Dielectric ceramic, methods for making and evaluating the same, and monolithic ceramic electronic component

A method for evaluating a dielectric ceramic that has a ceramic structure comprising crystal grains and grain boundaries between the crystal grains, the crystal grains comprising a main component represented by the formula ABO3 and an additive containing a rare earth element, wherein A is barium or barium and at least one of calcium and strontium, and B is titanium or titanium and at least one of zirconium and hafnium, the method comprising:

• measuring the average rare earth element concentration in the interiors of the crystal grains and the average rare earth element concentration at the grain boundaries;
• determining whether or not a first condition that the average rare earth element concentration in the interior of the crystal grains is about 50% or less of the average rare earth element concentration at the grain boundaries is satisfied;
• measuring the rare earth element concentration in the center of each crystal grain and the maximum rare earth element concentration in a region extending inward from the surface by a distance corresponding to about 5% of the diameter of the crystal grain;
• and
• determining whether or not a second condition that about 20% to 70% of the crystal grains, by number, have a rare earth element concentration in the center of the crystal grain which is at least {fraction (1/50)} of the maximum rare earth element concentration in the region is satisfied;
• wherein the dielectric ceramic to considered to be nondefective when the dielectric ceramic satisfies the first and second conditions.