JP7728215B2 - Intaglio printing plate and method for manufacturing laminated electronic components - Google Patents

Description

This disclosure relates to a printing intaglio plate and a method for manufacturing a multilayer electronic component.

An example of a conventional intaglio printing plate is the gravure printing screen described in Patent Document 1. In this conventional intaglio printing plate, the ridges that define the cells that make up the printing pattern are cut in one or several places in order to control the tendency of the printing paste to flow.

Special Publication No. 39-16402

In intaglio printing plates, there is a demand for technology that can reduce the surface roughness of the printing pattern formed on the substrate. However, in the conventional intaglio printing plates described above, although some of the ridges are cut, it is believed that there is a large difference in the ease with which the printing paste flows between the areas where the ridges are cut and the areas surrounded by the ridges. As a result, the thickness of the printing paste filled into the cells is prone to variation, making it insufficient to obtain a printing pattern with low surface roughness.

In actual printing situations, it is possible to imagine the formation of print patterns of various thicknesses on the substrate depending on the purpose and application. One way to adjust the thickness of the print pattern is to change the physical properties of the print paste. However, changing the physical properties of the print paste each time is cumbersome, and there is a need for technology that can adjust the thickness of the print pattern without changing the physical properties of the print paste.

The present disclosure has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a printing intaglio plate and a method for manufacturing multilayer electronic components that can adjust the thickness of the printed pattern without changing the physical properties of the printing paste and that can reduce the surface roughness of the printed pattern.

A printing intaglio plate according to one aspect of the present disclosure comprises a plurality of cells partitioned by printing direction banks extending in the printing direction and orthogonal direction banks perpendicular to the printing direction, the printing direction banks having first notches connecting adjacent cells in the orthogonal direction, and the orthogonal direction banks having second notches connecting adjacent cells in the printing direction. When the ratio of the printing direction bank distance to the sum of the printing direction bank distance and printing direction bank width of a cell is defined as the W opening ratio, and the ratio of the sum of the orthogonal direction bank distance and the orthogonal direction bank width to the sum of the printing direction bank distance and printing direction bank width of a cell is defined as the pitch L/W ratio, the printing intaglio plate satisfies 70%≦W opening ratio≦90% and 0.65≦pitch L/W ratio≦1.3.

With this printing intaglio plate, the thickness of the print pattern can be adjusted by changing the W aperture ratio without changing the physical properties of the printing paste. By setting the W aperture ratio to 70% or more, the area of the printing direction banks is not excessive relative to the cells, and the printing paste flows sufficiently to fully fill the non-transferred areas caused by the printing direction banks. By setting the W aperture ratio to 90% or less, the fluidity of the printing paste in the orthogonal direction is maintained, and the non-transferred areas caused by the orthogonal portions between the printing direction banks and the orthogonal direction banks are fully filled. Furthermore, with this printing intaglio plate, by setting the pitch L/W ratio to 0.65 or more, the distance between the orthogonal direction banks is sufficiently maintained, and the fluidity of the printing paste can be maintained until the non-transferred areas are filled. By setting the pitch L/W ratio to 1.3 or less, the fluidity of the printing paste in the printing direction can be ensured, and the non-transferred areas caused by the orthogonal portions between the printing direction banks and the orthogonal direction banks can be quickly filled. As a result, this printing intaglio plate reduces the surface roughness of the formed print pattern.

First cutouts adjacent to each other in the printing direction may be positioned approximately the same relative to the cell in the printing direction, while first cutouts adjacent to each other in the perpendicular direction may be positioned differently relative to the cell in the printing direction, and second cutouts adjacent to each other in the printing direction may be positioned differently relative to the cell in the perpendicular direction, while second cutouts adjacent to each other in the perpendicular direction may be positioned approximately the same relative to the cell in the perpendicular direction.

With this configuration, the printing paste flow paths in the orthogonal direction between cells are formed in a wavy pattern to connect adjacent first cutouts, and the printing paste flow paths in the printing direction between cells are formed in a wavy pattern to connect adjacent second cutouts. Furthermore, the phases of adjacent printing paste flow paths in the orthogonal direction are approximately the same, and the phases of adjacent printing paste flow paths in the printing direction are approximately the same. This uniformizes the flow of printing paste within the cells, reducing variations in the thickness of the printing paste filled within the cells. Therefore, the surface roughness of the resulting printing pattern can be further reduced.

The multiple cells include central cells located at the center in the orthogonal direction and side edge cells located at the side edges in the orthogonal direction, and the bank width in the printing direction of the side edge cells is greater than the bank width in the printing direction of the central cells, and the opening area of the side edge cells may be smaller than the opening area of the central cells.

By making the bank width of the side edge cells in the printing direction larger than the bank width of the central cells and making the opening area of the side edge cells smaller than the opening area of the central cells, it is possible to prevent stringing of the printing paste in the side edge cells during transfer. This prevents the occurrence of the so-called saddle phenomenon, in which the thickness of the printing pattern at the side edges is greater than the thickness of the printing pattern at the center.

The bank width of the side end cells in the orthogonal direction may be smaller than the bank width of the side end cells in the printing direction. By reducing the bank width of the side end cells in the orthogonal direction, it is possible to prevent differences in the amount of paste applied in the printing direction due to the side end cells. As a result, it is possible to reduce variations in the thickness of the printed pattern at the side ends. It also improves the straightness of the printed pattern at the side ends.

A method for manufacturing a multilayer electronic component according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a step of forming an internal electrode layer or a step absorption layer using the above-described printing intaglio plate.

In this method for manufacturing multilayer electronic components, the use of the above-mentioned printing intaglio plate makes it possible to adjust the thickness of the internal electrode layer or step absorption layer formed without changing the physical properties of the printing paste. Furthermore, the surface roughness of the internal electrode layer or step absorption layer formed can be reduced.

According to this disclosure, the thickness of the printed pattern can be adjusted without changing the physical properties of the printing paste, and the surface roughness of the printed pattern can be reduced.

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing a gravure roll to which an intaglio printing plate according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is applied. FIG. 1 is a plan view showing an intaglio printing plate according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 3 is an enlarged plan view of a main portion showing a central cell of the printing intaglio plate shown in FIG. 2 . FIG. 3 is an enlarged plan view of a main portion showing a side end cell of the printing intaglio plate shown in FIG. 2 . FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the results of an evaluation test regarding the thickness and surface roughness of a printed pattern. 10 is a graph showing the relationship between W aperture ratio and thickness of a printed pattern. 10 is a graph showing the relationship between the L opening ratio and the thickness of the print pattern. 10 is a graph showing the relationship between W aperture ratio and surface roughness of a print pattern. 10 is a graph showing the relationship between the pitch L/W ratio and the surface roughness of the print pattern. FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a saddle phenomenon occurring in a print pattern. 10 is a graph showing the relationship between the W bank width and L bank width of the side end cell and the saddle height. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the results of an evaluation test regarding the saddle height and side edge straightness of a print pattern. FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing an evaluation index for side edge straightness.

Below, preferred embodiments of a printing intaglio plate and a method for manufacturing a multilayer electronic component according to one aspect of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view showing a gravure roll to which a printing intaglio plate according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is applied. The gravure roll 1 shown in the figure is a device used in the manufacturing process of multilayer electronic components such as multilayer ceramic capacitors. In this manufacturing process, the gravure roll 1 is used to transfer the pattern of the internal electrode layer to the ceramic green sheets that constitute the base body of the multilayer electronic component.

A printing intaglio plate 11 is used to transfer the pattern of the internal electrode layer. When printing with a gravure roll 1 using the printing intaglio plate 11, the gravure roll 1 with the printing intaglio plate 11 set on it is first immersed in a tank filled with printing paste. This allows the printing paste to adhere to the entire printing intaglio plate 11. Next, the gravure roll 1 is rotated, and the doctor blade 2 is oscillated left and right to bring it into contact with the printing intaglio plate 11 that has been pulled out of the tank. This scrapes off excess printing paste adhering to the printing intaglio plate 11, and the appropriate amount of printing paste is filled into each cell 13 (see Figure 2, etc.).

After filling each cell 13 of the printing intaglio plate 11 with printing paste, the ceramic green sheet is sandwiched between the gravure roll 1 and the impression cylinder, and the gravure roll 1 and impression cylinder are rotated while a predetermined pressure is applied. This transfers the printing paste from the printing intaglio plate 11 to the ceramic green sheet in a predetermined pattern. During transfer, the printing paste does not directly adhere to the areas corresponding to the banks that make up each cell 13, but over time the surrounding printing paste gradually fills in the non-transferred areas, and ultimately a roughly rectangular internal electrode layer pattern is formed on the ceramic green sheet.

The printing intaglio plate 11 can be used not only to form internal electrode layers, but also to form step absorption layers. The step absorption layer is a layer used to fill in the step between sheets equal to the thickness of the internal electrode layers when stacking ceramic green sheets on which internal electrode layers have been formed. The step absorption layer is printed, for example, around the internal electrode layers with a thickness equivalent to that of the internal electrode layers. The printing intaglio plate 11 can also be used with printing methods other than gravure printing. The printing intaglio plate 11 can also be used to form circuits and electrodes for other electronic devices such as displays.

The structure of the printing intaglio plate 11 is described in detail below.

Figure 2 is a plan view showing an intaglio printing plate according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in the figure, the intaglio printing plate 11 is rectangular, with its long sides extending in the printing direction (the direction corresponding to the circumferential direction of the gravure roll 1) and its short sides extending in a direction perpendicular to the printing direction (the direction corresponding to the axial direction of the gravure roll 1). A graphic pattern 12 to be printed is provided on one side of the intaglio printing plate 11.

The graphic pattern 12 is composed of a plurality of cells 13, each of which is, for example, approximately square in shape. These cells 13 are arranged in a grid pattern on one side of the printing intaglio plate 11. The graphic pattern 12 has central cells 13A located at the center in the orthogonal direction and side edge cells 13B located at the side edges in the orthogonal direction. Each of the central cells 13A and side edge cells 13B has a rectangular opening 14 surrounded by a bank. During printing, the above-mentioned printing paste is filled into each of the openings 14.

As shown in Figure 3, the central cell 13A is partitioned by a pair of printing direction banks 15, 15 extending in the printing direction and a pair of orthogonal direction banks 16, 16 extending in the perpendicular direction. In the central cell 13A, each printing direction bank 15 has a first cutout 21, 21 that connects adjacent cells 13, 13 in the perpendicular direction. The first cutouts 21, 21 are formed at positions corresponding to the corners of the cells 13. In cells 13, 13 adjacent in the printing direction, first cutouts 21, 21 are formed corresponding to the same corner of the cells 13. In cells 13, 13 adjacent in the perpendicular direction, first cutouts 21, 21 are formed corresponding to each of the diagonally opposite corners of the cells 13.

As shown in Figure 3, in the central cell 13A, second cutouts 22, 22 are provided on each of the orthogonal banks 16, connecting adjacent cells 13, 13 in the printing direction. The second cutouts 22, 22 are formed at positions corresponding to the corners of the cells 13. In adjacent cells 13, 13 in the orthogonal direction, second cutouts 22, 22 are formed corresponding to the same corners of the cells 13. In adjacent cells 13, 13 in the printing direction, second cutouts 22, 22 are formed corresponding to the diagonally opposite corners of the cells 13.

The first cutouts 21 form a wavy printing paste flow path P1 in the printing intaglio 11, extending between the cells 13 in the perpendicular direction, connecting adjacent first cutouts 21. The phases of adjacent printing paste flow paths P1 in the printing direction are substantially the same. The second cutouts 22 form a wavy printing paste flow path P2 in the printing intaglio 11, connecting adjacent second cutouts 22, extending between the cells 13 in the printing direction. The phases of adjacent printing paste flow paths P2 in the perpendicular direction are substantially the same.

In this embodiment, the orthogonal width K2 of the second cutout 22 is greater than the printing direction width K1 of the first cutout 21. As a result, the fluidity of the printing paste in the printing paste flow path P2 extending in the printing direction is greater than the fluidity of the printing paste in the printing paste flow path P1 extending in the orthogonal direction. There are no particular restrictions on the ratio between the printing direction width K1 of the first cutout 21 and the orthogonal direction width K2 of the second cutout 22, but it is, for example, 1:1.5 to 1:8.

As shown in Figure 4, each side end cell 13B is defined by a single printing direction bank 15 extending in the printing direction and a pair of orthogonal direction banks 16, 16 extending in the perpendicular direction. The printing direction bank 15 is a common bank with the printing direction bank 15 that defines the adjacent central cell 13A in the perpendicular direction, and is located on the central cell 13A side of the side end cell 13B. No printing direction bank 15 is located on the side end side of the side end cell 13B, leaving the outer end side open.

Next, we will explain in more detail the configuration of the center cell 13A and side end cell 13B described above.

As shown in Figure 3, the central cell 13A is defined as follows: W opening width W1, W bank width W2, L opening width L1, and L bank width L2. W opening width W1 is the distance between a pair of printing direction banks 15, 15 that make up the cell 13 (printing direction bank distance), and is the distance from the edge of one printing direction bank 15 on the opening 14 side to the edge of the other printing direction bank 15 on the opening 14 side. W bank width W2 is the width of the printing direction bank 15 in the orthogonal direction (printing direction bank width).

The L opening width L1 is the distance between a pair of orthogonal banks 16, 16 that make up the cell 13 (orthogonal bank distance), and is the distance from the edge of one orthogonal bank 16 on the opening 14 side to the edge of the other orthogonal bank 16 on the opening 14 side. The L bank width L2 is the width of the orthogonal bank 16 in the printing direction (orthogonal bank width). In this embodiment, the L bank width L2 is equal to the W bank width W2.

In the central cell 13A, the W opening ratio and L opening ratio are defined as follows: The W opening ratio is the ratio of the printing direction bank distance to the sum of the printing direction bank distance and the printing direction bank width in the cell 13. The L opening ratio is the ratio of the orthogonal direction bank distance to the sum of the orthogonal direction bank distance and the orthogonal direction bank width in the cell 13. When the W opening ratio and L opening ratio are defined in this way, the printing intaglio 11 satisfies 70%≦W opening ratio≦90%.
W opening ratio (%) = 100 × (W opening width W1 / (W opening width W1 + W bank width W2))
L opening ratio (%) = 100 x (L opening width L1/(L opening width L1 + L bank width L2))

In the central cell 13A, the pitch L/W ratio is defined as follows: The pitch L/W ratio is the ratio of the sum of the bank distance and bank width in the orthogonal direction to the sum of the bank distance and bank width in the printing direction in the cell 13. When the pitch L/W ratio is defined in this way, the printing intaglio plate 11 satisfies 0.65≦pitch L/W ratio≦1.3.
Pitch L/W ratio = (L opening width L1 + L bank width L2) / (W opening width W1 + W bank width W2)

As shown in Figure 4, in the side end cell 13B, the width in the orthogonal direction (printing direction bank width) of the printing direction bank 15 is defined as W bank width W3, and the width in the printing direction (orthogonal direction bank width) of the orthogonal direction bank 16 is defined as L bank width L3. In this case, the printing intaglio plate 11 satisfies the relationship W bank width W3 > W bank width W2. In this embodiment, the printing direction bank 15 of the side end cell 13B is wider on the opening 14 side of the side end cell 13B.

For this reason, the protruding length F2 of the orthogonal direction banks 16 that protrude in the orthogonal direction from the printing direction banks 15 in the side end cells 13B is shorter than the protruding length F1 (see Figure 3) of the orthogonal direction banks 16 that protrude in the orthogonal direction from the printing direction banks 15 in the center cells 13A. Because the protruding length F2 is shorter than the protruding length F1, the opening area S2 of the side end cells 13B is smaller than the opening area S1 of the center cells 13A.

Furthermore, the side end cells 13B satisfy the condition L bank width L3 < W bank width W3. In other words, the orthogonal direction bank width of the side end cells 13B is smaller than the printing direction bank width of the side end cells 13B. In this embodiment, the L bank width L3 is equal to the L bank width L2. As described above, the L bank width L2 is equal to the W bank width W2. Therefore, in this embodiment, the W bank width W3 > L bank width L3 = L bank width L2 = W bank width W2.

With the printing intaglio plate 11 having the above configuration, the thickness of the printing pattern can be adjusted by changing the W aperture ratio without changing the physical properties of the printing paste. By setting the W aperture ratio to 70% or more, the area of the printing direction banks 15 relative to the cells 13 is not excessive, and the printing paste flows sufficiently to fully fill the non-transferred areas caused by the printing direction banks 15. By setting the W aperture ratio to 90% or less, the fluidity of the printing paste in the orthogonal direction is maintained, and the non-transferred areas caused by the orthogonal parts between the printing direction banks 15 and the orthogonal direction banks 16 are fully filled.

Furthermore, by setting the pitch L/W ratio of the printing intaglio plate 11 to 0.65 or more, the distance between banks in the orthogonal direction is sufficiently maintained, and the fluidity of the printing paste can be maintained until the non-transferred areas are filled. By setting the pitch L/W ratio to 1.3 or less, the fluidity of the printing paste in the printing direction can be ensured, and the non-transferred areas at the orthogonal portions between the printing direction banks and the orthogonal direction banks can be quickly filled. As a result, the surface roughness of the printing pattern formed on the printing intaglio plate 11 can be reduced.

In the printing intaglio plate 11, first cutouts 21, 21 adjacent to each other in the printing direction are positioned approximately the same in the printing direction relative to the cell 13, while first cutouts 21, 21 adjacent to each other in the perpendicular direction are positioned differently in the printing direction relative to the cell 13. Furthermore, in the printing intaglio plate 11, second cutouts 22, 22 adjacent to each other in the printing direction are positioned differently in the perpendicular direction relative to the cell 13, while second cutouts 22, 22 adjacent to each other in the perpendicular direction are positioned approximately the same in the perpendicular direction relative to the cell 13.

With this configuration, the printing paste flow path P1 in the orthogonal direction between the cells 13 is formed in a wavy shape to connect adjacent first cutouts 21, 21, and the printing paste flow path P2 in the printing direction between the cells 13 is formed in a wavy shape to connect adjacent second cutouts 22, 22. Furthermore, the phases of adjacent printing paste flow paths P1, P1 in the orthogonal direction are approximately the same, and the phases of adjacent printing paste flow paths P2, P2 in the printing direction are approximately the same. This uniformizes the flow of printing paste within the cells 13, reducing variations in the thickness of the printing paste filled into the cells 13. This further reduces the surface roughness of the resulting print pattern.

The printing intaglio plate 11 has multiple cells 13, each of which includes a central cell 13A located at the center in the orthogonal direction and a side edge cell 13B located at the side edge in the orthogonal direction. The bank width in the printing direction of the side edge cell 13B is larger than the bank width in the printing direction of the central cell 13A, and the opening area S2 of the side edge cell 13B is smaller than the opening area S1 of the central cell 13A.

In this way, by making the bank width in the printing direction of the side end cells 13B larger than the bank width in the printing direction of the central cells 13A and making the opening area of the side end cells 13B smaller than the opening area of the central cells 13A, it is possible to suppress stringing of the printing paste in the side end cells during transfer. This also prevents the occurrence of the so-called saddle phenomenon (described below), in which the thickness of the printing pattern at the side ends is greater than the thickness of the printing pattern at the center.

In the printing intaglio plate 11, the bank width of the side end cells 13B in the orthogonal direction is smaller than the bank width of the side end cells 13B in the printing direction. By reducing the bank width of the side end cells 13B in the orthogonal direction, it is possible to prevent differences in the amount of paste applied in the printing direction by the side end cells 13B. As a result, it is possible to reduce variations in the thickness of the printed pattern at the side ends. It also improves the straightness of the printed pattern at the side ends.

Furthermore, in the manufacturing method of the multilayer electronic component of this embodiment, by using the printing intaglio plate 11, the thickness of the internal electrode layer or step absorption layer to be formed can be adjusted without changing the physical properties of the printing paste. Furthermore, the surface roughness of the internal electrode layer or step absorption layer to be formed can be reduced.

Examples of the present disclosure are described below. In these examples, as shown in Figure 5, an evaluation test was first conducted to examine the relationship between the W aperture ratio and pitch L/W ratio and the thickness and surface roughness of the printed pattern. In this evaluation test, multiple printing intaglio sample plates with different W aperture ratios and pitch L/W ratios were prepared. The printing paste used was an electrode paste used to form the internal electrode layers of multilayer electronic components, and the thickness and surface roughness of the printed pattern were measured when the electrode paste was transferred to a ceramic green sheet. The surface roughness of the printed pattern was measured using macro Ra (arithmetic mean roughness in a certain two-dimensional area).

Each of Examples 1 to 8 satisfies the W opening ratio of 70% or less and 90% and the pitch L/W ratio of 0.65 or less and 1.3. In Examples 1 to 4, the L opening width (bank distance in the orthogonal direction) and L bank width (bank width in the orthogonal direction) are kept constant, and the W opening width (bank distance in the printing direction) and W bank width (bank width in the printing direction) are adjusted to change the W opening ratio and pitch L/W ratio within the above range. In Examples 5 to 8, the W opening width (bank distance in the printing direction), W bank width (bank width in the printing direction), and L bank width (bank width in the orthogonal direction) are kept constant, and only the pitch L/W ratio is changed within the above range by adjusting the L opening width (bank distance in the orthogonal direction). Specific numerical values for each parameter in Examples 1 to 8 are shown in Figure 5.

Comparative Example 1 satisfies the condition 0.65≦pitch L/W ratio≦1.3, but the W opening ratio is <70%. Comparative Example 2 satisfies the condition 0.65≦pitch L/W ratio≦1.3, but the W opening ratio is >90%. Comparative Example 3 satisfies the condition 70%≦W opening ratio≦90%, but the pitch L/W ratio is <0.65. Comparative Example 4 satisfies the condition 70%≦W opening ratio≦90%, but the pitch L/W ratio is >1.3. Specific numerical values of each parameter in Comparative Examples 1 to 4 are shown in Figure 5.

As shown in Figure 5, in Examples 1 to 8, which satisfied the conditions of 70%≦W aperture ratio≦90% and 0.65≦pitch L/W ratio≦1.3, the macro Ra, which indicates the surface roughness of the printed pattern, was less than 10 nm. On the other hand, in Comparative Examples 1 to 4, which did not satisfy either the conditions of 70%≦W aperture ratio≦90% or 0.65≦pitch L/W ratio≦1.3, the macro Ra, which indicates the surface roughness of the printed pattern, was 15 nm to 50 nm. These results confirm that the surface roughness of the printed pattern can be reduced by satisfying the conditions of 70%≦W aperture ratio≦90% and 0.65≦pitch L/W ratio≦1.3.

Figure 6 is a graph showing the relationship between W aperture ratio and printed pattern thickness. In Figure 6, the horizontal axis shows W aperture ratio [%] and the vertical axis shows printed pattern thickness [μm], and the W aperture ratio and printed pattern thickness for Examples 1 to 8 and Comparative Examples 1 to 4 shown in Figure 5 are plotted. The results in Figure 6 show that, in the W aperture ratio range of 65% to 95%, the printed pattern thickness increases linearly in the range of 0.3 μm to 0.6 μm as the W aperture ratio increases. These results confirm that by changing the W aperture ratio, the printed pattern thickness can be adjusted without changing the physical properties of the printing paste.

Figure 7 is a graph showing the relationship between L opening ratio and printed pattern thickness. In Figure 7, the horizontal axis shows L opening ratio [%] and the vertical axis shows printed pattern thickness [μm], and the L opening ratio and printed pattern thickness for Examples 1 to 8 and Comparative Examples 1 to 4 shown in Figure 5 are plotted. The results in Figure 7 show that when the L opening ratio is in the range of 70% to 95%, the printed pattern thickness remains almost constant in the range of 0.5 μm to 0.6 μm, even when the L opening ratio increases. This confirms that changing the L opening ratio does not contribute to the thickness of the printed pattern.

Figure 8 is a graph showing the relationship between W aperture ratio and surface roughness of the printed pattern. In Figure 8, the horizontal axis shows W aperture ratio [%] and the vertical axis shows the macro Ra [nm] of the printed pattern, and the W aperture ratio and macro Ra of the printed pattern for Examples 1 to 8 and Comparative Examples 1 to 4 shown in Figure 5 are plotted. The results in Figure 8 show that when the W aperture ratio is in the range of 70% to 90%, the macro Ra of the printed pattern is kept to 10 nm or less. On the other hand, when the W aperture ratio is less than 70% or more than 90%, the macro Ra of the printed pattern is 30 nm to 50 nm.

Figure 9 is a graph showing the relationship between the pitch L/W ratio and the surface roughness of the printed pattern. In Figure 9, the horizontal axis represents the pitch L/W ratio and the vertical axis represents the macro Ra [nm] of the printed pattern, and the pitch L/W ratio and macro Ra of the printed pattern are plotted for Examples 1 to 8 and Comparative Examples 1 to 4 shown in Figure 5. The results in Figure 9 show that when the pitch L/W ratio is in the range of 0.65 to 1.3, the macro Ra of the printed pattern is kept to 10 nm or less. On the other hand, when the pitch L/W ratio is less than 0.5 or greater than 1.3, the macro Ra of the printed pattern is 15 nm to 30 nm.

Combining the results of Figures 6, 8, and 9, it can be concluded that in an intaglio printing plate, by satisfying the conditions of 70%≦W aperture ratio≦90% and 0.65≦pitch L/W ratio≦1.3, it is possible to adjust the thickness of the printed pattern without changing the physical properties of the printing paste, and to reduce the surface roughness of the printed pattern.

In this example, we next conducted an evaluation test to examine the relationship between the W bank width and L bank width of the side edge cells and the saddle height. As mentioned above, the saddle phenomenon is caused by stringing of the printing paste in the side edge cells during transfer, and is a phenomenon in which the thickness of the printed pattern at the side edges is greater than the thickness of the printed pattern at the center, as shown in Figure 10. Here, as shown in Figure 10, the difference in height between the height H1 of the printed pattern at the center and the peak height H2 of the thickness of the printed pattern at the side edges was used as the saddle height for evaluation.

Figure 11 is a graph showing the relationship between the W bank width and L bank width of the side end cells and the saddle height. Here, sample A, in which the W bank width and L bank width of the side end cells are equal to the W bank width and L bank width of the central cell, is used as the reference. In sample B, the W bank width and L bank width of the side end cells are each 3 μm wider than the W bank width and L bank width of the central cell. In sample C, the W bank width and L bank width of the side end cells are each 6 μm wider than the W bank width and L bank width of the central cell.

As shown in Figure 11, compared to the reference sample A, sample B, in which the W bank width and L bank width of the side end cells were wider, had a saddle height reduced by approximately 0.015 μm. Sample C, in which the W bank width and L bank width of the side end cells were wider still further, had a saddle height reduced by approximately 0.055 μm. These results confirm that the wider the W bank width and L bank width of the side end cells are made relative to the W bank width and L bank width of the central cell, the greater the effect of reducing saddle height.

Figure 12 shows the results of an evaluation test on the saddle height and side edge straightness of the print pattern. Side edge straightness, as shown in Figure 13, is an index that indicates the degree of unevenness of the side edges of the print pattern after transfer. Here, the difference D between the maximum and minimum protrusion positions in the orthogonal direction at the side edge was used to evaluate side edge straightness. A larger difference D indicates lower side edge straightness, and a smaller difference D indicates higher side edge straightness. Additionally, the surface opening ratio is used here as a parameter equivalent to the opening area. The surface opening ratio is the ratio of the opening area to the total area of the cell, including the printing direction banks and the orthogonal direction banks. The surface opening ratio is equal to the product of the W opening ratio and the L opening ratio.

In Examples 9 to 11, the bank width of the side edge cells in the printing direction is larger than the bank width of the central cells in the printing direction. In Example 11, the bank width of the side edge cells in the orthogonal direction is equal to the bank width of the side edge cells in the printing direction, but in Examples 9 and 10, the bank width of the side edge cells in the orthogonal direction is smaller than the bank width of the side edge cells in the printing direction. Also, in Examples 9 to 11, the opening area of the side edge cells is smaller than the opening area of the central cells. Meanwhile, in Comparative Example 5, the bank width of the side edge cells in the printing direction is equal to the bank width of the central cells in the printing direction. Also, in Comparative Example 5, the bank width of the side edge cells in the orthogonal direction is equal to the bank width of the side edge cells in the printing direction. In Comparative Example 5, the opening area of the side edge cells is equal to the opening area of the central cells.

As shown in Figure 12, in Comparative Example 5, the saddle height was 80 nm and the side edge straightness was 12 μm. In contrast, in Examples 9 to 11, the saddle height was reduced to 30 nm or less. This confirmed that making the bank width of the side edge cells in the printing direction larger than the bank width of the central cells and making the opening area of the side edge cells smaller than the opening area of the central cells contributes to the occurrence of the saddle phenomenon. Furthermore, in Examples 9 and 10, the side edge straightness was reduced to 7 to 8 μm. Therefore, it was also confirmed that making the orthogonal bank width of the side edge cells smaller than the bank width of the side edge cells in the printing direction contributes to improving side edge straightness.

11...printing intaglio plate, 13...cell, 13A...central cell, 13B...side edge cell, 15...printing direction bank, 16...orthogonal direction bank, 21...first cutout, 22...second cutout, W1...W opening width (distance between banks in the printing direction), W2, W3...W bank width (bank width in the printing direction), L1...L opening width (distance between banks in the orthogonal direction), L2, L3...L bank width (bank width in the orthogonal direction), S1...opening area of central cell, S2...opening area of side edge cell.

Claims (5)

The ink jet recording medium comprises a plurality of cells partitioned by printing direction banks extending in the printing direction and orthogonal direction banks perpendicular to the printing direction,
a first cutout portion that connects adjacent cells in the orthogonal direction is provided in the printing direction bank;
a second cutout portion that connects adjacent cells in the printing direction is provided in the orthogonal bank;
The ratio of the bank distance in the printing direction to the sum of the bank distance in the printing direction and the bank width in the printing direction in the cell is defined as a W opening ratio,
When the ratio of the sum of the bank distance in the perpendicular direction and the bank width in the perpendicular direction to the sum of the bank distance in the printing direction and the bank width in the printing direction in the cell is defined as the pitch L/W ratio,
A printing intaglio plate that satisfies 70%≦W opening ratio≦90% and 0.65≦pitch L/W ratio≦1.3. the first cutout portions adjacent to each other in the printing direction are positioned substantially the same relative to the cell in the printing direction, while the first cutout portions adjacent to each other in the perpendicular direction are positioned differently relative to the cell in the printing direction,
2. The printing intaglio plate according to claim 1, wherein the second cutout portions adjacent to each other in the printing direction are positioned differently in the orthogonal direction relative to the cells, while the second cutout portions adjacent to each other in the orthogonal direction are positioned approximately the same in the orthogonal direction relative to the cells. The plurality of cells include central cells located on a central side in the orthogonal direction and side end cells located on side ends in the orthogonal direction,
the bank width in the printing direction of the side end cells is larger than the bank width in the printing direction of the central cells,
3. The intaglio printing plate according to claim 1, wherein the opening area of the side end cells is smaller than the opening area of the central cells. The printing intaglio plate according to claim 3, wherein the bank width of the side end cells in the orthogonal direction is smaller than the bank width of the side end cells in the printing direction. A method for producing a multilayer electronic component, comprising the step of forming an internal electrode layer or a step absorption layer using the printing intaglio plate according to any one of claims 1 to 4.