COIL COMPONENT, METHOD OF MANUFACTURING COIL COMPONENT, AND ELECTRONIC AND ELECTRIC DEVICES

1 . A coil component, comprising:

a coil portion including:

a ring-shaped conductor formed of windings wound around a central axis extending in a first direction, the ring-shaped conductor having first and second electric ends; and

first and second connection conductors electrically connected to the first and second electric ends, respectively; and

a main body made of a material containing magnetic powder and a binder, the main body having surfaces including a first surface and a second surface on opposite sides thereof, in the first direction, the coil-portion being embedded in the main body between the first surface and the second surface with a first end face of the first connection conductor and a second end face of the second connection conductor exposed on the surfaces of the main body,

wherein the main body includes:

a first region and a central region formed of a first material, the first region including the first surface, and the central region being in contact with the first region and disposed in an interior space of the ring-shaped conductor such that an entire inner circumferential surface of the ring-shaped conductor is in contact with the central region, and

a second region formed of a second material, the second region including at least part of the second surface and being in contact with the first region,

and wherein the first material and the second material differ from each other in at least one property selected from the group consisting of:

a composition of the magnetic powder;

a shape distribution of a shape of the magnetic powder;

a content of the magnetic powder;

a composition of the binder;

a content of the binder; and

a composition and content of an optional third component, which is a component other than the magnetic powder and the binder.

2 . The coil component according to claim 1 , wherein the second material is more insulative than the first material.

3 . The coil component according to claim 2 , further comprising:

a first outside electrode provided on the main body, the first outside electrode being electrically connected to the first end face and including a first covering portion covering a part of the second surface; and

a second outside electrode provided on the main body distant from the first outside electrode, the second outside electrode being electrically connected to the second end face and including a second covering portion covering another part of the second surface,

wherein the second region has a first opposing portion facing the first covering portion and a second opposing portion facing the second covering portion.

4 . The coil component according to claim 3 , wherein:

the first end face includes a surface exposed on the second surface and in contact with the first covering portion; and

the second end face includes a surface exposed on the second surface and in contact with the second covering portion.

5 . The coil component according to claim 3 , wherein the second region has a contiguous surface which includes the at least part of the second surface, the first opposing portion, and the second opposing portion.

6 . The coil component according to claim 2 , wherein the second region has a specific resistance higher than the first region.

7 . The coil component according to claim 2 ,

wherein the magnetic powder includes metal magnetic powder,

and wherein the second region has a relative permeability smaller than the first region.

8 . The coil component according to claim 7 , wherein a shortest distance between the second surface and the ring-shaped conductor in the first direction is greater than a shortest distance between the first surface and the ring-shaped conductor in the first direction.

9 . The coil component according to claim 1 , wherein the ring-shaped conductor is in contact with the second region at an end thereof in the first direction closest to the second surface.

10 . A method of manufacturing a coil component including a coil portion and a main body having a first surface and a second surface between which the coil portion is embedded, the method comprising:

providing the coil portion including a ring-shaped conductor formed of windings wound around a central axis, the ring-shaped conductor having first and second electric ends;

placing a laminated body in a cavity in a die, the laminated body including:

the coil portion;

a first material member disposed on one side of the coil portion in a first direction which is a direction of the central axis, the first material member containing first magnetic powder and a first curing material; and

a second material member disposed on another side of the coil portion in the first direction, the second material member including second magnetic powder and a second curing material; and

pressurizing the cavity, thereby press-molding the laminated body into a press-molded body having the coil portion and the main body, such that the main body includes a central region formed from the first material member and disposed in an interior space of the ring-shaped conductor such that an entire inner circumferential surface of the ring-shaped conductor is in contact with the central region.

11 . The method according to claim 10 , wherein the first material member and the second material member differ from each other in at least one property selected from the group consisting of:

compositions of the first magnetic powder and the second magnetic powder;

particle diameter distributions of the first magnetic powder and the second magnetic powder;

contents of the first magnetic powder the second magnetic powder;

compositions of the first curing material and the second curing material;

contents of the first curing material and the second curing material; and

compositions of an optional first additive component and an optional second additive component, which are components other than the first and second curing materials and the first and second magnetic powders, optionally added to the first material member and the second material member, respectively.

12 . The method according to claim 10 , further comprising:

curing the first curing material and the second curing material after the pressurizing.

13 . The method according to claim 12 , wherein a material body formed from the second material member by the curing is more insulative than a material body formed from the first material member by the curing.

14 . The method according to claim 13 ,

wherein the coil component further includes a first connection conductor and a second connection conductor connected to the first and second electric ends of the ring-shaped conductor, respectively,

and wherein, after the press-molding, portions of the first and second connection conductors are buried in the second material body such that a first end face of the first connection conductor and a second end face of the second connection conductor are exposed on the second surface of the main body in the press-molded body.

15 . An electronic/electric device comprising:

a substrate; and

component according to claim 1 , mounted on the substrate,

wherein the coil component is connected to the substrate through terminals connected to the first end face and the second end face exposed on the surfaces of the main body.