Multilayer electronic components

Abstract

When internal electrodes are not formed in the margin area, uneven stress is applied to the capacitance formation area, margin area, and cover area, which mitigates the phenomenon of cracks occurring in the multilayer electronic component. [Solution] The stacked electronic component of the present invention includes a body including a dielectric layer and internal electrodes arranged alternately with the dielectric layer in a first direction, and external electrodes arranged on a surface of the body facing a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, wherein the body includes dummy electrodes arranged at a distance from the internal electrodes in a third direction perpendicular to the first and second directions, and when the distance in the first direction from the uppermost internal electrode to the lowermost internal electrode in the first direction is A, and the distance in the first direction from the uppermost dummy electrode to the lowermost dummy electrode in the first direction is a, then a / A can satisfy 0.30 or more and 0.80 or less.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This invention relates to a stacked electronic component. [Background technology]

[0002] A multilayer ceramic capacitor (MLCC), a type of multilayer electronic component, is a chip-type capacitor that is mounted on the printed circuit boards of various electronic products such as liquid crystal displays (LCDs) and plasma display panels (PDPs), computers, smartphones, and mobile phones, and plays the role of charging or discharging electricity.

[0003] The body of a stacked electronic component may include a margin portion in the width direction of the body where internal electrodes are not formed, and a cover portion in the thickness direction of the body where internal electrodes are not formed. In the margin portion where internal electrodes are not formed, a step difference occurs between the capacitance-forming portion, which is a region where internal electrodes overlap in the thickness direction, and the margin portion, and this step difference between the capacitance-forming portion and the margin portion may lead to a stress imbalance during the process of pressing and firing the internal electrodes and dielectric layers to form the body.

[0004] In particular, due to stress imbalances that occur during the firing process of the main body, the cover portion may form a convex portion and the margin portion may form a concave portion, which can lead to problems such as cracks forming at the boundary between the cover portion and the margin portion.

[0005] Therefore, there is a need for a solution to mitigate the phenomenon of cracks occurring at the boundary between the cover and margin portions, and to improve the shape of multilayer electronic components. [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0006] One of the various objectives of the present invention is to mitigate the phenomenon in which cracks occur in stacked electronic components due to uneven stress being applied to the capacitance forming portion, margin portion, and cover portion when internal electrodes are not formed in the margin portion.

[0007] However, the objectives of the present invention are not limited to those described above and can be more easily understood in the process of describing specific embodiments of the present invention. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] A stacked electronic component according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a body including a dielectric layer and internal electrodes arranged alternately with the dielectric layer in a first direction, and external electrodes arranged on a surface of the body facing a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, wherein the body includes dummy electrodes arranged at a distance from the internal electrodes in a third direction perpendicular to the first and second directions, and when the distance in the first direction from the uppermost internal electrode to the lowermost internal electrode in the first direction is A, and the distance in the first direction from the uppermost dummy electrode to the lowermost dummy electrode in the first direction is a, then a / A can satisfy 0.30 or more and 0.80 or less. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] One of the various effects of the present invention is to mitigate the phenomenon of crack formation in stacked electronic components by placing dummy electrodes in the widthwise margin area and adjusting the placement area and range of the dummy electrodes.

[0010] However, the diverse yet significant advantages and effects of the present invention are not limited to those described above and can be more easily understood in the process of describing specific embodiments of the present invention. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1]This is a schematic perspective view of a stacked electronic component according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a section along the line I-I' in Figure 1. [Figure 3] This is a schematic cross-sectional view of a multilayer electronic component relating to a comparative example, showing a cross-section corresponding to the cross-section along line II-II' in Figure 1. [Figure 4] This is a schematic cross-sectional view of a stacked electronic component according to one embodiment, showing a cross-section corresponding to the cross-section along line II-II' in Figure 1. [Figure 5] This is a schematic cross-sectional view of a stacked electronic component according to one embodiment, showing a cross-section corresponding to the cross-section along line II-II' in Figure 1. [Figure 6] This is a schematic cross-sectional view of a stacked electronic component according to one embodiment, showing a cross-section corresponding to the cross-section along line II-II' in Figure 1. [Figure 7] This is a schematic cross-sectional view of a stacked electronic component according to one embodiment, showing a cross-section corresponding to the cross-section along line II-II' in Figure 1. [Figure 8] This is a schematic cross-sectional view of a stacked electronic component according to one embodiment, showing a cross-section corresponding to the cross-section along line II-II' in Figure 1. [Figure 9] This is an exploded perspective view schematically showing the structure of the main body of a stacked electronic component according to one embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0012] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to specific embodiments and accompanying drawings. However, embodiments of the present invention can be modified into several other forms, and the scope of the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described below. Furthermore, embodiments of the present invention are provided to give a more complete explanation of the present invention to a person of the ordinary skill. Accordingly, the shapes and sizes of elements in the drawings may be enlarged or reduced (or highlighted or simplified) for a clearer explanation, and elements indicated by the same reference numerals in the drawings are the same elements.

[0013] In the drawings, parts not relevant to the description are omitted for the sake of clearly explaining the present invention. The sizes and thicknesses of the illustrated components are arbitrarily shown for convenience of explanation, so the present invention is not necessarily limited by the illustration. Also, components having the same function within the scope of the same concept are described using the same reference numerals. Further, throughout the specification, when a certain part "includes" a certain component, it means that other components can be further included, rather than excluding other components, unless there is a particularly contrary description.

[0014] In the drawings, the first direction can be defined as the direction in which the first and second internal electrodes are alternately arranged with the dielectric layer interposed therebetween or the thickness direction, and among the second and third directions which are perpendicular to the first direction, the second direction is the length direction and the third direction is the width direction.

[0015] FIG. 1 is a perspective view schematically showing a multilayer electronic component according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a cross-section along the line I-I' of FIG. 1, FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a cross-section corresponding to the cross-section along the line II-II' of FIG. 1 in a multilayer electronic component according to a comparative example, FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a cross-section corresponding to the cross-section along the line II-II' of FIG. 1 in a multilayer electronic component according to an embodiment, FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a cross-section corresponding to the cross-section along the line II-II' of FIG. 1 in a multilayer electronic component according to an embodiment, FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a cross-section corresponding to the cross-section along the line II-II' of FIG. 1 in a multilayer electronic component according to an embodiment, FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a cross-section corresponding to the cross-section along the line II-II' of FIG. 1 in a multilayer electronic component according to an embodiment, FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a cross-section corresponding to the cross-section along the line II-II' of FIG. 1 in a multilayer electronic component according to an embodiment, and FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view schematically showing the structure of the main body of a multilayer electronic component according to an embodiment.

[0016] Hereinafter, referring to FIGS. 1 to 9, the multilayer electronic component 100 according to various embodiments of the present invention will be described.

[0017] The multilayer electronic component 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a dielectric layer 111, a main body 110 including internal electrodes 121 and 122 alternately arranged with the dielectric layer in a first direction, and external electrodes 130 and 140 arranged on surfaces 3 and 4 facing each other in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction of the main body. The main body includes dummy electrodes 123 and 124 spaced apart in a third direction perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction of the internal electrodes. When the distance in the first direction from the internal electrode arranged at the uppermost end in the first direction to the internal electrode arranged at the lowermost end in the first direction is A, and the distance in the first direction from the dummy electrode arranged at the uppermost end in the first direction to the dummy electrode arranged at the lowermost end in the first direction is a, a / A can satisfy 0.30 or more and 0.80 or less.

[0018] In the main body 110, the dielectric layer 111 and the internal electrodes 121 and 122 can be alternately arranged. Specifically, the first and second internal electrodes 121 and 122 can be alternately arranged with the dielectric layer 111 interposed therebetween. In the present invention, the direction in which the dielectric layer 111 and the internal electrodes 121 and 122 are alternately arranged can mean the first direction.

[0019] There is no particular limitation on the specific shape of the main body 110. As shown in the figure, the main body 110 can have a hexahedral shape or a shape similar thereto. Due to the shrinkage of the ceramic powder contained in the main body 110 during the firing process, the main body 110 does not have a perfect straight hexahedral shape, but can have a substantially hexahedral shape.

[0020] The main body 110 can have a first surface 1 and a second surface 2 facing each other in a first direction, a third surface 3 and a fourth surface 4 facing each other in a second direction, which are connected to the first and second surfaces 1 and 2, and a fifth surface 5 and a sixth surface 6 facing each other in a third direction, which are connected to the third and fourth surfaces 3 and 4. At this time, the second direction can mean a direction perpendicular to the first direction, and the third direction can mean a direction perpendicular to both the first direction and the second direction.

[0021] The plurality of dielectric layers 111 forming the main body 110 are in a fired state, and the boundaries between adjacent dielectric layers 111 can be integrated so as to be difficult to confirm without using a scanning electron microscope (SEM).

[0022] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the raw material for forming the dielectric layer 111 is not particularly limited as long as sufficient capacitance can be obtained. For example, a barium titanate-based material, a lead composite perovskite-based material, or a strontium titanate-based material can be used. The barium titanate-based material can include BaTiO3-based ceramic powder. Examples of the ceramic powder include BaTiO3, (Ba 1-x Ca x )TiO3 (0 < x < 1) in which Ca (calcium), Zr (zirconium), etc. are partially solid-solved in BaTiO3, Ba(Ti 1-y Ca y )O3 (0 < y < 1), (Ba 1-x Ca x )(Ti 1-y Zr y )O3 (0 < x < 1, 0 < y < 1), or Ba(Ti 1-y Zr y )O3 (0 < y < 1), etc.

[0023] In addition, various ceramic additives, organic solvents, binders, dispersants, etc. can be added to the powder such as barium titanate (BaTiO3) according to the purpose of the present invention as the raw material for forming the dielectric layer 111.

[0024] On the other hand, the average thickness td of the dielectric layer 111 does not need to be particularly limited. For example, in small, high-capacitance multilayer electronic components, the average thickness td of the dielectric layer 111 can be 0.35 μm or less, while in multilayer electronic components used at high voltage and high temperature, the average thickness td of the dielectric layer 111 can be 2 μm or more.

[0025] The average thickness td of the dielectric layer 111 can refer to the average thickness td of the dielectric layer 111 that is placed between the first and second internal electrodes 121 and 122.

[0026] The average thickness td of the dielectric layer 111 can be measured by scanning an image of the cross-section of the main body 110 in the length and thickness direction (LT) using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) at 10,000x magnification. More specifically, the thickness of one dielectric layer can be measured at 30 equally spaced points in the length direction from the scanned image, and the average value can be calculated. These 30 equally spaced points can be specified in the capacitance formation section Ac. Furthermore, by extending this average value measurement to 10 dielectric layers and measuring the average values, the average thickness of the dielectric layer can be further generalized.

[0027] The main body 110 may include a capacitance forming portion Ac, which is a region where the internal electrodes 121 and 122 overlap in a first direction. The capacitance forming portion Ac is a part that contributes to the capacitance formation of the capacitor and can be formed by repeatedly stacking a plurality of first and second internal electrodes 121 and 122 with a dielectric layer 111 in between, and can be a part that contributes to the capacitance formation of the capacitor.

[0028] Cover portions 112 and 113 can be arranged on one and the other surface of the capacity forming portion Ac in the first direction.

[0029] The cover portions 112 and 113 may include an upper cover portion 112 positioned on one side of the volume-forming portion Ac in the first direction and a lower cover portion 113 positioned on the other side of the volume-forming portion Ac in the first direction.

[0030] The cover portions 112 and 113 can be formed by stacking a single dielectric layer or two or more dielectric layers in the thickness direction on the upper and lower surfaces of the capacitance forming portion Ac, respectively, and can essentially serve to prevent damage to the internal electrodes due to physical or chemical stress.

[0031] The cover portions 112 and 113 do not contain internal electrodes and can contain the same material as the dielectric layer 111. That is, the cover portions 112 and 113 can contain ceramic materials, for example, barium titanate (BaTiO3) based ceramic materials.

[0032] On the other hand, the average thickness of the cover portions 112 and 113 is not particularly limited. For example, in order to more easily achieve miniaturization and high capacitance of the stacked electronic component, the average thickness tc of the cover portions 112 and 113 can be 15 μm or less.

[0033] The average thickness of the cover portions 112 and 113 can represent the size in the first direction, and can be the average value of the size of the cover portions 112 and 113 in the first direction measured at five equally spaced points on the upper or lower part of the volume forming portion Ac.

[0034] Margin portions 114 and 115 can be arranged on the sides of the capacitance forming portion Ac. That is, in the main body 110, the regions located on both sides in the third direction of the capacitance forming portion Ac, which is the region where the internal electrodes 121 and 122 overlap in the first direction, can be designated as margin portions 114 and 115. In this case, the margin portions 114 and 115 can be divided into a first margin portion 114 located on one side in the third direction of the capacitance forming portion Ac and a second margin portion 115 located in the opposite direction to the one side in the third direction of the capacitance forming portion Ac.

[0035] As shown in Figure 4, the margin portions 114 and 115 can refer to the regions between the interface between both ends of the first and second internal electrodes 121 and 122 and the body 110 in a cross-section obtained by cutting the body 110 in the width-thickness (WT) direction.

[0036] The margins 114 and 115 can essentially serve to prevent damage to the internal electrodes due to physical or chemical stress.

[0037] The margin portions 114 and 115 can be formed by applying conductive paste to the ceramic green sheet, except where the margin portions are formed, to form internal electrodes.

[0038] Furthermore, in order to suppress the step caused by the internal electrodes 121 and 122, after lamination, the internal electrodes can be cut so that they are exposed on the fifth and sixth surfaces 5 and 6 of the main body, and then a single dielectric layer or two or more dielectric layers can be laminated on both sides of the capacitance forming portion Ac in the third direction (width direction) to form margin portions 114 and 115.

[0039] On the other hand, the width of the margin portions 114 and 115 does not need to be particularly limited. However, in order to more easily achieve miniaturization and high capacitance of the multilayer electronic component, the average width of the margin portions 114 and 115 can be 15 μm or less.

[0040] The average width of the margin portions 114 and 115 can represent the average size of the margin portions 114 and 115 in the third direction, and can be the average value of the size of the margin portions 114 and 115 in the third direction measured at five equally spaced points on the side surface of the volume forming portion Ac.

[0041] The internal electrodes 121 and 122 can be arranged alternately with respect to the dielectric layer 111 in a first direction, and can be divided into a first internal electrode 121 and a second internal electrode 122.

[0042] The first and second internal electrodes 121 and 122 are arranged alternately so as to face each other across the dielectric layer 111 that constitutes the main body 110, and can be connected to the third and fourth surfaces 3 and 4 of the main body 110, respectively. Specifically, one end of the first internal electrode 121 can be connected to the third surface, and one end of the second internal electrode 122 can be connected to the fourth surface.

[0043] The first internal electrode 121 is separated from the fourth surface 4 and exposed via the third surface 3, and the second internal electrode 122 can be separated from the third surface 3 and exposed via the fourth surface 4. The first external electrode 130 can be placed on the third surface 3 of the main body and connected to the first internal electrode 121, and the second external electrode 140 can be placed on the fourth surface 4 of the main body and connected to the second internal electrode 122.

[0044] In other words, the first internal electrode 121 is not connected to the second external electrode 140 but is connected to the first external electrode 130, and the second internal electrode 122 is not connected to the first external electrode 130 but is connected to the second external electrode 140. Therefore, the first internal electrode 121 can be formed at a certain distance apart on the fourth surface 4, and the second internal electrode 122 can be formed at a certain distance apart on the third surface 3. In this case, the first and second internal electrodes 121 and 122 can be electrically isolated from each other by a dielectric layer 111 placed in between.

[0045] The main body 110 can be formed by alternately stacking ceramic green sheets printed with the first internal electrode 121 and ceramic green sheets printed with the second internal electrode 122, and then firing them.

[0046] The materials used to form the internal electrodes 121 and 122 are not particularly limited, and the internal electrodes 121 and 122 may include conductive metallic elements. For example, the internal electrodes 121 and 122 may include one or more of the following: nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), palladium (Pd), silver (Ag), gold (Au), platinum (Pt), tin (Sn), tungsten (W), titanium (Ti), and alloys thereof.

[0047] Furthermore, the internal electrodes 121 and 122 can be formed by printing a conductive paste for internal electrodes containing one or more of the following materials onto a ceramic green sheet: nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), palladium (Pd), silver (Ag), gold (Au), platinum (Pt), tin (Sn), tungsten (W), titanium (Ti), and alloys thereof. While screen printing and gravure printing can be used as printing methods for the conductive paste for internal electrodes, the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0048] Furthermore, the average thickness te of the internal electrodes 121 and 122 does not need to be particularly limited. For example, in small and high-capacitance multilayer electronic components, the average thickness te of the internal electrodes 121 and 122 can be 0.35 μm or less, while in multilayer electronic components used at high voltage and high temperature, the average thickness te of the internal electrodes 121 and 122 can be 2 μm or more.

[0049] The average thickness te of the internal electrodes 121 and 122 can be said to mean the average thickness te of the internal electrodes 121 and 122.

[0050] The average thickness te of the internal electrodes 121 and 122 can be measured by scanning an image of the cross-section of the main body 110 in the length and thickness direction (LT) using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) at 10,000x magnification. More specifically, the thickness of one internal electrode can be measured at 30 equally spaced points in the length direction from the scanned image, and the average value can be calculated. These 30 equally spaced points can be specified in the capacitance forming section Ac. Furthermore, by extending this average value measurement to 10 internal electrodes and measuring the average value, the average thickness of the internal electrodes can be further generalized.

[0051] External electrodes 130 and 140 can be arranged on the third surface 3 and fourth surface 4 of the main body 110. The external electrodes 130 and 140 may include first and second external electrodes 130 and 140, respectively, which are arranged on the third and fourth surfaces 3 and 4 of the main body 110 and connected to first and second internal electrodes 121 and 122, respectively.

[0052] In this embodiment, a structure is described in which the stacked electronic component 100 has two external electrodes 130 and 140. However, the number and shape of the external electrodes 130 and 140 can be changed depending on the form of the internal electrodes 121 and 122 or other purposes.

[0053] On the other hand, the external electrodes 130 and 140 can be formed using any material that has electrical conductivity, such as metal, and the specific material can be determined by considering electrical properties, structural stability, etc. Furthermore, they can have a multilayer structure.

[0054] For example, the external electrodes 130 and 140 may include electrode layers 131 and 141 placed on the main body 110 and plating layers 132 and 142 formed on the electrode layers.

[0055] More specific examples of electrode layers 131 and 141 include the fact that the electrode layers can be fired electrodes containing conductive metal and glass, or resin-based electrodes containing conductive metal and resin.

[0056] Furthermore, the electrode layers 131 and 141 can be configured such that a fired electrode and a resin-based electrode are sequentially formed on the main body. Additionally, the electrode layers can be formed by transferring a sheet containing a conductive metal onto the main body, or by transferring a sheet containing a conductive metal onto a fired electrode.

[0057] The conductive metal included in the electrode layer can be any material with excellent electrical conductivity, and is not particularly limited. For example, the conductive metal can be one or more of nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), and their alloys.

[0058] The plating layers 132 and 142 play a role in improving mounting characteristics. The type of plating layer is not particularly limited and can be a plating layer containing one or more of Ni, Sn, Pd, and their alloys, and can be formed from multiple layers.

[0059] To give a more specific example for the plating layers 132 and 142, the plating layer can be a Ni plating layer or a Sn plating layer, and can be in a form in which a Ni plating layer and a Sn plating layer are sequentially formed on the electrode layer, or can be in a form in which a Sn plating layer, a Ni plating layer and a Sn plating layer are sequentially formed. In addition, the plating layer can also include multiple Ni plating layers and / or multiple Sn plating layers.

[0060] There is no particular limit to the size of the stacked electronic component 100.

[0061] However, in order to achieve both miniaturization and high capacitance simultaneously, the thickness of the dielectric layer and internal electrodes must be reduced and the number of layers increased. Therefore, the reliability improvement effect according to the present invention can be more pronounced in stacked electronic components 100 having a size of 0603 (length × width, 0.6 mm × 0.3 mm) or less.

[0062] Here, the length of the stacked electronic component 100 can mean the maximum size of the stacked electronic component 100 in the second direction, and the width of the stacked electronic component 100 can mean the maximum size of the stacked electronic component 100 in the third direction.

[0063] Referring to Figure 3, during the firing process of the main body, non-uniform stress is applied to the volume-forming portion Ac, margin portions 114 and 115, and cover portions 112 and 113, which can result in a deepening of the deformation of the main body shape. Specifically, the non-uniform stress generated during the firing and cooling process (in the direction of the arrows in Figure 3) can deepen the phenomenon of convexity in the cover portions 112 and 113 and concaveness in the margin portions 114 and 115. Such deepened deformation of the cover portions 112 and 113 and margin portions 114 and 115 can cause cracks C to form in the region VA where the cover portions 112 and 113 and margin portions 114 and 115 are in contact, which may result in defects in the multilayer electronic component.

[0064] On the other hand, referring to Figure 4, the body 110 of the stacked electronic component 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention may include dummy electrodes 123 and 124 that are spaced apart in a third direction from the internal electrodes 121 and 122. By arranging the dummy electrodes 123 and 124 apart in a third direction from the internal electrodes 121 and 122, the fractional difference between the electrodes included in the capacitance forming portion Ac and the margin portions 114 and 115 can be reduced, delaying the shrinkage of the margin portions 114 and 115 during firing and compensating a certain portion of the shrinkage stress acting on the margin portions 114 and 115. In this way, when the shrinkage stress acting on the margin portions 114 and 115 is compensated a certain portion, the deformation of the margin portions 114 and 115 can be reduced, and the phenomenon of cracks occurring in the region where the cover portions 112 and 113 and the margin portions 114 and 115 are in contact can be mitigated.

[0065] On the other hand, if the proportion of dummy electrodes 123 and 124 included in the margin portions 114 and 115 is excessive, the contraction delay of the dummy electrodes 123 and 124 may be excessive, or the margin portions 114 and 115 may expand. Therefore, it is necessary to appropriately adjust the proportion of dummy electrodes 123 and 124 that occupy the margin portions 114 and 115.

[0066] Referring to Figure 4, the distance in the first direction from the internal electrode located at the top in the first direction to the internal electrode located at the bottom in the first direction can be represented by A, and the distance in the first direction from the dummy electrode located at the top in the first direction to the dummy electrode located at the bottom in the first direction can be represented by a. In this case, if a / A is less than 0.30, the shrinkage delay effect of the dummy electrodes 123 and 124 may be insufficient in the margin portions 114 and 115, and the shrinkage stress acting on the margin portions 114 and 115 may not be adequately compensated. If a / A exceeds 0.80, the shrinkage delay of the dummy electrodes 123 and 124 may be excessive, or the margin portions 114 and 115 may expand.

[0067] Therefore, in one embodiment of the present invention, when A is the distance in the first direction from the internal electrode located at the uppermost end in the first direction to the internal electrode located at the lowermost end in the first direction, and a is the distance in the first direction from the dummy electrode located at the uppermost end in the first direction to the dummy electrode located at the lowermost end in the first direction, the contraction behavior of the margin portions 114 and 115 by the dummy electrodes 123 and 124 can be appropriately adjusted by adjusting a / A to satisfy 0.30 or more and 0.80 or less, thereby mitigating the phenomenon of cracks occurring at the boundary between the cover portions 112 and 113 and the margin portions 114 and 115 of the stacked electronic component 100.

[0068] The method for measuring the distance A in the first direction to the internal electrode located at the lowest end in the first direction, and the distance a in the first direction from the dummy electrode located at the highest end in the first direction to the dummy electrode located at the lowest end in the first direction, is not particularly limited.

[0069] For example, the distance A in the first direction from the internal electrode located at the uppermost end in the first direction to the internal electrode located at the lowermost end in the first direction can be measured by taking the average value of the distance in the first direction measured in five regions excluding the end regions of the third direction, using an optical microscope (OM) or scanning electron microscope (SEM), in the first and third direction cross-sections of the stacked electronic component 100 polished up to the center of the second direction.

[0070] Furthermore, the distance a in the first direction from the dummy electrode positioned at the topmost end in the first direction to the dummy electrode positioned at the bottommost end in the first direction can be measured by taking the average value of the distance in the first direction measured in two regions excluding the end regions of the third direction, using an optical microscope (OM) or scanning electron microscope (SEM), in the cross-sections of the stacked electronic component 100 in the first and third directions, which have been polished up to the center in the second direction.

[0071] Referring to Figure 4, the minimum size of the margin portions 114 and 115 in the third direction is denoted as B, and the maximum size of the dummy electrodes 123 and 124 in the third direction is denoted as b. In this case, the separation distance between the dummy electrodes 123 and 124 and the internal electrodes 121 and 122 can be expressed as (Bb).

[0072] If (Bb) / B is less than 0.03, the internal electrodes 121, 122 and the dummy electrodes 123, 124 may come into contact due to expansion during their formation. If (Bb) / B exceeds 0.60, the dummy electrodes 123, 124 may not be effective enough to delay the contraction of the margin portions 114, 115.

[0073] Therefore, in one embodiment, by adjusting (Bb) / B to satisfy 0.03 or more and 0.60 or less, the contraction behavior of the margin portions 114 and 115 can be appropriately adjusted while preventing the phenomenon of the internal electrodes 121 and 122 and the dummy electrodes 123 and 124 becoming connected.

[0074] The method for measuring the minimum size B of the margin portions 114 and 115 in the third direction, and the maximum size b of the dummy electrodes 123 and 124 in the third direction is not particularly limited.

[0075] For example, the minimum size B of the margin portions 114 and 115 in the third direction can be measured by taking the minimum value of the distance in the third direction from the outer surface of the margin portion to one end of the internal electrode in the capacitance forming portion in the first and third directions, measured using an optical microscope (OM) or scanning electron microscope (SEM) in a cross-section of the stacked electronic component 100 polished to the center of the second direction. The maximum size b of the dummy electrodes 123 and 124 in the third direction can be measured by taking the maximum value of the size in the third direction from one end to the other end of the dummy electrodes 123 and 124 in the third direction, measured using an optical microscope (OM) or scanning electron microscope (SEM) in a cross-section of the stacked electronic component 100 polished to the center of the second direction.

[0076] The composition of the dummy electrodes 123 and 124 is not particularly limited. However, in order to easily control the degree of shrinkage of the margin portions 114 and 115 and the capacitance forming portion Ac, the dummy electrodes 123 and 124 may contain one or more of the same conductive metal elements as those contained in the internal electrodes 121 and 122.

[0077] In one embodiment, the dummy electrodes 123 and 124 can be positioned at a distance from the external electrodes 130 and 140. This prevents the first external electrode 130 and the second external electrode 140 from becoming connected.

[0078] In one embodiment, the dummy electrodes 123 and 124 can come into contact with the fifth surface 5 and the sixth surface 6 of the main body 110, which are surfaces facing the third direction. Specifically, the first dummy electrode 123 can come into contact with the fifth surface 5, and the second dummy electrode 124 can come into contact with the sixth surface 6. This allows the heat generated during the operation of the multilayer electronic component 100 to be effectively dissipated to the outside of the multilayer electronic component 100.

[0079] In one embodiment, dummy electrodes 123 and 124 can be arranged in margin portions 114 and 115. In this case, the dummy electrode arranged in the first margin portion 114 can be classified as the first dummy electrode 123, and the dummy electrode arranged in the second margin portion 115 can be classified as the second dummy electrode 124.

[0080] The arrangement of the first dummy electrodes 123, 124 and the second dummy electrode 124 can be symmetrical with respect to a straight line passing through the center of the capacitance forming section in the first direction, as shown in Figure 4, but is not limited to this.

[0081] Specifically, referring to Figure 5, the main body 110-1 according to one embodiment may include a first dummy electrode 123-1 and a second dummy electrode 124-1, the first dummy electrode 123-1 may be positioned so as to be biased to one side in the first direction, and the second dummy electrode 124-1 may be positioned so as to be biased in the direction opposite to the one side in the first direction.

[0082] Referring to Figure 5, the smaller of the distances between the first dummy electrode 123-1 and the end of the capacitance forming portion Ac in the first direction can be represented as D1, and the smaller of the distances between the second dummy electrode 124-1 and the end of the capacitance forming portion Ac in the first direction can be represented as D2. In this case, D1 and D2 can have substantially the same value. As a result, the upper and lower surfaces of the stacked electronic component 100 are eliminated, and mounting flexibility is ensured.

[0083] Referring to Figure 6, the main body 110-2 according to one embodiment may include a first dummy electrode 123-2 and a second dummy electrode 124-2, and the first dummy electrode 123-2 and the second dummy electrode 124-2 may be arranged so as to be biased to one side in the first direction.

[0084] The meaning that the first dummy electrode 123-2 and the second dummy electrode 124-2 are positioned so as to be biased to one side in the first direction can be interpreted as meaning that the first dummy electrode 123-2 and the second dummy electrode 124-2 are positioned closer to either the first surface 1 or the second surface 2 of the main body 110.

[0085] As in one embodiment, when the first dummy electrode 123-2 and the second dummy electrode 124-2 are arranged so as to be biased to one side in the first direction, the phenomenon of the mounting surface of the first surface 1 and second surface 2 of the main body 110 becoming convex can be concentratedly mitigated, thereby improving the mounting stability of the stacked electronic component 100.

[0086] Referring to Figure 7, the main body 110-3 according to one embodiment may include a first dummy electrode 123-3 and a second dummy electrode 124-3, and the width of the dummy electrodes 123-3 and 124-3 in the third direction may have its maximum value at the center of the region where the dummy electrodes are arranged in the first direction. This allows for the placement of a dummy electrode with a relatively large width in the third direction at the center of the margin portions 114 and 115 in the first direction where the degree of shrinkage is greatest during firing, and the placement of dummy electrodes whose width in the third direction decreases as they move from the center of the margin portions 114 and 115 in the first direction to both sides, thereby minimizing the specific gravity occupied by the dummy electrodes 123-3 and 124-3 within the margin portions 114 and 115 while sufficiently controlling the shrinkage of the margin portions 114 and 115.

[0087] Referring to Figure 8, the surface of the main body 110' can include a convex portion VS that protrudes outward in the first direction and a concave portion CS that is recessed inward in the third direction of the main body. As described above, the concave portion CS that is recessed inward in the third direction of the main body can form the surface of the margin portions 123 and 124 and can have a shape opposite to that of the convex portion VS formed on the surface of the cover portions 112 and 113.

[0088] On the other hand, as in one embodiment, when a / A is adjusted to satisfy 0.30 or more and 0.80 or less, the formation of the recess CS and the protrusion VS can be mitigated. Specifically, when the maximum width of the main body 110' in the third direction is Wmax and the minimum width of the main body 110' in the third direction is Wmin, (Wmax-Wmin) / (Wmax) can be 0.028 or less. This minimizes the extent to which the main body 110' forms the recess CS and the protrusion VS.

[0089] The method for forming the dummy electrodes 123, 123-1, 123-2, 123-3, 124, 124-1, 124-2, and 124-3 according to various embodiments of the present invention is not particularly limited. For example, referring to Figure 9, the dummy electrodes 123 and 124 can be formed by placing a dielectric layer 111 on which a separate pattern for the dummy electrodes 123 and 124 is printed between dielectric layers 111 on which the internal electrodes 121 and 122 are formed, and then pressing and firing them. By adjusting the thickness of the dielectric layer 111 on which the pattern for the dummy electrodes 123 and 124 is printed and the frequency at which it is placed between the dielectric layer 111 on which the internal electrodes 121 and 122 are formed, the dummy electrodes 123, 123-1, 123-2, 123-3, 124, 124-1, 124-2, and 124-3 according to various embodiments of the present invention can be formed.

[0090] On the other hand, dummy electrodes 123, 123-1, 123-2, 123-3, 124, 124-1, 124-2, and 124-3 according to various embodiments of the present invention can be formed by printing a conductive paste onto a ceramic green sheet, and the printing method can be, but is not limited to, screen printing or gravure printing.

[0091] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, the present invention is not limited by the embodiments described above and the accompanying drawings, but is limited by the claims provided. Therefore, within the scope of the technical idea of ​​the present invention as described in the claims, various forms of substitution, modification, and alteration are possible by persons with ordinary skill in the art, and these also fall within the scope of the present invention.

[0092] Furthermore, the expression "one embodiment" as used in this disclosure does not mean that each embodiment is identical to the others, but is provided to highlight and describe the unique and distinct features of each embodiment. However, the present embodiments are not excluded from being realized in combination with features of other embodiments. For example, even if a matter described in one embodiment is not described in another embodiment, it can be understood as a description related to the other embodiment, unless there is a description in the other embodiment that contradicts or is inconsistent with that matter.

[0093] The terms used in this disclosure are used solely to describe one embodiment and are not intended to limit the disclosure. Where otherwise, singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0094] 100 Stacked Electronic Components 110 Main Unit 111 Dielectric layer 121, 122 Internal electrode 130, 140 external electrode 112, 113 Cover section 114, 115 Margin section

Claims

1. A body including a dielectric layer and internal electrodes arranged alternately with the dielectric layer in a first direction, The body includes an external electrode disposed on a surface facing a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, The main body includes a dummy electrode that is spaced apart from the internal electrode in a third direction which is perpendicular to the first and second directions. When A is the distance in the first direction from the uppermost internal electrode to the lowermost internal electrode in the first direction, and a is the distance in the first direction from the uppermost dummy electrode to the lowermost dummy electrode in the first direction, a / A is a multilayer electronic component that satisfies the conditions of 0.30 or more and 0.80 or less.

2. The stacked electronic component according to claim 1, wherein the internal electrode and the dummy electrode are arranged to be offset in the second or third direction.

3. The stacked electronic component according to claim 1, wherein the internal electrode and the dummy electrode do not overlap in the second or third direction.

4. When the minimum size of the margin portion in the third direction is B, and the maximum size of the dummy electrode in the third direction is b, The stacked electronic component according to claim 1, wherein (B-b) / B is 0.03 or more and 0.60 or less.

5. The internal electrode contains a conductive metal element, The stacked electronic component according to claim 1, wherein the dummy electrode contains one or more of the same elements as the conductive metal elements contained in the internal electrode.

6. The stacked electronic component according to claim 1, wherein the dummy electrode is arranged at a distance from the external electrode.

7. The stacked electronic component according to claim 1, wherein the dummy electrode is in contact with the surface of the main body facing the third direction.

8. In the main body, when the region where the internal electrodes overlap in the first direction is defined as the capacitance forming portion, and the regions located on both sides of the capacitance forming portion in the third direction are defined as the first margin portion and the second margin portion, The stacked electronic component according to claim 1, wherein the dummy electrode includes a first dummy electrode disposed in the first margin portion and a second dummy electrode disposed in the second margin portion.

9. The stacked electronic component according to claim 8, wherein the first dummy electrode and the second dummy electrode are arranged so as to be biased to one side in the first direction.

10. The stacked electronic component according to claim 8, wherein the first dummy electrode is positioned so as to be biased to one side in the first direction, and the second dummy electrode is positioned so as to be biased in the direction opposite to the one side in the first direction.

11. The stacked electronic component according to claim 1, wherein the width of the dummy electrode in the third direction has its maximum value at the center in the first direction of the region where the dummy electrode is arranged.

12. When the maximum width of the main body in the third direction is Wmax and the minimum width of the main body in the third direction is Wmin, The stacked electronic component according to claim 1, wherein (Wmax - Wmin) / Wmax is 0.028 or less.

13. The stacked electronic component according to claim 1, wherein the surface of the main body includes a convex portion that protrudes outward in the first direction and a concave portion that is recessed inward in the third direction of the main body.

Images