Ceramic electronic component and method for producing the same

Abstract

A ceramic electronic component includes a ceramic body, a glass coating layer, and an electrode terminal. The ceramic body includes a plurality of internal electrodes whose ends are exposed on the surface of the ceramic body. The glass coating layer covers a portion of the ceramic body on which the internal electrodes are exposed. The electrode terminal is provided directly on the glass coating layer. The electrode terminal includes a plating film. The glass coating layer is made of a glass medium in which metal powder particles are dispersed. The metal powder particles define conduction paths that electrically connect the internal electrodes with the electrode terminal.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for producing a ceramic electronic component, the method comprising the steps of:
 applying a glass paste containing about 35% to about 50% by volume glass powder particles per total solids and metal powder particles on a portion of a ceramic body on which a plurality of internal electrodes are exposed;   thermally treating the glass paste at about 600° C. to about 800° C. to form a glass coating layer on the portion of the ceramic body on which the plurality of internal electrodes are exposed; and   forming an electrode terminal made of a plating film directly on the glass coating layer.   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein a content of glass in the glass coating layer is about 30.2% to about 47.1% by volume. 
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the metal powder particles have an elongated shape as viewed in cross section along a direction of thickness of the glass coating layer. 
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 3 , wherein the metal powder particles are in rod form or flake form. 
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 3 , wherein the metal powder particles have an aspect ratio of about 3.6 or more. 
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the metal powder particles are formed to define conduction paths electrically connecting the plurality of internal electrodes with the electrode terminal. 
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 6 , wherein at least one of the conduction paths is arranged so that a plurality of the metal powder particles are contiguous with one another across the thickness of the glass coating layer. 
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the metal powder particles contain a major component different from a major component in the internal electrodes.