JP7601054B2 - Electronic component and method for manufacturing electronic component - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to electronic components and methods for manufacturing electronic components.

Patent document 1 discloses a solid electrolytic capacitor in which a lead frame is connected to each of the anode and cathode of the solid electrolytic capacitor element, and the solid electrolytic capacitor element and part of each lead frame are entirely covered with an exterior resin such as epoxy resin.

JP 2020-205446 A

However, in the above structure, there are many areas of volume that cannot store solid electrolytic capacitor elements, so in order to further improve the capacitor capacity, it is necessary to increase the effective volume that can be used to store solid electrolytic capacitor elements. In addition, there is a demand for improving productivity to reduce costs.

Furthermore, since capacitors mounted on a board by reflow are exposed to high temperatures of nearly 260°C, if moisture inevitably penetrates the capacitor due to exposure to the external environment before reflow mounting, stress will be generated due to internal pressure (water vapor pressure inside the solid electrolytic capacitor) during reflow mounting, causing deformation of the exterior body, such as bulging. If bulging occurs, there is a risk of problems such as a deterioration in the electrical characteristics of the capacitor, the occurrence of cracks in the exterior body, and the height of the electronic circuit board exceeding the design height.

It is also possible to increase the capacitance of the capacitor by making the exterior body thinner and increasing the number of layers of the solid electrolytic capacitor element accordingly, but making the exterior body thinner increases the likelihood of cracks occurring as the exterior body cannot withstand the increase in internal pressure during reflow. If cracks are exposed on the outer surface of the exterior body, moisture and oxygen will penetrate through the cracks, accelerating the deterioration of the internal elements and causing further deterioration of the electrical characteristics.

If the time exposed to the external environment is short, such problems will not occur, but if the time exposed to the external environment is long due to the process, the above-mentioned problems will become apparent.

The problem of deformation of the exterior body caused by an increase in internal pressure during reflow, etc., resulting in malfunctions, can occur not only with capacitors such as solid electrolytic capacitors, but also with other electronic components.

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and aims to provide an electronic component that can suppress deformation of the exterior body during reflow. Furthermore, the present invention aims to provide a manufacturing method for an electronic component that can realize an electronic component that can suppress deformation of the exterior body during reflow.

The electronic component of the present invention includes an element and an exterior body that seals the element, and includes an electronic component body having a first surface and a second surface that face each other in a first direction, a third surface and a fourth surface that face each other in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and a fifth surface and a sixth surface that face each other in a third direction perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction, a first external electrode formed on the fifth surface, and a second external electrode formed on the sixth surface, and the exterior body has a first portion that includes a first resin material and a second portion that is surrounded by the first portion and includes a second resin material, the first portion being present on at least a portion of each of the first surface, the second surface, the third surface, and the fourth surface of the electronic component body, and the second portion having an exposed portion that is exposed on at least one of the first surface, the second surface, the third surface, and the fourth surface of the electronic component body.

The method for manufacturing an electronic component of the present invention includes the steps of preparing an element, preparing a first portion of an exterior body containing a first resin material and having a through hole, hardening a liquid material containing a liquid second resin material filled in the gap between the first portion and the element inserted into the through hole to form a second portion of the exterior body, and cutting the exterior body along a cut line around the element, the through hole having a shape such that a portion of the through hole is located on the cut line, and in the step of cutting the exterior body, the exterior body is cut along the cut line to form an exposed portion of the second portion.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an electronic component that can suppress deformation of the exterior body during reflow. Furthermore, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a manufacturing method for an electronic component that can realize an electronic component that can suppress deformation of the exterior body during reflow.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating an example of an electronic component according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XX of the electronic component shown in FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line YY of the electronic component shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a schematic view of a first main surface or a second main surface of an electronic component body included in the electronic component shown in FIG. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a schematic view of a first side surface or a second side surface of an electronic component body included in the electronic component shown in FIG. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view that illustrates an example of an electronic component according to another embodiment of the present invention, and corresponds to the cross-sectional view taken along line YY in FIG. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view that illustrates an example of an electronic component according to still another embodiment of the present invention, and corresponds to the cross-sectional view taken along line YY in FIG. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic diagram of an example of an electronic component according to still another embodiment of the present invention, and corresponds to the cross-sectional view taken along line XX in FIG. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view that illustrates an example of a solid electrolytic capacitor element included in the electronic component illustrated in FIG. FIG. 10 is a perspective view that illustrates an example of a first portion of an exterior body used in the method for manufacturing an electronic component according to an embodiment of the present invention. 11 is a plan view of a first portion of the exterior body shown in FIG. 10. FIG. FIG. 12 is a plan view showing a schematic example of a first portion of an exterior body used in a method for manufacturing an electronic component according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 13 is a plan view illustrating an example of a first portion of an exterior body used in a method for manufacturing an electronic component according to yet another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 14 is a plan view showing a schematic example of a first portion of an exterior body used in a manufacturing method for an electronic component according to yet another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 15 is a plan view showing a schematic example of a workpiece used in the method for manufacturing an electronic component according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 16 is a diagram illustrating an example of a process for preparing a stack in which a plurality of solid electrolytic capacitor elements are stacked on top of one another. FIG. 17 is a diagram illustrating an example of a step of attaching an adhesive sheet to a first portion of an exterior body. FIG. 18 is a diagram illustrating an example of a process for supplying a conductive paste onto an adhesive sheet. Fig. 19A is a schematic diagram showing an example of a process for inserting a stack into a through hole, Fig. 19B is a schematic diagram showing an example of a process for embedding a tip of each element in a conductive paste, and Fig. 19C is a schematic diagram showing an example of a process for filling a liquid material around each element inserted into a through hole. FIG. 20 is a diagram illustrating an example of a step of cutting the first portion of the exterior body around the through hole.

The electronic component and the method for manufacturing the electronic component of the present invention will be described below.
However, the present invention is not limited to the following configurations, and can be modified and applied as appropriate within the scope of the present invention. Note that the present invention also includes a combination of two or more of the individual desirable configurations described below.

[Electronic Components]
Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of an electronic component according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line X-X of the electronic component shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line Y-Y of the electronic component shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a diagram showing a first main surface or a second main surface of an electronic component body provided in the electronic component shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a diagram showing a first side surface or a second side surface of an electronic component body provided in the electronic component shown in Fig. 1.
It should be noted that the internal structure of the solid electrolytic capacitor element is not shown in FIG. 3 and in FIGS. 6 to 8 which will be described later.

In addition, in Figures 1 to 5, the length direction of the electronic component 100 and the electronic component body 110 is indicated by L, the width direction by W, and the height direction by T. Here, the length direction L, the width direction W, and the height direction T are mutually perpendicular. Furthermore, the height direction T is an example of a first direction in the electronic component of the present invention, the width direction W is an example of a second direction in the electronic component of the present invention, and the length direction L is an example of a third direction in the electronic component of the present invention.

The electronic component 100 is a solid electrolytic capacitor, and as shown in Figures 1 to 5, has a generally rectangular parallelepiped outer shape. The electronic component 100 includes an electronic component body 110, a first external electrode 120, and a second external electrode 130.

The electronic component body 110 includes a solid electrolytic capacitor element 10 (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as "element 10") as an element (electronic component element), and includes a stack (capacitor element assembly) 11 in which a plurality of the elements 10 are arranged along a height direction T. The plurality of elements 10 are arranged so as to overlap one another to form the stack 11. Furthermore, the electronic component body 110 includes an exterior body 20 and a collecting electrode 30.
The number of elements 10 included in the stack 11 is not particularly limited as long as it is two or more, and can be set appropriately.

The electronic component body 110 has a generally rectangular parallelepiped outer shape. The electronic component body 110 has a first main surface 110a and a second main surface 110b that face each other in a height direction T, a first side surface 110c and a second side surface 110d that face each other in a width direction W that is perpendicular to the height direction T, and a first end surface 110e and a second end surface 110f that face each other in a length direction L that is perpendicular to the height direction T and the width direction W. Here, the first main surface 110a and the second main surface 110b of the electronic component body 110 are examples of the first and second surfaces of the electronic component body in the electronic component of the present invention, the first side surface 110c and the second side surface 110d of the electronic component body 110 are examples of the third and fourth surfaces of the electronic component body in the electronic component of the present invention, and the first end surface 110e and the second end surface 110f of the electronic component body 110 are examples of the fifth and sixth surfaces of the electronic component body in the electronic component of the present invention.

As described above, the electronic component body 110 has a generally rectangular parallelepiped outer shape, but the corners and ridges may be rounded. A corner is a portion where three faces of the electronic component body 110 intersect, and a ridge is a portion where two faces of the electronic component body 110 intersect.

The first external electrode 120 is formed on the first end surface 110e of the electronic component body 110, and the second external electrode 130 is formed on the second end surface 110f of the electronic component body 110.

The exterior body 20 encapsulates the multiple elements 10. That is, a stack 11 of multiple elements 10 is embedded in the exterior body 20. The exterior body 20 also encapsulates the collecting electrodes 30. The exterior body 20 has a first portion 21 that contains a first resin material, and a second portion 22 that is surrounded by the first portion 21 and contains a second resin material.

Since the exterior body 20 includes the first portion 21 and the second portion 22, resin materials with different properties can be selected as the first resin material of the first portion 21 and the second resin material of the second portion 22. Specifically, the first resin material can be a resin material that has excellent strength at high temperatures to withstand the high temperatures during reflow and has excellent long-term thermal durability to ensure reliability, such as thermoplastic resins such as polyphenylene sulfide and liquid crystal polymer. On the other hand, the second resin material can be a resin material with high air permeability, such as thermosetting resins such as epoxy resin and silicone resin.

As shown in Figures 3 to 5, the first portion 21 is present on at least a portion of each of the first main surface 110a, the second main surface 110b, the first side surface 110c, and the second side surface 110d of the electronic component body 110. Therefore, by using a resin material with excellent strength at high temperatures, the first portion 21 can be disposed in a location where the stress due to the internal pressure during reflow is high. Hereinafter, the first main surface 110a, the second main surface 110b, the first side surface 110c, and the second side surface 110d of the electronic component body 110 may be collectively referred to simply as the "four surfaces."

However, such high-strength resin materials often have low air permeability, so if all four sides are constructed from the first portion 21 alone, decomposition gases may accumulate inside the electronic component body 110 during use after mounting, causing swelling and resulting in deterioration of the characteristics.

Therefore, the second portion 22 has an exposed portion 23 exposed on at least one of the four faces (see Figures 3 and 4). Therefore, the second portion 22 having the exposed portion 23 is formed using a resin material with high gas permeability, and gas generated inside the electronic component body 110 (e.g., around the element 10) can be diffused through the second portion 22 and released from the exposed surface 23a of the exposed portion 23. As a result, it is possible to suppress an increase in internal pressure due to moisture during reflow and swelling due to decomposition gas during use.

As a result, the electronic component 100 can suppress deformation of the exterior body 20 during reflow. As a result, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of defects such as a deterioration in the electrical characteristics of the electronic component 100, the occurrence of cracks in the exterior body 20, and the electronic component 100 exceeding the height design of the electronic circuit board on which it is mounted.

In addition, the exterior body 20 includes the first portion 21 and the second portion 22, and since a resin material with high strength can be used as the first resin material of the first portion 21, it is possible to make the thickness of the exterior body 20 equal to or thinner than that of a conventional exterior body made of only one type of material. In other words, the effective volume that can be used to store the element 10 can be increased, improving the capacitor capacity.

Furthermore, the electronic component 100 can be manufactured with high productivity using the manufacturing method described below.

The first portion 21 is the main portion constituting (forming) the four surfaces, and for example, the area ratio of the first portion 21 to the four surfaces may be 60% or more and 95% or less, or 70% or more and 90% or less, when the total area of the four surfaces is 100%.

From the viewpoint of more effectively suppressing deformation of the exterior body 20, it is preferable that the first portion 21 exists at four ridge portions 110g where two of the four faces intersect, as shown in Figs. 3 to 5. In other words, it is preferable that all of these four ridge portions 110g are formed from the first portion 21.

As shown in Figures 3 to 5, the first portion 21 is composed of a plurality of plate-like portions, and has a structure in which these plate-like portions are arranged on at least a portion of each of the four sides. That is, the first portion 21 forms a space 24 therein in which a plurality of elements 10 (superimposed body 11) and a portion of the second portion 22 are housed. The first portion 21 is formed by integrally molding a tubular structure from a predetermined material including a first resin material, and then cutting a portion of the tubular structure, and the first portion 21 has no seams or internal joint interfaces.

As shown in Figures 2, 4, and 5, the first portion 21 is present on the outer periphery of the first end face 110e and the second end face 110f of the electronic component body 110, i.e., on the ridge portion 110h and/or corner portion 110j formed by the first end face 110e and the second end face 110f, but is not present in the central portion excluding the outer periphery of the first end face 110e and the second end face 110f.

The second portion 22 is an auxiliary portion that constitutes (forms) the above four sides, and for example, the area ratio of the second portion 22 to the above four sides may be 5% or more and 40% or less, or 10% or more and 30% or less, when the total area of the above four sides is 100%.

As shown in FIG. 3, the second portion 22 exists within the space 24 defined by the first portion 21 in which the multiple elements 10 (superimposed body 11) are housed. In this manner, the second portion 22 may be filled within the space 24 and around the multiple elements 10 (superimposed body 11).

Note that the state in which the second portion 22 is filled in the space 24 around the multiple elements 10 (superimposed body 11) may mean that the second portion 22 completely fills the space around the multiple elements 10 (superimposed body 11) in the space 24, or may not completely fill it. In the latter case, for example, there may be a small amount of air bubbles remaining in the second portion 22, there may be a small gap between the second portion 22 and the first portion 21, or there may be a small gap between the second portion 22 and at least one element 10.

As shown in FIG. 3, the second portion 22 is present within the space 24 defined by the first portion 21, and a portion of the second portion 22 protrudes outside the space 24 as the exposed portion 23, and is exposed on at least one of the four faces. That is, the exposed portion 23 is a portion (protruding portion) of the second portion 22 that protrudes outside the space 24. Furthermore, the second portion 22 has not only the exposed portion 23, but also a non-exposed portion 25 that is not exposed on the four faces. The non-exposed portion 25 is covered by the first portion 21, and is located closer to the center of the electronic component body 110 than the first portion 21.

It is preferable that the exposed portion 23 contacts at least one of the first end face 110e and the second end face 110f, and as shown in FIG. 4, it may contact both the first end face 110e and the second end face 110f. Although not shown, the exposed portion 23 may contact one of the first end face 110e and the second end face 110f and not the other (it may extend to just before the other). This allows the first portion before singulation to have a shape with a through hole that is easy to mold by injection molding, and the exposed portion 23 can be formed without reducing productivity.

When the exposed portion 23 contacts the first end face 110e, the exposed portion 23 is present in a portion of the first end face 110e (constitutes a portion of the first end face 110e), and when the exposed portion 23 contacts the second end face 110f, the exposed portion 23 is present in a portion of the first end face 110f (constitutes a portion of the first end face 110f).

As shown in FIG. 4, the exposed portion 23 may be provided in a band shape extending in the length direction L (e.g., a rectangular shape having a long side in the length direction L) on the surface where the exposed portion is exposed.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic example of an electronic component according to another embodiment of the present invention, and corresponds to the cross-sectional view taken along line Y-Y in FIG. 1. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic example of an electronic component according to yet another embodiment of the present invention, and corresponds to the cross-sectional view taken along line Y-Y in FIG. 1. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic example of an electronic component according to yet another embodiment of the present invention, and corresponds to the cross-sectional view taken along line X-X in FIG. 1.

When viewed in cross section in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal direction L with the first main surface 110a and the second main surface 110b arranged vertically, the second portion 22 may be H-shaped (see FIG. 3), inverted U-shaped (see FIG. 6), cross-shaped (see FIG. 7), or T-shaped (see FIG. 8). The inverted U-shape and T-shape may be shapes obtained by inverting the shapes shown in FIG. 6 and FIG. 8, respectively. That is, the second portion 22 may be U-shaped or inverted T-shaped.

Hereinafter, a cross-sectional view of the first main surface 110a and the second main surface 110b arranged vertically in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal direction L may be referred to simply as a "transverse cross-sectional view."

The exposed portion 23 may be provided at one location (see FIG. 8), two locations (see FIG. 6 and FIG. 7), or four locations (see FIG. 3) per electronic component body 110. In any case, it is preferable that the exposed portion 23 is symmetrical at least in either the left-right or top-bottom direction when viewed in cross section. This allows stress to be distributed evenly without concentrating in one area.

The above-mentioned effect can be sufficiently obtained if there are a maximum of four exposed portions 23 per electronic component body 110. If there are more exposed portions 23 provided, the effect is small, but the cost of the injection molding die increases.

More specifically, the exposed portion 23 is symmetrical from side to side and up to down in the case shown in FIG. 3, from side to side in the case shown in FIG. 6, from side to side and up to down in the case shown in FIG. 7, and from side to side in the case shown in FIG. 8.

The exposed portion 23 being laterally symmetrical means that, when viewed in cross section, the contour of the exposed portion 23 is symmetrical (including substantially symmetrical) with respect to the center line CL1 of the electronic component body 110 extending in the height direction T. The exposed portion 23 being vertically symmetrical means that, when viewed in cross section, the contour of the exposed portion 23 is symmetrical (including substantially symmetrical) with respect to the center line CL2 of the electronic component body 110 extending in the width direction W.

As shown in Figures 3, 4, and 6 to 8, the exposed portion 23 is preferably present on at least one of the first main surface 110a and the second main surface 110b. The two surfaces that face each other in the height direction, the first main surface 110a and the second main surface 110b, have a large area, which allows the exposed portion 23 to be provided widely. In addition, in the manufacturing process of the electronic component 100 described below, when the element 10 (superimposed body 11) is inserted into the first part of the exterior body before singulation, it is easy to prevent the element 10 from shifting in the width direction W and overlapping the cut line.

From the viewpoint of preventing the element 10 from shifting in the width direction W, it is preferable that the exposed portion 23 is not present on the first side surface 110c and the second side surface 110d, as shown in FIG. 5. In other words, it is preferable that only the first portion 21 is present on the first side surface 110c and the second side surface 110d.

As shown in FIG. 3, the second portion 22 preferably has a tapered structure that narrows from the inside of the electronic component body 110 toward the exposed surface 23a of the exposed portion 23. This prevents the second portion 22 from protruding from the first portion 21 like a fault, because the second portion 22 is caught by this tapered portion, even if peeling occurs at the interface between the first portion 21 and the second portion 22 due to internal pressure during reflow. As a result, the dimensions of the electronic component 100, for example the dimension in the height direction T (T dimension), from exceeding the height design of the electronic circuit board can be prevented.

More specifically, in this case, the area of a cross section of the second portion 22 (exposed portion 23) parallel to the surface where the exposed surface 23a is exposed becomes smaller from the inside of the electronic component body 110 toward the exposed surface 23a of the exposed portion 23. In addition, the second portion 22 (exposed portion 23) has the exposed surface 23a and a tapered surface 23b that is connected to the exposed surface 23a and is inclined relative to the exposed surface 23a.

Note that here, "inside the electronic component body" means closer to the center of the electronic component body.

In addition, FIG. 3 shows a case where the opposing surface 23c (joint surface) facing the first portion 21 of the exposed portion 23 is entirely composed of the tapered surface 23b, but if the second portion 22 has a tapered structure, only a part of the opposing surface 23c may be composed of the tapered surface 23b. For example, only one of the two opposing surfaces 23c located on both sides of the exposed portion 23 in FIG. 3 may be composed of the tapered surface 23b.

In addition, in the mold shown in Figures 6 to 8, at least a portion of the opposing surface 23c (joint surface) that faces the first portion 21 of the exposed portion 23 may be configured as a tapered surface as shown in Figure 3.

Although FIG. 3 shows a case where each tapered surface 23b is composed of a single surface, the tapered surface 23b may be composed of multiple surfaces. Specifically, for example, the tapered surface 23b may be composed of a fine staircase shape (a tread portion and a riser portion).

As shown in FIG. 3, the tapered surface 23b is preferably curved. This increases the contact area between the second portion 22 and the first portion 21 in the exposed portion 23, thereby improving the bonding strength (e.g., bonding strength in the width direction W).

Note that, although FIG. 3 shows the curved tapered surface 23b as being convex, i.e., bulging outward from the exposed portion 23, it may also be concave, i.e., recessed inward from the exposed portion 23.

It is preferable that the first resin material is at least one type of thermoplastic resin, and the second resin material is at least one type of thermosetting resin. In conventional technology, the exterior body is usually a thermosetting resin, but by using a thermoplastic resin as the first resin material, a material with higher strength at high temperatures can be selected as the first resin material constituting the first portion 21. In addition, by using a thermoplastic resin as the first resin material and a thermosetting resin as the second resin material, the electronic component 100 can be easily manufactured as described below.

The melting point of the at least one thermoplastic resin used as the first resin material is preferably 260°C or higher, more preferably 275°C or higher, and even more preferably 300°C or higher. By using such a thermoplastic resin, the strength of the exterior body 20 at high temperatures during reflow can be ensured.

There is no upper limit to the melting point of the at least one thermoplastic resin, but it is usually 400°C or lower, preferably 360°C or lower, and more preferably 330°C or lower.

The first resin material preferably contains at least one of polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) and liquid crystal polymer (LCP). These resins are thermoplastic resins, but have high strength at high temperatures and can be processed into the shape of the first portion 21 by injection molding, which is a commonly used method for molding thermoplastic resins, making them suitable as the first resin material.

The second resin material preferably contains at least one of an epoxy resin and a silicone resin. These resins are thermosetting resins, but are highly permeable, making them suitable as the second resin material. In addition, in the manufacturing method of the electronic component 100 according to the present embodiment described below, since the electronic component 100 is handled at room temperature, a material that is liquid at room temperature before curing is appropriate, and these resins may fall into this category. In addition, these resins are also suitable materials as capacitor sealing materials in terms of insulation, heat resistance, etc.

In this way, the air permeability, e.g., water vapor permeability, of the second resin material is preferably higher than that of the first resin material. More specifically, the water vapor permeability of the first resin material at 40° C. and 90% RH may be 300 g·μm/m ² /day or less (preferably 200 g·μm/m ² /day or less), and the water vapor permeability of the second resin material at 40° C. and 90% RH may be 500 g·μm/m ² /day or more (preferably 800 g·μm/m ² /day or more).

The water vapor permeability is measured based on the cup method specified in JIS Z 0208. That is, each resin material is prepared into a thin plate-like sample with a thickness of 300 to 800 μm, and the water vapor permeability is measured under condition B of the standard (temperature 40±0.5°C, relative humidity 90±2%) using the sample and a moisture permeability cup, and converted to a value per unit thickness, excluding the effect of thickness, to obtain the water vapor permeability.

The lower limit of the water vapor permeability of the first resin material is not particularly limited, and the water vapor permeability of the first resin material at 40° C. and 90% RH may be a value exceeding 0 g·μm/m ² /day (preferably 5 g·μm/m ² /day or more). The upper limit of the water vapor permeability of the second resin material is also not particularly limited, and the water vapor permeability of the second resin material at 40° C. and 90% RH may be 100,000 g·μm/m ² /day or less (preferably 60,000 g·μm/m ² /day or less).

The water vapor transmission rate of the above resin at 40° C. and 90% RH is as shown below (all values are expressed in units of g·μm/m ² /day).
Polyphenylene sulfide: 175
Liquid crystal polymer: 10
Epoxy resin: 1000
Silicone resin: 50,000

The first resin material and the second resin material may each contain a filler such as silica particles, alumina particles, or metal oxide particles, or a fiber such as ceramic fiber, as a reinforcing material. In particular, it is preferable that the first resin material contains ceramic fibers having a fiber length of 50 μm or more as a reinforcing material.

The water vapor permeability of the first resin material means the water vapor permeability of the material including all the components that make up the first portion 21, and in the case where the first resin material includes fillers or fibers, it refers to the water vapor permeability of the entire material including the fillers and fibers. The same applies to the water vapor permeability of the second resin material.

The multiple elements 10 are arranged in a stacked manner in the height direction T. The extension direction of each of the multiple elements 10 is approximately parallel to the first main surface 110a and the second main surface 110b of the electronic component body 110. The elements 10 adjacent to each other in the height direction T may be joined to each other via a conductive adhesive (not shown).

Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic example of a solid electrolytic capacitor element included in the electronic component shown in Figure 1.

2 and 9, each solid electrolytic capacitor element 10 is a substantially flat electronic component element, and includes an anode 40, which is a thin film (foil) having a rectangular shape in plan view and whose surface is made of a porous valve metal substrate, a dielectric layer 41 (see FIG. 9, not shown in FIG. 2) provided on the surface of the anode 40 except for the base end surface 40b of the anode 40, a mask layer 42 which is a linear (extending in a strip) insulating member provided on the dielectric layer 41 along the base end surface 40b of the anode 40, and a cathode 43 provided on the dielectric layer 41 on the tip end surface 40a side of the mask layer 42. In each solid electrolytic capacitor element 10, the cathode 43 faces the anode 40 via the dielectric layer 41.

As shown in FIG. 2, each cathode 43 is electrically connected to the first external electrode 120 via the collecting electrode 30 at the first end surface 110e of the electronic component body 110, and each anode 40 is electrically connected to the second external electrode 130 at the second end surface 110f of the electronic component body 110.

The anode 40 extends between the first end face 110e and the second end face 110f of the electronic component body 110.

The cathode 43 extends between the first end face 110e and the second end face 110f of the electronic component body 110. The cathode 43 also has a solid electrolyte layer 44 provided on the dielectric layer 41, a carbon layer 45 provided on the solid electrolyte layer 44, and a cathode conductor layer 46 provided on the carbon layer 45.

As shown in FIG. 2, the collecting electrode 30 is electrically connected to the multiple cathodes 43 of the multiple elements 10. The collecting electrode 30 is exposed to the first end face 110e of the electronic component body 110, and is provided at least on the portion of the electronic component body 110 on the first end face 110e side. The collecting electrode 30 is formed in a shape with a thickness at a position recessed from the first end face 110e.

As shown in FIG. 2, at least the portion of each cathode 43 facing the first external electrode 120 is embedded in the collector electrode 30, thereby ensuring electrical connection between each cathode 43 and the collector electrode 30.

The collecting electrode 30 is a composite material of a conductive component (conductive material) and a resin component (resin material). The conductive component preferably contains as its main component a single metal such as silver, copper, nickel, or tin, or an alloy containing at least one of these metals. The resin component preferably contains as its main component an epoxy resin, a phenolic resin, or the like. The collecting electrode 30 can be formed, for example, using a conductive paste such as silver paste.

2, the first external electrode 120 is provided on the first end surface 110e of the electronic component body 110. In FIG. 1, the first external electrode 120 is provided from the first end surface 110e of the electronic component body 110 to each of the first main surface 110a, the second main surface 110b, the first side surface 110c, and the second side surface 110d. The first external electrode 120 is electrically connected to the collector electrode 30 exposed from the electronic component body 110 at the first end surface 110e. That is, the first external electrode 120 is electrically connected to each cathode 43 via the collector electrode 30.

In addition, the collecting electrode 30 is present in the space 24 that houses the multiple elements 10 (superimposed body 11), and the first end face 110e of the electronic component body 110 is mainly formed from the collecting electrode 30 and the first part 21 of the outer casing 20, so the first external electrode 120 can be formed on this first end face 110e. Therefore, it is easy to electrically connect the first external electrode 120 to the collecting electrode 30, and it is possible to form the first external electrode 120 with a thin thickness.

Specifically, the first external electrode 120 may have a so-called sputtered film formed by a sputtering method. Examples of materials for the sputtered film include Ni, Sn, Ag, Cu, and Au.

The first external electrode 120 may also have a so-called vapor deposition film formed by a vapor deposition method. Examples of materials for the vapor deposition film include Ni, Sn, Ag, and Cu.

In this way, since the first external electrode 120 can be formed from a sputtered film and/or a vapor deposition film, the film thickness of the first external electrode 120 may be thinner than the film thickness of the second external electrode 130. Specifically, the film thickness of the first external electrode 120 is preferably 1 μm or more and 100 μm or less, more preferably 5 μm or more and 50 μm or less, and even more preferably 10 μm or more and 30 μm or less.

2, the second external electrode 130 is provided on the second end surface 110f of the electronic component body 110. In FIG. 1, the second external electrode 130 is provided from the second end surface 110f of the electronic component body 110 to each of the first main surface 110a, the second main surface 110b, the first side surface 110c, and the second side surface 110d. The second external electrode 130 is electrically connected to the anode 40 (valve metal substrate) of the element 10 exposed from the electronic component body 110 at the second end surface 110f. The second external electrode 130 may be directly or indirectly connected to the anode 40 at the second end surface 110f of the electronic component body 110.

At least one of the first external electrode 120 and the second external electrode 130 may have a resin electrode layer containing a conductive component and a resin component. The conductive component preferably contains, as a main component, a metal such as silver, copper, nickel, or tin, or an alloy containing at least one of these metals. The resin component preferably contains, as a main component, an epoxy resin, a phenolic resin, or the like. The resin electrode layer can be formed, for example, using a conductive paste such as silver paste.

At least one of the first external electrode 120 and the second external electrode 130 may have a so-called plating layer formed by a plating method. Examples of the plating layer include a zinc-silver-nickel layer, a silver-nickel layer, a nickel layer, a zinc-nickel-gold layer, a nickel-gold layer, a zinc-nickel-copper layer, and a nickel-copper layer. On these plating layers, it is preferable to provide, in order, a copper plating layer, a nickel plating layer, and a tin plating layer (or with the exception of some plating layers).

At least one of the first external electrode 120 and the second external electrode 130 may have both a resin electrode layer and a plating layer. For example, the first external electrode 120 may have a resin electrode layer connected to the collecting electrode 30 and an outer plating layer provided on the surface of the resin electrode layer. The first external electrode 120 may have an inner plating layer connected to the collecting electrode 30, a resin electrode layer provided to cover the inner plating layer, and an outer plating layer provided on the surface of the resin electrode layer. The second external electrode 130 may have a resin electrode layer connected to the anode 40 (valve metal substrate) and an outer plating layer provided on the surface of the resin electrode layer. The second external electrode 130 may have an inner plating layer connected to the anode 40 (valve metal substrate), a resin electrode layer provided to cover the inner plating layer, and an outer plating layer provided on the surface of the resin electrode layer.

[Electronic component manufacturing method]
The electronic component 100 can be manufactured by the following method. In the following example, a method for simultaneously manufacturing a plurality of solid electrolytic capacitor elements using a large valve metal substrate will be described.

Figure 10 is a perspective view showing a schematic example of a first part of an exterior body used in a method for manufacturing an electronic component according to an embodiment of the present invention.

First, as shown in FIG. 10, a first part 221 (a member that will become the first part 21 of the exterior body 20) of the exterior body 220 containing the above-mentioned first resin material and having a plurality of through holes 223 is prepared. The first part 221 is a member in which a plurality of through holes 223 are provided vertically and horizontally in a flat plate material having a predetermined thickness and a rectangular shape in a plan view. Each through hole 223 is provided in a direction perpendicular to the main surface of the first part 221, and both ends are open. The first part 221 can be made by injection molding. As the first resin material used for the first part 221, a resin that can be injected is suitable, and specifically, a thermoplastic resin such as PPS (polyphenylene sulfide), LCP (liquid crystal polymer), PBT (polybutylene terephthalate), polyimide, or polyamide is suitable. The first resin material may contain fillers such as silica particles, alumina particles, and metal oxide particles, or fibers such as ceramic fibers, as reinforcing materials.

Figure 11 is a plan view of the first part of the exterior body shown in Figure 10.

As described below, the first portion 221 is cut along the cut lines to separate the first portion 221, and as shown in FIG. 11, each through hole 223 has a shape in which a portion of the through hole 223 is located on the cut line (the dashed line in FIG. 11). That is, the through hole 223 partially overlaps the cut line, and a portion of the through hole 223 is located outside the element region (the thick dashed line in FIG. 11) cut out by the cut line. This makes it easy to form the exposed portion 23 of the second portion 22 described above. That is, since the second portion 22 having the exposed portion 23 can be formed simply by changing the shape of each through hole 223, no additional process or the like is required, and an electronic component 100 having a structure having the exposed portion 23 can be obtained without reducing productivity.

Figure 12 is a plan view showing a schematic example of a first part of an exterior body used in a manufacturing method for electronic components according to another embodiment of the present invention. Figure 13 is a plan view showing a schematic example of a first part of an exterior body used in a manufacturing method for electronic components according to yet another embodiment of the present invention. Figure 14 is a plan view showing a schematic example of a first part of an exterior body used in a manufacturing method for electronic components according to yet another embodiment of the present invention.

More specifically, when the main surface of the first portion 221 is viewed in a plan view (when viewed in the direction in which the through hole 223 extends), the shape of the through hole 223 has a basic shape of a rectangle Rec set within an area surrounded by cut lines (dash-dotted lines in each figure) as shown in Figures 11 to 14, with a portion of the rectangle Rec protruding outside the cut lines in one or more areas corresponding to the exposed portion 23 of the second portion 22.

When an arc-shaped protrusion is provided as shown in Figure 11, an exposed portion 23 having a curved tapered surface 23b as shown in Figure 3 can be formed. On the other hand, when a rectangular protrusion is provided as shown in Figures 12 to 14, an exposed portion 23 can be formed in which the opposing surface 23c is perpendicular to any of the four surfaces as shown in Figures 6 to 8.

In the case shown in FIG. 11, an electronic component body 110 as shown in FIG. 3 can be formed. In the case shown in FIG. 12, an electronic component body 110 as shown in FIG. 6 can be formed. In the case shown in FIG. 13, an electronic component body 110 as shown in FIG. 7 can be formed. In the case shown in FIG. 14, an electronic component body 110 as shown in FIG. 8 can be formed.

Next, prepare the stack 11.

Figure 15 is a plan view showing a schematic example of a workpiece used in a method for manufacturing electronic components according to an embodiment of the present invention.

First, as shown in FIG. 15, a workpiece 210 is prepared in which element portions 212 (multiple solid electrolytic capacitor elements 10) are connected in strips at regular intervals to a band-shaped holding portion 211. A mask layer 42 is formed on each element portion 212.

In detail, first, a valve metal substrate having a porous portion on its surface is cut by laser processing, punching processing, or the like, to form a shape including a plurality of element portions 212 and a holding portion 211.

The valve metal substrate is made of a valve metal such as an elemental metal such as aluminum, tantalum, niobium, titanium, or zirconium, or an alloy containing these metals.
The valve metal base need only be composed of a core and a porous portion provided on at least one of the main surfaces of the core, and may be, for example, a metal foil having an etched surface or a metal foil having a porous sintered powder formed on the surface.

Next, a mask layer is formed on both main surfaces and both side surfaces of each element portion 212 along the short sides of each element portion 212.

The mask layer is formed by applying a mask material such as a composition containing an insulating resin by screen printing, roller transfer, dispenser application, inkjet printing, etc. Examples of insulating resins include polyphenylsulfone (PPS), polyethersulfone (PES), cyanate ester resin, fluororesin (tetrafluoroethylene, tetrafluoroethylene-perfluoroalkylvinylether copolymer, etc.), a composition consisting of soluble polyimidesiloxane and epoxy resin, polyimide resin, polyamideimide resin, and derivatives or precursors thereof.

After this, a hydrophilic material may or may not be applied to the mask layer.

Next, an oxide film that will become a dielectric layer is formed on the surface of the valve metal substrate by anodizing the valve metal substrate. For example, the dielectric layer is made of aluminum oxide. At this time, an oxide film is also formed on the side of the element portion 212 that has been cut by laser processing, punching, or the like. Note that a chemical foil on which aluminum oxide has already been formed may be used as the valve metal substrate. In this case, an oxide film is also formed on the side of the cut element portion 212 by anodizing the valve metal substrate after cutting.

Next, a solid electrolyte layer is formed on the dielectric layer of the element portion 212. Specifically, the element portion 212 is immersed in a treatment liquid containing a solid electrolyte, so that the treatment liquid is impregnated into the porous portion of the valve metal substrate. After a predetermined period of immersion, the element portion 212 is removed from the treatment liquid and dried at a predetermined temperature for a predetermined period of time. The process of immersion in the treatment liquid, removal, and drying is repeated a predetermined number of times to form a solid electrolyte layer.

As the treatment liquid containing a solid electrolyte, for example, a dispersion liquid of a conductive polymer such as polypyrroles, polythiophenes, polyanilines, etc. is used. Among these, polythiophenes are preferred, and poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) called PEDOT is particularly preferred. The conductive polymer may also contain a dopant such as polystyrene sulfonic acid (PSS). A conductive polymer film can be formed by attaching a dispersion liquid of a conductive polymer to the outer surface of the dielectric layer and drying it. Alternatively, as the treatment liquid containing a solid electrolyte, a liquid containing a polymerizable monomer, for example, a polymerizable monomer such as 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene, and an oxidizing agent may be used. This containing liquid can be attached to the outer surface of the dielectric layer to form a conductive polymer film by chemical polymerization. This conductive polymer film becomes the solid electrolyte layer.

Then, the element portion 212 is immersed in the carbon paste, pulled out, and dried to form a carbon layer in a predetermined area. The carbon paste is a conductive paste that contains carbon particles as a conductive component and a resin component such as epoxy resin or phenolic resin.

Then, the element portion 212 is immersed in the conductive paste, pulled up, and dried to form a cathode conductor layer in a predetermined area. Examples of conductive pastes for forming the cathode conductor layer include those that contain metal particles as a conductive component and a resin component such as epoxy resin or phenolic resin. Examples of metal particles include gold, silver, copper, platinum, etc. Among them, a silver paste that contains silver particles as a conductive component is preferable as a conductive paste for forming the cathode conductor layer.

As a result of the above, a workpiece 210 is created in which a solid electrolytic capacitor element 10 is formed in each element portion 212.

Here, the first portion 221 has substantially rectangular parallelepiped through holes 223 in the same number and pitch as the elements 10 of the rectangular workpiece 210, and has multiple rows of such through holes 223.

Figure 16 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a process for preparing a stack of multiple solid electrolytic capacitor elements stacked on top of each other.

Next, as shown in FIG. 16, multiple workpieces 210 are prepared, on which multiple elements 10 are formed in a strip shape, and a predetermined number of workpieces 210 are bundled together so that the multiple elements 10 overlap each other, and then fixed with a jig such as a clamp (not shown). This creates multiple stacks 11 in which multiple elements 10 are arranged along the height direction T. The multiple stacks 11 are arranged in a row (a row aligned perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. 16).

Figure 17 is a diagram showing a schematic diagram of an example of a process for attaching an adhesive sheet to a first portion of an exterior body.

Next, as shown in FIG. 17, an adhesive sheet 250 (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as "sheet 250") is attached to the first portion 221 so as to close the first opening 223a of each through hole 223. That is, the adhesive sheet 250 is attached to the entire surface of one side of the first portion 221 so as to close one side of each through hole 223. This makes it possible to easily expose the end face of the collecting electrode 30 to the first end face 110e of the electronic component body 110 by peeling off the sheet 250 after sealing.

Note that it is sufficient for each through hole 223 to have the first opening 223a (lower opening) covered, and instead of attaching the adhesive sheet 250, the first opening 223a may be covered, for example, by placing the first part 221 on a flat table.

Figure 18 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a process for supplying conductive paste onto an adhesive sheet.

Next, as shown in FIG. 18, with the first opening 223a of each through hole 223 covered with the adhesive sheet 250, the conductive paste 230 is supplied onto the sheet 250 from the second opening 223b (upper opening) of each through hole 223. As a result, the conductive paste 230 is applied onto the sheet 250 in each through hole 223. For example, the conductive paste 230 may contain metal particles as a conductive component and a resin component such as epoxy resin or phenolic resin. For example, the metal particles may be silver, copper, nickel, tin, etc. Among them, the conductive paste 230 is preferably a silver paste containing silver particles as a conductive component. In addition, for example, a dispenser or the like may be used to supply the conductive paste 230.

Figure 19A is a diagram showing an example of a process for inserting a stack into a through hole. Figure 19B is a diagram showing an example of a process for embedding the tip of each element in a conductive paste. Figure 19C is a diagram showing an example of a process for filling a liquid material around each element inserted into a through hole.

Next, as shown in FIG. 19A, the fixed workpieces 210 are moved relative to the first portion 221, and the stack 11 is inserted into the through-holes 223 in the same row through the second openings 223b.

In this way, by using the workpiece 210 in which multiple elements 10 are connected in the form of strips at regular intervals in the holding portion 211, the elements 10 can be inserted into the first portion 221 in strip units, which can significantly improve productivity compared to inserting elements 10 one by one or stacks 11 one by one into the first portion 221.

At this time, as shown in FIG. 19B, the conductive paste 230 is spread by the tip of each element 10, i.e., the tip of the cathode 43, and the tip of the cathode 43 of each element 10 is embedded in the conductive paste 230. In other words, the conductive paste 230 is connected to all elements 10.

Then, with each cathode 43 embedded, the conductive paste 230 is cured on the sheet 250, for example, by heating. As a result, the collector electrode 30 is formed with at least the tip of the cathode 43 of each element 10 embedded in the collector electrode 30 (see FIG. 2).

Next, as shown in FIG. 19C, the liquid material 222 is filled around each element 10 inserted into each through hole 223, i.e., between adjacent elements 10 and between the stack 11 and the first part 221. For example, the liquid material 222 is injected into each through hole 223 using a dispenser or the like, and vacuum degassing is performed to fill the liquid material 222 around each element 10. The viscosity of the liquid material 222 may be reduced by heating during injection or vacuum degassing. The liquid material 222 contains the above-mentioned second resin material (however, liquid before hardening). The resin contained in the liquid second resin material is preferably a thermosetting resin such as epoxy resin, silicone resin, or urethane resin. The liquid second resin material may contain fillers such as silica particles, alumina particles, or metal oxide particles, or fibers such as ceramic fibers, as reinforcing materials.

The liquid material 222 before curing preferably has a viscosity of 100 Pa·s or less at 25°C. A viscosity of 100 Pa·s or less allows for easy filling by simply degassing and heating in a vacuum oven, thereby increasing productivity. The viscosity of the liquid material 222 before curing is more preferably 30 Pa·s or less at 25°C, and even more preferably 5 Pa·s or less.

Although there is no lower limit to the viscosity of the liquid material 222 before hardening, it is preferable that the viscosity is not too low so that the liquid material 222 does not leak from the gap between the first portion 221 and the sheet 250 after the liquid material 222 is filled and before it is heated and hardened. More specifically, the viscosity of the liquid material 222 before hardening is usually 0.01 Pa·s or more at 25°C, preferably 0.1 Pa·s or more, and more preferably 0.3 Pa·s or more.

Then, the liquid material 222 filled in each of the through holes 223 is cured. For example, the liquid material 222 is heated and cured in a vacuum oven to form the second portion 222a of the exterior body 220 (the portion that becomes the second portion 22 of the exterior body 20).
A small number of air bubbles may remain in the second portion 222a which is the cured product of the liquid material 222. A small gap may remain between the second portion 222a and the first portion 221 and/or between the second portion 222a and at least one element 10.

Then, for the other rows of through holes 223, the conductive paste 230 is supplied, multiple elements 10 (superimposed body 11) are inserted, the liquid material 222 is filled, and the liquid material 222 is hardened, so that multiple elements 10 (superimposed body 11) and second portions 222a are housed in all of the through holes 223.

Then, after the liquid material 222 has hardened, the sheet 250 is peeled off from the first portion 221. The collector electrodes 30 to which the elements 10 are connected are exposed on the peeled surface, and this peeled surface becomes the first end surface 110e of the electronic component body 110. At least one end surface of the cathode may be exposed on this peeled surface.

On the other hand, the upper part of the first part 221 contains unnecessary parts of each element 10, unnecessary parts of the liquid material 222, and the holding part 211 of the workpiece 210. The height of the first part 221 is the length of the chip in the longitudinal direction, and therefore needs to be adjusted to a predetermined length. Therefore, the unnecessary parts on the upper part of the first part 221 are cut off with a grinder or the like along a predetermined cut line (for example, the dashed line in FIG. 19C). The surface exposed after the unnecessary parts are cut off becomes the second end face 110f of the electronic component body 110. The anode 40 (foil made of a valve metal base) of each element 10 is exposed on the second end face 110f.

Next, cutting is done to separate the pieces.

Figure 20 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a process for cutting the first portion of the exterior body around the through hole.

As shown in FIG. 20, the exterior body (first portion 221 and second portion 222a) is cut along cut lines (dotted lines in FIG. 20) around the element 10 (superimposed body 11). As a result, the first portion 21 is formed from the first portion 221, and the second portion 22 is formed from the second portion 222a. That is, the exposed portion 23 of the second portion 22 is formed. For example, a dicer or the like is used to cut along predetermined cut lines (dotted lines in FIG. 20) around each through hole 223.

This results in an electronic component body 110 having a stack 11 of elements 10.

The electronic component body 110 may then be barrel polished. Specifically, the electronic component body 110 may be polished by sealing the electronic component body 110 together with an abrasive in a barrel tank and rotating the barrel tank. This causes the corners and ridges of the electronic component body 110 to be rounded.

If necessary, metal particles (e.g., Cu particles) may be sprayed and collided by an aerosol deposition method onto the second end surface 110f (anode end surface) of the electronic component body 110 that has been barrel polished. This may form a metal film (contact layer) on the anode 40 exposed on the second end surface 110f (anode end surface) of the electronic component body 110.

Next, the first external electrode 120 and the second external electrode 130 are formed on the first end face 110e (cathode end face) and the second end face 110f (anode end face) of the electronic component body 110, respectively. For example, a conductive paste is applied by a screen printing method or the like and cured to form resin electrode layers as the first external electrode 120 and the second external electrode 130, respectively. A silver paste containing silver particles as a conductive component is suitable as the conductive paste for forming the resin electrode layer. A plating layer may then be formed on the resin electrode layer by plating.

At this time, the first external electrode 120 may be formed as a thin sputtered film and/or vapor deposition film, for example, several μm thick, by sputtering or vapor deposition.

The above method can produce an electronic component 100 (solid electrolytic capacitor).

In the above embodiment, the case where the collector electrode 30 is provided has been described, but the cathode 43 of each solid electrolytic capacitor element 10 may be directly connected to the first external electrode 120 without providing the collector electrode 30. In this case, for example, after peeling off the adhesive sheet 250, the lower part of the first part 221 to which the sheet 250 was attached may be scraped off with a grinder or the like to expose each cathode 43 at the first end surface 110e (cathode end surface) of the electronic component body 110, and the first external electrode 120 may be formed on each cathode 43 exposed at the first end surface 110e.

In addition, when the collecting electrode 30 is not provided, the second part 222a of the exterior body 220 may be manufactured according to the following process. That is, first, the liquid material 222 is injected into each through-hole 223 of the first part 221 by using a dispenser or the like to fill it. Next, multiple solid electrolytic capacitor elements 10 (superimposed body 11) are inserted into each through-hole 223 filled with the liquid material 222, and the liquid material 222 is filled around each inserted element 10. For example, after inserting the multiple elements 10, vacuum degassing is performed to fill the liquid material 222 around each element 10. Then, the liquid material 222 filled in each through-hole 223 is hardened by heating it in a vacuum oven, for example.

In the above embodiment, the exterior body 20 is composed of only two types of resin materials, i.e., the first part 21 and the second part 22. However, the exterior body of the electronic component of the present invention may be composed of three types of resin materials. For example, one or more intermediate resin layers made of resin materials may be provided between the first part and the second part. Such an intermediate resin layer can be formed, for example, by forming the second part that seals the stack of multiple solid electrolytic capacitor elements with dimensions smaller than the through hole of the first part by transfer molding or the like, then inserting the stack of solid electrolytic capacitor elements together with the second part into the through hole of the first part, and filling the gap between the second part and the first part with a liquid resin material and curing it.

In addition, in the above embodiment, the electronic component 100 is described as having multiple solid electrolytic capacitor elements 10 as elements, but the electronic component of the present invention only needs to have at least one element (electronic component element), and may have only one element.

In the above embodiment, a case has been described in which multiple electronic component bodies 110 are simultaneously produced using a first portion 221 having multiple through holes 223, but in the electronic component manufacturing method of the present invention, electronic component bodies may be produced one by one using a first portion having only one through hole.

In the above embodiment, the electronic component 100 is described as a solid electrolytic capacitor, but the electronic component of the present invention is not particularly limited as long as it is an electronic component that includes an element (electronic component element) and an exterior body, and may be, in addition to a solid electrolytic capacitor, for example, a film capacitor, an electric double layer capacitor, a solid battery, etc.

This specification discloses the following:

＜1＞
an electronic component body including an element and an exterior body sealing the element, the electronic component body having a first surface and a second surface opposing each other in a first direction, a third surface and a fourth surface opposing each other in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and a fifth surface and a sixth surface opposing each other in a third direction perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction;
A first external electrode formed on the fifth surface;
a second external electrode formed on the sixth surface,
the exterior body has a first portion including a first resin material and a second portion including a second resin material surrounded by the first portion,
the first portion is present on at least a part of each of the first surface, the second surface, the third surface, and the fourth surface of the electronic component body,
The second portion has an exposed portion exposed to at least one of the first surface, the second surface, the third surface, and the fourth surface of the electronic component body.

＜2＞
The electronic component according to <1>, wherein the exposed portion is in contact with at least one of the fifth surface and the sixth surface.

＜3＞
The electronic component described in <1> or <2>, wherein the exposed portion is provided at one, two or four locations per electronic component body, and is symmetrical in at least one of left and right and top and bottom directions when viewed in cross-section on a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal direction with the first surface and the second surface arranged one above the other.

＜4＞
The electronic component according to any one of <1> to <3>, wherein the exposed portion is present on at least one of the first surface and the second surface.

＜5＞
the first resin material includes at least one of polyphenylene sulfide and a liquid crystal polymer;
The electronic component according to any one of <1> to <4>, wherein the second resin material includes at least one of an epoxy resin and a silicone resin.
＜6＞
The water vapor permeability of the first resin material at 40° C. and 90% RH is 200 g·μm/m ² /day or less;
The electronic component according to any one of <1> to <5>, wherein the second resin material has a water vapor permeability of 500 g·μm/m ² /day or more at 40° C. and 90% RH.

＜７＞
The electronic component according to any one of <1> to <6>, wherein the second portion has a tapered structure that becomes thinner from an inside of the electronic component body toward the exposed surface of the exposed portion.

＜8＞
The electronic component according to <7>, wherein the tapered structure has a curved tapered surface.

＜9＞
The electronic component according to any one of <1> to <8>, comprising a stack in which a plurality of electrolytic capacitor elements as the element are arranged along the first direction.

＜10＞
providing a device;
preparing a first portion of an exterior body including a first resin material and having a through hole;
a step of hardening a liquid material, including a liquid second resin material, filled in a gap between the first portion and the element inserted in the through hole to form a second portion of the exterior body;
cutting the exterior body at a cut line around the element;
The through hole has a shape in which a portion of the through hole is located on the cut line,
A method for manufacturing an electronic component, wherein in the step of cutting the exterior body, an exposed portion of the second portion is formed by cutting the exterior body along the cut line.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 10 solid electrolytic capacitor element 11 stack 20 exterior body 21 first portion 22 second portion 23 exposed portion 23a exposed surface 23b tapered surface 23c opposing surface 24 space 25 non-exposed portion 30 current collecting electrode 40 anode 40a tip surface 40b base end surface 41 dielectric layer 42 mask layer 43 cathode 44 solid electrolyte layer 45 carbon layer 46 cathode conductor layer 100 electronic component 110 electronic component element 110a first main surface 110b second main surface 110c first side surface 110d second side surface 110e first end surface 110f second end surface 110g, 110h ridge portion 110j corner portion 120 first external electrode 130 second external electrode 210 Work 211 Holding section 212 Element section 220 Exterior body 221 First section 222 Liquid material 222a Second section 223 Through hole 223a First opening 223b Second opening 230 Conductive paste 250 Adhesive sheet

Claims (10)

an electronic component body including an element and an exterior body sealing the element, the electronic component body having a first surface and a second surface opposing each other in a first direction, a third surface and a fourth surface opposing each other in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and a fifth surface and a sixth surface opposing each other in a third direction perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction;
A first external electrode formed on the fifth surface;
a second external electrode formed on the sixth surface,
the exterior body has a first portion including a first resin material and a second portion including a second resin material surrounded by the first portion,
the first portion is present on at least a part of each of the first surface, the second surface, the third surface, and the fourth surface of the electronic component body,
the second portion has an exposed portion exposed to at least one of the first surface, the second surface, the third surface, and the fourth surface of the electronic component body. The electronic component according to claim 1, wherein the exposed portion is in contact with at least one of the fifth surface and the sixth surface. The electronic component according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the exposed portion is provided at one, two or four locations per electronic component body, and is symmetrical in at least one of the left and right directions and the top and bottom directions when viewed in cross section on a plane perpendicular to the third direction with the first surface and the second surface arranged vertically. The electronic component according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the exposed portion is present on at least one of the first surface and the second surface. the first resin material includes at least one of polyphenylene sulfide and a liquid crystal polymer;
The electronic component according to claim 1 , wherein the second resin material includes at least one of an epoxy resin and a silicone resin. The water vapor permeability of the first resin material at 40° C. and 90% RH is 200 g·μm/m ² /day or less;
The electronic component according to claim 1 , wherein the second resin material has a water vapor permeability of 500 g·μm/m ² /day or more at 40° C. and 90% RH. The electronic component according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the second portion has a tapered structure that becomes thinner from the inside of the electronic component body toward the exposed surface of the exposed portion. The electronic component according to claim 7, wherein the tapered structure has a curved tapered surface. The electronic component according to claim 1 or 2, comprising a stack in which a plurality of electrolytic capacitor elements as the element are arranged along the first direction. providing a device;
preparing a first portion of an exterior body including a first resin material and having a through hole;
a step of hardening a liquid material, including a liquid second resin material, filled in a gap between the first portion and the element inserted in the through hole to form a second portion of the exterior body;
cutting the exterior body at a cut line around the element;
The through hole has a shape in which a portion of the through hole is located on the cut line,
A method for manufacturing an electronic component, wherein in the step of cutting the exterior body, an exposed portion of the second portion is formed by cutting the exterior body along the cut line.

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