Multilayer ceramic capacitor including dielectric ceramic layers including crystal grains

A multilayer ceramic capacitor comprising:

• a first primary surface and a second primary surface opposite to each other in a thickness direction, a first side surface and a second side surface opposite to each other in a width direction, and a first end surface and a second end surface opposite to each other in a length direction;
• and
• a body including a plurality of dielectric ceramic layers and a plurality of inner electrode layers stacked in the thickness direction and a pair of outer electrodes provided at the first end surface and the second end surface and coupled to the plurality of inner electrode layers;
• wherein
• the plurality of dielectric ceramic layers include crystal grains including a perovskite oxide including at least one A-site element and at least one B-site element;
• when a cross-section of the plurality of dielectric ceramic layers is observed using a scanning transmission electron microscope, the plurality of dielectric ceramic layers include {100} grains, on which a {100} plane of a perovskite structure is observed, as the crystal grains;
• when a thickness of the dielectric ceramic layers is denoted by d, at least a subset of the {100} grains is provided in near-electrode regions located inside the plurality of dielectric ceramic layers and extending to a distance of about 0.1d from interfaces with adjacent inner electrode layers of the plurality of inner electrode layers;
• and
• when compositional analysis of a {100} grain is performed by energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy in the cross-section, the {100} grain has an atom-distributed region in which a concentration of one A-site element or B-site element (c) subtracted from a maximum concentration of the element (Cmax) (ΔC=Cmax−C) is about 2 atm % or less, and an area of the atom-distributed region (SΔC≤2%) is about 0.070 nm2 or less.