BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to an electronic component including an element body and an outer electrode, and to a manufacturing method for the electronic component.

2. Description of the Related Art

For example, International Publication No. 2013/136936 discloses an existing electronic component. The electronic component disclosed in International Publication No. 2013/136936 includes an element body that includes a circuit element defined by an electrode pattern therein and an outer electrode that is provided outside the element body.

However, in the electronic component disclosed in International Publication No. 2013/136936, when a ceramic element body including glass made of a BAS material or the like mainly including Ba, Al and Si is used as an element body, further improvement in impact resistance is required.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Preferred embodiments of the present invention provide electronic components and manufacturing methods for the electronic components, which improve impact resistance.

An electronic component according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention includes a ceramic element body including glass; and a plurality of outer electrodes provided on the ceramic element body, in which each of the plurality of outer electrodes includes a base electrode layer that is provided on the ceramic element body and includes a buffer portion to buffer an impact, and the base electrode layer includes a first region that is disposed on the ceramic element body and includes the buffer portion of equal to or more than about 15 vol % and equal to or less than about 50 vol % in a volume of the first region, and a second region that covers the first region and includes the buffer portion of equal to or more than about 1 vol % and equal to or less than about 10 vol % in a volume of the second region.

In an electronic component according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, it is preferable that a thickness of the first region is equal to or more than about 5 μm and equal to or less than about 40 μm, and a thickness of the second region is equal to or more than about 1 μm and equal to or less than about 15 μm.

In an electronic component according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, it is preferable that the ceramic element body includes a first end surface and a second end surface which face each other in a length direction, a first side surface and a second side surface which face each other in a width direction orthogonal or substantially orthogonal to the length direction, and a first main surface and a second main surface which face each other in a height direction orthogonal or substantially orthogonal to the length direction and the width direction. In this case, at least one or more of the outer electrodes may be provided on each of the first side surface, the second side surface, the first end surface, and the second end surface, and two or more of the outer electrodes may be provided on at least one surface of the first side surface, the second side surface, the first end surface, and the second end surface.

In an electronic component according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, it is preferable that the electronic component further include a hollow cavity portion provided in the ceramic element body, and a pair of discharge electrodes that oppose each other in the hollow cavity portion.

In an electronic component according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the buffer portion may be a void.

A manufacturing method for an electronic component according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention includes preparing an element body portion including glass; applying a first conductive paste including a buffer portion forming member for forming a buffer portion to buffer an impact onto the element body portion; applying a second conductive paste including the buffer portion forming member onto the first conductive paste; and firing the element body portion, the first conductive paste, and the second conductive paste, in which in the applying the first conductive paste, in a state after the firing, the first conductive paste is applied such that the buffer portion is included at equal to or more than about 15 vol % and equal to or less than about 50 vol % in a volume of the first conductive paste, and in the applying the second conductive paste, in a state after the firing, the second conductive paste is applied such that the buffer portion is included at equal to or more than about 1 vol % and equal to or less than about 10 vol % in a volume of the second conductive paste.

In a manufacturing method for an electronic component according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, it is preferable that the element body portion including a first end surface and a second end surface which face each other in a length direction, a first side surface and a second side surface which face each other in a width direction orthogonal or substantially orthogonal to the length direction, and a first main surface and a second main surface which face each other in a height direction orthogonal or substantially orthogonal to the length direction and the width direction is prepared. In this case, in the applying the first conductive paste, the first conductive paste may be applied to each of the first side surface, the second side surface, the first end surface, and the second end surface along the height direction so as to be separated from one another, and on at least one surface of the first side surface, the second side surface, the first end surface, and the second end surface, the first conductive paste may be applied to two or more locations so as to be separated from one another.

In a manufacturing method for an electronic component according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, as the element body portion, a multilayer chip including a resin paste for forming a hollow cavity portion in an inside and including an electrode paste for forming a pair of discharge electrodes in the hollow cavity portion may be used.

In a manufacturing method for an electronic component according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the buffer portion may be a void. In this case, it is preferable that the buffer portion forming member is a void portion forming material.

A manufacturing method for an electronic component according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention includes preparing an element body portion including glass; applying a conductive paste including a buffer portion forming member for forming a buffer portion to buffer an impact onto the element body portion; forming a base electrode layer on a ceramic element body by firing the element body portion and the conductive paste; and surface-treating the base electrode layer, in which in the surface-treating of the base electrode layer, in the base electrode layer, a first region that is disposed on the ceramic element body and includes the buffer portion of equal to or more than about 15 vol % and equal to or less than about 50 vol %, and a second region that covers the first region and includes the buffer portion of equal to or more than about 1 vol % and equal to or less than about 10 vol % are formed.

In a manufacturing method for an electronic component according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the surface-treating of the base electrode layer may include feeding a plurality of the ceramic element bodies on each of which the base electrode layer is formed and a plurality of media into a container, and vibrating the container. In this case, it is preferable that the container including a bottom portion and a peripheral wall portion connected to a peripheral edge of the bottom portion is used. Further, in a case in which an imaginary axis with an annular shape surrounding a central axis of the bottom portion in a circumferential direction in a state before the vibrating the container is imagined, in the vibrating, it is preferable that vibration be applied to the ceramic element bodies and the media such that the ceramic element bodies and the media draw a spiral locus spirally surrounding the imaginary axis along an axial direction of the imaginary axis.

In a manufacturing method for an electronic component according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, it is preferable that the element body portion including a first end surface and a second end surface which face each other in a length direction, a first side surface and a second side surface which face each other in a width direction orthogonal or substantially orthogonal to the length direction, and a first main surface and a second main surface which face each other in a height direction orthogonal or substantially orthogonal to the length direction and the width direction is prepared. In this case, in the applying the conductive paste, the conductive paste may be applied to each of the first side surface, the second side surface, the first end surface, and the second end surface along the height direction so as to be separated from one another, and on at least one surface of the first side surface, the second side surface, the first end surface, and the second end surface, the conductive paste may be applied to two or more locations so as to be separated from one another.

In a manufacturing method for an electronic component according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, as the element body portion, a multilayer chip including a resin paste for forming a hollow cavity portion in an inside and including an electrode paste for forming a pair of discharge electrodes in the hollow cavity portion may be used.

In a manufacturing method for an electronic component according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the buffer portion may be a void. In this case, it is preferable that the buffer portion forming member is a void portion forming material.

According to preferred embodiments of the present invention, electronic components and manufacturing methods for the electronic components are provided, which improve impact resistance.

The above and other elements, features, steps, characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments with reference to the attached drawings.

