Conductive paste, electronic component and method for manufacturing electronic component
A conductive paste includes a metal powder, a glass frit containing a Si component, and an organic vehicle. The metal powder has a flat shape with a ratio a/b of a maximum length a to a maximum thickness b of 2.5 or more, a molar content of SiO 2 in the glass frit is 36 to 59 percent by mole, and a volume content of the glass frit is 6 to 11 percent by volume. In external electrodes of a multilayer ceramic capacitor using this conductive paste, the molar content of SiO 2 in a glass phase is 38 to 60 percent by mole, and an occupation rate of the glass phase is 30% to 60% on the area ratio, and a maximum length c of the glass phase is 5 μm or less.
1. An electronic component comprising:
an external electrode covering an end portion of a base component; and
at least one plating film on a surface of the external electrode,
wherein the external electrode was sintered in a state in which a glass phase containing at least a Si component and metal portions are mixed together,
a molar content of the Si component in the glass phase is 38 percent by mole to 60 percent by mole in the form of SiO 2 ,
an occupation rate of the glass phase in the external electrode is 30% to 60% on an area ratio, and a maximum length c of the glass phase is 5 μm or less,
in a central region of an end surface of the base component, the occupation rate is calculated using as a measurement region which is an area surrounded by the end surface and a first straight line which is parallel to the end surface and which passes through a first point on the interface between the external electrode and the plating film located at a shortest distance from the end surface of the base component, and
in the central region of the end surface of the base component, the glass phase present on an intermediate line which equally divides a distance between the first straight line and a second straight line which is parallel to the end surface and which passes a second point on the surface of the plating film in contact with the interface located at a longest distance from the end surface of the base component is extracted, and of the glass phase thus extracted, the maximum length c indicates the maximum value of a length parallel to the end surface.
2. The electronic component according to claim 1 , wherein a penetration distance of the glass phase into the base component is 1 μm or less.
3. The electronic component according to claim 1 , wherein the molar content of the Si component in the glass frit is 45 percent by mole to 60 percent by mole in the form of SiO 2 .