Multilayer ceramic electronic component and a method for manufacturing the same

A method for manufacturing a multilayer ceramic electronic component comprising the steps of:

• forming an element body including a pair of principal surfaces facing each other, a pair of side surfaces facing each other, and a pair of end surfaces facing each other, rounded chamfer portions arranged along ridgelines between the side surfaces and the end surfaces, and a plurality of ceramic layers extending in a principal surface direction and laminated in a direction perpendicular or substantially perpendicular thereto and a plurality of pairs of internal electrodes which are formed along interfaces between the ceramic layers, which each include an exposure end exposed to one of the pair of end surfaces, and which are not exposed to the side surfaces;
• and
• forming external electrodes at least on the pair of end surfaces of the element body so as to be electrically connected to the exposure ends of the internal electrodes;
• wherein
• the step of forming an element body includes the steps of:
• preparing a green chip having parallel or substantially parallel side surfaces located inside and parallel or substantially parallel to the side surfaces of the element body and a laminate structure including a plurality of green ceramic layers to be formed into the ceramic layers and a plurality of pairs of green internal electrodes to be formed into the internal electrodes so that the green internal electrodes are exposed to the parallel or substantially parallel side surfaces;
• forming ceramic side surface layers on the parallel or substantially parallel side surfaces of the green chip to form the side surfaces of the element body by supplying a green ceramic material on the parallel or substantially parallel side surfaces of the green chip so as to cover the green internal electrodes exposed to the parallel or substantially parallel side surfaces;
• polishing the green chip provided with the ceramic side surface layers to obtain a green element body to be formed into the element body including the chamfer portions;
• and
• firing the green element body;
• and
• in the polishing step, intersections lines extending from the interfaces between the green chip and the ceramic side surface layers and external surfaces of the green element body are located within respective curved-surface formation ranges of the chamfer portions.