-holes with a rectangular top view formed on a metal substrate, wherein, The dimension of the through portion in the short side direction of the rectangular shape in the top view of the through hole is less than 300 μm. In the cross-sectional shape facing the periphery of the through portion, a step height is formed on a first side in the thickness direction of the substrate, and a tapered portion extending away from the through portion is formed on a second side in the thickness direction. The dimension in the thickness direction of the step height located in the short side direction is less than 12.2 μm. The cone angle of the tapered portion located in the short side direction relative to the short side direction is 47.0° or less.

2. The metal mask according to claim 1, wherein, The cone angle is below 44.6°. The thickness dimension of the step height is 1.8 μm or more.

3. The metal mask according to claim 2, wherein, The cone angle is below 40.3°. The thickness dimension of the step height is 10.0 μm or more.

4. The metal mask according to claim 1, wherein, The thickness dimension of the step height is less than 8.3 μm. The cone angle is greater than 42.1° and less than 47.0°.

5. The metal mask according to claim 4, wherein, The thickness dimension of the step height is less than 3.1 μm.

6. The metal mask according to claim 5, wherein, The thickness dimension of the step height is less than 1.9 μm. The cone angle is 44.6° or higher.

7. A method for forming an internal electrode pattern in a multilayer ceramic capacitor, wherein, include: The internal electrode is formed by physical vapor deposition using the metal mask according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. A method for forming internal electrodes of a multilayer ceramic capacitor, wherein, include: The internal electrodes are formed using the method for forming the internal electrode pattern of the multilayer ceramic capacitor according to claim 7.

9. A method for manufacturing a multilayer ceramic capacitor, wherein, include: The internal electrode is formed using the method for forming the internal electrode of the multilayer ceramic capacitor according to claim 8.

10. A method for managing a metal mask used to form the internal electrodes of a multilayer ceramic capacitor, wherein, include: The upper limit of the dimension in the thickness direction of the film deposited on the metal mask according to any one of claims 1 to 6 is managed to be 15 μm; as well as When the thickness dimension of the film reaches the upper limit, the metal mask is cleaned.

11. A metal mask for manufacturing internal electrodes of a stacked ceramic capacitor having through-holes with a rectangular top view formed on a metal substrate, wherein, The dimension of the through portion in the short side direction of the rectangular shape in the top view of the through hole is less than 300 μm. In the cross-sectional shape facing the periphery of the through portion, a stepped height is formed on one side of the substrate in the thickness direction, and a tapered portion extending away from the through portion is formed on the other side in the thickness direction. The dimension in the thickness direction of the step height located in the short side direction is 8.3 μm or less. The cone angle of the tapered portion located in the short side direction relative to the short side direction is 50.2° or less.

12. The metal mask according to claim 11, wherein, The thickness dimension of the step height is less than 5.7 μm.

13. The metal mask according to claim 12, wherein, The thickness dimension of the step height is less than 3.1 μm. The cone angle is 42.1° or higher.

14. The metal mask according to claim 13, wherein, The thickness dimension of the step height is less than 1.9 μm. The cone angle is 44.6° or higher.

15. The metal mask according to claim 14, wherein, The thickness dimension of the step height is less than 0.8 μm. The cone angle is 48.4° or higher.

16. A method for forming an internal electrode pattern in a multilayer ceramic capacitor, wherein, include: The internal electrode is formed by physical vapor deposition using the metal mask of any one of claims 11 to 15.

17. A method for forming internal electrodes of a multilayer ceramic capacitor, wherein, include: The internal electrodes are formed using the method for forming the internal electrode pattern of the multilayer ceramic capacitor according to claim 16.

18. A method for manufacturing a multilayer ceramic capacitor, wherein, include: The internal electrode is formed using the method for forming the internal electrode of the multilayer ceramic capacitor according to claim 17.

19. A method for managing a metal mask used to form the internal electrodes of a multilayer ceramic capacitor, wherein, include: The upper limit of the dimension in the thickness direction of the film deposited on the metal mask according to any one of claims 11 to 15 is managed to be 15 μm; as well as When the thickness dimension of the film reaches the upper limit, the metal mask is cleaned.

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