Conductive paste for terminal electrodes of monolithic ceramic electronic component, method for making monolithic ceramic electronic component, and monolithic ceramic electronic component

Abstract

A conductive paste for forming terminal electrodes of a monolithic ceramic electronic component having nickel internal electrodes is provided. The conductive paste includes at least one of a silver powder and a silver alloy powder, a boron powder, an inorganic binder and an organic vehicle. The amount of the boron powder is at least about 0.5 percent by weight and less than about 7.0 percent by weight of the total weight of the conductive paste.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A conductive paste for forming terminal electrodes of a monolithic ceramic electronic component, comprising: 
 at least one of a silver powder and a silver alloy powder;    a boron powder;    an inorganic binder; and    an organic vehicle,    wherein the amount of the boron powder is at least about 0.5 percent by weight and less than about 7.0 percent by weight of the total weight of the conductive paste.    
     
     
         2 . The conductive paste according to  claim 1 , wherein the inorganic binder is at least one selected from the group consisting of bismuth borate glass, bismuth borosilicate glass and zinc borosilicate glass.  
     
     
         3 . The conductive paste according to  claim 2 , wherein the inorganic binder is lead free.  
     
     
         4 . The conductive paste according to  claim 3 , wherein the average particle diameter of the boron powder is about 60 μm or less.  
     
     
         5 . The conductive paste according to  claim 4 , wherein the amount of the inorganic binder is about 1 to 20 percent by volume of the total volume of the inorganic binder, said at least one of the silver powder and the silver alloy powder, and the boron powder.  
     
     
         6 . The conductive paste according to  claim 1 , wherein the amount of the inorganic binder is about 1 to 20 percent by volume of the total volume of the inorganic binder, said at least one of the silver powder and the silver alloy powder, and the boron powder.  
     
     
         7 . The conductive paste according to  claim 1 , wherein the average particle diameter of the boron powder is about 60 μm or less.  
     
     
         8 . The conductive paste according to  claim 1 , wherein the paste is lead free.  
     
     
         9 . A method for making a monolithic ceramic electronic component, comprising: 
 providing a sintered compact having internal conductor layers comprising nickel; and    applying the conductive paste of  claim 1  to the sintered compact and baking the conductive paste to form terminal electrodes electrically connected to the internal conductor layers of the sintered compact.    
     
     
         10 . A monolithic ceramic electronic component made by the method of  claim 9 .  
     
     
         11 . The monolithic ceramic electronic component according to  claim 10 , wherein the ceramic green sheets are dielectric, and the monolithic ceramic electronic component is a monolithic ceramic capacitor.  
     
     
         12 . The monolithic ceramic electronic component according to  claim 10 , wherein the ceramic green sheets are semiconductive and the monolithic ceramic electronic component is a monolithic positive temperature coefficient thermistor.  
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 9 , wherein the conductive paste is baked at a temperature of about 400 to 900° C.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising: 
 preparing ceramic green sheets;    forming a precursor of an internal conductor layer of nickel or a material containing nickel as the primary component on each of the ceramic green sheets;    stacking the ceramic green sheets to form a composite; and    sintering the composite to form the sintered compact.    
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising: 
 preparing ceramic green sheets;    forming a precursor of an internal conductor layer of nickel or a material containing nickel as the primary component on each of the ceramic green sheets;    stacking the ceramic green sheets to form a composite; and    sintering the composite to form the sintered compact.