Method of manufacturing an electronic component

Abstract

A manufacturing method for an electronic component forms with a high degree of accuracy a portion of an outer electrode on a main surface of a dielectric block. Light irradiated from a second main surface side is detected by a detector disposed on a first main surface side, thereby detecting the positions of first and second inner electrodes, and a conductive layer is formed in a portion on a first main surface, determined based on the detection result by the detector, thereby forming first portions of individual first and second outer electrodes.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A manufacturing method for an electronic component including a rectangular parallelepiped-shaped dielectric block that includes first and second main surfaces extending in a height direction, first and second side surfaces extending in a width direction, and first and second end surfaces, a first inner electrode extending from the first end surface to an inside of the dielectric block, a second inner electrode extending from the second end surface to the inside of the dielectric block and facing the first inner electrode, a first outer electrode connected to the first inner electrode, and a second outer electrode connected to the second inner electrode, wherein the first outer electrode includes a first portion located on the first main surface, a second portion located on the second main surface, and a third portion located on the first end surface, and the second outer electrode includes a first portion located on the first main surface, a second portion located on the second main surface, and a third portion located on the second end surface, the manufacturing method comprising:
 a preparation process in which the dielectric block including the first and second inner electrodes is prepared; and 
 a formation process in which the first and second outer electrodes are formed on the dielectric block; wherein 
 the formation process includes detecting light irradiated from the second main surface side to the dielectric block using a detector disposed on the first main surface side to detect positions of the first and second inner electrodes within the dielectric block, and forming a conductive layer on a portion on the first main surface at a position determined based on a detection result of the detector to form the first portion of each of the first and second outer electrodes. 
 
     
     
       2. The manufacturing method for an electronic component according to  claim 1 , wherein the formation process includes detecting light irradiated from the first main surface side to the dielectric block using a second detector disposed on the second main surface side to detect positions of the first and second inner electrodes within the dielectric block, and forming a conductive layer on a portion on the second main surface as a position determined based on a detection result of the second detector to form the second portion of each of the first and second outer electrodes. 
     
     
       3. The manufacturing method for an electronic component according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the dielectric block prepared in the preparation process is a mother substrate in which a plurality of pairs of the first and second inner electrodes are arranged in a matrix pattern; and 
 the formation process includes a cutting process in which, after the conductive layer has been formed, the mother substrate is cut into a plurality of chips and the first portion of each of the first and second outer electrodes is defined by the conductive layer, and a process in which the third portion of each of the first and second outer electrodes is formed with respect to each of the plurality of chips. 
 
     
     
       4. The manufacturing method for an electronic component according to  claim 3 , wherein the first portion of each of the first and second outer electrodes is formed throughout an entire region in the width direction of the dielectric block, and the conductive layer is formed in a stripe along the width direction of the dielectric block. 
     
     
       5. The manufacturing method for an electronic component according to  claim 1 , wherein the conductive layer is formed using a screen printing method, an ink-jet printing method, a gravure printing method, or a photolithography method.