US-12620519-B2 - Multilayer electronic component

US12620519B2US 12620519 B2US12620519 B2US 12620519B2US-12620519-B2

Abstract

An electronic component includes a stack and an inductor wound about an axis orthogonal to a stacking direction. The inductor includes a first conductor layer portion and two through hole columns. The first conductor layer portion includes two conductor layers disposed at positions different from each other in the stacking direction and connected in parallel to each other. Area of a first conductor layer is larger than area of a second conductor layer.

Inventors

Takuya Sato

Assignees

TDK CORPORATION

Dates

Publication Date: 20260505
Application Date: 20220826
Priority Date: 20210914

Claims (11)

1 . A multilayer electronic component comprising: a stack including a plurality of dielectric layers that are stacked together; a first inductor wound about a first axis orthogonal to a stacking direction of the plurality of dielectric layers; and a second inductor wound about a second axis orthogonal to the stacking direction of the plurality of dielectric layers, wherein the first inductor and the second inductor are disposed inside the stack and integrated with the stack, each of the first inductor and the second inductor includes a first through hole column, a second through hole column, and a first conductor layer portion connecting one end of the first through hole column and one end of the second through hole column, the first through hole column and the second through hole column of the first inductor are each constituted by two or more through holes connected in series to each other, the two or more through holes being formed in different dielectric layers of the plurality of dielectric layers, the first conductor layer portion includes a first conductor layer and a second conductor layer that are formed on two dielectric layers of the plurality of dielectric layers and connected in parallel to each other, the two dielectric layers being disposed at positions different from each other in the stacking direction, area of the first conductor layer is larger than area of the second conductor layer, and the first axis and the second axis are orthogonal to each other.
2 . The multilayer electronic component according to claim 1 , wherein the second conductor layer is disposed inside an outer edge of the first conductor layer in a view in one direction parallel to the stacking direction.
3 . The multilayer electronic component according to claim 1 , wherein a shape of the second conductor layer in a view in one direction parallel to the stacking direction is similar to a shape of the first conductor layer in a view in one direction parallel to the stacking direction.
4 . The multilayer electronic component according to claim 1 , wherein the first conductor layer is disposed between the second conductor layer and the first axis or the second axis.
5 . The multilayer electronic component according to claim 1 , wherein the first conductor layer and the second conductor layer of at least one of the first inductor or the second inductor each include a first portion and a second portion, the first portion extending in a first direction orthogonal to the stacking direction, the second portion extending in a second direction orthogonal to the stacking direction.
6 . The multilayer electronic component according to claim 1 , wherein the first conductor layer and the second conductor layer of at least one of the first inductor or the second inductor each extend in one direction orthogonal to the stacking direction.
7 . The multilayer electronic component according to claim 1 , wherein the first conductor layer and the second conductor layer included in the first inductor each include a first portion and a second portion, the first portion extending in a first direction orthogonal to the stacking direction, the second portion extending in a second direction orthogonal to the stacking direction, and the first conductor layer and the second conductor layer included in the second inductor each extend in one direction orthogonal to the stacking direction.
8 . The multilayer electronic component according to claim 1 , wherein each of the first inductor and the second inductor further includes a second conductor layer portion connected to another end of the second through hole column, the second conductor layer portion includes a third conductor layer and a fourth conductor layer that are formed on other two dielectric layers of the plurality of dielectric layers, the other two dielectric layers being stacked in the stacking direction, and area of the fourth conductor layer is larger than area of the third conductor layer.
9 . The multilayer electronic component according to claim 8 , wherein the fourth conductor layer is disposed between the third conductor layer and the axis.
10 . The multilayer electronic component according to claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of dielectric layers is formed of a ceramic green sheet.
11 . The multilayer electronic component according to claim 1 , wherein the first through hole column and the second through hole column of the second inductor are each constituted by two or more through holes connected in series to each other.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a multilayer electronic component including an inductor. 2. Description of the Related Art Compact mobile communication apparatuses are generally configured to use a single common antenna for a plurality of applications that use different systems and have different service frequency bands, and to use a branching filter to separate a plurality of signals received and transmitted by the antenna from each other. A branching filter for separating a first signal of a frequency within a first frequency band and a second signal of a frequency within a second frequency band higher than the first frequency band from each other typically includes a common port, a first signal port, a second signal port, a first filter provided in a first signal path leading from the common port to the first signal port, and a second filter provided in a second signal path leading from the common port to the second signal port. As the first and second filters, LC resonators including inductors and capacitors are used, for example. Among known branching filters are ones that use a stack including a plurality of dielectric layers stacked together, as disclosed in US 2018/0006625 A1. In addition, known inductors used in an LC resonator include an inductor in which via hole conductors are connected to respective ends of an inductor conductor layer as disclosed in US 2018/0006625 A1 and US 2014/0062616 A1. In US 2018/0006625 A1 and US 2014/0062616 A1, a plurality of inductor conductor layers having the same planar shape are stacked. A stack constituting a branching filter is formed as described below, for example. First, a plurality of ceramic green sheets that eventually become a plurality of dielectric layers are produced. A plurality of unfired conductor layers that eventually become a plurality of conductor layers, and a plurality of unfired through holes that eventually become a plurality of through holes are formed on each ceramic green sheet. Next, the plurality of ceramic green sheets are stacked to produce a green sheet stack. Next, the green sheet stack is cut to produce an unfired stack. Next, a ceramic and a conductor in the unfired stack are fired through a low-temperature simultaneous firing process to complete the stack. When a plurality of inductor conductor layers having the same planar shape are stacked as in the inductors disclosed in US 2018/0006625 A1 and US 2014/0062616 A1, displacement of the plurality of inductor conductor layers from one another due to displacement of the ceramic green sheets or the like causes characteristic change of the inductor. The foregoing problem is not limited to branching filters and applies to multilayer electronic components in general that include an inductor. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An objective of the present invention is to provide a multilayer electronic component including an inductor that can reduce characteristic variation. A multilayer electronic component of the present invention includes a stack including a plurality of dielectric layers that are stacked together, and at least one inductor integrated with the stack and wound about an axis orthogonal to a stacking direction of the plurality of dielectric layers. The at least one inductor includes a first through hole column, a second through hole column, and a first conductor layer portion connecting one end of the first through hole column and one end of the second through hole column. The first through hole column and the second through hole column are each constituted by two or more through holes connected in series to each other. The first conductor layer portion includes a first conductor layer and a second conductor layer disposed at positions different from each other in the stacking direction and connected in parallel to each other. Area of the first conductor layer is larger than area of the second conductor layer. In the multilayer electronic component of the present invention, the second conductor layer may be disposed inside an outer edge of the first conductor layer in a view in one direction parallel to the stacking direction. A shape of the second conductor layer in a view in one direction parallel to the stacking direction may be similar to a shape of the first conductor layer in a view in one direction parallel to the stacking direction. The first conductor layer may be disposed between the second conductor layer and the axis. In the multilayer electronic component of the present invention, the first conductor layer and the second conductor layer may each include a first portion extending in a first direction orthogonal to the stacking direction, and a second portion extending in a second direction orthogonal to the stacking direction. Alternatively, the first conductor layer and the second conductor layer may each extend in one direction orthogonal to the stacking direction. In the multilayer electronic component of the pr