US-20260128216-A1 - MULTILAYER CERAMIC ELECTRONIC COMPONENT

US20260128216A1US 20260128216 A1US20260128216 A1US 20260128216A1US-20260128216-A1

Abstract

In a multilayer ceramic electronic component, a laminate includes an inner layer portion including first and second internal electrode layers. A concentration of an additive in a first lateral surface side of the inner layer portion is higher than in a center portion in the width direction, a concentration of the additive in a second lateral surface side of the inner layer portion is higher than in the center portion, a concentration of the additive in an end of the second internal electrode layer on a first end surface side of the inner layer portion is higher than in the center portion, and a concentration of the additive in an end of the first internal electrode layer on a second end surface side of the inner layer portion is higher than in the center portion of the inner layer portion. The additive includes Sn, Mn, and/or Mg.

Inventors

Shun IWATA
Daichi TANIGUCHI

Assignees

MURATA MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260507
Application Date: 20260105
Priority Date: 20230719

Claims (18)

1 . A multilayer ceramic electronic component comprising: a multilayer body including a plurality of dielectric layers, a first main surface and a second main surface opposed to each other in a lamination direction, a first end surface and a second end surface opposed to each other in a length direction orthogonal or substantially orthogonal to the lamination direction, and a first lateral surface and a second lateral surface opposed to each other in a width direction orthogonal or substantially orthogonal to the lamination direction and the length direction; a first external electrode on the first end surface; and a second external electrode on the second end surface; wherein a first internal electrode layer is electrically connected to the first external electrode; a second internal electrode layer is electrically connected to the second external electrode; the multilayer body includes an inner layer portion where the first internal electrode layer and the second internal electrode layer are opposed to each other; a concentration of an additive at a location adjacent to the first lateral surface of the inner layer portion is higher than a concentration of the additive in a middle portion of the inner layer portion in the width direction; a concentration of the additive at an end portion of the second internal electrode layer adjacent to the first end surface of the inner layer portion is higher than a concentration of the additive in a middle portion of the inner layer portion in the length direction; and the additive includes at least one of Sn, Mn, or Mg.
2 . The multilayer ceramic electronic component according to claim 1 , wherein the concentration of the additive at a location adjacent to the first lateral surface of the inner layer portion is about 100.1 mol % or more and about 103.0 mol % or less of the concentration of the additive in the middle portion of the inner layer portion in the width direction; and the concentration of the additive at the end portion of the second internal electrode layer adjacent to the first end surface of the inner layer portion is about 100.1 mol % or more and about 103.0 mol % or less of the concentration of the additive in a middle portion of the inner layer portion in the length direction.
3 . The multilayer ceramic electronic component according to claim 1 , wherein a range where the concentration of the additive is highest is in a range of about 0 μm or more and about 60 μm or less from an end portion adjacent to the first lateral surface of the inner layer portion toward the middle portion in the width direction.
4 . The multilayer ceramic electronic component according to claim 1 , wherein a range where the concentration of the additive is highest is in a range of about 0 μm or more and about 60 μm or less from each of the end portions of the second internal electrode layer adjacent to the first end surface of the inner layer portion toward the middle portion in the length direction.
5 . The multilayer ceramic electronic component according to claim 1 , wherein the multilayer body includes outer layer portions each including a dielectric material; and the outer layer portions include: a first main surface-side outer layer portion located adjacent to the first main surface and positioned between the first main surface and an outermost surface of the inner layer portion adjacent to the first main surface in the lamination direction; a second main surface-side outer layer portion located adjacent to the second main surface and positioned between the second main surface and an outermost surface of the inner layer portion adjacent to the second main surface in the lamination direction; a first end surface-side outer layer portion located adjacent to the first end surface and positioned between an outermost surface adjacent to the first end surface and an end portion outermost surface of the second internal electrode layer respectively not connected to the first external electrode; a second end surface-side outer layer portion located adjacent to the second end surface and positioned between an outermost surface adjacent to the second end surface and an end portion outermost surface of the first internal electrode layer respectively not connected to the second external electrode; lateral surface-side outer layer portions each located in a portion of the first end surface-side outer layer portion, a portion of the second end surface-side outer layer portion, a portion of the first main surface-side outer layer portion, and a portion of the second main surface-side outer layer portion; and a dimension of each of the lateral surface-side outer layer portions along the width direction is about 5 μm or more and about 40 μm or less.
6 . The multilayer ceramic electronic component according to claim 1 , wherein a variation in the positions of the end portions of the first internal electrode layer and the second internal electrode adjacent to the first lateral surface is about 5 μm or less.
7 . The multilayer ceramic electronic component according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of dielectric layers include a first dielectric layer and a second dielectric layer; the first dielectric layer is provided between the first internal electrode layer and the second internal electrode layer; and the second dielectric layer is provided between the second internal electrode layer and the first end surface.
8 . The multilayer ceramic electronic component according to claim 1 , wherein the additive is Sn.
9 . A multilayer ceramic electronic component comprising: a multilayer body including a plurality of dielectric layers a first main surface and a second main surface opposed to each other in a lamination direction, a first end surface and a second end surface opposed to each other in a length direction orthogonal or substantially orthogonal to the lamination direction, and a first lateral surface and a second lateral surface opposed to each other in a width direction orthogonal or substantially orthogonal to the lamination direction and the length direction; a first external electrode on the first end surface; and a second external electrode on the second end surface; wherein a first internal electrode layer is electrically connected to the first external electrode; a second internal electrode layer is electrically connected to the second external electrode; the multilayer body includes an inner layer portion where the first internal electrode layer and the second internal electrode layer are opposed to each other; a concentration of an additive in a range of about 0 μm or more and about 60 μm or less from an end portion adjacent to the first lateral surface of the inner layer portion toward the middle portion in the width direction is higher than a concentration of the additive in a region having a length of about 60 μm in the width direction centered of the inner layer portion; and the additive includes at least one of Sn, Mn, or Mg.
10 . A multilayer ceramic electronic component comprising: a multilayer body including a plurality of dielectric layers a first main surface and a second main surface opposed to each other in a lamination direction, a first end surface and a second end surface opposed to each other in a length direction orthogonal or substantially orthogonal to the lamination direction, and a first lateral surface and a second lateral surface opposed to each other in a width direction orthogonal or substantially orthogonal to the lamination direction and the length direction; a first external electrode on the first end surface; and a second external electrode on the second end surface; wherein a first internal electrode layer is electrically connected to the first external electrode; a second internal electrode layer is electrically connected to the second external electrode; the multilayer body includes an inner layer portion where the first internal electrode layer and the second internal electrode layer are opposed to each other; a concentration of an additive in a range of about 0 μm or more and about 60 μm or less from an end portion adjacent to the first end surface of the inner layer portion toward the middle portion in the length direction is higher than a concentration of the additive in a region having a length of about 60 μm in the length direction centered of the inner layer portion; and the additive includes at least one of Sn, Mn, or Mg.
11 . The multilayer ceramic electronic component according to claim 9 , wherein the additive is Sn.
12 . The multilayer ceramic electronic component according to claim 10 , wherein the additive is Sn.
13 . The multilayer ceramic electronic component according to claim 9 , wherein a variation in the positions of the end portions of the first internal electrode layer and the second internal electrode adjacent to the first lateral surface is about 5 μm or less.
14 . The multilayer ceramic electronic component according to claim 10 , wherein the plurality of dielectric layers include a first dielectric layer and a second dielectric layer; the first dielectric layer is provided between the first internal electrode layer and the second internal electrode layer; the second dielectric layer is provided between the second internal electrode layer and the first end surface.
15 . The multilayer ceramic electronic component according to claim 9 , wherein a range where the concentration of the additive is highest is in a range of about 0 μm or more and about 60 μm or less from an end portion adjacent to the first lateral surface of the inner layer portion toward the middle portion in the width direction.
16 . The multilayer ceramic electronic component according to claim 10 , wherein a range where the concentration of the additive is highest is in a range of about 0 μm or more and about 60 μm or less from each of the end portions of the second internal electrode layer adjacent to the first end surface of the inner layer portion toward the middle portion in the length direction.
17 . The multilayer ceramic electronic component according to claim 9 , wherein the plurality of dielectric layers include a first dielectric layer and a second dielectric layer; the first dielectric layer is provided between the first internal electrode layer and the second internal electrode layer; the second dielectric layer is provided between the second internal electrode layer and the first end surface.
18 . The multilayer ceramic electronic component according to claim 10 , wherein a variation in the positions of the end portions of the first internal electrode layer and the second internal electrode adjacent to the first lateral surface is about 5 μm or less.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims the benefit of priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-117663 filed on Jul. 19, 2023 and is a Continuation Application of PCT Application No. PCT/JP2024/017066 filed on May 8, 2024. The entire contents of each application are hereby incorporated herein by reference. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to multilayer ceramic electronic components. 2. Description of the Related Art Multilayer ceramic electronic components such as multilayer ceramic capacitors are manufactured by stacking a plurality of dielectric sheets. Internal electrode layers for configuring capacitors, resistors, inductors, varistors, filters, or the like are formed on the dielectric sheets depending on the type of multilayer ceramic electronic component. In order to achieve reduced size and enhanced performance, such multilayer ceramic electronic components have been developed with thinner dielectric sheets and an increased number of layers. See, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2001-267173. However, in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2001-267173, even when the dielectric sheets are made thinner and increased in number, the internal electrode layers may not be made thinner in some cases. When the thinned dielectric sheets and the internal electrode layers are stacked alternately, and the internal electrode layers are stacked such that the edges are alternately exposed at both end surfaces in the length direction of the dielectric sheets and are alternately extended towards a pair of external electrodes having different polarities, the multilayer body is configured in a state in which a level difference occurs due to the thickness of the dielectric sheets and the thickness of the internal electrode layers. In a step of pressing the multilayer body in a state where a level difference occurs due to the thicknesses, the ceramic of the dielectric sheets may flow to fill the level difference due to the thicknesses, such that the dielectric sheets near the level difference may become thin, and the thinned sheets may become even thinner. However, when the dielectric sheets near the level difference become thin, the grain boundaries of the dielectric sheets are present only in a very small number in the thickness direction, a result of which the electrical resistance is very low. As a result, when voltage is applied to the thinned dielectric sheets, excessive current flows, which causes electric field concentration and may cause dielectric breakdown. Furthermore, when current flows through the internal electrode layers, due to the edge effect, the electric field strength becomes larger at the end portions of the internal electrode layers near the level difference compared to other regions of the internal electrode layers. Therefore, more electric field concentration occurs at the end portions of the internal electrode layers near the level difference, and dielectric breakdown may occur. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Example embodiments of the present invention provide multilayer ceramic electronic components such as multilayer ceramic capacitors, each with high reliability. In particular, example embodiments of the present invention provide multilayer ceramic electronic components that are each able to reduce or prevent an occurrence of dielectric breakdown at end portions of internal electrode layers exposed to strong electric fields. An example embodiment of the present invention provides a multilayer ceramic electronic component which includes a multilayer body including a plurality of dielectric layers that are laminated, a plurality of first internal electrode layers and a plurality of second internal electrode layers laminated on the plurality of dielectric layers, a first main surface and a second main surface opposed to each other in a lamination direction, a first end surface and a second end surface opposed to each other in a length direction orthogonal or substantially orthogonal to the lamination direction, and a first lateral surface and a second lateral surface opposed to each other in a width direction orthogonal or substantially orthogonal to the lamination direction and the length direction, a first external electrode on the first end surface, and a second external electrode on the second end surface. The plurality of first internal electrode layers are electrically connected to the first external electrode. The plurality of second internal electrode layers are electrically connected to the second external electrode. The multilayer body includes an inner layer portion where the plurality of first internal electrode layers and the plurality of second internal electrode layers are opposed to each other. A concentration of an additive at a location adjacent to the first lateral surface of the inner layer portion is higher than a concentration of the additive in