# US 11,443,899 B2 · Multilayer ceramic electronic component and method of manufacturing the same > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,443,899 B2 - Document ID: US11443899B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/243,712 - Filed: 2021-04-29 - Published: 2021-12-02 - Granted: 2022-09-13 - Earliest claimed: 2020-05-26 - Assignees: Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Tomochika Miyazaki - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11443899B2 ## CPC - H01G 4/30: Stacked capacitors (H01G4/33 takes precedence) - H01G 4/012: Form of non-self-supporting electrodes - H01G 4/12: Ceramic dielectrics {(H01G4/085 takes precedence)} - H01G 4/2325: {characterised by the material of the terminals} - H01G 4/248: the terminals embracing or surrounding the capacitive element, e.g. caps (H01G4/252 takes precedence) - H01G 13/006: {Apparatus or processes for applying terminals} - H01G 4/1209: {characterised by the ceramic dielectric material (H01G4/1272, H01G4/1281 take precedence)} - H01G: CAPACITORS; CAPACITORS, RECTIFIERS, DETECTORS, SWITCHING DEVICES, LIGHT-SENSITIVE OR TEMPERATURE-SENSITIVE DEVICES OF THE ELECTROLYTIC TYPE (selection of specified materials as dielectric H01B3/00; capacitors having potential barriers H10D1/62, H10K10/10) ## Abstract A multilayer ceramic capacitor includes a glass component of an underlying electrode layer including Zr and Ba, and in a cross-section of the multilayer ceramic capacitor, a Zr/Ba atomic number ratio is not less than about 0.03 and not greater than about 0.15. The underlying electrode layer has a glass-occupied area ratio of not less than about 18% in the cross-section of the multilayer ceramic capacitor. In a SEM image in the cross-section of the multilayer ceramic capacitor, the glass component on an imaginary line α, which is parallel or substantially parallel to the surface of the surface layer of the underlying electrode layer about 3 μm inside of the surface layer of the underlying electrode layer, is not greater than about 0.92 μm. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A multilayer ceramic electronic component comprising: a multilayer body including a stack of a plurality of ceramic layers and including a first main surface and a second main surface facing each other in a stacking direction, a first lateral surface and a second lateral surface facing each other in a width direction orthogonal or substantially orthogonal to the stacking direction, and a first end surface and a second end surface facing each other in a length direction orthogonal or substantially orthogonal to the stacking direction and the width direction; a first internal electrode layer on a corresponding one of the plurality of ceramic layers and located inside the multilayer body; a second internal electrode layer on a corresponding one of the plurality of ceramic layers and located inside the multilayer body; a first external electrode including a first underlying electrode layer on the first end surface; and a second external electrode including a second underlying electrode layer on the second end surface; wherein the first underlying electrode layer and the second underlying electrode layer each include a metal component and a glass component; the glass component includes Zr and Ba; a Zr/Ba atomic number ratio is not less than about 0.03 and not greater than about 0.15; and the first underlying electrode layer and the second underlying electrode layer each have a glass-occupied area ratio of not less than about 18% in a cross-section orthogonal or substantially orthogonal to a direction of a surface of a surface layer of each of the first underlying electrode layer and the second underlying electrode layer, and in a SEM image in the cross-section, an average length of the glass component on an imaginary line is not greater than about 0.92 μm, the imaginary line being parallel or substantially parallel to the surface of the surface layer of each of the first underlying electrode layer and the second underlying electrode layer about 3 μm inside of the surface layer of each of the first underlying electrode layer and the second underlying electrode layer. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The multilayer ceramic electronic component according to claim 1, wherein the first underlying electrode layer and the second underlying electrode layer each have a cross-sectional porosity of not greater than about 6% in the cross-section. ### Claim 3 A method of manufacturing a multilayer ceramic electronic component, the multilayer ceramic electronic component including a multilayer body including a stack of a plurality of ceramic layers and including a first main surface and a second main surface facing each other in a stacking direction, a first lateral surface and a second lateral surface facing each other in a width direction orthogonal or substantially orthogonal to the stacking direction, and a first end surface and a second end surface facing each other in a length direction orthogonal or substantially orthogonal to the stacking direction and the width direction, a first internal electrode layer on a corresponding one of the plurality of ceramic layers and located inside the multilayer body, a second internal electrode layer on a corresponding one of the plurality of ceramic layers and located inside the multilayer body, a first external electrode including a first underlying electrode layer on the first end surface, and a second external electrode including a second underlying electrode layer on the second end surface, the method comprising: preparing the multilayer body; preparing a conductive paste for the first underlying electrode layer, the conductive paste including a metal component and a glass component; preparing a conductive paste for the second underlying electrode layer, the conductive paste including the metal component and the glass component; applying the conductive paste for the first underlying electrode layer onto the first end surface of the multilayer body; applying the conductive paste for the second underlying electrode layer onto the second end surface of the multilayer body; baking the conductive paste for the first underlying electrode layer applied on the first end surface; and baking the conductive paste for the second underlying electrode layer applied on the second end surface; wherein in the preparing the conductive paste for the first underlying electrode layer including the metal component and the glass component, ZrO2 powder is added separately from metal powder and glass powder included in the conductive paste for the first underlying electrode layer; in the preparing the conductive paste for the second underlying electrode layer including the metal component and the glass component, ZrO2 powder is added separately from the metal powder and the glass powder included in the conductive paste for the second underlying electrode layer; the metal component included in each of the conductive paste for the first underlying electrode layer and the conductive paste for the second underlying electrode layer has a central grain size of not less than about 0.2 μm and not greater than about 2.0 μm; and the glass component included in each of the conductive paste for the first underlying electrode layer and the conductive paste for the second underlying electrode layer includes Ba, a glass volume fraction is not less than about 20 vol %, and a Zr content obtained by converting ZrO2 powder as the glass component is not less than about 3 mol % and not greater than about 5 mol %. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method according to claim 3, wherein the metal powder is coated with ZrO2 powder in the addition of the ZrO2 powder added separately. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The multilayer ceramic electronic component according to claim 1, wherein the first internal electrode layer includes a first facing portion facing the second internal electrode layer and a first extending portion extending from the first facing portion to the first end surface; and the second internal electrode layer includes a second facing portion facing the first internal electrode layer and a second extending portion extending from the second facing portion to the second end surface. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The multilayer ceramic electronic component according to claim 5, wherein each of the first and second facing portions has a rectangular or substantially rectangular shape. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The multilayer ceramic electronic component according to claim 5, wherein each of the first and second extending portions has a rectangular or substantially rectangular shape. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The multilayer ceramic electronic component according to claim 1, wherein each of the first and second internal electrode layers includes at least one of Ni, Cu, Ag, Pd, Au, or an alloy including at least one of Ni, Cu, Ag, Pd, or Au. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The multilayer ceramic electronic component according to claim 1, wherein each of the first and second internal electrode layers has a thickness of not less than about 0.2 μm and not greater than about 2.0 μm. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The multilayer ceramic electronic component according to claim 1, wherein the metal component in each of the first and second external electrodes includes at least one of Cu, Ni, Ag, Pd, Ag—Pd alloy, or Au. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The multilayer ceramic electronic component according to claim 1, wherein each of the first and second underlying electrode layers has a thickness of not less than about 15 μm and not greater than about 160 μm. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The multilayer ceramic electronic component according to claim 1, wherein each of the first and second underlying electrode layers extends to a portion of the first main surface, a portion of the second main surface, a portion of the first lateral surface and a portion of the second lateral surface. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The multilayer ceramic electronic component according to claim 12, wherein a maximum thickness of each of the first and second underlying electrode layers on the portion of the first main surface, the portion of the second main surface, the portion of the first lateral surface and the portion of the second lateral surface is not less than about 5 μm and not greater than about 40 μm. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The multilayer ceramic electronic component according to claim 1, wherein the first external electrode includes a first plating layer covering the first underlying electrode layer; and the second external electrode includes a second plating layer covering the second underlying electrode layer. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The multilayer ceramic electronic component according to claim 14, wherein the first plating layer includes a first lower plating layer covering the first underlying electrode layer and a first upper plating layer covering the first lower plating layer; and the second plating layer includes a second lower plating layer covering the second underlying electrode layer and a second upper plating layer covering the second lower plating. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The multilayer ceramic electronic component according to claim 14, wherein each of the first and second plating layers includes at least one of Cu, Ni, Ag, Pd, Ag—Pd alloy, or Au. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The multilayer ceramic electronic component according to claim 15, wherein each of the first and second lower plating layers is a Ni plating layer; and each of the first and second upper plating layers is a Sn plating layer. ### Claim 18 (depends on 14) The multilayer ceramic electronic component according to claim 14, wherein each of the first and second plating layers has a thickness of not less than about 2 μm and not greater than about 15 μm.