Multilayer ceramic capacitor

Abstract

A multilayer ceramic capacitor includes an element body of roughly rectangular solid shape which is constituted by dielectric layers alternately stacked with internal electrode layers having different polarities, with a pair of cover layers formed on it to cover the top and bottom faces in the direction of lamination of the foregoing, and which has a pair of principal faces, a pair of end faces, and a pair of side faces, wherein external electrodes are formed on the pair of end faces and at least one of the pair of principal faces of the element body, and Tt representing the thickness of the external electrode and Tc representing the thickness of the cover layer satisfy the relationship of Tt≦Tc. The multilayer ceramic capacitor has large capacitance and also exhibits excellent thermal shock resistance while sufficiently suppressing generation of cracks.

We/I claim: 
     
         1 . A multilayer ceramic capacitor comprising an element body of roughly rectangular solid shape which is constituted by dielectric layers alternately stacked with internal electrode layers having different polarities, with a pair of cover layers formed thereon to cover top and bottom faces in a direction of lamination thereof, and which has a pair of principal faces, a pair of end faces, and a pair of side faces,
 wherein no external electrodes are formed in a region of the pair of side faces where the internal electrode layers having different polarities overlap as viewed in a thickness direction,   wherein external electrodes are formed on the pair of end faces and at least one of the pair of principal faces of the element body, and Tt representing a thickness of the external electrode and Tc representing a thickness of the cover layer satisfy a relationship of Tt≦Tc.   
     
     
         2 . A multilayer ceramic capacitor according to  claim 1 , wherein the thickness of the external electrode, or Tt, is greater than 1 μm. 
     
     
         3 . A multilayer ceramic capacitor according to  claim 1 , wherein the thickness of the cover layer, or Tc, is 10 μm or more but 30 μm or less. 
     
     
         4 . A multilayer ceramic capacitor according to  claim 2 , wherein the thickness of the cover layer, or Tc, is 10 μm or more but 30 μm or less. 
     
     
         5 . A multilayer ceramic capacitor according to  claim 1 , wherein no external electrodes are formed in the entire side faces.