A multi-layer ceramic capacitor includes: a first region including a polycrystal including, as a main component, crystal grains free from intragranular pores; a second region that includes a polycrystal including, as a main component, crystal grains including intragranular pores and includes a higher content of silicon than a content of silicon in the first region; a capacitance forming unit including ceramic layers laminated along a first direction, and internal electrodes disposed between the ceramic layers; and a protective portion including a cover that covers the capacitance forming unit and constitutes a main surface facing in the first direction, a side margin constituting a side surface facing in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction, and a ridge constituting a connection portion, the connection portion connecting the main surface and the side surface to each other. The ceramic layers include the first region. The ridge includes the second region.

Disclosed is a polycrystalline ceramic dielectric comprising: crystal grain bulks made of a barium titanate-based ceramic; and grain boundaries comprising interfaces between the crystal grain bulks, wherein the composition of the grain boundaries is controlled using dopants. By controlling the grain boundary composition using dopants so that the dopants are distributed across a width of 5 nm or less and using a nano-sized, fine-grained barium titanate-based ceramic precursor, the grain boundary structure within the polycrystals may maintain electroneutrality, and their ferroelectricity may be controlled, thereby allowing for smoother polarization reaction. Accordingly, the present disclosure provides polycrystalline ceramic dielectrics that have dielectric properties such as high permittivity and low dielectric losses in a wide frequency range, a small amount of reduction in electric field-dependent relative permittivity, high temperature stability, non-reducibility under a reduction sintering condition, and resulting high insulation resistance, and a preparation method therefor.

A nanoparticle cluster reduction method yields a new composition of matter including a large percentage (e.g., 75% or higher percentage) of primary nanoparticles in the new composition of matter. The particle reduction method reduces the size of nanoparticle clusters in material of the new composition of matter, allows particle reduction of specific nanoparticle cluster sizes, and allows particle reduction to primary nanoparticles. This new composition of matter can include a high permittivity and high resistivity dielectric compound. This new composition of matter, according to certain examples, has high permittivity, high resistivity, and low leakage current. In certain examples, the new composition of matter constitutes a dielectric energy storage device that is a battery with very high energy density, high operating voltage per cell, and an extended battery life cycle. An example method can include a controlled gas evolution reaction to reduce the size of nanoparticle clusters.

A stacked structure including: a single crystal substrate and, single crystal material on the single crystal substrate, wherein the single crystal material has a same crystallographic orientation as a crystallographic orientation of the single crystal substrate. Also a method of forming the stacked structure, a ceramic electronic component, and a device.

A nanoparticle cluster reduction method yields a new composition of matter including a large percentage (e.g., 75% or higher percentage) of primary nanoparticles in the new composition of matter. The particle reduction method reduces the size of nanoparticle clusters in material of the new composition of matter, allows particle reduction of specific nanoparticle cluster sizes, and allows particle reduction to primary nanoparticles. This new composition of matter can include a high permittivity and high resistivity dielectric compound. This new composition of matter, according to certain examples, has high permittivity, high resistivity, and low leakage current. In certain examples, the new composition of matter constitutes a dielectric energy storage device that is a battery with very high energy density, high operating voltage per cell, and an extended battery life cycle. An example method can include a controlled gas evolution reaction to reduce the size of nanoparticle clusters.

A ceramic green sheet where the proportion of a Si-containing constituent coating the surface of barium titanate-based ceramic particles is 95% or higher, and the proportion of a rare-earth element-containing constituent coating the surface of the barium titanate-based ceramic particle is 85% or higher.

According to a novel fabrication method, a new composition of matter includes a large percentage (e.g., 75% or higher percentage) of primary nanoparticles in the new composition of matter. The novel fabrication method reduces the size of nanoparticle clusters in material of the new composition of matter, allows fabrication of specific nanoparticle cluster sizes, and allows fabrication of primary nanoparticles. This new composition of matter can include a high permittivity and high resistivity dielectric compound. This new composition of matter, according to certain examples, has high permittivity, high resistivity, and low leakage current. In certain examples, the new composition of matter constitutes a dielectric energy storage device that is a battery with very high energy density, high operating voltage per cell, and an extended battery life cycle.

A dielectric ceramic layer includes main phase grains and a secondary phase. The main phase grains include a perovskite-type compound. The perovskite-type compound includes Zr, Mn and at least one element selected from the group consisting of Ti, Ca, Sr, and Ba. In the perovskite-type compound, a molar ratio z between Ti/(Zr+Ti) satisfies 0≦z≦0.2, a molar ratio between Zr/(Zr+Ti) is equal to 1−z, a molar ratio x between Sr/(Ca+Sr+Ba) satisfies 0≦x≦1.0, a molar ratio y between Ba/(Ca+Sr+Ba) satisfies 0≦y≦0.3, a molar ratio between Ca/(Ca+Sr+Ba) is equal to 1−x−y, and a molar ratio m between (Ca+Sr+Ba)/(Zr+Ti) satisfies 0.95≦m<1.03. The secondary phase contains segregated Mn. In a body including the dielectric ceramic layer and an internal electrode alternately stacked, the secondary phase is located inside of a second region and not located inside of a third region.

A component body is obtained by alternately laminating and sintering a plurality of semiconductor ceramic layers formed of a SrTiO.sub.3-based grain boundary insulated semiconductor ceramic and a plurality of internal electrode layers. The average grain diameter of crystal grains is 1.0 ∝m or less and a coefficient of variation representing variations in a grain diameter of the crystal grains is 30% or less. To prepare the semiconductor ceramic an Sr compound, a Ti compound and a donor compound are weighed in predetermined amounts and mixed/pulverized. A calcined powder is prepared and a dispersant is added with an acceptor compound to the calcined powder. The resulting mixture is wet-mixed and a heat-treated powder is prepared. The heat-treated powder is formed into slurry and subjected to a filter treatment. The filtered slurry is used to prepare a semiconductor ceramic. The resulting laminated semiconductor ceramic capacitor has a varistor function having excellent durability, which can suppress a reduction of insulating properties and ensure desired electrical characteristics even when ESD occurs repeatedly.

A multilayer ceramic capacitor includes a ceramic body having a dielectric layer disposed between two internal electrodes. The dielectric layer includes a plurality of dielectric grains. A grain boundary between at least two dielectric grains of the plurality of dielectric grains has a ratio Si/Ni of a weight of Si to a weight of Ni in the grain boundary that is at least 1 and 6 or less.