Multilayer ceramic electronic component, and method of manufacturing multilayer ceramic electronic component

A multilayer ceramic electronic component comprising:

• a component body including a plurality of ceramic layers laminated in a lamination direction and a plurality of pairs of first internal electrodes and second internal electrodes, the component body including a first main surface and a second main surface facing each other in the lamination direction, a first side surface and a second side surface facing each other in a width direction orthogonal or substantially orthogonal to the lamination direction, and a first end surface and a second end surface facing each other in a length direction orthogonal or substantially orthogonal to the lamination direction and the width direction;
• a first external electrode provided on the first end surface of the component body, and connected to the first internal electrodes at the first end surface;
• and
• a second external electrode provided on the second end surface of the component body, and connected to the second internal electrodes at the second end surface;
• wherein an absolute value |RaS1-RaS2| of a difference between a surface roughness RaS1 of the first side surface and a surface roughness RaS2 of the second side surface of the component body is smaller than an absolute value |RaM1-RaM2| of a difference between a surface roughness RaM1 of the first main surface and a surface roughness RaM2 of the second main surface;
• the surface roughness of at least one of the first side surface and the second side surface is smaller than the surface roughness of each of the first main surface and the second main surface;
• the first external electrode extends around a portion of each of the first main surface, the second main surface, the first side surface, and the second side surface of the component body;
• a thickness of the first external electrode provided on the first side surface and the second side surface of the component body is smaller than a thickness of the first external electrode provided on the first main surface and the second main surface of the component body;
• the second external electrode extends around a portion of each of the first main surface, the second main surface, the first side surface, and the second side surface of the component body;
• a thickness of the second external electrode provided on the first side surface and the second side surface of the component body is smaller than a thickness of the second external electrode provided on the first main surface and the second main surface of the component body;
• and
• the thickness of the first external electrode on at least one of the first main surface, the second main surface, the first side surface, and the second side surface is different from the-average thickness of the second external electrode on the corresponding at least one of the first main surface, the second main surface, the first side surface, and the second side surface.