Multilayer Electronic Components

Abstract

To provide a multilayer electronic component which reduces an imbalance in current density between internal electrodes disposed at different distances from a mounting board.SOLUTION: A multilayer electronic component according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: a body including a dielectric layer and a plurality of internal electrodes laminated with the dielectric layer interposed therebetween; and an external electrode disposed on the body and connected to the plurality of internal electrodes. The plurality of internal electrodes include two or more internal electrodes having different thicknesses. The thickest internal electrode and the thinnest internal electrode among the plurality of internal electrodes are disposed on first and second outermost sides opposing each other in a lamination direction of the plurality of internal electrodes. Each internal electrode disposed between the thickest internal electrode and the thinnest internal electrode may have a thickness same as or greater than a thickness of an internal electrode that is adjacent in a direction of the second outermost side.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

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

[0002] Multi-Layered Ceramic Capacitor (MLCC), one of the multi-layered electronic components, 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 having high capacitance, and being easy to mount, and can be used as components of various electronic devices. Recently, with the miniaturization of electronic device components, there has been an increasing demand for miniaturized and high-capacity multilayer ceramic capacitors.

[0004] Meanwhile, as a high-capacity multilayer ceramic capacitor is developed by increasing the number of layers of the internal electrodes, there is a problem in that imbalance in current density between layers of the internal electrodes arranged in the capacitor increases.

[0005] In other words, as the variation in the electrical path increases according to the distance between the mounting board and the internal electrodes, an imbalance in current density occurs where current is concentrated in the internal electrodes arranged close to the mounting board, which can ultimately be a factor in reducing the reliability of multilayer ceramic capacitor products.

[0006] This has led to technical demands for smaller size and higher capacity of multilayer ceramic capacitors, as well as a need for technology to reduce imbalances in current density that occur between internal electrodes at different distances from the mounting substrate. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2011-0068232 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0008] One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a multilayer electronic component that reduces imbalance in current density between internal electrodes that are spaced apart from a mounting substrate by different distances.

[0009] However, the object of the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned contents, and can be more easily understood in the process of describing specific embodiments of the present invention. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] According to an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a multilayer electronic component comprising: a body including a dielectric layer and a plurality of internal electrodes stacked with the dielectric layer sandwiched therebetween; and an external electrode disposed on the body and connected to the plurality of internal electrodes, the plurality of internal electrodes including two or more internal electrodes having different thicknesses, a thickest internal electrode and a thinnest internal electrode among the plurality of internal electrodes being disposed at first and second outermost positions facing each other in a stacking direction of the plurality of internal electrodes, respectively, and each internal electrode disposed therebetween may have a thickness equal to or greater than that of an internal electrode adjacent thereto in the second outermost position. Effect of the Invention

[0011] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the thicknesses of the internal electrodes arranged at different heights are made different to adjust the resistance and parasitic inductance, thereby reducing imbalance in current density due to variations in the electrical path between the internal electrodes.

[0012] However, the various and beneficial advantages and effects 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]

[0013] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic perspective view of a multilayer electronic component according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] 2A to 2C are plan views showing first and second internal electrodes included in the multilayer electronic component of FIG. 1. [Diagram 3] 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II' in FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a first modified example of the embodiment in FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a second modified example of the embodiment in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0014] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the embodiments of the present invention can be modified into various 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 having average knowledge 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.

[0015] In addition, in the drawings, in order to clearly explain the present invention, parts that are not relevant to the description are omitted, thicknesses are enlarged to clearly express multiple layers and regions, and components having the same function within the same concept are 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.

[0016] In order to clearly explain the embodiments of the present invention, directions are defined as follows: X, Y, and Z shown in the drawings respectively indicate the length direction, width direction, and thickness direction of the multilayer electronic component.

[0017] In this specification, the length direction may be the X direction or the first direction, the width direction may be the Y direction or the second direction, and the thickness direction may be the Z direction or the third direction or the stacking direction, all of which may be used with the same concept.

[0018] 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 plan view showing first and second internal electrodes included in the multilayer electronic component of FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II' in FIG. 1.

[0019] First, a multilayer electronic component according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0020] A multilayer electronic component 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a body 110 including a dielectric layer 111 and a plurality of internal electrodes 121, 122 stacked with the dielectric layer 111 sandwiched therebetween, and external electrodes 131, 132 arranged on the body 110 and connected to the plurality of internal electrodes 121, 122.

[0021] The body 110 is formed by alternately laminating dielectric layers 111 and internal electrodes 121 and 122 .

[0022] The shape of the body 110 is not particularly limited, but may be a hexahedron as shown in the figure or a similar shape. During the firing process, the body 110 may have a substantially hexahedral shape, but not a perfect rectangular parallelepiped shape, due to shrinkage of the ceramic powder contained in the body 110.

[0023] The main body 110 may have first and second surfaces (1, 2) facing each other in the thickness direction (Z direction), third and fourth surfaces (3, 4) connected to the first and second surfaces (1, 2) and facing each other in the width direction (Y direction), and fifth and sixth surfaces (5, 6) connected to the first to fourth surfaces (1, 2, 3, 4) and facing each other in the length direction (X direction).

[0024] The multiple 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).

[0025] There are no particular limitations on the raw material for forming the dielectric layer 111 as long as 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.

[0026] In addition, the material forming the dielectric layer 111 may be a powder such as barium titanate (BaTiO3) to which various ceramic additives, organic solvents, plasticizers, binders, dispersants, etc. have been added depending on the purpose of the present invention.

[0027] The main body 110 may include a capacitance forming portion in which a plurality of internal electrodes 121, 122 are formed, and upper and lower cover portions 112, 113 respectively arranged on both ends of the capacitance forming portion in the stacking direction (Z direction) of the plurality of internal electrodes 121, 122.

[0028] The capacitance forming portion is a portion that contributes to forming the capacitance of the capacitor, and may be formed by repeatedly laminating a plurality of internal electrodes 121, 122 with a dielectric layer 111 sandwiched therebetween.

[0029] 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 in the thickness direction on the upper and lower parts of the capacitance forming part, respectively, and may basically serve to prevent damage to the internal electrodes due to physical or chemical stress.

[0030] The upper cover part 112 and the lower cover part 113 may not include an internal electrode and may include the same material as the dielectric layer 111. 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.

[0031] The plurality of internal electrodes 121, 122 are alternately stacked with the dielectric layers 111. First and second external electrodes 131, 132 are formed on both end surfaces in a first direction (X direction) of the body 110, and the plurality of internal electrodes 121, 122 may include first and second internal electrodes 121, 122 connected to the first and second external electrodes 131, 132, respectively.

[0032] The first and second internal electrodes 121, 122 are alternately arranged to face each other with the dielectric layer 111 constituting the body 110 sandwiched therebetween, and may be exposed to the third and fourth surfaces (3, 4) of the body 110, respectively.

[0033] 1 to 3, the first and second internal electrodes 121, 122 may be exposed to the third and fourth surfaces (3, 4) of the body 110, respectively. More specifically, the first internal electrode 121 may be spaced apart from the fourth surface (4) and exposed to the third surface (3), and the second internal electrode 122 may be spaced apart from the third surface (3) and exposed to the fourth surface (4).

[0034] A first external electrode 131 may be arranged on a third surface (3) of the body 110 and connected to the first internal electrode 121, and a second external electrode 132 may be arranged on a fourth surface (4) of the body and connected to the second internal electrode 122.

[0035] In this case, the first external electrode 131 and the second internal electrode 122, and the second external electrode 132 and the first internal electrode 121 are disposed to be spaced apart from each other in the first direction (X direction), and the shortest distance between them may be the same.

[0036] Referring to FIG. 2, the body 110 may be formed by alternately stacking dielectric layers 111 on which the first internal electrodes 121 are printed and dielectric layers 111 on which the second internal electrodes 122 are printed in the thickness direction (Z direction) and then firing the laminate.

[0037] 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.

[0038] Furthermore, the material for forming the first and second internal electrodes 121, 122 is not particularly limited, and may be formed using a conductive paste made of one or more of precious metal materials, nickel (Ni), and copper (Cu).

[0039] The conductive paste may be printed by a screen printing method, a gravure printing method, or the like, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0040] The outer electrodes 131 and 132 are disposed on the body 110 and are connected to the inner electrodes 121 and 122 .

[0041] As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the external electrodes 131, 132 may include first and second external electrodes 131, 132 arranged on the third and fourth surfaces (3, 4) of the body 110, respectively, and connected to the first and second internal electrodes 121, 122, respectively.

[0042] In this embodiment, the multilayer electronic component 100 has a structure having two external electrodes 131, 132, but the number and shapes of the external electrodes 131, 132 can be changed depending on the shape of the internal electrodes 121, 122 and other purposes.

[0043] Meanwhile, the external electrodes 131 and 132 may be formed using various materials having electrical conductivity, such as metal, and a specific material may be determined in consideration of electrical characteristics, structural stability, and the like.

[0044] For example, the external electrodes 131, 132 may be fired electrodes containing a conductive metal and glass, or resin-based electrodes containing a conductive metal and resin.

[0045] Furthermore, the external electrodes 131, 132 may be in a form in which a fired electrode and a resin-based electrode are sequentially formed on the main body 110. Furthermore, the external electrodes 131, 132 may be formed by a method of transferring a sheet containing a conductive metal onto the main body 110, or by a method of transferring a sheet containing a conductive metal onto a fired electrode.

[0046] There are no particular limitations on the conductive metal contained in the external electrodes 131 and 132, and any material having excellent electrical conductivity can be used. For example, the conductive metal may be one or more of nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), and alloys thereof.

[0047] Meanwhile, the first and second external electrodes 131 and 132 may further include a plating layer. The plating layer may include first and second nickel (Ni) plating layers and first and second tin (Sn) plating layers covering the first and second nickel plating layers, respectively.

[0048] Referring to FIG. 3, a multilayer electronic component 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes two or more internal electrodes 121, 122 having different thicknesses.

[0049] As used herein, "thickness" may refer to the thickness of a component measured in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the component, and the thickness of an internal electrode may refer to the average thickness.

[0050] Specifically, the "average thickness" may refer to the arithmetic mean of thicknesses measured at points equally spaced apart in a region in which each internal electrode is disposed, on a cut surface passing through the center of the multilayer electronic component and cut in a direction perpendicular to the Z-axis.

[0051] According to this embodiment, the thickest and thinnest internal electrodes of the plurality of internal electrodes 121, 122 are disposed on first and second outermost sides 120-1, 120-2, respectively, facing each other in the stacking direction (Z direction) of the plurality of internal electrodes 121, 122. The internal electrodes disposed therebetween have a thickness equal to or greater than that of the internal electrodes adjacent thereto in the direction of the second outermost side 120-2.

[0052] 3, the internal electrode having the thickest average thickness among the multiple internal electrodes 121, 122 arranged in the main body 110 is arranged on a first outermost side 120-1 of the main body 110. Here, the first outermost side 120-1 means one of the two internal electrodes arranged on the outermost side in the stacking direction (Z direction) among the multiple internal electrodes 121, 122.

[0053] Therefore, the first outermost portion 120-1 may correspond to the internal electrode closest to the first surface (1) of the body 110, or may correspond to the internal electrode closest to the second surface (2) of the body 110.

[0054] Similarly, the internal electrode having the thinnest average thickness among the multiple internal electrodes 121, 122 arranged in the main body 110 is arranged on the second outermost side 120-2 of the main body 110. Here, the second outermost side 120-2 means one of the two internal electrodes arranged on the outermost sides in the stacking direction (Z direction) among the multiple internal electrodes 121, 122, excluding the first outermost side 120-1.

[0055] Therefore, the second outermost portion 120-2 may correspond to the internal electrode closest to the first surface (1) of the body 110, or may correspond to the internal electrode closest to the second surface (2) of the body 110.

[0056] As an example, when the first outermost side 120-1 on which the thickest internal electrode is arranged is disposed adjacent to the second surface (2) of the body 110, the second outermost side 120-2 on which the thinnest internal electrode is arranged is disposed adjacent to the first surface (1) of the body 110. In this case, when the multilayer electronic component 100 is mounted on a printed circuit board, the second outermost side 120-2 becomes the internal electrode closest to the mounting surface.

[0057] Conversely, when the first outermost side 120-1 on which the thickest internal electrode is arranged is disposed adjacent to the first surface (1) of the body 110, the second outermost side 120-2 on which the thinnest internal electrode is arranged is disposed adjacent to the second surface (2) of the body 110. In this case, when the multilayer electronic component 100 is mounted on a printed circuit board, the first outermost side 120-1 becomes the internal electrode closest to the mounting surface.

[0058] Referring to FIG. 3, a plurality of internal electrodes 121 and 122 according to an embodiment of the present invention may be arranged such that their average thickness gradually decreases from a first outermost portion 120-1 to a second outermost portion 120-2.

[0059] In this case, the distance between the internal electrodes 121, 122 in the stacking direction (Z direction) may be constant.

[0060] In this manner, the internal electrodes 121, 122 are arranged such that the average thickness thereof gradually decreases in one direction, so that the resistance R and the parasitic inductance L between the internal electrodes 121, 122 can be made different.

[0061] More specifically, according to the conventional state of the art in the technical field to which the present invention pertains, as the thickness of a conductor increases, its resistance and parasitic inductance decrease, and as the thickness of a conductor decreases, its resistance and parasitic inductance increase.

[0062] In this case, if the internal electrodes 121, 122 are arranged such that their average thickness gradually decreases from the first outermost 120-1 to the second outermost 120-2, the internal electrodes 121, 122 tend to have an increased resistance and parasitic inductance from the first outermost 120-1 to the second outermost 120-2.

[0063] Meanwhile, the thickness of each of the plurality of internal electrodes 121, 122 may vary, and for example, when the thickness of the internal electrode disposed at the first outermost portion 120-1 among the plurality of internal electrodes 121, 122 is defined as t1 and the thickness of the internal electrode disposed at the second outermost portion 120-2 is defined as t2, t1≦2t2 may be satisfied. In this case, the thicknesses t1 and t2 may mean average thicknesses.

[0064] If the difference in average thickness between the internal electrodes disposed in the first and second outermost layers 120-1, 120-2 exceeds two times, the thickness of the internal electrodes disposed in the first outermost layer 120-1 may be formed too thick, which may not be suitable for miniaturization and high capacity of the multilayer electronic component 100. Alternatively, the thickness of the internal electrodes disposed in the second outermost layer 120-2 may be formed too thin, which may reduce the connectivity of the electrodes.

[0065] In this specification, when the distance that a current travels from the mounting surface of the printed circuit board to the internal electrode is assumed to be the electrical path of each internal electrode, the internal electrode closest to the mounting surface among the multiple internal electrodes 121, 122 has the shortest electrical path, and the internal electrode farthest from the mounting surface has the longest electrical path.

[0066] Meanwhile, according to the conventional state of the art in the technical field to which the present invention pertains, as the length of a conductor increases, its resistance and parasitic inductance increase, and as the length of a conductor decreases, its resistance and parasitic inductance decrease, i.e., the longer the electrical path, the greater the resistance and parasitic inductance due to the electrical path, and the shorter the electrical path, the smaller the resistance and parasitic inductance due to the electrical path.

[0067] Therefore, the closer an internal electrode is to the mounting surface among the multiple internal electrodes 121, 122, the smaller the resistance and parasitic inductance will be, and the farther it is from the mounting surface, the greater the resistance and parasitic inductance due to the electrical path will be.

[0068] In this way, variations in resistance and parasitic inductance due to differences in electrical paths may occur between the multiple internal electrodes 121, 122 arranged in one multilayer electronic component 100. This may cause current to concentrate in the internal electrodes close to the mounting surface, resulting in an imbalance in current density between the internal electrodes.

[0069] According to one application form of the present invention, when the second outermost layer 120-2 of the multilayer electronic component 100 is arranged on the mounting surface side of the printed circuit board, the resistance and parasitic inductance of the multiple internal electrodes 121, 122 tend to decrease as they move away from the mounting surface.

[0070] When the multilayer electronic component 100 is mounted in such a direction, the internal electrodes arranged on the second outermost layer 120-2 may have the largest resistance and parasitic inductance in the electrode thickness plane, and the smallest resistance and parasitic inductance in the electrical path plane. Also, the internal electrodes arranged on the first outermost layer 120-1 may have the smallest resistance and parasitic inductance in the electrode thickness plane, and the largest resistance and parasitic inductance in the electrical path plane. That is, the variations in resistance and parasitic inductance for each internal electrode may be offset by each other.

[0071] As a result, when the internal electrodes 121, 122 tend to be arranged so as to become gradually thicker as they are spaced further away from the mounting surface, the variation in resistance and parasitic inductance between the internal electrodes can be reduced.

[0072] This makes it possible to suppress current concentration in the internal electrodes close to the mounting surface, and to reduce imbalance in current density among the multiple internal electrodes 121, 122.

[0073] According to another application mode of the present invention, the first outermost layer 120-1 of the multilayer electronic component 100 may be disposed on the mounting surface side of the printed circuit board.

[0074] In this case, the effect of reducing the ESR (Equivalent Series Resistance) generated in the multilayer electronic component 100 can be achieved.

[0075] (Modification) 4 and 5 are cross-sectional views showing first and second modifications to the embodiment of FIG. 3, respectively.

[0076] First, referring to FIG. 4, the main body 110 may include a region C1 corresponding to the upper cover part 112 and a region C2 corresponding to the lower cover part 113 at both ends in the stacking direction (Z direction), and may include a capacitance forming part A therebetween including a plurality of internal electrodes.

[0077] The capacitance forming portion A may include a first region A1 including a first outermost portion where the thickest internal electrode is arranged, and a second region A2 including a second outermost portion where the thinnest internal electrode is arranged. That is, according to the first modification of the present invention, the capacitance forming portion A where the multiple internal electrodes are arranged may be divided into two regions.

[0078] In this case, a first internal electrode group 121a, 122a in which a plurality of internal electrodes having the same average thickness as the first outermost internal electrodes are stacked may be arranged in the first region A1, and a second internal electrode group 121b, 122b in which a plurality of internal electrodes having the same average thickness as the second outermost internal electrodes are stacked may be arranged in the second region A2.

[0079] That is, two internal electrodes having different average thicknesses may be arranged in the capacitance forming portion A, and a first internal electrode group 121a, 122a composed of relatively thick internal electrodes may be arranged in the first region A1, and a second internal electrode group 121b, 122b composed of relatively thin internal electrodes may be arranged in the second region A2.

[0080] Meanwhile, the difference in thickness between the internal electrodes included in the first and second internal electrode groups 121a, 122a, 121b, and 122b may vary, and for example, when the thickness of the first internal electrode group 121a, 122a is defined as t11 and the thickness of the internal electrodes arranged in the second internal electrode group 121b, 122b is defined as t12, t11≦2t12 may be satisfied. In this case, the thicknesses t11 and t12 may mean average thicknesses.

[0081] If the difference in average thickness of the internal electrodes included in the first and second internal electrode groups 121a, 122a, 121b, 122b exceeds two times, the thickness of the internal electrodes arranged in the first internal electrode group 121a, 122a may be formed excessively thick, which may not be suitable for miniaturization and high capacity of the multilayer electronic component 100. Alternatively, the thickness of the internal electrodes arranged in the second internal electrode group 121b, 122b may be formed excessively thin, which may reduce the connectivity of the electrodes.

[0082] According to this modification, the distance between the multiple internal electrodes arranged in the first and second regions A1, A2 in the stacking direction (Z direction) may be constant.

[0083] In this case, the first and second regions A1, A2 may have the same length in the stacking direction (Z direction) of the plurality of internal electrodes, and the number of internal electrodes included in the first region A1 may be less than the number of internal electrodes included in the second region A2.

[0084] As another example, the number of internal electrodes included in the first and second regions A1 and A2 may be the same, and in this case, the length of the first region A1 in the stacking direction may be longer than the length of the second region A2 in the stacking direction.

[0085] Referring to FIG. 5, the main body 110 may include a region C1 corresponding to the upper cover part 112 and a region C2 corresponding to the lower cover part 113 at both ends in the stacking direction (Z direction), and may include a capacitance forming part A' therebetween including a plurality of internal electrodes.

[0086] The capacitance forming portion A' includes three or more regions in which internal electrodes having different average thicknesses are arranged, and the internal electrodes included in each region of the capacitance forming portion A' can have the same thickness.

[0087] For example, as shown in Fig. 5, the capacitance forming portion A' can include three regions A3, A4, and A5. In the following description, an example in which the capacitance forming portion A' includes three regions A3, A4, and A5 will be representatively described, but such content can be similarly applied to capacitance forming portions A' including other numbers of regions.

[0088] According to this modification, the capacitance forming portion A' may include a third region A3 including a first outermost region where the thickest internal electrodes are arranged, a fifth region A5 including a second outermost region where the thinnest internal electrodes are arranged, and a fourth region A4 between which internal electrodes of intermediate thicknesses are arranged. That is, according to the second modification of the present invention, the capacitance forming portion A' in which the multiple internal electrodes are arranged may be divided into three regions.

[0089] In this case, the third region A3 may be provided with a third internal electrode group 121c, 122c in which a plurality of internal electrodes having the same average thickness as the first outermost internal electrodes are stacked. The fifth region A5 may be provided with a fifth internal electrode group 121e, 122e in which a plurality of internal electrodes having the same average thickness as the second outermost internal electrodes are stacked. The fourth region A4 may be provided with a fourth internal electrode group 121d, 122d in which a plurality of internal electrodes thinner than the first outermost internal electrodes and thicker than the second outermost internal electrodes are stacked.

[0090] That is, three internal electrodes having different average thicknesses may be arranged in the capacitance forming portion A', of which a third internal electrode group 121c, 122c composed of relatively thick internal electrodes may be arranged in the third region A3, a fourth internal electrode group 121d, 122d composed of internal electrodes of intermediate thickness may be arranged in the fourth region A4, and a fifth internal electrode group 121e, 122e composed of relatively thin internal electrodes may be arranged in the fifth region A5.

[0091] Meanwhile, the difference in thickness between the internal electrodes included in the third to fifth internal electrode groups 121c to 122e may vary, and for example, when the thickness of the third internal electrode group 121c, 122c is defined as t13 and the thickness of the internal electrodes arranged in the fifth internal electrode group 121e, 122e is defined as t15, t13≦2t15 may be satisfied. In this case, the thicknesses t13 and t15 may mean average thicknesses.

[0092] If the difference in average thickness of the internal electrodes included in the third and fifth internal electrode groups 121c, 122c, 121e, and 122e exceeds two times, the thickness of the internal electrodes arranged in the third internal electrode group 121c and 122c may be formed excessively thick, which may not be suitable for miniaturization and high capacity of the multilayer electronic component 100. Alternatively, the thickness of the internal electrodes arranged in the fifth internal electrode groups 121e and 122e may be formed excessively thin, which may reduce the connectivity of the electrodes.

[0093] Also, for example, when the average thickness of the fourth internal electrode group 121d, 122d is defined as t14, t14 may correspond to the average value of t13 and t15.

[0094] According to this modification, the distance between the multiple internal electrodes arranged in the third to fifth regions A3, A4, and A5 in the stacking direction (Z direction) may be constant.

[0095] In this case, the third to fifth regions A3, A4, and A5 may have the same length in the stacking direction (Z direction) of the internal electrodes, and the third region A3 may have the smallest number of internal electrodes, and the fifth region A5 may have the largest number of internal electrodes.

[0096] As another example, the third to fifth regions A3, A4, and A5 may each include the same number of internal electrodes, in which case the third region A3 may have the longest length in the stacking direction and the fifth region A5 may have the shortest length in the stacking direction.

[0097] Meanwhile, in the cases of the modifications shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the multilayer electronic components can also be mounted on the substrate in different orientations according to various application forms of the present invention.

[0098] According to one application form of the present invention, when the second internal electrode group 121b, 122b or the fifth internal electrode group 121e, 122e are arranged on the mounting surface side of the printed circuit board, the resistance and parasitic inductance of the multiple internal electrodes tend to decrease as they move away from the mounting surface.

[0099] When the multilayer electronic component 100 is mounted in such a direction, the internal electrodes arranged in the second internal electrode group 121b, 122b or the fifth internal electrode group 121e, 122e can have the largest resistance and parasitic inductance in the electrode thickness plane, and the smallest resistance and parasitic inductance in the electrical path plane. Also, the internal electrodes arranged in the first internal electrode group 121a, 122a or the third internal electrode group 121c, 122c can have the smallest resistance and parasitic inductance in the electrode thickness plane, and the largest resistance and parasitic inductance in the electrical path plane. That is, the variations in resistance and parasitic inductance for each internal electrode can be offset by each other.

[0100] As a result, when the internal electrodes tend to be arranged so as to become gradually thicker as they are spaced apart from the mounting surface, the variation in resistance and parasitic inductance between the internal electrodes can be reduced.

[0101] This makes it possible to suppress current concentration in the internal electrodes close to the mounting surface, and reduce imbalances in current density among the multiple internal electrodes.

[0102] According to another application mode of the present invention, the first internal electrode group 121a, 122a or the third internal electrode group 121c, 122c may be arranged on the mounting surface side of the printed circuit board.

[0103] In this case, the effect of reducing the ESR (Equivalent Series Resistance) generated in the multilayer electronic component 100 can be achieved.

[0104] 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 skill 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. [Explanation of symbols]

[0105] 100: Multilayer electronic components 110: Main unit 111: Dielectric layer 112: Upper cover part 113: Lower cover part 120-1: 1st outermost 120-2: 2nd outermost 121, 122: Internal electrode 121a, 122a: 1st internal electrode group 121b, 122b: Second internal electrode group 121c, 122c: Third internal electrode group 121d, 122d: 4th internal electrode group 121e, 122e: 5th internal electrode group 131, 132: External electrode A: Capacitance forming part A1:First area A2:Second area

Claims

1. A main body having first and second surfaces opposed to each other in a thickness direction, third and fourth surfaces connected to the first and second surfaces and opposed to each other in a width direction, and fifth and sixth surfaces connected to the first to fourth surfaces and opposed to each other in a length direction, the main body including a dielectric layer and a plurality of internal electrodes stacked with the dielectric layer sandwiched therebetween in a stacking direction which is the thickness direction; an external electrode disposed on the body and connected to the plurality of internal electrodes; the plurality of internal electrodes includes two or more internal electrodes having different thicknesses, the thickest and thinnest internal electrodes among the plurality of internal electrodes are disposed at first and second outermost positions facing each other in a stacking direction of the plurality of internal electrodes, and the internal electrodes disposed therebetween have a thickness equal to or greater than that of the internal electrodes adjacent thereto in the second outermost position.

2. 2. The multilayer ceramic capacitor according to claim 1, wherein the body includes a capacitance forming portion in which the plurality of internal electrodes are formed, and upper and lower cover portions respectively disposed on both ends of the capacitance forming portion in a lamination direction of the plurality of internal electrodes.

3. 3. The multilayer ceramic capacitor according to claim 2, wherein, when a thickness of the first outermost internal electrode among the plurality of internal electrodes is defined as t1 and a thickness of the second outermost internal electrode is defined as t2, t1≦2t2 is satisfied.

4. the capacitance forming portion includes a first region including the first outermost portion and a second region including the second outermost portion, a first internal electrode group is disposed in the first region, the first internal electrode group being formed by stacking a plurality of internal electrodes having the same thickness as the first outermost internal electrode; 4. The multilayer ceramic capacitor according to claim 2, wherein a second internal electrode group is arranged in the second region, the second internal electrode group being formed by stacking a plurality of internal electrodes having the same thickness as the second outermost internal electrode.

5. The multilayer ceramic capacitor according to claim 4 , wherein the first region and the second region have the same length in a lamination direction of the plurality of internal electrodes.

6. 6. The multilayer ceramic capacitor according to claim 4, wherein the first internal electrode group and the second internal electrode group include an equal number of internal electrodes.

7. the capacitance forming portion includes three or more regions in which internal electrodes having different thicknesses are disposed, 7. The multilayer ceramic capacitor according to claim 2, wherein the internal electrodes included in each region of the capacitance forming portion have the same thickness.

8. 8. The multilayer ceramic capacitor according to claim 7, wherein the number of internal electrodes included in each region of the capacitance forming portion is the same.

9. 9. The multilayer ceramic capacitor according to claim 1, wherein the internal electrodes are spaced apart from each other by a constant distance in the stacking direction.

10. 10. The multilayer ceramic capacitor according to claim 1, wherein the internal electrodes are arranged such that a thickness of each of the internal electrodes gradually decreases from the first outermost portion to the second outermost portion.

11. The external electrodes include a first external electrode and a second external electrode formed on both end surfaces of the body in a first direction, respectively.

11. The multilayer ceramic capacitor according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of internal electrodes include a first internal electrode and a second internal electrode connected to the first external electrode and the second external electrode, respectively.

12. 12. The multilayer ceramic capacitor according to claim 11, wherein the first external electrode and the second internal electrode, and the second external electrode and the first internal electrode are disposed to be spaced apart from each other in the first direction, and the minimum distances between the first external electrode and the second internal electrode are the same.

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