The present invention relates to a soft magnetic metal powder which contains B and has Fe and Ni as the main components, wherein the content of Ni in the soft magnetic metal powder is 30 to 80 mass %, the total content of Fe and Ni in the soft magnetic metal powder is 90 mass % or more, the content of B inside the metal particle of the soft magnetic metal powder is 10 to 150 ppm, and the particle has a film of boron nitride on the surface. The present invention also relates to a soft magnetic metal powder core prepared by using the soft magnetic metal powder.

An electrode structure on a circuit board, the electrode structure comprising a metal structure disposed on and electrically connected to the circuit board, wherein the metal structure and a surface of the circuit board forms a space therebetween, wherein at least one first electrical component is disposed in the space and an outer surface of the metal structure forms an electrode for electrically connecting with an external component.

A dust core includes a compact containing a soft magnetic powder and also includes a cover coat for the compact. The cover coat contains a polyamideimide-modified epoxy resin. An electric/electronic component includes the dust core, a coil, and a connection terminal connected to each end portion of the coil. At least one portion of the dust core is placed so as to be located in an induced magnetic field generated by the current flowing in the coil through the connection terminal. An electric/electronic device includes the electric/electronic component.

A sintered Ni ferrite body having a composition comprising, calculated as oxide, 47.0-48.3% by mol of Fe.sub.2O.sub.3, 14.5% or more and less than 25% by mol of ZnO, 8.2-10.0% by mol of CuO, and more than 0.6% and 2.5% or less by mol of CoO, the balance being NiO and inevitable impurities, and having an average crystal grain size of more than 2.5 μm and less than 5.5 μm.

A Sm—Fe—N-based magnet powder that includes a Sm—Fe—N-based magnetic material powder, wherein an average particle size of the Sm—Fe—N-based magnetic material powder is not larger than 5 μm, and a full width at half maximum of a diffraction peak of a (220) plane in an X-ray diffraction profile of the Sm—Fe—N-based magnetic material powder is not larger than 0.0033 Å. Also disclosed is a Sm—Fe—N-based sintered magnet that includes a sintered body of a Sm—Fe—N-based magnetic material, wherein an average grain size of crystal grains of the Sm—Fe—N-based magnetic material is not larger than 5 μm, and a full width at half maximum of a diffraction peak of a (220) plane in an X-ray diffraction profile of the Sm—Fe—N-based magnetic material is not larger than 0.0033 Å.

A metal magnetic powder is constituted by metal magnetic grains that each include: a metal phase where the percentage of Fe at its center part is 98 percent by mass or higher, while the mass percentage of Fe at its contour part is lower than that at the center part; and an oxide film covering the metal phase, so as to inhibit oxidation of Fe contained in the metal phase, despite the high content percentage of Fe in the metal phase.

A metal magnetic powder is constituted by metal magnetic grains that each include: a metal phase where the mass percentage of Fe at its center part is lower than that at its contour part; and an oxide film covering the metal phase so as to allow the magnetic body resistant to magnetic saturation and low in iron loss.

An inductor includes a core containing magnetic powder and a conductor embedded in the core. The core includes a mounting surface facing a mounting substrate side at the time of mounting, a pair of end surfaces orthogonal to the mounting surface, a pair of side surfaces orthogonal to the mounting surface and the pair of end surfaces. The conductor has a plate shape and includes a conductive wire portion extending inside the core over the end surfaces and a pair of electrode portions provided at both end portions of the conductive wire portion and extending from the end surface of the core to the mounting surface. The conductive wire portion includes a belt-shaped flat plate portion. One surface of the electrode portion facing the core is embedded in the core, and the other surface of the electrode portion facing the one surface is exposed from the core.

Disclosed are methods for preparing a high-performance soft magnetic composites and magnetic toroidal cores thereof. A spherical soft magnetic alloy particle is coated with an insulating layer to form a mixed powder, and the mixed powder is loaded into a mold and subjected to a compression molding. An external magnetic field is applied during the compression molding of the mixed powder, and the external magnetic field is parallel to a working magnetic circuit plane and perpendicular to a normal direction of the working magnetic circuit plane. Then a stress-relief annealing is performed to obtain the high-performance soft magnetic composite.

A surface-mount inductor comprises a molded body containing a metal magnetic powder; at least one coil buried in the molded body such that lead-out end parts at both ends of the coil are at least partially exposed on a surface of the molded body; and an external terminal formed over an exposed surface of each of the lead-out end parts. A metal magnetic powder exposed portion is formed at least around the exposed surface. The external terminal at least includes a first plating layer formed over the metal magnetic powder exposed portion and the exposed surface of the lead-out end part, and a conductive paste layer formed on the first plating layer and made of a solidified conductive paste. Consequently, the surface mount inductor comprises an external terminal having high connection reliability.