A capacitor body includes a plurality of dielectric layers and a plurality of internal electrode layers stacked alternately. The plurality of dielectric layers include crystal grains of barium titanate, a rare earth element, and silicon. The crystal grains include a first crystal grain and a second crystal grain. The crystal grains each include a surface layer as a shell and an interior portion surrounded by the shell as a core. The first crystal grain has a higher concentration distribution of the rare earth element in the shell than in the core. The second crystal grain has distribution in which a ratio of a concentration of the silicon in the core and the shell is lower than a ratio of a concentration of the rare earth element in the core and the shell in the first crystal grain.

A capacitor body includes a plurality of dielectric layers and a plurality of internal electrode layers stacked alternately. The plurality of dielectric layers include crystal grains of barium titanate, a rare earth element, and silicon. The crystal grains include a first crystal grain and a second crystal grain. The crystal grains each include a surface layer as a shell and an interior portion surrounded by the shell as a core. The first crystal grain has a higher concentration distribution of the rare earth element in the shell than in the core. The second crystal grain has distribution in which a ratio of a concentration of the silicon in the core and the shell is lower than a ratio of a concentration of the rare earth element in the core and the shell in the first crystal grain.

A pre-press process includes a first step for bonding a first end portion of each of a plurality of electronic component bodies to a bonding surface of a flat plate material disposed in a jig, a second step for moving the jig relative to a surface plate, a third step for bringing a second end portions of each of the plurality of electronic component bodies into contact with the surface plate while the flat plate material is in a softened state so that the flat plate material is deformed to align respective positions of end surfaces of the second end portions, a fourth step for curing the flat plate material, and then a fifth step for moving the jig relative to the surface plate to separate from the surface plate the plurality of electronic component bodies in which the respective positions of the end surfaces are aligned.

A multilayer ceramic capacitor includes a multilayer body including dielectric layers and internal electrodes alternately stacked on one another, and two external electrodes on two end surfaces of the multilayer body. The internal electrodes include first internal electrodes and second internal electrodes arranged alternately. A distance between the first internal electrodes adjacent to each other includes a distance T11 and a distance T12. The distance T11 is greater than the distance T12. A distance between the second internal electrodes adjacent to each other includes a distance T21 and a distance T22. The distance T21 is greater than the distance T22.

A multilayer ceramic capacitor includes a multilayer body including dielectric layers and internal electrodes alternately stacked on one another, and two external electrodes respectively on two end surfaces of the multilayer body. Each of the dielectric layers includes, at a location coincident with an end portion of a respective one of the internal electrodes, a thick-walled portion thicker in a stacking direction than a portion corresponding in position to a middle portion of a main surface of the multilayer body. When viewed in the stacking direction, positions of some of the thick-walled portions of the dielectric layers are out of alignment with positions of a remainder of the thick-walled portions of the dielectric layers.

A multilayer ceramic electronic component includes a multilayer body including ceramic layers that are laminated, first and second internal electrode layers respectively on the ceramic layers and exposed to first and second end surfaces, first and second external electrodes respectively connected to the first and second internal electrode layers. The first and second external electrodes include a base electrode layer including at least one of Ni, Cr, Cu, or Ti and a plating layer including lower, middle, and upper layer plating layers. A particle diameter of a metal included in the lower layer plating layer is larger than a particle diameter of a metal included in the middle layer plating layer.

A multilayer ceramic capacitor includes a multilayer body including dielectric ceramic layers and internal electrode layers laminated alternately in a lamination direction, and a pair of external electrodes on both end portions in the length direction of the multilayer body and respectively connected to the internal electrode layers. The pair of external electrodes each include a base region covering at least each of the first and second end surfaces and connected to the internal electrode layers, and a cover region on the base region to cover the base region. The cover region includes maximum thickness portions each including a maximum thickness in the cover region, in a region corresponding to the ranges of about ±10 μm in the lamination direction centered around internal electrode layers at both outermost ends in the lamination direction among the internal electrode layers.

A multilayer ceramic capacitor includes a multilayer body including dielectric ceramic layers and internal electrode layers laminated alternately in a lamination direction, and a pair of external electrodes on both end portions in the length direction of the multilayer body and respectively connected to the internal electrode layers. The pair of external electrodes each include a base region covering at least each of the first and second end surfaces and connected to the internal electrode layers, and a cover region on the base region to cover the base region. The cover region includes maximum thickness portions each including a maximum thickness in the cover region, in a region corresponding to the ranges of about ±10 μm in the lamination direction centered around internal electrode layers at both outermost ends in the lamination direction among the internal electrode layers.

A multi-layer ceramic electronic component includes (I) a ceramic body including (i) a protective portion that includes an end surface facing in a first direction, circumferential surfaces, and a ridge including a recess extending along the first direction and connects the circumferential surfaces, and (ii) a functional portion including internal electrodes laminated in a second direction, and (II) an external electrode including (i) a base film covering the end surface and including a first, second, and third covering portions formed on the end surface, on the circumferential surfaces, and on the recess, respectively, (ii) an intermediate film formed on the base film and continuously covering the first, second, and third covering portions, and (iii) a surface film formed on the intermediate film, wherein the recess is disposed outside end portions of the internal electrodes in a third direction orthogonal to the first and second directions.

A multi-layer ceramic electronic component includes (I) a ceramic body including (i) a protective portion that includes an end surface facing in a first direction, circumferential surfaces, and a ridge including a recess extending along the first direction and connects the circumferential surfaces, and (ii) a functional portion including internal electrodes laminated in a second direction, and (II) an external electrode including (i) a base film covering the end surface and including a first, second, and third covering portions formed on the end surface, on the circumferential surfaces, and on the recess, respectively, (ii) an intermediate film formed on the base film and continuously covering the first, second, and third covering portions, and (iii) a surface film formed on the intermediate film, wherein the recess is disposed outside end portions of the internal electrodes in a third direction orthogonal to the first and second directions.