# US 11,908,628 B2 · Multilayer ceramic electronic component including external electrodes with multilayer structure > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,908,628 B2 - Document ID: US11908628B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/075,456 - Filed: 2022-12-06 - Published: 2023-03-30 - Granted: 2024-02-20 - Earliest claimed: 2020-04-20 - Assignees: Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Satoshi Muramatsu; Ken Tominaga - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11908628B2 ## CPC - H01G 4/30: Stacked capacitors (H01G4/33 takes precedence) - H01G 4/008: Selection of materials - H01G 4/0085: {Fried electrodes} - H01G 4/012: Form of non-self-supporting electrodes - H01G 4/12: Ceramic dielectrics {(H01G4/085 takes precedence)} - H01G 4/232: electrically connecting two or more layers of a stacked or rolled capacitor - H01G 4/2325: {characterised by the material of the terminals} - H01G 4/1218: {based on titanium oxides or titanates (H01G4/1245 takes precedence)} - H01G 4/1236: {based on zirconium oxides or zirconates (H01G4/1263 takes 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 an external electrode including an underlying electrode layer, a lower plating layer on the underlying electrode layer at a first end surface and a second end surface, and an upper plating layer on the lower plating layer. The underlying electrode layer is a thin film electrode including at least one selected from Ni, Cr, Cu, and Ti. The lower plating layer is a Cu plating layer including a lower layer region located closer to the multilayer body and an upper layer region located between the lower layer region and the upper plating layer, and the Cu plating layer in the lower layer region has a metal grain diameter smaller than that of the Cu plating layer located in the upper layer region. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A multilayer ceramic electronic component comprising: a multilayer body including a plurality of stacked ceramic layers and including a first major surface and a second major surface opposite to each other in a height direction, a first side surface and a second side surface opposite to each other in a width direction orthogonal or substantially orthogonal to the height direction, and a first end surface and a second end surface opposite to each other in a length direction orthogonal or substantially orthogonal to the height direction and the width direction; a first internal electrode layer on at least one of the plurality of stacked ceramic layers and exposed at the first end surface; a second internal electrode layer on at least one of the plurality of ceramic layers and exposed at the second end surface; a first external electrode connected to the first internal electrode layer and located on the first end surface; and a second external electrode connected to the second internal electrode layer and located on the second end surface; wherein the first and second external electrodes include an underlying electrode layer, a lower plating layer on the underlying electrode layer at the first end surface and the second end surface, respectively, and an upper plating layer on the lower plating layer; the underlying electrode layer includes a thin film electrode including at least one selected from Ni, Cr, Cu, and Ti; at least a portion of the lower plating layer is connected to corresponding ones of the first internal electrode layer and the second internal electrode layer; the lower plating layer is a Cu plating layer; the lower plating layer includes a lower layer region located closer to the multilayer body and an upper layer region located between the lower layer region and the upper plating layer; and the Cu plating layer in the lower layer region has a metal grain diameter smaller than that of the Cu plating layer in the upper layer region. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The multilayer ceramic electronic component according to claim 1, wherein the Cu plating layer in the lower layer region has a metal grain diameter of about 0.20 μm or less, and the Cu plating layer in the upper layer region has a metal grain diameter of about 0.5 μm or more. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The multilayer ceramic electronic component according to claim 1, wherein the lower layer region is smaller in thickness than the upper layer region. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The multilayer ceramic electronic component according to claim 1, wherein the lower layer region has a thickness of about 0.2 μm or more and about 1.0 μm or less, and the upper layer region has a thickness of about 4.0 μm or more and 8.0 μm or less. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The multilayer ceramic electronic component according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of stacked ceramic layers has a thickness of about 0.4 μm or more and about 10 μm or less. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The multilayer ceramic electronic component according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of stacked ceramic layers includes at least one of BaTiO3, CaTiO3, SrTiO3, or CaZnO3 as a main component. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The multilayer ceramic electronic component according to claim 6, wherein each of the plurality of stacked ceramic layers further includes at least one of an Mn compound, an Fe compound, a Cr compound, a Co compound, or a Ni compound as a sub-component. ### Claim 8 (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 about 0.2 μm or more and about 2.0 μm or less. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The multilayer ceramic electronic component according to claim 1, wherein the upper plating layer covers the lower plating layer. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The multilayer ceramic electronic component according to claim 9, wherein the upper plating layer includes at least one of Ni, Sn, Cu, 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 plurality of internal electrode layers has a thickness of about 0.2 μm or more and about 2.0 μm or less. ### Claim 12 A multilayer ceramic electronic component comprising: a multilayer body including a plurality of stacked ceramic layers and a plurality of internal electrode layers, and including a first major surface and a second major surface opposite to each other in a height direction, a first side surface and a second side surface opposite to each other in a width direction orthogonal or substantially orthogonal to the height direction, and a third side surface and a fourth side surface opposite to each other in a length direction orthogonal or substantially orthogonal to the height direction and the width direction; and a plurality of external electrodes on the side surfaces of the multilayer body; wherein the plurality of internal electrode layers include a plurality of first internal electrode layers and a plurality of second internal electrode layers, with the first and second internal electrode layers alternately stacked with the ceramic layer interposed therebetween; the first internal electrode layer includes a first lead electrode portion extending to one of the first, second, third and fourth side surfaces, and a second lead electrode portion extending to one side surface other than the side surface to which the first lead electrode portion extends; the second internal electrode layer include a third lead electrode portion extending to one of the first, second, third and fourth side surfaces, and a fourth lead electrode portion extending to one side surface other than the side surface to which the third lead electrode portion extends; the plurality of external electrodes include a first external electrode connected to the first lead electrode portion, a second external electrode connected to the second lead electrode portion, a third external electrode connected to the third lead electrode portion, and a fourth external electrode connected to the fourth lead electrode portion; the first, second, third and fourth external electrodes include an underlying electrode layer, a lower plating layer on the underlying electrode layer at the third side surface and the fourth side surface, and an upper plating layer on the lower plating layer; the underlying electrode layer includes a thin film electrode including at least one selected from Ni, Cr, Cu, and Ti; at least a portion of the lower plating layer is connected to corresponding ones of the plurality of internal electrode layers; the lower plating layer is a Cu plating layer; the lower plating layer includes a lower layer region located closer to the multilayer body and an upper layer region located between the lower layer region and the upper plating layer; and the Cu plating layer in the lower layer region has a metal grain diameter smaller than that of the Cu plating layer located in the upper layer region. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The multilayer ceramic electronic component according to claim 12, wherein the Cu plating layer in the lower layer region has a metal grain diameter of about 0.20 μm or less, and the Cu plating layer in the upper layer region has a metal grain diameter of about 0.5 μm or more. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The multilayer ceramic electronic component according to claim 12, wherein the lower layer region is smaller in thickness than the upper layer region. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The multilayer ceramic electronic component according to claim 12, wherein the lower layer region has a thickness of about 0.2 μm or more and about 1.0 μm or less, and the upper layer region has a thickness of about 4.0 μm or more and 8.0 μm or less. ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) The multilayer ceramic electronic component according to claim 12, wherein each of the plurality of stacked ceramic layers has a thickness of about 0.4 μm or more and about 10 μm or less. ### Claim 17 (depends on 12) The multilayer ceramic electronic component according to claim 12, wherein each of the plurality of stacked ceramic layers includes at least one of BaTiO3, CaTiO3, SrTiO3, or CaZnO3 as a main component. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The multilayer ceramic electronic component according to claim 17, wherein each of the plurality of stacked ceramic layers further includes at least one of an Mn compound, an Fe compound, a Cr compound, a Co compound, or a Ni compound as a sub-component. ### Claim 19 (depends on 12) The multilayer ceramic electronic component according to claim 12, wherein the upper plating layer covers the lower plating layer. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The multilayer ceramic electronic component according to claim 19, wherein the upper plating layer includes at least one of Ni, Sn, Cu, Ag, Pd, Ag—Pd alloy, or Au.