Multilayer type electronic component

Abstract

To improve the reliability of a multilayer electronic component, suppress the generation of a step difference due to an internal electrode, suppress the generation of delamination between dielectric layers, and improve the capacity per unit volume of the multilayer electronic component.SOLUTION: A multilayer electronic component includes: a main body including dielectric layers and internal electrodes alternately disposed with the dielectric layers in a first direction, first and second surfaces facing each other in the first direction, third and fourth surfaces connected to the first and second surfaces and facing each other in a second direction, and fifth and sixth surfaces connected to the first to fourth surfaces and facing each other in a third direction; a side margin part disposed on the fifth and sixth surfaces; and external electrodes disposed on the third and fourth surfaces. In at least one of a region between the internal electrode and the fifth surface and a region between the internal electrode and the sixth surface, an additional pattern separated from the internal electrode can be disposed.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a multilayer electronic component. [Background technology]

[0002] Multi-Layered Ceramic Capacitor (MLCC), a type of multi-layered electronic component, is a chip-type capacitor that is mounted on the printed circuit boards of various electronic products such as visual devices such as liquid crystal displays (LCDs) and plasma display panels (PDPs), computers, smartphones, and mobile phones to charge and discharge electricity.

[0003] Such multilayer ceramic capacitors have the advantages of being small yet high capacitance and easy to mount, and can be used as components of various electronic devices. As various electronic devices such as computers and mobile devices become smaller and have higher output, there is an increasing demand for multilayer ceramic capacitors to be smaller and have higher capacitance.

[0004] In addition, as the industry has recently become more interested in automotive electrical components, multilayer ceramic capacitors are also being required to have high reliability and high strength characteristics for use in automobiles and infotainment systems.

[0005] During the process of printing and laminating internal electrodes on molded sheets, minute height differences between the parts where the internal electrodes are printed and those where they are not printed accumulate, resulting in steps. In particular, in the case of the conventional general cutting method, which places a margin in the width direction, the steps in the width direction margin where the internal electrode unprinted parts are piled up are much more severe than the length direction margin where the internal electrode printed parts and the unprinted parts are laminated at an intersection. Such steps bend the edges of each sheet, generating stress, which leads to defects such as delamination, in which the layers spread.

[0006] Therefore, in manufacturing a multilayer ceramic capacitor, a method was developed in which the internal electrodes are exposed in the width direction of the body, thereby eliminating the cause of the step due to a margin-free design, and a side margin portion is separately attached to the electrode exposed surface in the width direction of the chip at the stage before firing after the chip is manufactured.

[0007] However, the reliability may be reduced if moisture easily penetrates between the side margin and the main body, and if the side margin does not contact the main body well and the gap between the side margin and the main body widens, the reliability may be further reduced. Therefore, a solution is needed that can improve reliability while suppressing the step caused by the internal electrodes. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0008] One of the various objects of the present invention is to improve the reliability of multilayer electronic components.

[0009] One of the various objects of the present invention is to suppress the occurrence of steps due to internal electrodes.

[0010] One of the various objects of the present invention is to reduce the occurrence of delamination between dielectric layers.

[0011] One of the various objects of the present invention is to improve the capacitance per unit volume of a multilayer electronic component.

[0012] However, the object of the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned contents, and can be more easily understood in the course of describing specific embodiments of the present invention. [Means for solving the problem]

[0013] A multilayer electronic component according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a body including dielectric layers and internal electrodes alternately arranged with the dielectric layers in a first direction, the body including first and second sides facing the first direction, third and fourth sides connected to the first and second sides and facing the second direction, and fifth and sixth sides connected to the first to fourth sides and facing the third direction, side margin portions arranged on the fifth and sixth sides, and external electrodes arranged on the third and fourth sides, and an additional pattern separated from the internal electrodes may be arranged in at least one of a region between the internal electrodes and the fifth side and a region between the internal electrodes and the sixth side. Effect of the Invention

[0014] One of the various advantages of the embodiments of the present invention is that the reliability of the multilayer electronic component is improved.

[0015] One of the various effects of the embodiment of the present invention is that the occurrence of steps due to internal electrodes is suppressed.

[0016] One of the various advantages of embodiments of the present invention is the suppression of delamination between dielectric layers.

[0017] One of the various advantages of the embodiments of the present invention is that it improves the capacitance per unit volume of a multilayer electronic component.

[0018] However, the various yet significant advantages and effects of the embodiments of the present invention are not limited to the above, and can be more easily understood in the course of describing specific embodiments of the present invention. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0019] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic perspective view of a multilayer electronic component according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] 2 is a perspective view showing the multilayer electronic component of FIG. 1, with the main body and side margin portions separated from each other, excluding the external electrodes. FIG. [Diagram 3]2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II' in FIG. [Figure 4] 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II' in FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III' in FIG. [Figure 6] 5 is an enlarged view of the K1 region in FIG. 4. [Figure 7] 7 is a view corresponding to FIG. 6 according to another embodiment. [Figure 8] 7 is a view corresponding to FIG. 6 according to still another embodiment. [Figure 9] 1 shows a ceramic green sheet on which an internal electrode pattern is printed, which is used to manufacture a multilayer electronic component according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] 10 shows cross sections in the first and third directions of a laminate obtained by laminating the ceramic green sheets of FIG. 9. [Figure 11] 5 is a view corresponding to FIG. 4 according to a first modified example. [Figure 12] 5 is a view corresponding to FIG. 4 according to a second modified example. [Figure 13] 5 is a view corresponding to FIG. 4 according to a third modified example. [Figure 14] 11 is a view corresponding to FIG. 4 according to a fourth modified example. [Figure 15] 13 is a view corresponding to FIG. 4 according to a fifth modified example. [Figure 16] 13 is a view corresponding to FIG. 4 according to a sixth modified example. [Figure 17] 13 is a view corresponding to FIG. 4 according to a seventh modified example. [Figure 18] 13 is a view corresponding to FIG. 4 according to an eighth modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0020] Hereinafter, the embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to specific embodiments and the accompanying drawings. However, the embodiments of the present invention may be modified into several other forms, and the scope of the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described below. Furthermore, the embodiments of the present invention are provided to more completely explain the present invention to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the shapes and sizes of elements in the drawings may be enlarged or reduced (or highlighted or simplified) for clearer explanation, and elements indicated by the same reference numerals in the drawings are the same elements.

[0021] In addition, in the drawings, parts that are not relevant to the description are omitted in order to clearly explain the present invention, and the size and thickness of each component shown in the drawings are arbitrarily shown for convenience of explanation, so the present invention is not necessarily limited by the drawings. Furthermore, components having the same function within the same concept may be described using the same reference numerals. Furthermore, throughout the specification, when a part "includes" a certain component, it does not mean that the part excludes other components, but that the part may further include other components, unless otherwise specified to the contrary.

[0022] In the drawings, the first direction can be defined as the stacking direction or thickness (T) direction, the second direction can be defined as the length (L) direction, and the third direction can be defined as the width (W) direction.

[0023] Multilayer Electronic Components FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a multilayer electronic component according to one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the multilayer electronic component of FIG. 1, showing a main body and a side margin portion separated from each other, excluding external electrodes, FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line I-I' in FIG. 1, FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II' in FIG. 1, FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III' in FIG. 1, and FIG. 6 is an enlarged drawing of area K1 in FIG. 4.

[0024] Hereinafter, a multilayer electronic component according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS.

[0025] A multilayer electronic component 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a dielectric layer 111 and internal electrodes 121, 122 arranged alternately with the dielectric layer in a first direction, a body 110 including first and second surfaces 1, 2 facing the first direction, third and fourth surfaces 3, 4 connected to the first and second surfaces and facing the second direction, and fifth and sixth surfaces 5, 6 connected to the first to fourth surfaces and facing the third direction, side margin portions 114, 115 arranged on the fifth and sixth surfaces, and external electrodes 131, 132 arranged on the third and fourth surfaces, and additional patterns 141a, 141b, 142a, 142b separated from the internal electrodes may be arranged in at least one of a region between the internal electrodes and the fifth surface and a region between the internal electrodes and the sixth surface.

[0026] During the process of printing and laminating internal electrodes on molded sheets, minute height differences between the parts where the internal electrodes are printed and those where they are not printed accumulate, resulting in steps. In particular, in the case of the conventional general cutting method, which places a margin in the width direction, the steps in the widthwise margin where the internal electrode unprinted parts are piled up are much more severe than the lengthwise margin where the internal electrode printed parts and the unprinted parts are laminated at an intersection. Such steps bend the edges of each sheet, generating stress, which leads to defects such as delamination, where the layers spread.

[0027] As a result, in manufacturing a multilayer ceramic capacitor, a method has been developed in which the internal electrodes are exposed in the width direction of the body, thereby eliminating the cause of steps due to a margin-free design, and a side margin portion is separately attached to the electrode exposed surface in the width direction of the chip in the stage before firing after the chip is manufactured.

[0028] However, moisture can easily penetrate between the side margin and the main body, which can reduce reliability, and if the side margin cannot make good contact with the main body and the gap between the side margin and the main body widens, there is a risk of reliability being further reduced.

[0029] According to one embodiment of the present invention, by arranging additional patterns 141a, 141b, 142a, 142b separated from the internal electrodes 121, 122 in at least one of the areas between the internal electrodes 121, 122 and the fifth surface and the areas between the internal electrodes 121, 122 and the sixth surface, it is possible to reduce stress caused by external impacts while suppressing steps caused by the internal electrodes, and even if moisture penetrates between the side margin portion and the main body, it is difficult for it to reach the internal electrodes, thereby improving moisture resistance reliability.

[0030] Hereinafter, each component of the multilayer electronic component 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail.

[0031] The body 110 has dielectric layers 111 and internal electrodes 121 and 122 laminated alternately.

[0032] Although there is no particular limitation on the specific shape of the body 110, the body 110 may be hexahedral or a similar shape as shown in the figure. Due to shrinkage of the ceramic powder contained in the body 110 during the firing process, the body 110 may not be a hexahedral shape with perfectly straight lines, but may be substantially hexahedral.

[0033] The main body 110 may have first and second surfaces 1, 2 facing each other in a first direction, third and fourth surfaces 3, 4 connected to the first and second surfaces 1, 2 and facing each other in the second direction, and fifth and sixth surfaces 5, 6 connected to the first and second surfaces 1, 2, connected to the third and fourth surfaces 3, 4, and facing each other in the third direction.

[0034] The plurality of dielectric layers 111 forming the body 110 are in a fired state, and the boundaries between adjacent dielectric layers 111 can be integrated to such an extent that they are difficult to see without the use of a scanning electron microscope (SEM).

[0035] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the raw material for forming the dielectric layer 111 is not particularly limited as long as a sufficient capacitance can be obtained. For example, a barium titanate-based material, a lead complex perovskite-based material, or a strontium titanate-based material can be used. The barium titanate-based material can include BaTiO3-based ceramic powder, and examples of the ceramic powder include BaTiO3, BaTiO3 partially solid-dissolved with Ca (calcium), Zr (zirconium), etc. 1-x Ca x )TiO3, Ba(Ti 1-y Ca y )O3, (Ba 1-x Ca x )(Ti 1-y Zr y )O3 or Ba(Ti 1-y Zr y )O3, etc.

[0036] The material for forming the dielectric layer 111 may be a powder such as barium titanate (BaTiO3) to which various ceramic additives, organic solvents, binders, dispersants, etc. may be added according to the purpose of the present invention.

[0037] The internal electrodes 121 , 122 may be arranged alternately with the dielectric layers 111 .

[0038] The internal electrodes 121, 122 may include first and second internal electrodes 121, 122. The first and second internal electrodes 121, 122 are alternately arranged to face each other across the dielectric layer 111 constituting the body 110, and may be exposed to third and fourth surfaces 3, 4 of the body 110, respectively.

[0039] In one embodiment, the internal electrodes 121, 122 include first and second internal electrodes 121, 122 alternately arranged in a first direction across the dielectric layer 111, and the first internal electrode 121 may be connected to the third surface and the second internal electrode 122 may be connected to the fourth surface.

[0040] 2 to 4, the first internal electrode 121 may be spaced apart from the fourth, fifth, and sixth surfaces 4, 5, and 6 and exposed through the third surface 3, and the second internal electrode 122 may be spaced apart from the third, fifth, and sixth surfaces 3, 5, and 6 and exposed through the fourth surface 4.

[0041] At this time, the first and second internal electrodes 121 and 122 can be electrically isolated from each other by the dielectric layer 111 disposed therebetween.

[0042] The internal electrodes 121, 122 may include one or more of nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), palladium (Pd), silver (Ag), gold (Au), platinum (Pt), tin (Sn), tungsten (W), titanium (Ti), and alloys thereof.

[0043] In one embodiment, both ends of the internal electrodes 121 and 122 in the third direction may have a thinner average thickness than the center of the internal electrodes 121 and 122 in the third direction. Even if the additional patterns 141a, 141b, 142a, and 142b are disposed, a step may be formed in an area where the additional patterns and the internal electrodes are separated from each other, so that both ends of the internal electrodes 121 and 122 in the third direction may have a thinner average thickness than the center of the internal electrodes 121 and 122 in the third direction during the compression process. However, the difference in average thickness between both ends and the center of the internal electrodes 121 and 122 in the third direction may be smaller than when there is no additional pattern.

[0044] In this case, when the internal electrodes 121 and 122 are divided into 10 equal parts in the third direction, both ends of the internal electrodes 121 and 122 in the third direction may represent the first and last regions, and the center of the internal electrodes 121 and 122 in the third direction may represent the second to ninth regions. As a specific example of a measuring method, the cross sections in the first and third directions cut at the center of the body 110 in the second direction may be scanned and measured using a scanning electron microscope (SEM). After selecting 10 internal electrodes from the scanned image, the thickness may be measured at 5 points with equal intervals at both ends of one internal electrode 121 and 122 in the third direction and at 5 points with equal intervals at the center of the internal electrodes 121 and 122 in the third direction, and the values ​​of a total of 50 points at both ends and the center of the internal electrodes 121 and 122 in the third direction may be averaged and compared.

[0045] In one embodiment, both ends of the internal electrodes 121 and 122 in the third direction may have a shape curved toward the center in the first direction of the body. Even if the additional patterns 141a, 141b, 142a, and 142b are arranged, a step may be formed in an area where the additional patterns and the internal electrodes are separated, so that both ends of the internal electrodes 121 and 122 in the third direction may have a shape curved toward the center in the first direction of the body during the compression process. However, the degree to which both ends of the internal electrodes 121 and 122 in the third direction are curved may be smaller than when there is no additional pattern.

[0046] The additional patterns 141a, 141b, 142a, and 142b may be disposed apart from the internal electrodes 121 and 122 in at least one of a region between the internal electrodes 121 and 122 and the fifth surface and a region between the internal electrodes 121 and 122 and the sixth surface.

[0047] The additional patterns 141a, 141b, 142a, and 142b can reduce steps caused by the internal electrodes and can reduce stress caused by external impacts, etc. The additional patterns 141a, 141b, 142a, and 142b can also absorb stress caused by cutting when cutting the laminate into chips. The additional patterns 141a, 141b, 142a, and 142b are spaced apart from the internal electrodes 121 and 122 and are disposed outside the body 110 relative to the internal electrodes 121 and 122, thereby preventing moisture, etc. from reaching the internal electrodes and improving moisture resistance reliability.

[0048] In an embodiment, the additional patterns 141a, 141b, 142a, and 142b may be disposed apart from the third and fourth surfaces of the body 110. As a result, the additional patterns 141a, 141b, 142a, and 142b are not connected to the external electrodes 131 and 132, and therefore even if moisture or the like penetrates and reaches the additional patterns 141a, 141b, 142a, and 142b, the moisture resistance reliability may not be reduced. In addition, the additional patterns 141a, 141b, 142a, and 142b do not need to be made of a material such as an insulating material, and can be printed at the same time using the same paste as the internal electrodes 121 and 122, thereby improving productivity.

[0049] In one embodiment, the distances Wg1 and Wg2 between the additional patterns 141a, 141b, 142a, and 142b and the internal electrodes 121 and 122 are not particularly limited, but may be, for example, 15 to 45 μm. If Wg1 and Wg2 are less than 15 μm, the internal electrodes and the additional patterns are electrically connected, and the additional patterns may not be effective in improving the moisture resistance reliability, and if they exceed 45 μm, the capacitance per unit volume of the multilayer electronic component may decrease.

[0050] In one embodiment, among both ends of the additional patterns 141a, 141b, 142a, and 142b, ends close to the internal electrodes 121 and 122 may have an average thickness smaller than that of the center of the additional patterns in the third direction. As described above, a step may be formed in the area where the additional patterns 141a, 141b, 142a, and 142b are separated from the internal electrodes 121 and 122, and thus, the thickness of the ends close to the internal electrodes among both ends of the additional patterns may be reduced during the compression process.

[0051] In addition, among both ends of the additional patterns 141a, 141b, 142a, and 142b, the ends close to the internal electrodes 121 and 122 may have a shape curved toward the center in the first direction of the body. In this case, the other ends of the additional patterns 141a, 141b, 142a, and 142b may not have a shape curved toward the center in the first direction.

[0052] The material for forming the additional patterns 141a, 141b, 142a, and 142b is not particularly limited. The additional patterns 141a, 141b, 142a, and 142b may be formed including an insulating material, and may include at least one of nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), palladium (Pd), silver (Ag), gold (Au), platinum (Pt), tin (Sn), tungsten (W), titanium (Ti), and alloys thereof. Also, the additional patterns 141a, 141b, 142a, and 142b may be formed of the same material as the internal electrodes 121 and 122, and thus may be printed together with the internal electrode patterns to simplify the process and improve productivity. Also, in order to improve the stress relaxation effect, the additional patterns 141a, 141b, 142a, and 142b may include graphene, etc.

[0053] The widths Wc1 and Wc2 of the additional patterns 141a, 141b, 142a, and 142b in the third direction do not need to be particularly limited, and may be, for example, 15 to 30 μm.

[0054] Referring to Figures 4 and 5, in one embodiment, the additional patterns 141a, 141b, 142a, 142b may include first additional patterns 141a, 142a arranged in the area between the internal electrodes 121, 122 and the fifth surface and second additional patterns 141b, 142b arranged in the area between the internal electrodes and the sixth surface.

[0055] At this time, the first additional patterns 141a and 142a may be disposed to contact the fifth surface, and the second additional patterns 141b and 142b may be disposed to contact the sixth surface. Thus, the first additional patterns 141a and 142a may be disposed to contact the first side margin portion at the fifth surface, and the second additional patterns 141b and 142b may be disposed to contact the second side margin portion at the sixth surface. Also, the additional patterns 141a, 141b, 142a, and 142b may absorb stress during the lamination process, thereby minimizing deformation of the body.

[0056] However, without being limited thereto, the additional patterns 141a, 141b, 142a, and 142b may have various shapes as in the modified examples described below. For example, the first additional pattern may be disposed apart from the fifth surface, and the second additional pattern may be disposed apart from the sixth surface. Also, the first additional pattern may be disposed apart from the fifth surface, and the second additional pattern may be disposed apart from the sixth surface. Furthermore, the additional patterns may be disposed only in one of the region between the internal electrode and the fifth surface and the region between the internal electrode and the sixth surface.

[0057] The average thickness td of the dielectric layer 111 does not need to be particularly limited, but may be, for example, 0.05 μm to 3.0 μm. The average thickness te of the internal electrodes 121 and 122 does not need to be particularly limited, but may be, for example, 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 can be arbitrarily set according to the desired characteristics and applications. For example, in order to achieve miniaturization and high capacity, in the case of a small IT electronic component, the average thickness td of the dielectric layer 111 can be 0.4 μm or less, and the average thickness te of the internal electrodes 121 and 122 can be 0.4 μm or less. The average thickness of the additional patterns 141a, 141b, 142a, and 142b does not need to be particularly limited, and may have a thickness similar to that of the internal electrodes 121 and 122.

[0058] The average thickness td of the dielectric layer 111 and the average thickness te of the internal electrodes 121, 122 refer to the size of the dielectric layer 111 and the internal electrodes 121, 122 in the first direction, respectively. The average thickness td of the dielectric layer 111 and the average thickness te of the internal electrodes 121, 122 may be measured by scanning the cross sections of the body 110 in the first direction and the second direction with a scanning electron microscope (SEM) with a magnification of 10,000. More specifically, the average thickness td of the dielectric layer 111 may be measured by measuring the thickness at a number of points of one dielectric layer 111, for example, 30 points equally spaced in the second direction, and then measuring the average value. In addition, the average thickness te of the internal electrodes 121, 122 may be measured by measuring the thickness at a number of points of one internal electrode 121, 122, for example, 30 points equally spaced in the second direction, and then measuring the average value. The 30 equally spaced points may be designated as a capacitance forming portion Ac. Meanwhile, by performing such average value measurements on 10 dielectric layers 111 and 10 internal electrodes 121, 122, respectively, and then measuring the average values, the average thickness td of the dielectric layers 111 and the average thickness te of the internal electrodes 121, 122 can be further generalized.

[0059] The body 110 may include an active portion Ac that is disposed inside the body 110 and includes a first internal electrode 121 and a second internal electrode 122 that are arranged to face each other across a dielectric layer 111 to form a capacitance, and cover portions 112 and 113 that are formed on the upper and lower portions of the active portion Ac in a first direction.

[0060] The active portion Ac is a portion that contributes to forming the capacitance of the capacitor, and may be formed by repeatedly stacking a plurality of first and second internal electrodes 121 and 122 with the dielectric layer 111 interposed therebetween.

[0061] The upper cover part 112 and the lower cover part 113 may be formed by stacking a single dielectric layer or two or more dielectric layers on the upper and lower surfaces of the active part Ac in the thickness direction, respectively, and may basically serve to prevent damage to the internal electrodes due to physical or chemical stress.

[0062] The upper cover part 112 and the lower cover part 113 do not include an internal electrode and may include the same material as the dielectric layer 111 .

[0063] That is, the upper cover part 112 and the lower cover part 113 may include a ceramic material, for example, a barium titanate (BaTiO3) based ceramic material.

[0064] On the other hand, there is no need to particularly limit the thickness of the covers 112 and 113. However, in order to more easily achieve miniaturization and high capacity of the multilayer electronic component, the thickness tc of the covers 112 and 113 can be 80 μm or less.

[0065] The average thickness tc of the cover parts 112, 113 may mean the size in the first direction, and may be the average value of the size in the first direction of the cover parts 112, 113 measured at five equally spaced points on the upper or lower part of the capacitance forming part Ac.

[0066] The side margins 114 , 115 may be disposed on the fifth and sixth faces of the body 110 .

[0067] The side margin portions 114, 115 may include a first side margin portion 114 disposed on the fifth surface 5 of the body 110 and a second side margin portion 115 disposed on the sixth surface 6. That is, the margin portions 114, 115 may be disposed on both end surfaces of the body 110 in the third direction.

[0068] The side margin portions 114, 115 can be disposed so as to cover both end faces of the cover portions 112, 113 in the third direction.

[0069] The side margins 114 and 115 essentially serve to prevent damage to the internal electrodes due to physical or chemical stress.

[0070] The side margin parts 114 and 115 may be formed by stacking a single dielectric layer or two or more dielectric layers in the third direction on both end surfaces in the third direction of the body 110. The side margin parts 114 and 115 may have a different composition from the dielectric layer 111, a different crystal grain size from the dielectric layer 111, and a different porosity from the dielectric layer 111. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the side margin parts 114 and 115 may have the same composition as the dielectric layer 111.

[0071] Referring to FIG. 6, the upper ends of the side margin portions 114 and 115 in the first direction may be arranged on the same plane as the second surface, and the lower ends of the side margin portions in the first direction may be arranged on the same plane as the first surface.

[0072] However, when the manufacturing error of the side margin portion is taken into consideration, it is not necessarily required to have such a configuration.

[0073] For example, according to another embodiment of the present invention, the upper ends of the side margin portions 114', 115' in the first direction may be disposed lower in the first direction than the second surface, and the lower ends of the side margin portions 114', 115' in the first direction may be disposed higher in the first direction than the first surface, as shown in Fig. 7. In this case, the upper ends of the side margin portions 114b', 115b' in the first direction may contact the upper cover portion 112 at the third and fourth surfaces, and the lower ends of the side margin portions 114b', 115b' in the first direction may contact the lower cover portion 113 at the third and fourth surfaces.

[0074] According to yet another embodiment of the present invention, as shown in Fig. 8, the upper ends of the side margin portions 114'', 115'' in the first direction may be disposed higher than the second surface in the first direction, and the lower ends of the side margin portions 114'', 115'' in the first direction may be disposed lower than the first surface in the first direction. In this case, at least a portion of the side margin portions 114'', 115'' may be disposed on the first and second surfaces.

[0075] The average widths Wm1 and Wm2 in the third direction of the side margin portions 114 and 115 do not need to be particularly limited. For example, Wm1 and Wm2 may each be 50 μm or less, and for miniaturization and high capacity, Wm1 and Wm2 may each be 20 μm or less. Here, the widths in the third direction of the side margin portions 114 and 115 may refer to the size of the side margin portions 114 and 115 in the third direction.

[0076] Meanwhile, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the internal electrodes 121, 122 are not exposed to the fifth and sixth surfaces of the body, and additional patterns 141a, 141b, 142a, 142b spaced apart from the internal electrodes 121, 122 are disposed in at least one of the regions between the internal electrodes 121, 122 and the fifth surface and the regions between the internal electrodes 121, 122 and the sixth surface, so that the width of the side margin portions 114, 115 in the third direction can be reduced to improve the capacitance per unit volume while ensuring moisture resistance reliability. For example, the average widths Wm1, Wm2 in the third direction of the side margin portions 114, 115 may be 5 μm to 15 μm, or 5 μm to 10 μm.

[0077] Meanwhile, the widths of the side margin portions 114, 115 at different positions in the first direction may be substantially the same, and the deviation of the widths may be within 5%. This is because the side margin portions 114, 115 are formed by attaching the ceramic green sheets for the side margin portions to the side surfaces of the body 110.

[0078] The external electrodes 131 , 132 may be disposed on the third surface 3 and the fourth surface 4 of the body 110 .

[0079] The external electrodes 131 and 132 may include first and second external electrodes 131 and 132 disposed on the third and fourth surfaces 3 and 4 of the body 110, respectively, and connected to the first and second internal electrodes 121 and 122, respectively.

[0080] Referring to FIG. 1, the external electrodes 131 and 132 may be disposed to cover both end surfaces of the side margin portions 114 and 115 in the second direction.

[0081] In this embodiment, a structure in which the multilayer electronic component 100 has two external electrodes 131, 132 is described, but the number and shapes of the external electrodes 131, 132 can be changed depending on the configuration of the internal electrodes 121, 122 and other purposes.

[0082] In one embodiment, the external electrodes 131, 132 include a first external electrode 131 arranged on the third surface of the body 110 and a second external electrode 132 arranged on the fourth surface of the body 110, and the first external electrode 131 can cover one end of the side margin portions 114, 115 in the second direction, and the second external electrode 132 can cover the other end of the side margin portions 114, 115 in the second direction.

[0083] Meanwhile, the external electrodes 131 and 132 may be formed using any material having electrical conductivity, such as a metal, and the specific material may be determined taking into consideration electrical characteristics, structural stability, etc., and may further have a multi-layer structure.

[0084] For example, the external electrodes 131 and 132 may include electrode layers 131a and 132a disposed on the body 110 and plating layers 131b and 132b formed on the electrode layers 131a and 132a.

[0085] As a more specific example of the electrode layers 131a and 132a, the electrode layers 131a and 132a may be firing electrodes including a conductive metal and glass, or resin-based electrodes including a conductive metal and resin.

[0086] The electrode layers 131a and 132a may be formed by sequentially forming a fired electrode and a resin-based electrode on the main body, and may be formed by transferring a sheet containing a conductive metal onto the main body, or by transferring a sheet containing a conductive metal onto the fired electrode.

[0087] The conductive metal contained in the electrode layers 131a and 132a may be any material having excellent electrical conductivity, but is not limited thereto. For example, the conductive metal may be one or more of nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), and alloys thereof.

[0088] The plating layers 131b and 132b serve to improve mounting characteristics. The type of the plating layers 131b and 132b is not particularly limited, and may be a plating layer containing one or more of Ni, Sn, Pd, and alloys thereof, and may be formed of multiple layers.

[0089] As a more specific example of the plating layers 131b, 132b, the plating layers 131b, 132b may be Ni plating layers or Sn plating layers, and may be in a form in which a Ni plating layer and a Sn plating layer are sequentially formed on the electrode layers 131a, 132a, or in a form in which a Sn plating layer, a Ni plating layer, and a Sn plating layer are sequentially formed. The plating layers 131b, 132b may also include a plurality of Ni plating layers and / or a plurality of Sn plating layers.

[0090] The size of the multilayer electronic component 100 does not need to be particularly limited.

[0091] However, in order to simultaneously achieve miniaturization and high capacity, the thickness of the dielectric layers and internal electrodes must be reduced and the number of layers must be increased, so the effect of improving reliability according to the present invention may be more pronounced in a multilayer electronic component 100 having a size of 1005 (length x width, 1.0 mm x 0.5 mm) or less.

[0092] Taking into consideration manufacturing errors, the size of the external electrodes, etc., when the length of the multilayer electronic component 100 is 1.1 mm or less and the width is 0.55 mm or less, the effect of improving reliability and capacitance per unit volume according to the present invention may be more significant. Here, the length of the multilayer electronic component 100 may refer to the maximum size of the multilayer electronic component 100 in the second direction, and the width of the multilayer electronic component 100 may refer to the maximum size of the multilayer electronic component 100 in the third direction.

[0093] FIG. 9 shows a ceramic green sheet having an internal electrode pattern printed thereon for use in manufacturing a multilayer electronic component according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 10 shows cross sections in the first and third directions of a laminate formed by stacking the ceramic green sheets of FIG. 9 .

[0094] A method for manufacturing a multilayer electronic component according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0095] First, as shown in FIG. 9, the internal electrode pattern 120 and the additional pattern 140 are printed on the ceramic green sheet 10, and then a plurality of the ceramic green sheets 10 are laminated and pressed to form a laminate 10'.

[0096] 10, the laminate 10' can be cut along reference cutting lines C1 and C2 based on the additional pattern 140 to obtain the body of the unit chips. When the laminate 10' is cut precisely along the reference cutting lines C1 and C2 in FIG. 10, the additional pattern 140 may be exposed on the fifth and sixth surfaces of the body.

[0097] Then, when one or more dielectric sheets for the side margin portions are attached to the fifth and sixth surfaces of the main body as shown in FIG. 2, the first additional patterns 141a, 142a can be arranged to contact the first side margin portion on the fifth surface, and the second additional patterns 141b, 142b can be arranged to contact the second side margin portion on the sixth surface.

[0098] Then, after a sintering process, external electrodes 131 and 132 are formed on the third and fourth surfaces of the body 110, thereby obtaining a multilayer electronic component.

[0099] On the other hand, if dispersion occurs during the cutting process, the laminate 10' cannot be cut accurately along the reference cutting lines C1 and C2, and may be cut at the left side A1 or the right side B1 of the first reference cutting line C1, or may be cut at the left side A2 or the right side B2 of the second reference cutting line C2.

[0100] Depending on the distribution of such cutting steps, the multilayer electronic component according to one embodiment of the present invention can have various modified forms as described below.

[0101] Fig. 11 is a view corresponding to Fig. 4 according to the first modified example. When cutting is performed along the left side A1 of the first reference cutting line C1 and the left side A2 of the second reference cutting line C2, a multilayer electronic component 100-1 can be obtained in which the additional patterns 141a-1 and 142a-1 are arranged only between the first side margin portion 114 and the internal electrodes 121 and 122, as shown in Fig. 11. Also, as shown in Fig. 11, the additional patterns 141a-1 and 142a-1 may be spaced apart from the first side margin portion 114.

[0102] Fig. 12 is a view corresponding to Fig. 4 according to a second modified example. When cutting is performed along the left side A2 of the first reference cutting line C1 and the second reference cutting line C2, a multilayer electronic component 100-2 can be obtained in which the additional patterns 141a-2, 142a-2 are arranged only between the first side margin portion 114 and the internal electrodes 121, 122, as shown in Fig. 12. In addition, as shown in Fig. 12, the additional patterns 141a-2, 142a-2 may have a shape in contact with the first side margin portion 114.

[0103] Fig. 13 is a view corresponding to Fig. 4 according to a third modified example. When cutting is performed along the right side B1 of the first reference cutting line C1 and the right side B2 of the second reference cutting line C2, a multilayer electronic component 100-3 can be obtained in which the additional patterns 141b-3, 142b-3 are arranged only between the second side margin portion 115 and the internal electrodes 121, 122, as shown in Fig. 13. In addition, as shown in Fig. 13, the additional patterns 141b-3, 142b-3 may be spaced apart from the second side margin portion 115.

[0104] Fig. 14 is a view corresponding to Fig. 4 according to a fourth modified example. When cutting is performed along the right side B1 of the first reference cutting line C1 and the second reference cutting line C2, a multilayer electronic component 100-4 can be obtained in which the additional patterns 141b-4, 142b-4 are arranged only between the second side margin portion 115 and the internal electrodes 121, 122, as shown in Fig. 14. In addition, as shown in Fig. 14, the additional patterns 141b-4, 142b-4 may have a shape in contact with the second side margin portion 115.

[0105] Fig. 15 is a view corresponding to Fig. 4 according to the fifth modified example. When cutting is performed along the left side A1 of the first reference cutting line C1 and the second reference cutting line C2, as shown in Fig. 15, a multilayer electronic component 100-5 can be obtained in which the first additional patterns 141a-5 and 142a-5 are arranged between the first side margin portion 114 and the internal electrodes 121 and 122, and the second additional patterns 141b-5 and 142b-5 are arranged between the second side margin portion 115 and the internal electrodes 121 and 122. Also, as shown in Fig. 15, the first additional patterns 141a-5 and 142a-5 may be spaced apart from the first side margin portion 114, and the second additional patterns 141b-5 and 142b-5 may be in contact with the second side margin portion 115.

[0106] Fig. 16 is a view corresponding to Fig. 4 according to the sixth modified example. When cutting is performed along the right side B2 of the first reference cutting line C1 and the second reference cutting line C2, a multilayer electronic component 100-6 can be obtained in which the first additional patterns 141a-6 and 142a-6 are arranged between the first side margin portion 114 and the internal electrodes 121 and 122, and the second additional patterns 141b-6 and 142b-6 are arranged between the second side margin portion 115 and the internal electrodes 121 and 122, as shown in Fig. 16. In addition, as shown in Fig. 16, the first additional patterns 141a-6 and 142a-6 may be in contact with the first side margin portion 114, and the second additional patterns 141b-6 and 142b-6 may be spaced apart from the second side margin portion 115.

[0107] Fig. 17 is a view corresponding to Fig. 4 according to the seventh modified example. When cutting is performed along the left side A1 of the first reference cutting line C1 and the right side B2 of the second reference cutting line C2, a multilayer electronic component 100-7 can be obtained in which the first additional patterns 141a-7 and 142a-7 are arranged between the first side margin portion 114 and the internal electrodes 121 and 122, and the second additional patterns 141b-7 and 142b-7 are arranged between the second side margin portion 115 and the internal electrodes 121 and 122, as shown in Fig. 17. In addition, as shown in Fig. 17, the first additional patterns 141a-7 and 142a-7 may be spaced apart from the first side margin portion 114, and the second additional patterns 141b-7 and 142b-7 may be spaced apart from the second side margin portion 115.

[0108] Fig. 18 is a view corresponding to Fig. 4 according to an eighth modified example. When cutting is performed along the right side B1 of the first reference cutting line C1 and the left side A2 of the second reference cutting line C2, a multilayer electronic component 100-8 having no additional pattern arranged thereon can be obtained as shown in Fig. 18. Even if the multilayer electronic component 100-8 does not include an additional pattern, the additional pattern 140 can absorb cutting stress in the cutting process, thereby suppressing the occurrence of delamination between dielectric layers.

[0109] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and the accompanying drawings, but is limited by the scope of the accompanying claims. Therefore, various substitutions, modifications, and changes can be made by a person having ordinary knowledge in the art within the scope of the technical idea of ​​the present invention described in the claims, and these also belong to the scope of the present invention.

[0110] In addition, the expression "one embodiment" used in the present disclosure does not mean the same embodiment, but is provided to emphasize and describe each unique feature that is different from the others. However, the above-mentioned one embodiment does not exclude being realized in combination with the features of another embodiment. For example, even if a matter described in a specific embodiment is not described in another embodiment, it can be understood as a description related to the other embodiment, unless there is a description that is opposite or contradictory to the matter in the other embodiment.

[0111] The terms used in the present disclosure are merely used to describe one embodiment and are not intended to limit the present disclosure. In this case, a singular expression includes a plural expression unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. [Explanation of symbols]

[0112] 100 Multilayer electronic components 110 Main unit 111 Dielectric layer 112, 113 Cover part 114, 115 Side margin 121, 122 Internal electrode 141a, 141b, 142a, 142b additional patterns 131, 132 External electrode 131a, 132a electrode layer 131b, 132b plating layer

Claims

1. a body including dielectric layers and internal electrodes alternately disposed with the dielectric layers in a first direction, the body including first and second surfaces facing the first direction, third and fourth surfaces connected to the first and second surfaces and facing the second direction, and fifth and sixth surfaces connected from the first surface to the fourth surface and facing the third direction; Side margin portions disposed on the fifth surface and the sixth surface; external electrodes disposed on the third surface and the fourth surface; A multilayer electronic component, wherein an additional pattern is disposed in at least one of a region between the internal electrode and the fifth surface and a region between the internal electrode and the sixth surface, the additional pattern being spaced apart from the internal electrode.

2. 2 . The multilayer electronic component according to claim 1 , wherein both end portions of said internal electrode in said third direction have an average thickness smaller than that of a central portion of said internal electrode in said third direction.

3. 2 . The multilayer electronic component according to claim 1 , wherein both end portions of the internal electrodes in the third direction have a shape curved toward the center of the body in the first direction.

4. The multilayer electronic component according to claim 1 , wherein the additional pattern is disposed apart from the third surface and the fourth surface.

5. 2. The multilayer electronic component according to claim 1, wherein the additional pattern and the internal electrodes are spaced apart from each other by a distance of 15 to 45 μm.

6. 2 . The multilayer electronic component according to claim 1 , wherein, of both end portions of the additional pattern, an end portion closer to the internal electrode has an average thickness smaller than that of a central portion of the additional pattern in the third direction.

7. The multilayer electronic component according to claim 1 , wherein the additional pattern has an end portion closer to the internal electrode, the end portion being curved toward the center of the body in the first direction.

8. 2. The multilayer electronic component according to claim 1, wherein an upper end of the side margin portion in the first direction is disposed on the same plane as the second surface, and a lower end of the side margin portion in the first direction is disposed on the same plane as the first surface.

9. 2. The multilayer electronic component according to claim 1, wherein an upper end of the side margin portion in the first direction is disposed lower in the first direction than the second surface, and a lower end of the side margin portion in the first direction is disposed higher in the first direction than the first surface.

10. 2. The multilayer electronic component according to claim 1, wherein an upper end of the side margin portion in the first direction is disposed above the second surface in the first direction, and a lower end of the side margin portion in the first direction is disposed below the first surface in the first direction.

11. 2. The multilayer electronic component according to claim 1, wherein the additional pattern includes a first additional pattern arranged in a region between the internal electrode and the fifth surface, and a second additional pattern arranged in a region between the internal electrode and the sixth surface.

12. The multilayer electronic component according to claim 11 , wherein the first additional pattern is disposed so as to be in contact with the fifth surface, and the second additional pattern is disposed so as to be in contact with the sixth surface.

13. The multilayer electronic component according to claim 11 , wherein the first additional pattern is disposed so as to be in contact with the fifth surface, and the second additional pattern is disposed so as to be spaced apart from the sixth surface.

14. The multilayer electronic component according to claim 11 , wherein the first additional pattern is disposed apart from the fifth surface, and the second additional pattern is disposed apart from the sixth surface.

15. The multilayer electronic component according to claim 11 , wherein the additional pattern is disposed in only one of a region between the internal electrode and the fifth surface and a region between the internal electrode and the sixth surface.

16. the external electrodes include a first external electrode disposed on the third surface and a second external electrode disposed on the fourth surface; 2 . The multilayer electronic component according to claim 1 , wherein the first external electrode covers one end of the side margin portion in the second direction, and the second external electrode covers the other end of the side margin portion in the second direction.

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