Method for manufacturing multilayer ceramic electronic component

1. A method for manufacturing a multilayer ceramic electronic component, the method comprising the steps of:

preparing a laminate including a plurality of internal electrodes stacked with a ceramic green sheet therebetween, at least one of the internal electrodes being exposed on a surface of the laminate;

heating a functional sheet while the functional sheet is in contact with a predetermined surface of the laminate, on which the at least one of the internal electrodes is exposed;

cooling the heated functional sheet; and

providing a covering layer formed of the functional sheet on the predetermined surface of the laminate by punching out the cooled functional sheet with the laminate.

2. The method for manufacturing a multilayer ceramic electronic component according to claim 1 , wherein in the step of heating the functional sheet, the functional sheet is softened by heating a thermoplastic resin contained in the functional sheet.

3. The method for manufacturing a multilayer ceramic electronic component according to claim 1 , wherein

the functional sheet has a structure in which a plurality of sheets each including a thermoplastic resin is stacked; and

a softening temperature of a resin included in a sheet disposed at a position closest to the laminate is a lowest among softening temperatures of resins included in the respective plurality of sheets defining the functional sheet.

4. The method for manufacturing a multilayer ceramic electronic component according to claim 1 , wherein a softening temperature of a resin included in the ceramic green sheet is higher than a softening temperature of a resin included in the functional sheet.

5. The method for manufacturing a multilayer ceramic electronic component according to claim 1 , further comprising the step of:

bonding the covering layer formed on the laminate by using thermocompression bonding.

6. The method for manufacturing a multilayer ceramic electronic component according to claim 5 , wherein a heating temperature during the thermocompression bonding is not less than 50° C. and not more than about 100° C., and a compression force during the thermocompression bonding provides a surface pressure per laminate not less than about 1 MPa and not more than about 15 MPa.

7. The method for manufacturing a multilayer ceramic electronic component according to claim 1 , wherein the functional sheet is a ceramic green sheet.

8. The method for manufacturing a multilayer ceramic electronic component according to claim 1 , wherein a heating temperature in the step of heating the functional sheet is about 50° C. or more and less than about 100° C.

9. The method for manufacturing a multilayer ceramic electronic component according to claim 1 , wherein

the laminate has a structure in which a first internal electrode of the plurality of internal electrodes is extended to a first of a pair of end surfaces facing each other, and a second internal electrode of the plurality of internal electrodes is extended to a second of the pair of end surfaces, and in which the plurality of internal electrodes is exposed to both of a first side surface and a second side surface, facing each other; and

in the step of heating the functional sheet, the predetermined surface of the laminate, with which the functional sheet is brought into contact, is the first side surface and the second side surface.

10. The method for manufacturing a multilayer ceramic electronic component according to claim 1 , wherein the multilayer ceramic electronic component is one of a capacitor and an LC complex component.

11. The method for manufacturing a multilayer ceramic electronic component according to claim 1 , further comprising processing the laminate to form rounded corners and rounded ridge line portions.

12. The method for manufacturing a multilayer ceramic electronic component according to claim 1 , further comprising providing another functional sheet on another predetermined surface of the laminate, on which another one of the internal electrodes is exposed to form a side-surface covered laminate in which side surfaces of the laminate are covered by the functional sheet and the another functional sheet.

13. The method for manufacturing a multilayer ceramic electronic component according to claim 1 , wherein the functional sheet forms a traverse gap in the laminate.

14. The method for manufacturing a multilayer ceramic electronic component according to claim 1 , wherein the functional sheet is larger than the predetermined surface of the laminate.

15. The method for manufacturing a multilayer ceramic electronic component according to claim 1 , wherein the functional sheet includes a plurality of green sheets.

16. The method for manufacturing a multilayer ceramic electronic component according to claim 1 , wherein

the functional sheet has a structure in which a plurality of green sheets is stacked; and

a thickness of one of the plurality of green sheets located farthest away from the laminate has a thickness larger than that of remaining ones of the plurality of green sheets.

17. The method for manufacturing a multilayer ceramic electronic component according to claim 1 , wherein the cooling the functional sheet includes using one of an air cooling fan and a Peltier element, or using self-heat dissipation.

18. The method for manufacturing a multilayer ceramic electronic component according to claim 1 , wherein the cooling the functional sheet includes performing cooling until the functional sheet reaches a temperature of about 30° C. or less.

19. The method for manufacturing a multilayer ceramic electronic component according to claim 1 , further comprising removing a plastic film from the functional sheet before performing the cooling the functional sheet.