Multilayer ceramic electronic device and method for making same

Abstract

A multilayer ceramic electronic device includes: a ceramic main body having a laminated body and a pair of side margin parts that respectively cover left and right side surfaces of the laminated body, the laminated body including a plurality of internal electrodes laminated in a vertical direction, side ends of each of the internal electrodes reaching and being flush with the respective side surfaces of the laminated body within a range of 0.5 um μm in the widthwise direction; and a pair of external electrodes respectively covering end surfaces of the ceramic main body, wherein a width dimension W of the multilayer ceramic electronic device in the widthwise direction is greater than a length dimension L of the multilayer ceramic electronic device in the lengthwise direction.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A multilayer ceramic electronic device, comprising:
 a ceramic main body having a laminated body having left and right side surfaces opposite to each other in a widthwise direction and a pair of side margin parts that respectively cover the left and right side surfaces of the laminated body, the laminated body including a plurality of internal electrodes laminated in a vertical direction, side ends of each of the internal electrodes reaching and being flush with the respective side surfaces of the laminated body within a range of 0.5 um μm in the widthwise direction, which is normal to the side surfaces, the ceramic main body further having end surfaces opposite to each other in a lengthwise direction; and   a pair of external electrodes respectively covering the end surfaces of the ceramic main body, each of the pair of external electrodes being in contact with lateral ends of one or more of the internal electrodes that are exposed from one of the end surfaces,   wherein a width dimension W of the multilayer ceramic electronic device in the widthwise direction is greater than a length dimension L of the multilayer ceramic electronic device in the lengthwise direction.   
     
     
         2 . The multilayer ceramic electronic device according to  claim 1 , wherein the width dimension W is equal to or less than 0.45 mm. 
     
     
         3 . The multilayer ceramic electronic device according to  claim 1 , wherein the width dimension W is greater than a height dimension T of the multilayer ceramic electronic device. 
     
     
         4 . A method for manufacturing a multilayer ceramic electronic device, comprising:
 forming a laminated body having left and right side surfaces opposite to each other in a widthwise direction, the laminated body including a plurality of internal electrodes laminated in a vertical direction, side ends of each of the internal electrodes reaching and being flush with the respective side surfaces of the laminated body within a range of 0.5 um μm in the widthwise direction, which is normal to the side surfaces;   punching out a ceramic sheet by one of the left and right side surfaces of said laminated body so as to form a side margin part on the one of the left and right side surfaces of said laminated body;   punching out another ceramic sheet by another of the left and right side surfaces of said laminated body so as to form a side margin part on the another of the left and right side surfaces of said laminated body, thereby forming the ceramic main body having the laminated body and the pair of side margin parts that respectively cover the left and right side surfaces of the laminated body, the ceramic main body further having end surfaces opposite to each other in a lengthwise direction;   firing the ceramic main body to form a sintered ceramic main body; and   forming a pair of external electrodes respectively covering the end surfaces of the sintered ceramic main body, each of the pair of external electrodes being in contact with lateral ends of one or more of the internal electrodes that are exposed from one of the end surfaces, thereby forming the multilayer ceramic electronic device,   wherein a width dimension W of the multilayer ceramic electronic device in the widthwise direction is greater than a length dimension L of the multilayer ceramic electronic device in the lengthwise direction.