Surface-Mount Inductor and Method Of Producing The Same

1 . A surface-mount inductor, comprising: a winding wire; an element body; and an external electrode,

wherein the element body comprises a magnetic powder resin comprising magnetic powders and an insulating resin, and is a rectangular parallelepiped-shaped element body having a pair of end surfaces, upper and lower surfaces, and opposed side surfaces, each of the upper, lower and side surfaces connecting between the end surfaces,

wherein the winding wire is buried in such a manner as to allow each of terminal ends of the winding wire to be exposed on respective one of the end surfaces of the element body,

wherein the external electrode is provided in the end surfaces, the upper and lower surfaces, and at an end portion of each of the opposed side surfaces, each of the upper, lower and side surfaces adjoining the end surfaces, and

wherein the element body has an outer periphery coated with an insulating resin, except for at least the lower surface.

2 . The surface-mount inductor as defined in claim 1 , wherein the external electrode is formed from copper plating, silver paste, or calcined silver.

3 . The surface-mount inductor as defined in claim 2 , wherein the external electrode has a nickel-plated layer and a tin-plated layer.

4 . A method of producing a surface-mount inductor, the method comprising the steps of:

providing an element body in which a winding wire is buried, wherein the element body comprises a magnetic powder resin comprising magnetic powders and an insulating resin, and is a rectangular parallelepiped-shaped element body having a pair of end surfaces, upper and lower surfaces, and opposed side surfaces, each of the upper, lower and side surfaces connecting between the end surfaces, and wherein each of the terminal ends of the winding wire is exposed on respective one of the end surfaces of the element body;

applying an electrically-conductive resin to the end surfaces, the upper and lower surfaces, and an end portion of each of the side surfaces;

spray-coating an outer periphery of the element body with an insulating resin, except for at least the lower surface;

providing a nickel plated layer on the electrically-conductive resin of the element body which is not spray-coated; and

applying tin-plating to the nickel plated layer.

5 . The method as defined in claim 4 , wherein the insulating resin comprises:

an epoxy resin;

a first solvent capable of dissolving the epoxy resin; and

a second solvent capable of dissolving the epoxy resin and having higher evaporation rate than that of the first solvent.

6 . The method as defined in claim 4 , wherein the step of spray-coating comprises a first spray-coating process and a second spray-coating process.

7 . The method as defined in claim 6 , wherein the first spray-coating process spray-coats an insulating resin which does not contain a filler, and the second spray-coating process spray-coats an insulating resin which contains a filler.

8 . The method as defined in claim 7 , wherein the filler is silica, alumina, or boron nitride.

9 . The method as defined in claim 7 , the filler has an average particle size that is greater than that of the insulating resin.

10 . The method as defined in claim 5 , wherein the first solvent is ethyl cellosolve, and the second solvent is any of xylene, methyl ethyl ketone, methyl cellosolve, toluene, cyclohexanone, propylene glycol monomethyl ethyl acetate, and propylene glycol monomethyl ether.