Silicon oxide-coated Fe-based soft magnetic powder having a high insulation capability can be obtained in such a manner that Fe-based soft magnetic powder is dispersed in a mixed solvent of water and an alcohol having a Hansen solubility parameter (SP value) of 11.3 or less, containing 5% by mass or more and 50% by mass or less of water, so as to provide a slurry. Then, a silicon alkoxide and a hydrolysis catalyst for the silicon alkoxide are added to the slurry to coat a silicon oxide thereon. The silicon oxide-coated Fe-based soft magnetic powder is capable of providing a powder compact having a high volume resistivity in molding into a powder compact. A method of producing the same is also disclosed.

A multilayer coil electronic component having improved inductance L, Q, and strength, and which has an element in which a coil conductor and a magnetic element body are stacked. The magnetic element body includes soft magnetic metal particles and a resin. The resin fills a space between the soft magnetic metal particles. Each of soft magnetic metal particles has a soft magnetic metal particle core and an oxide film covering the soft magnetic metal particle core. A layer of the oxide film contacting the soft magnetic metal particle core is made of an oxide including Si.

A multilayer coil electronic component having improved inductance L, Q, and strength, and which has an element in which a coil conductor and a magnetic element body are stacked. The magnetic element body includes soft magnetic metal particles and a resin. The resin fills a space between the soft magnetic metal particles. Each of soft magnetic metal particles has a soft magnetic metal particle core and an oxide film covering the soft magnetic metal particle core. A layer of the oxide film contacting the soft magnetic metal particle core is made of an oxide including Si.

An insulator-coated soft magnetic powder includes a core particle including a base portion containing a soft magnetic material and an oxide film that is provided on a surface of the base portion and that contains an oxide of an element contained in the soft magnetic material, and an insulating particle that is provided on a surface of the core particle and that has an insulating property, wherein an average particle diameter after heat treatment after being subjected to a heat treatment of heating at 1000° C. is 90% or more and 110% or less of an average particle diameter before heat treatment before being subjected to the heat treatment.

An insulator-coated soft magnetic powder includes a core particle including a base portion containing a soft magnetic material and an oxide film that is provided on a surface of the base portion and that contains an oxide of an element contained in the soft magnetic material, and an insulating particle that is provided on a surface of the core particle and that has an insulating property, wherein an average particle diameter after heat treatment after being subjected to a heat treatment of heating at 1000° C. is 90% or more and 110% or less of an average particle diameter before heat treatment before being subjected to the heat treatment.

An amalgamation preform is provided. The amalgamation preform includes a base metal, and a plurality of types of solid particles dispersed in the base metal, the base metal including one of a liquid base metal and a solid base metal. The plurality of types of solid particles at least includes: non-reactive magnetic particles, responsive to a magnetic field for controllably dispersing the plurality of types of solid particles in the base metal, and reactive particles, reactable with the base metal under the magnetic field.

A coil component according to one aspect of the invention includes an insulating base body, an external electrode provided on the base body, and a functional part electrically connected to the external electrode. The external electrode includes a metal portion, glass, and metal oxide, the metal portion being made of a metal material and having electric conductivity, the metal oxide being electrically non-conductive.

A soft magnetic powder that can exhibit desirable soft magnetic characteristics. A dust core using the soft magnetic powder is also provided. The soft magnetic powder includes: a soft magnetic powder layer of an unoxidized soft magnetic material; a second oxide layer as an oxide with iron or boron residing around the soft magnetic powder layer; and a first oxide layer of an iron oxide residing around the second oxide layer. The first oxide layer and the second oxide layer reside in a region of 20 nm or more and 500 nm or less from a surface of the soft magnetic powder, and are absent in a region of more than 500 nm and 1,600 nm or less from the surface.

A soft magnetic powder that can exhibit desirable soft magnetic characteristics. A dust core using the soft magnetic powder is also provided. The soft magnetic powder includes: a soft magnetic powder layer of an unoxidized soft magnetic material; a second oxide layer as an oxide with iron or boron residing around the soft magnetic powder layer; and a first oxide layer of an iron oxide residing around the second oxide layer. The first oxide layer and the second oxide layer reside in a region of 20 nm or more and 500 nm or less from a surface of the soft magnetic powder, and are absent in a region of more than 500 nm and 1,600 nm or less from the surface.

An optical communication module includes a substrate equipped with lands whose surfaces are formed of gold layers and a multilayer coil component mounted on the substrate. The multilayer coil component includes a multilayer body in which a plurality of insulating layers are stacked in a stacking direction, a coil inside the multilayer body, and outer electrodes that are on surfaces of the multilayer body and electrically connected to the coil. The outer electrodes include gold coatings located at outermost layers of the outer electrodes. The gold coatings of the outer electrodes are bonded to the gold layers of the lands of the substrate via gold-tin solder.