Ceramic Electronic Components

Abstract

To provide a ceramic electronic component.SOLUTION: The ceramic electronic component includes a body and an external electrode. The body includes a dielectric layer and an inner electrode. The external electrode is arranged on the body and connected to the inner electrode. The dielectric layer includes a plurality of crystal grains and a grain boundary that is arranged in a portion between adjacent crystal grains. When the Si content of the crystal grains is G1 and the Si content of the grain boundary is GB1, GB1 / G1 is 5 or more by mass.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] Multi-layered ceramic capacitors (MLCCs), a type of ceramic electronic component, are chip-type capacitors that are mounted on printed circuit boards of various electronic products, such as visual devices like liquid crystal displays (LCDs) and plasma display panels (PDPs), computers, smartphones, and mobile phones, and serve to charge and discharge electricity.

[0003] Such multilayer ceramic capacitors have the advantages of being small in size, yet having high capacitance, and being easy to mount, and therefore can be used as components in 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 that are smaller in size and have higher capacitance.

[0004] To achieve miniaturization and high capacitance in multilayer ceramic capacitors, it is necessary to reduce the thickness of the dielectric layers and internal electrodes and increase the number of layers. Currently, the thickness of the dielectric layer has reached approximately 0.6 μm, and the thickness is continuing to decrease. However, as the thickness of the dielectric layer decreases, problems arise in that reliability decreases and properties such as insulation resistance and breakdown voltage deteriorate.

[0005] In particular, as application processors (APs) become more powerful in processing large amounts of data, the demand for temperature stability of multilayer ceramic capacitors is increasing. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] One of the various objects of the present invention is to provide a ceramic electronic component with excellent reliability.

[0007] One of the various objects of the present invention is to provide a ceramic electronic component that has excellent high-temperature reliability.

[0008] However, the scope of the present invention is not limited to the above, and can be more easily understood in the course of describing specific embodiments of the present invention. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] A ceramic electronic component according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a main body including a dielectric layer and an internal electrode, and an external electrode disposed on the main body and connected to the internal electrode, wherein the dielectric layer includes a plurality of crystal grains and a crystal grain boundary disposed between adjacent crystal grains, and wherein when the Si content of the crystal grains is G1 and the Si content of the crystal grain boundary is GB1, the mass ratio GB1 / G1 is 5 or more. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] One of the various effects of the present invention is that it can improve the reliability of the dielectric composition and the ceramic electronic component containing the same.

[0011] However, the various 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 explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic perspective view of a ceramic electronic component according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line II' of FIG. 1. [Figure 3] 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line II-II' in FIG. 1. [Figure 4] 1 is an exploded perspective view schematically illustrating a main body of a ceramic electronic component according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of region P in FIG. 2. [Figure 6] 1 shows an image of the dielectric layer of Test No. 3 scanned by a transmission electron microscope (TEM), and an image of mapping for Dy, Si, and Mn. [Figure 7] This is the result of a line analysis performed along the arrows in Figure 6. [Figure 8] 1 shows an image of the dielectric layer of Test No. 1 scanned by a transmission electron microscope (TEM), and an image of mapping for Dy, Si, and Mn. [Figure 9] This is the result of a line analysis performed along the arrows in Figure 8. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] 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.

[0014] In order to clearly explain the present invention, parts not relevant to the description are omitted in the drawings, and the size and thickness of each component shown in the drawings are arbitrarily shown for the convenience of explanation, and the present invention is not necessarily limited to those shown in the drawings. Furthermore, components that have the same function within the same concept will be described using the same reference numerals. Furthermore, throughout the specification, the term "comprises" a certain component does not mean to exclude other components, but means that other components may be further included, unless otherwise specified.

[0015] In the drawings, the first direction can be defined as the stacking direction or thickness (T) direction, the second direction as the length (L) direction, and the third direction as the width (W) direction.

[0016] Ceramic Electronic Components FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a ceramic electronic component according to one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line I-I' in FIG. 1, FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line II-II' in FIG. 1, FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of a ceramic electronic component according to one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of region P in FIG. 2.

[0017] A ceramic electronic component 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to Figures 1 to 6. Furthermore, a multilayer ceramic capacitor will be described as an example of a ceramic electronic component, but the present invention is not limited thereto and can also be applied to various ceramic electronic components that use ceramic materials, such as inductors, piezoelectric elements, varistors, or thermistors.

[0018] A ceramic electronic component 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention is a ceramic electronic component including a body 110 including a dielectric layer 111 and internal electrodes 121 and 122, and external electrodes 131 and 132 disposed on the body and connected to the internal electrodes, wherein the dielectric layer 111 includes a plurality of crystal grains 111a and crystal grain boundaries 111b disposed between adjacent crystal grains, and wherein when the Si content of the crystal grains is G1 and the Si content of the crystal grain boundaries is GB1, the mass ratio GB1 / G1 is 5 or more.

[0019] The body 110 may have dielectric layers 111 and internal electrodes 121 and 122 alternately stacked.

[0020] The specific shape of the body 110 is not particularly limited, but as shown in the drawing, the body 110 may have a hexahedral shape or a shape similar thereto. Furthermore, the body 110 may have a substantially hexahedral shape, although not a hexahedral shape with perfect straight lines, due to shrinkage of the ceramic powder contained in the body 110 during firing.

[0021] 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 a second direction, and fifth and sixth surfaces 5, 6 connected to the first and second surfaces 1, 2 and also connected to the third and fourth surfaces 3, 4 and facing each other in the third direction.

[0022] The plurality of dielectric layers 111 constituting the body 110 are in a fired state, and the boundaries between adjacent dielectric layers 111 may be integrated to such an extent that they are difficult to identify without using a scanning electron microscope (SEM).

[0023] The dielectric layer 111 includes a plurality of crystal grains 111a and crystal grain boundaries 111b arranged between adjacent crystal grains, and when the Si content of the crystal grains is G1 and the Si content of the crystal grain boundaries is GB1, the mass ratio GB1 / G1 is 5 or more.

[0024] Multi-layer ceramic capacitors (MLCCs), which are ceramic electronic components, tend to have higher capacitance and thinner layers. To achieve thinner dielectric layers, a technology is required to suppress basic charge transfer by reducing the size of the dielectric crystal grains and increasing the grain boundary resistance of the dielectric crystal grains.

[0025] According to an embodiment of the present invention, reliability can be improved by controlling the distribution of Si element having a high work function in the crystal grains 111a and the grain boundaries 111b. Specifically, by controlling the ratio of the Si content in the grain boundaries to the Si content in the crystal grains (GB1 / G1) to a mass ratio of 5 or more, the energy level of the crystal grain boundaries can be increased, thereby improving reliability.

[0026] In this case, there is no need to particularly limit the upper limit of GB1 / G1, and for example, GB1 / G1 can be less than 6.5.

[0027] On the other hand, the method for controlling GB1 / G1 is not particularly limited. For example, the element distribution at the grain boundary and the thickness of the grain boundary can be controlled by adjusting the reducing atmosphere during sintering.

[0028] The dielectric layer 111 contains BaTiO3 as a main component, and may contain Dy, Mn, and Si as secondary components.

[0029] When dysprosium (Dy) is added to the main component, barium titanate (BaTiO3), it substitutes for the Ba-site and acts as a donor, reducing the concentration of oxygen vacancies and improving reliability.

[0030] Mn is an element with variable electron valence. Mn reduces the firing temperature and improves high-temperature voltage resistance. Furthermore, when added to the main component, barium titanate (BaTiO3), Mn can substitute for Ti-sites.

[0031] Since Si has a high work function, when distributed at the grain boundaries, it can raise the energy level of the grain boundaries and improve reliability. Furthermore, when Si is added to the main component, barium titanate (BaTiO3), it can substitute for Ti-sites.

[0032] On the other hand, Ni may be further contained as the above-mentioned minor component.

[0033] In one embodiment, the average thickness of the grain boundaries 111b can be 1.1 nm or greater.

[0034] If the average thickness of the grain boundaries 111b is less than 1.1 nm, the effect of improving reliability by controlling GB1 / G1 may be insufficient.

[0035] In this case, there is no need to particularly limit the upper limit of the average thickness of the grain boundaries 111b, and for example, the average thickness of the grain boundaries can be less than 3.0 nm.

[0036] In one embodiment, the Si content in the grains (G1) may be 0.4 wt% or less, and the Si content in the grain boundaries (GB1) may be 1.6 wt% or more. Here, G1 is a value based on the grains, and GB1 is a value based on the grain boundaries. That is, the mass fraction of Si in the grains is 0.4 wt% or less, and the mass fraction of Si in the grain boundaries is 1.6 wt% or more.

[0037] If G1 is less than 0.4 wt % or GB1 is less than 1.6 wt %, the difference in energy level between the crystal grains and the crystal grain boundaries is small, which may result in an insufficient improvement in reliability.

[0038] In one embodiment, when the content of Dy in the grain boundary is GB2, the mass ratio of GB2 / GB1 may be 2.3 or less.

[0039] If GB2 / GB1 exceeds 2.3, the charge density at the grain boundaries increases, which may result in a decrease in reliability.

[0040] In this case, there is no need to set a lower limit for GB2 / GB1, and for example, GB2 / GB1 can be 1.5 or more.

[0041] In one embodiment, when the content of Mn in the grain boundary is GB3, the mass ratio of GB3 / GB1 may be 0.5 or less.

[0042] If GB3 / GB1 exceeds 0.5, the charge density at the grain boundaries increases, which may result in a decrease in reliability.

[0043] In this case, there is no need to set a lower limit for GB3 / GB1, and for example, GB3 / GB1 can be 0.2 or more.

[0044] According to the present invention, by controlling GB1 / G1, the distribution of Si at the grain boundaries is increased, thereby raising the energy level of the grain boundaries, and by controlling GB2 / GB1 and / or GB3 / GB1, the distribution of donors and acceptors at the grain boundaries is reduced, thereby improving the voltage resistance characteristics of the grain boundaries and improving high-temperature reliability characteristics.

[0045] On the other hand, the thickness td of the dielectric layer 111 does not need to be particularly limited.

[0046] However, in general, when the dielectric layer is formed thinly, with a thickness of less than 0.6 μm, and particularly when the thickness of the dielectric layer is 0.45 μm or less, there is a risk of the reliability decreasing.

[0047] As described above, according to one embodiment of the present invention, the ratio of the Si content contained in the grain boundaries to the Si content contained in the grains (GB1 / G1) is controlled to a mass ratio of 5 or more, thereby increasing the energy level of the grain boundaries and improving reliability, thereby ensuring excellent reliability even when the thickness of the dielectric layer 111 is 0.5 μm or less.

[0048] Therefore, when the thickness of the dielectric layer 111 is 0.45 μm or less, the effect of improving reliability according to the present invention can be more significant.

[0049] The thickness td of the dielectric layer 111 may refer to the average thickness of the dielectric layer 111 disposed between the first internal electrode 121 and the second internal electrode 122 .

[0050] The average thickness of the dielectric layer 111 can be measured by image scanning a cross section of the body 110 in the length and thickness direction (LT) using a scanning electron microscope (SEM).

[0051] For example, in an arbitrary dielectric layer extracted from an image obtained by scanning a cross section of the main body 110 in the first and second directions (length and thickness directions) cut at the center of the third direction (width direction) using a scanning electron microscope (SEM), the thickness can be measured at 30 points equally spaced along the length, and the average value can be calculated.

[0052] The thickness measured at the 30 equally spaced points may be measured at a capacitance forming portion Ac, which is a region where the first and second internal electrodes 121 and 122 overlap each other.

[0053] The main body 110 is arranged inside the main body 110 and includes a first internal electrode 121 and a second internal electrode 122 arranged to face each other with a dielectric layer 111 sandwiched therebetween, and may include a capacitance forming portion Ac in which capacitance is formed, and cover portions 112, 113 formed at the top and bottom of the capacitance forming portion Ac in a first direction.

[0054] The capacitance forming portion Ac is a portion that contributes to forming the capacitance of the capacitor, and can be formed by repeatedly stacking a plurality of first and second internal electrodes 121, 122 with the dielectric layer 111 sandwiched therebetween.

[0055] The cover parts 112, 113 may include an upper cover part 112 arranged at the top of the capacitance forming part Ac in the first direction, and a lower cover part 113 arranged at the bottom of the capacitance forming part Ac in the first direction.

[0056] 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 surfaces of the capacitance forming part Ac, respectively, and basically serve to prevent damage to the internal electrodes due to physical or chemical stress.

[0057] 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 .

[0058] 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.

[0059] On the other hand, there is no need to particularly limit the thickness of the cover portions 112 and 113. However, in order to more easily achieve miniaturization and high capacity of the ceramic electronic component, the thickness tp of the cover portions 112 and 113 may be 20 μm or less.

[0060] Additionally, margin portions 114 and 115 may be arranged on the side surfaces of the capacitance forming portion Ac.

[0061] The margin portions 114, 115 may include a margin portion 114 disposed on the fifth surface 5 of the body 110 and a margin portion 115 disposed on the sixth surface 6. That is, the margin portions 114, 115 may be disposed on both side surfaces of the ceramic body 110 in the width direction.

[0062] The margin portions 114 and 115 may refer to the regions between both ends of the first and second internal electrodes 121 and 122 and the boundary surface of the body 110 in a cross section of the body 110 cut in the width-thickness (WT) direction, as shown in FIG. 3.

[0063] The margins 114 and 115 essentially serve to prevent damage to the internal electrodes due to physical or chemical stress.

[0064] The margin portions 114 and 115 can be formed by applying a conductive paste to the ceramic green sheets except for the areas where the margin portions are to be formed, thereby forming internal electrodes.

[0065] In addition, in order to reduce the steps caused by the internal electrodes 121, 122, margin portions 114, 115 may be formed by cutting the internal electrodes after lamination so that they are exposed on the fifth and sixth surfaces 5, 6 of the main body, and then laminating a single dielectric layer or two or more dielectric layers in the width direction on both side surfaces of the capacitance forming portion Ac.

[0066] The internal electrodes 121 and 122 are stacked alternately with the dielectric layers 111 .

[0067] The internal electrodes 121 and 122 may include first and second internal electrodes 121 and 122. The first and second internal electrodes 121 and 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 and 4 of the body 110, respectively.

[0068] Referring to FIG. 2, the first internal electrode 121 may be spaced apart from the fourth surface 4 and exposed through the third surface 3, and the second internal electrode 122 may be spaced apart from the third surface 3 and exposed through the fourth surface 4.

[0069] In this case, the first and second internal electrodes 121 and 122 may be electrically isolated from each other by the dielectric layer 111 disposed therebetween.

[0070] Referring to FIG. 4, the body 110 can be formed by alternately stacking ceramic green sheets on which the first internal electrodes 121 are printed and ceramic green sheets on which the second internal electrodes 122 are printed, and then firing the stacked ceramic green sheets.

[0071] There are no particular limitations on the material forming the internal electrodes 121 and 122, and any material with excellent electrical conductivity can be used. For example, the internal electrodes 121 and 122 can contain 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.

[0072] The internal electrodes 121 and 122 may be formed by printing a conductive paste for internal electrodes containing 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 onto a ceramic green sheet. The conductive paste for internal electrodes may be printed by screen printing or gravure printing, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0073] On the other hand, the thickness te of the internal electrodes 121 and 122 does not need to be particularly limited.

[0074] However, in general, when the internal electrodes are formed thinly, with a thickness of less than 0.6 μm, and particularly when the thickness of the internal electrodes is 0.5 μm or less, there is a risk of the reliability decreasing.

[0075] As described above, according to one embodiment of the present invention, the ratio of the Si content contained in the grain boundaries to the Si content contained in the grains (GB1 / G1) is controlled to a mass ratio of 5 or more, thereby increasing the energy level of the grain boundaries and improving reliability, thereby ensuring excellent reliability even when the thickness of the internal electrodes 121 and 122 is 0.50 μm or less.

[0076] Therefore, when the thickness of the internal electrodes 121, 122 is 0.50 μm or less, the effect of the present invention becomes more pronounced, and it becomes easier to achieve a smaller ceramic electronic component with a higher capacity.

[0077] The thickness te of the internal electrodes 121 and 122 may refer to the average thickness of the internal electrodes 121 and 122.

[0078] The average thickness of the internal electrodes 121 and 122 can be measured by image scanning a cross section of the body 110 in the length and thickness direction (LT) using a scanning electron microscope (SEM).

[0079] For example, the thickness of any first and second internal electrodes 121, 122 extracted from an image obtained by scanning a cross section of the main body 110 in the first and second directions (length and thickness directions) cut at the center of the third direction (width direction) using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) can be measured at 30 equally spaced points in the length direction, and the average value can be calculated.

[0080] The 30 equally spaced points can be measured at a capacitance forming portion Ac, which is an area where the internal electrodes 121 and 122 overlap each other.

[0081] The external electrodes 131 and 132 are disposed on the third and fourth surfaces 3 and 4 of the body 110 .

[0082] 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.

[0083] 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.

[0084] In this embodiment, the ceramic electronic component 100 has two external electrodes 131 and 132, but the number and shape of the external electrodes 131 and 132 may vary depending on the shape of the internal electrodes 121 and 122 and other purposes.

[0085] Meanwhile, the external electrodes 131 and 132 may be formed using any material that has electrical conductivity, such as a metal, and the specific material may be determined taking into consideration electrical properties, structural stability, etc., and may further have a multi-layer structure.

[0086] For example, the external electrodes 131 and 132 may include electrode layers 131a and 132a disposed on the main body 110 and plating layers 131b and 132b formed on the electrode layers 131a and 132a.

[0087] As a more specific example of the electrode layers 131a and 132a, the electrode layers 131a and 132a may be fired electrodes containing a conductive metal and glass, or may be resin-based electrodes containing a conductive metal and resin.

[0088] 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 a fired electrode.

[0089] The conductive metal contained in the electrode layers 131a and 132a may be, but is not limited to, a material with excellent electrical conductivity. For example, the conductive metal may be one or more of nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), and alloys thereof.

[0090] 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.

[0091] 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 have a form in which a Ni plating layer and a Sn plating layer are formed in this order on the electrode layers 131a, 132a, or a form in which a Sn plating layer, a Ni plating layer, and a Sn plating layer are formed in this order. Also, the plating layers 131b, 132b may include multiple Ni plating layers and / or multiple Sn plating layers.

[0092] The size of the ceramic electronic component 100 does not need to be particularly limited.

[0093] However, in order to achieve both miniaturization and high capacity, it is necessary to reduce the thickness of the dielectric layers and internal electrodes and increase the number of layers. Therefore, the effect of improving reliability and insulation resistance according to the present invention can be more pronounced in ceramic electronic components 100 having a size of 1005 (length x width, 1.0 mm x 0.5 mm) or less.

[0094] Therefore, taking into consideration manufacturing errors, the size of the external electrodes, etc., the reliability improvement effect according to the present invention may be more pronounced when the length of the ceramic electronic component 100 is 1.1 mm or less and the width is 0.55 mm or less. Here, the length of the ceramic electronic component 100 may refer to the size of the ceramic electronic component 100 in the second direction, and the width of the ceramic electronic component 100 may refer to the size of the ceramic electronic component 100 in the third direction.

[0095] (Example) In the examples of the present invention, a dielectric composition containing barium titanate (BaTiO3) as a major component and Dy, Si, and Mn as minor components was prepared, and then a ceramic green sheet containing the dielectric composition was used to prepare a prototype multilayer ceramic capacitor (Prototype MLCC) in which a dielectric layer was formed by controlling the grain boundaries by adjusting the reducing atmosphere during firing.

[0096] For the test pieces of the prototype multilayer ceramic capacitors (Prototype MLCCs) Nos. 1 to 3, the thickness of the grain boundaries, the element contents of the grains and the grain boundaries were measured and the results are shown in Table 1 below. Also, the high-temperature IR degradation was measured and the results are shown in Table 1 below.

[0097] The grain boundary thickness was measured from the full width at half maximum (FWHM) of the Si content in a 10 nm line profile perpendicular to the grain boundary. Here, the full width at half maximum means the width of the distribution corresponding to half the maximum value in the mountain-shaped distribution curve.

[0098] The Si, Dy, and Mn contents of the grain boundaries (GB1, GB2, GB3) were measured as the average values ​​of Si, Dy, and Mn contained in the grain boundaries in the line profile, and the Si, Dy, and Mn contents of the grains (G1, G2, G3) were measured as the average values ​​of Si, Dy, and Mn contained in the grain boundaries in the line profile.

[0099] For high-temperature IR degradation, 40 sample chips were prepared for each test number, and a voltage equivalent to 1.5 times the rated voltage was applied at 105°C for 72 hours. Sample chips whose insulation resistance had fallen to less than 1 kΩ were deemed defective, and the percentage of chips deemed defective was recorded.

[0100] [Table 1]

[0101] Test Nos. 1 and 2 were poor in high-temperature reliability, with GB1 / G1 being less than 5. In contrast, Test No. 3 was found to have excellent high-temperature reliability, with GB1 / G1 being 5 or more.

[0102] Furthermore, for test numbers 1 and 2, the insulation resistance after evaluation of high-temperature IR degradation was reduced to approximately 1 / 10,000 of the initial value, and for test number 3, the insulation resistance after evaluation of high-temperature IR degradation was reduced to approximately 1 / 1000 of the initial value, confirming that test number 3 has excellent high-temperature reliability.

[0103] It can also be confirmed that the thickness of the grain boundary increases as the GB1 / G1 value increases, and that the thickness of the grain boundary in test number 3 is 1.1 nm or more.

[0104] It can also be confirmed that as the GB1 / G1 value increases, the Dy / Si content ratio at the grain boundary (GB2 / GB1) and the Mn / Si content ratio at the grain boundary (GB3 / GB1) decrease, and that for test number 3, GB2 / GB1 is 2.3 or less and GB3 / GB1 is 0.5 or less.

[0105] Figure 6 shows a transmission electron microscope (TEM) image of the dielectric layer of test number 3, with mapping of Dy, Si, and Mn. Figure 7 shows the results of line analysis along the arrows in Figure 6. Figure 7(b) is an enlarged view of the 0 wt% to 2.0 wt% portion of Figure 7(a).

[0106] Figure 8 shows an image of the dielectric layer of Test No. 1 scanned with a transmission electron microscope (TEM) and an image of mapping for Dy, Si, and Mn. Figure 9 shows the results of line analysis performed along the arrows in Figure 8. Figure 9(b) is an enlarged view of the 0 wt% to 2.0 wt% portion of Figure 9(a).

[0107] In test number 1, the grain boundaries were thin, with Dy being the main element distributed at the grain boundaries, and only small amounts of Mn, Si, etc. With this structure, it was not possible to ensure a high energy level at the grain boundaries, making it difficult to ensure excellent reliability.

[0108] Test No. 3 has a sufficiently thick grain boundary thickness of 1.23 nm, a high distribution of Si at the grain boundaries, a high energy level at the grain boundaries, low GB2 / GB1 and GB3 / GB1, and a low distribution of donors and acceptors at the grain boundaries, ensuring excellent high-temperature reliability.

[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 only by the appended claims. Therefore, various substitutions, modifications, and alterations can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the technical spirit of the present invention as set forth in the claims, and these also fall within the scope of the present invention. According to the present disclosure, the following items are also disclosed: [Item 1] a body including a dielectric layer and an internal electrode; an external electrode disposed on the body and connected to the internal electrode, the dielectric layer includes a plurality of crystal grains and a crystal grain boundary disposed between adjacent crystal grains; The ceramic electronic component has a mass ratio of GB1 / G1 of 5 or more, where G1 is the Si content in the crystal grains and GB1 is the Si content in the crystal grain boundaries. [Item 2] The dielectric layer is made of BaTiO 3 as a main component and Dy, Mn, and Si as accessory components. [Item 3] 3. The ceramic electronic component according to item 2, wherein the average thickness of the grain boundaries is 1.1 nm or more. [Item 4] 4. The ceramic electronic component according to item 3, wherein the average thickness of the grain boundaries is less than 3.0 nm. [Item 5] 4. The ceramic electronic component according to item 3, wherein the mass ratio GB1 / G1 is equal to or greater than 5 and less than 6.5. [Item 6] 4. The ceramic electronic component according to item 3, wherein G1 is 0.4 wt% or less and GB1 is 1.6 wt% or more. [Item 7] 7. The ceramic electronic component according to any one of items 2 to 6, wherein when the content of Dy in the grain boundaries is GB2, the mass ratio GB2 / GB1 is 2.3 or less. [Item 8] 8. The ceramic electronic component according to item 7, wherein the mass ratio of GB2 / GB1 is 1.5 or more and 2.3 or less. [Item 9] 7. The ceramic electronic component according to any one of items 2 to 6, wherein when the content of Mn in the grain boundaries is GB3, the mass ratio of GB3 / GB1 is 0.5 or less. [Item 10] Item 10. The ceramic electronic component according to item 9, wherein the mass ratio of GB3 / GB1 is 0.2 or more and 0.5 or less. [Item 11] 10. The ceramic electronic component according to item 9, wherein when the Dy content of the grain boundaries is GB2, the mass ratio of GB2 / GB1 is 2.3 or less. [Explanation of symbols]

[0110] 100 Ceramic electronic components 110 Main Unit 111 Dielectric layer 112, 113 Cover 114, 115 Side margin 121, 122 Internal electrode 131, 132 External electrode 131a, 132a electrode layer 131b, 132b plating layer

Claims

1. a body including a dielectric layer and an internal electrode; an external electrode disposed on the body and connected to the internal electrode, the dielectric layer includes a plurality of crystal grains and a crystal grain boundary disposed between adjacent crystal grains; When the Si content of the crystal grains is G1 and the Si content of the crystal grain boundaries is GB1, the mass ratio of GB1 / G1 is 5 or more and less than 6.

5.

2. 2. The ceramic electronic component according to claim 1, wherein the average thickness of the grain boundaries is 1.1 nm or more.

3. 3. The ceramic electronic component according to claim 2, wherein the average thickness of the grain boundaries is less than 3.0 nm.

4. The ceramic electronic component according to claim 1 , wherein G1 is 0.4 wt % or less and GB1 is 1.6 wt % or more.

5. The dielectric layer is BaTiO ３ The ceramic electronic component according to claim 1 , comprising the above-mentioned as a main component and Dy, Mn, and Si as accessory components.

6. 6. The ceramic electronic component according to claim 5, wherein when the Dy content in the grain boundaries is GB2, the mass ratio GB2 / GB1 is 2.3 or less.

7. 7. The ceramic electronic component according to claim 6, wherein the mass ratio GB2 / GB1 is 1.5 or more and 2.3 or less.

8. 6. The ceramic electronic component according to claim 5, wherein when the content of Mn in the grain boundaries is GB3, the mass ratio GB3 / GB1 is 0.5 or less.

9. 9. The ceramic electronic component according to claim 8, wherein the mass ratio GB3 / GB1 is 0.2 or more and 0.5 or less.

10. 10. The ceramic electronic component according to claim 8, wherein when the Dy content in the grain boundaries is GB2, the mass ratio GB2 / GB1 is 2.3 or less.

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