Electricity: electrical systems and devices – Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical... – For electronic systems and devices
Reexamination Certificate
2000-08-21
2002-09-03
Martin, David S. (Department: 2841)
Electricity: electrical systems and devices
Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical...
For electronic systems and devices
C361S763000, C361S764000, C361S773000, C257S421000, C257S531000, C336S200000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06445593
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a chip-like electronic component and a method of manufacturing the same. More particularly, the present invention relates to an improvement in forming external electrodes in a chip-like electronic component.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 11
is a perspective view schematically showing an outer appearance of a chip-like electronic component
1
, on the basis of which the present invention has been developed. A chip-like electronic component having three terminals and having an outer appearance as shown in
FIG. 11
has been known. This type of an electronic component includes, for example, a chip-like coil, a three-terminal capacitor, a capacitor array, an LC filter and a capacitor network.
The chip-like electronic component
1
includes an element main body
2
. Such an element main body
2
includes a first end surface
3
and a second end surface
4
on the opposite end of the main body
2
. The element main body
2
further includes a first side surface
5
, a second side surface
6
, a third side surface
7
and a fourth side surface
8
, all of which are connected to the first end surface
3
and the second end surface
4
.
Further, on the outer surface of the element main body
2
a first external electrode
9
, a second external electrode
10
and a third external electrode
11
are provided. The first external electrode
9
, the second external electrode
10
and the third external electrode
11
are arranged such that they surround the first side surface
5
, the second side surface
6
, the third side surface
7
and the fourth side surface
8
.
The first external electrode
9
is positioned on the first end surface
3
of the element main body
2
, and is arranged such that the first end surface
3
is entirely covered by the first external electrode
9
. The second external electrode
10
is positioned on the second end surface
4
of the element main body
2
, and is configured such that the second end surface
4
is entirely covered by the second external electrode
10
. Further, the third external electrode
11
is positioned between the first external electrode
9
and the second external electrode
10
.
The above described external electrodes
9
to
11
are formed by applying an electrically conductive paste on the element main body
2
, drying and sintering the applied paste. However, a method of applying the electrically conductive paste for defining the external electrodes
9
to
11
may be carried out in the following way.
First, a process for forming the first external electrode
9
may be conducted in a manner shown in FIG.
12
. An electrically conductive paste layer
13
having a desired thickness is formed in a dip tray
12
. Then, a main body
2
is dipped into the electrically conductive paste layer
13
, moved in a direction shown by an arrow
14
, with the first end surface
3
facing downwardly towards the electrically conductive paste layer
13
, followed by moving the element main body
2
upwardly away from the paste layer
13
. In this way, the electrically conductive paste
13
may be applied to the first end surface
3
of the element main body
2
, and to a portion of each of the adjacent side surfaces
5
to
8
, so as to form the first external electrode
9
.
Next, an operation similar to that described above is carried out on the second end surface
4
of the element main body
2
. In this way, the electrically conductive paste
13
may be applied to the second end surface
4
of the element main body
2
, and to a portion of each of the adjacent side surfaces
5
to
8
, so as to form the second external electrode
10
.
Subsequently, in order to form the third external electrode
11
, a process shown in
FIG. 13
is carried out. In this process, a slit plate
15
is used. Such a slit plate
15
is provided with a plurality of slits
16
each having a width corresponding to the width of the third external electrode
11
. The slit plate
15
is disposed so as to close an upper opening of a paste tank
17
containing an amount of an electrically conductive paste
13
. Moreover, a cylinder
18
is arranged to communicate with the internal space of the paste tank
17
. A piston
19
is provided within the cylinder
18
.
A plurality of element main bodies
2
are arranged such that the first side surface
5
of each element main body comes into contact with the slit plate
15
. Then, the piston
19
is displaced in a direction shown by an arrow
20
, so that the electrically conductive paste
13
flows through the plurality of the slits
16
so as to be supplied to the upper surface of the slit plate
15
. As a result, the electrically conductive paste
13
may be applied to the middle (in the longitudinal direction) of the first side surface
5
of each element main body
2
.
Similar operations are then carried out successively on the second to fourth side surfaces
6
to
8
of each element main body
2
.
Additionally, rather than using a process shown in
FIG. 13
, a process shown in
FIG. 14
may also be used. In the process shown in
FIG. 14
, a paste application plate
21
is used and is formed of an elastomeric material capable of elastically deforming in a manner similar to rubber. The paste applying plate
21
is provided with a plurality of grooves each having a width corresponding to the width of the third external electrode
11
. Each of the grooves
22
is filled with the electrically conductive paste
13
.
Then, each element main body
2
is pressed on the paste applying plate
21
with its first side surface
5
in contact with the paste applying plate
21
. In this way, each element main body
2
will cause the paste applying plate
21
to be compressed so as to deform in its thickness direction. As a result, the electrically conductive paste
13
contained in each groove
22
is applied to the middle (in the longitudinal direction) of the first side surface
5
of each element main body
2
.
Similar operations are then carried out successively on the second to fourth side surfaces
6
to
8
of each element main body
2
.
However, in order to manufacture the chip-like electronic component shown in
FIG. 11
, because it is necessary to form the first, second and third electronic electrodes
9
,
10
and
11
on the element main body
2
, it is necessary to carry out several different processes as shown in FIG.
12
and
FIG. 13
or FIG.
14
. Further, because the process shown in
FIG. 12
has to be carried out successively on the first and second end surfaces
3
and
4
, i.e., because the same process has to be carried out twice, the entire production process of manufacturing the chip-like electronic component is excessively complicated. Moreover, since the process shown in
FIG. 13
or the process shown in
FIG. 14
has to be carried out on the first to fourth side surfaces
5
to
8
, the same process has to be carried out four times in total, hence making the entire production process of manufacturing the chip-like electronic component excessively complex.
In view of the above, because many steps are required in applying the electrically conductive paste to an element main body to produce the external electrodes
9
to
11
, the production cost for manufacturing the chip-like electronic component
1
is excessively high. For this reason, there has been a demand to reduce the number of steps in applying the electrically conductive paste
13
.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In order to overcome the above-described problems, preferred embodiments of the present invention provide an improved chip-like electronic component and an improved method of manufacturing the same.
Preferred embodiments of the present invention improve the external electrodes of a chip-like electronic component, thereby solving the above discussed problems.
Preferred embodiments of the present invention provide a chip-like electronic component including a chip-like element main body having a first end surface and a second end surface which are opposite to each
Bui Hung
Keating & Bennett LLP
Martin David S.
Murata Manufacturing Co. Ltd.
LandOfFree
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