Patent Publication Number: US-9847162-B2

Title: Electronic component

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims benefit of priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2014-209594 filed Oct. 14, 2014, the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present disclosure relates to electronic components, and more particularly to an electronic component that is equipped with a coil. 
     BACKGROUND 
     An inductor described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2014-22723 is a known example of an electronic component that is equipped with a coil. As illustrated in  FIG. 18 , in an electronic component  500 , which is an example of this type of electronic component, a substantially spiral coil conductor  510  whose shape is a combination of substantially semicircular arcs and substantially straight lines and a coil conductor  520  whose shape is the same as that of the coil conductor  510  are disposed within the electronic component  500  such that a central axis CL 500  of the coil conductor  510  and another central axis CL 500  of the coil conductor  520  substantially coincide with each other, and the coil conductor  510  and the coil conductor  520  are connected to each other so that a single coil  501  is formed. In order to be connected to an outer electrode, a connecting electrode  512 , which is a first end portion of the coil conductor  510 , has an area larger than that of each of other portions of the coil conductor  510 , and a connecting electrode  522 , which is a second end portion of the coil conductor  520 , has an area larger than that of each of other portions of the coil conductor  520 . In addition, when viewed from a central axial direction of the coil  501 , the two coil conductors  510  and  520  are each disposed so as to have a line-symmetrical configuration with respect to a straight line HL 500  (see  FIG. 19 ) that crosses the central axes CL 500  and that is perpendicular to substantially linear portions of the coil conductors  510  and  520 . Furthermore, when viewed from the central axial direction of the coil  501 , the coil conductor  510  is disposed so as not to be superposed with the connecting electrode  522  of the coil conductor  520 . Note that, in  FIG. 19 , the connecting electrode  522  of the coil conductor  520  is indicated by a dashed line. 
     Such electronic components, each of which is equipped with a coil, have been mounted in mobile devices including smartphones and have been further reduced in size along with an improvement in integration of such mobile devices. However, although such electronic components, each of which is equipped with a coil, have been reduced in size, there has been a growing demand for higher performance, such as inductance, of the electronic components. Therefore, in this type of electronic component, there is a need to increase the inductance as much as possible in a limited space in which a coil is to be embedded. 
     SUMMARY 
     Accordingly, it is an object of the present disclosure to provide an electronic component that is equipped with a coil and whose inductance can be increased. 
     According to a preferred embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided an electronic component including a main body that is formed of an insulator, a coil that includes a first coil conductor that is disposed on a first plane, which is positioned within the main body, and a second coil conductor that is disposed on a second plane, which is parallel to the first plane within the main body, so as to be superposed with the first coil conductor when viewed from a perpendicular direction, which is perpendicular to the first plane, a first outer electrode that includes a first bottom-surface electrode located on a bottom surface of the main body, which is parallel to the first plane, and a first substantially columnar electrode extending from the first bottom-surface electrode toward a first end portion of the first coil conductor and that is electrically connected to the first coil conductor, and a second outer electrode that includes a second bottom-surface electrode located on the bottom surface and a second substantially columnar electrode extending from the second bottom-surface electrode toward a second end portion of the second coil conductor and that is electrically connected to the second coil conductor. The second coil conductor is positioned between the first coil conductor and the bottom surface. The first substantially columnar electrode is positioned so as to oppose the second substantially columnar electrode across a central axis of the coil when viewed from the perpendicular direction. A portion of an outermost periphery of the first coil conductor is superposed with the second substantially columnar electrode when viewed from the perpendicular direction. A smallest distance between the first coil conductor and a first side surface of the main body is smaller than a smallest distance between the second coil conductor and a second side surface of the main body. 
     In the electronic component according to the preferred embodiment of the present disclosure, the portion of the outermost periphery of the first coil conductor is superposed with the second substantially columnar electrode when viewed from the direction perpendicular to the first plane, and the smallest distance between the first coil conductor and the first side surface of the main body is smaller than the smallest distance between the second coil conductor and the second side surface of the main body. That is to say, in the electronic component according to the preferred embodiment of the present disclosure, a space within the main body, which corresponds to a space within a main body of an electronic component of the related art that has not been used, is used as a space in which the first coil conductor is disposed. Therefore, the external size of the first coil conductor can be further increased, and as a result, an improvement of the inductance of the electronic component can be achieved. 
     According to the preferred embodiments of the present disclosure, the inductance of an electronic component that is equipped with a coil can be increased. 
     Other features, elements, characteristics and advantages of the present disclosure will become more apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments of the present disclosure with reference to the attached drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a diagram illustrating the appearance of an electronic component, which is an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded perspective view of the electronic component, which is the embodiment. 
         FIG. 3  is a diagram illustrating a bottom surface of the electronic component, which is the embodiment, when seen in plan view. 
         FIG. 4  is a plan view illustrating a coil conductor, an insulator layer, and a substantially columnar electrode of the electronic component, which is the embodiment, as seen from a direction perpendicular to the bottom surface. 
         FIG. 5  is a plan view illustrating a coil conductor, the insulator layer, and the substantially columnar electrode of the electronic component, which is the embodiment, as seen from a direction perpendicular to the bottom surface. 
         FIG. 6  is a diagram illustrating a process of manufacturing the electronic component of the embodiment. 
         FIG. 7  is a diagram illustrating a process of manufacturing the electronic component of the embodiment. 
         FIG. 8  is a diagram illustrating a process of manufacturing the electronic component of the embodiment. 
         FIG. 9  is a diagram illustrating a process of manufacturing the electronic component of the embodiment. 
         FIG. 10  is a diagram illustrating a process of manufacturing the electronic component of the embodiment. 
         FIG. 11  is a diagram illustrating a process of manufacturing the electronic component of the embodiment. 
         FIG. 12  is a diagram illustrating a process of manufacturing the electronic component of the embodiment. 
         FIG. 13  is a diagram illustrating a process of manufacturing the electronic component of the embodiment. 
         FIG. 14  is a diagram illustrating a process of manufacturing the electronic component of the embodiment. 
         FIG. 15  is a diagram illustrating a process of manufacturing the electronic component of the embodiment. 
         FIG. 16  is a diagram illustrating a process of manufacturing the electronic component of the embodiment. 
         FIG. 17  is a diagram illustrating a process of manufacturing the electronic component of the embodiment. 
         FIG. 18  is a perspective view illustrating an internal structure of an electronic component, which is the same type as the inductor described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application No. 2014-22723. 
         FIG. 19  is a plan view illustrating a coil conductor and a connecting electrode of the electronic component, which is the same type as the inductor described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application No. 2014-22723, as seen from a direction perpendicular to a bottom surface. 
         FIG. 20  is a plan view illustrating the coil conductor and the connecting electrode of the electronic component, which is the same type as the inductor described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application No. 2014-22723, as seen from the direction perpendicular to the bottom surface. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Configuration of Electronic Component (see  FIG. 1  to  FIG. 5 ) 
     An electronic component  1 , which is an embodiment of the present disclosure, will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, a direction perpendicular to a bottom surface of the electronic component  1  is defined as the z-axis direction. When viewed in plan in the z-axis direction, a direction parallel to a long side of the electronic component  1  is defined as the x-axis direction, and a direction parallel to a short side of the electronic component  1  is defined as the y-axis direction. Note that the x axis, the y axis, and the z axis are perpendicular to one another. 
     The electronic component  1  includes a main body  10 , outer electrodes  20  and  25 , and a coil  30 . As illustrated in  FIG. 1 , the electronic component  1  has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 2 , the main body  10  includes insulator layers  11  to  14 , an insulator substrate  16 , and a magnetic path  18 . In the main body  10 , the insulator layers  11  and  12 , the insulator substrate  16 , and the insulator layers  13  and  14  are stacked one on top of the other in this order from the positive z-axis direction to the negative z-axis direction. 
     The insulator layers  11  and  14  are each made of a resin, which contains a magnetic powder, or the like. Note that examples of the magnetic powder include ferrite and a metal magnetic material (FeSiCr or the like), and examples of the resin include a polyimide resin and an epoxy resin. In the present embodiment, the resin contains about 90 wt % or higher of the magnetic powder by taking the L value and the direct current superposition characteristics of the electronic component  1  into consideration. The insulator layer  11  is positioned so as to serve as an end portion of the main body  10  on the positive-z-axis-direction side. The insulator layer  14  is positioned so as to serve as an end portion of the electronic component  1  on the negative-z-axis-direction side, and a bottom surface S 1  of the insulator layer  14 , which is a surface on the negative-z-axis-direction side, is a mounting surface that is used when the electronic component  1  is mounted on a circuit board. 
     The insulator layers  12  and  13  are each made of an epoxy resin or the like. The insulator layer  12  is positioned adjacent to the insulator layer  11  on the negative-z-axis-direction side, and the insulator layer  13  is positioned adjacent to the insulator layer  14  on the positive-z-axis-direction side. Note that the material of the insulator layers  12  and  13  may be an insulating resin, such as benzocyclobutene, or an insulating inorganic material, such as a glass ceramic. 
     The insulator substrate  16  is a printed circuit board that is formed of glass cloth impregnated with an epoxy resin and is sandwiched between the insulator layer  12  and the insulator layer in the z-axis direction. Note that the material of the insulator substrate  16  may be an insulating resin, such as benzocyclobutene, or an insulating inorganic material, such as a glass ceramic. 
     The magnetic path  18  is made of a resin containing a magnetic powder and is positioned substantially at the center within the main body  10 . Note that examples of the magnetic powder include ferrite and a metal magnetic material (FeSiCr or the like), and examples of the resin include a polyimide resin and an epoxy resin. In the present embodiment, the resin contains about 90 wt % or higher of the magnetic powder by taking the L value and the direct current superposition characteristics of the electronic component  1  into consideration. In addition, in order to improve a filling property of the resin with respect to the magnetic path  18 , two types of powders having different grain sizes are present in the resin. The magnetic path  18  extends the insulator layers  12  and  13  and the insulator substrate  16  in the z-axis direction, and the cross section of the magnetic path  18  has a substantially oval columnar shape. In addition, the magnetic path  18  is arranged so as to be located on the inner periphery side of coil conductors  32  and  37 , each of which will be described later. 
     The outer electrode  20  is disposed on the bottom surface S 1  and a side surface S 2  of the main body  10  the positive-x-axis-direction side when viewed from outside the main body  10 . The outer electrode  20  includes a bottom-surface electrode  21  that is made of a composite material containing a metal and a resin, and a substantially columnar electrode  23  that is made of Cu. Note that examples of other materials that can be used as the material of the substantially columnar electrode  23  include Au, Ag, Pd, and Ni. 
     The bottom-surface electrode  21  is a so-called resin electrode that is made of a phenolic resin in which a low-resistance metal powder, which is a Ag-coated Cu powder having an average particle diameter of about 100 nm in the present embodiment, is dispersed. The bottom-surface electrode  21  is an electrode that has a substantially flat plate-like shape and that is disposed in a region of the bottom surface S 1  of the insulator layer  14  on the positive-x-axis-direction side. The bottom-surface electrode  21  has a substantially rectangular shape when seen in plan view from the negative z-axis-direction. 
     The substantially columnar electrode  23  is an electrode that is disposed in a region inside the main body  10  on the positive-x-axis-direction side and that extends through the insulator layer  14  in the z-axis direction. However, a side surface S 4  of the substantially columnar electrode  23  on the positive-x-axis-direction side is exposed at the side surface S 2  of the main body  10 . The substantially columnar electrode  23  has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. In addition, when the substantially columnar electrode  23  is seen in plan view from the z-axis direction, the substantially columnar electrode is positioned within the bottom-surface electrode  21 . The area of the side surface S 4  of the substantially columnar electrode  23  is smaller than the area of the bottom-surface electrode  21 . A surface of the substantially columnar electrode on the negative-z-axis-direction side (“surface on the negative-z-axis-direction side” will hereinafter be referred to as a bottom surface) is in contact with a surface of the bottom-surface electrode  21  on the positive-z-axis-direction side (“surface on the positive-z-axis-direction side” will hereinafter be referred to as a top surface). 
     The outer electrode  25  is disposed on the bottom surface S 1  and a side surface S 3  of the main body  10  on the negative-x-axis-direction side when viewed from outside the main body  10 . The outer electrode  25  includes a bottom-surface electrode  26  that is made of a composite material containing a metal and a resin, and a substantially columnar electrode  28  that is made of Cu or the like. Note that examples of other materials that can be used as the material of the substantially columnar electrode  28  include Au, Ag, Pd, and Ni. 
     The bottom-surface electrode  26  is a so-called resin electrode that is made of a phenolic resin in which a low-resistance metal powder, which is a Ag-coated Cu powder having an average particle diameter of about 100 nm in the present embodiment, is dispersed. The bottom-surface electrode  26  is an electrode that has a substantially flat plate-like shape and that is disposed in a region of the bottom surface S 1  of the insulator layer  14  on the negative-x-axis-direction side. The bottom-surface electrode  26  has a substantially rectangular shape when seen in plan view from the negative z-axis-direction. 
     The substantially columnar electrode  28  is an electrode that is disposed in a region inside the main body  10  on the negative-x-axis-direction side and that extends through the insulator layer  14  in the z-axis direction. However, a side surface S 5  of the substantially columnar electrode  28  on the negative-x-axis-direction side is exposed at the side surface S 3  of the main body  10 . The substantially columnar electrode  28  has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. In addition, when the substantially columnar electrode  28  is seen in plan view from the z-axis direction, the substantially columnar electrode is positioned within the bottom-surface electrode  26 . The area of the side surface S 5  of the substantially columnar electrode  28  is smaller than the area of the bottom-surface electrode  26 . A bottom surface of the substantially columnar electrode  28  is in contact with a top surface of the bottom-surface electrode  26 . In addition, as illustrated in  FIG. 3 , the substantially columnar electrode  28  is positioned so as to oppose the substantially columnar electrode  23  across a central axis CL 30  of the coil  30 . 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 2 , the coil  30  is positioned in the main body  10  and formed of a conductive material, such as Au, Ag, Cu, Pd, or Ni. In addition, the coil  30  includes a coil conductor  32 , a via conductor  33 , the coil conductor  37 , and via conductors  38  and  39 . 
     The coil conductor  32  is disposed on a top surface S 6  of the insulator substrate  16 . The coil conductor  32  includes a plurality of substantially linear portions and a plurality of substantially arc portions and is a substantially spiral linear conductor that spirals in a clockwise direction with increasing distance from its center when viewed in plan from the positive z-axis direction. A first end portion of the coil conductor  32  on the outer periphery side of the coil conductor  32  extends toward the side surface S 3  of the main body  10 . When the coil conductor  32  is viewed from the z-axis direction, as illustrated in  FIG. 4 , an outermost peripheral portion L 5  of the coil conductor  32  on the positive-x-axis-direction side is superposed with the substantially columnar electrode  23 . A smallest distance d 1  between the coil conductor  32  and the side surface S 2  is half or less of a smallest distance d 2  between the coil conductor  37 , which will be described later, and the side surface S 3 . 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 2 , the via conductor  33  connects the first end portion of the coil conductor  32  on the outer periphery side and the substantially columnar electrode  28 . Thus, the via conductor  33  extends through the insulator substrate  16  and the insulator layer  13  in the z-axis direction. 
     The coil conductor  37  is disposed on a bottom surface of the insulator substrate  16 , that is, on a top surface S 7  of the insulator layer  13 . The coil conductor  37  includes a plurality of substantially linear portions and a plurality of substantially arc portions and is a substantially spiral linear conductor that spirals in the clockwise direction with decreasing distance from its center when viewed in plan from the positive z-axis direction. A first end portion of the coil conductor  37  on the outer periphery side of the coil conductor  37  extends toward the side surface S 2  of the main body  10 . A second end portion of the coil conductor  37  on the inner periphery side of the coil conductor  37  is arranged so as to be superposed with a second end portion of the coil conductor  32  on the inner periphery side of the coil conductor  32  when viewed from the z-axis direction. Regarding first portions that are parts of the substantially linear portions of the coil conductor  32  and second portions that are parts of the substantially linear portions of the coil conductor  37 , each of the first portions being superposed with a corresponding one of the second portions when viewed from the z-axis direction, each of central axes CL 32  of the coil conductor  32  illustrated in  FIG. 4 , which are the central axes of the first portions in their width direction, substantially coincide with a corresponding one of central axes CL 37  of the coil conductor  37  illustrated in  FIG. 5 , which are the central axes of the second portions in their width direction, when viewed from the z-axis direction. 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 2 , the via conductor  38  connects the first end portion of the coil conductor  37  on the outer periphery side and the substantially columnar electrode  23 . Thus, the via conductor  38  extends the insulator layer  13  in the z-axis direction. 
     The via conductor  39  extends through the insulator substrate  16  in the z-axis direction and connects the second end portion of the coil conductor  32  on the inner periphery side and the second end portion of the coil conductor  37  on the inner periphery side. 
     The electronic component  1 , which has the above-described configuration, functions as an inductor as a result of a signal, which is input from the outer electrode  20  or the outer electrode  25 , being output from the outer electrode  25  or the outer electrode  20  through the coil  30 . 
     Manufacturing Method (see  FIG. 6  to  FIG. 17 ) 
     A method of manufacturing the electronic component  1 , which is an embodiment of the present disclosure, will be described below. The z-axis direction used in the following description of the manufacturing method is a direction perpendicular to bottom surfaces of electronic components  1 , which are to be manufactured by the manufacturing method. 
     First, as illustrated in  FIG. 6 , a mother insulator substrate  116  that is to be a plurality of insulator substrates  16  is prepared. Then, as illustrated in  FIG. 7 , a plurality of through holes H 1  are formed in the mother insulator substrate  116  by laser processing or the like in order to form a plurality of via conductors  39 . 
     Next, a top surface and a bottom surface of the mother insulator substrate  116 , in which the plurality of through holes H 1  have been formed, are plated with Cu. In this case, the inner surface of each of the through holes H 1  is also plated, and as a result, the plurality of via conductors  39  are formed. After that, a plurality of conductive patterns  132  and  137 , which are illustrated in  FIG. 8  and correspond to coil conductors  32  and  37 , are formed on the top surface and the bottom surface of the mother insulator substrate  116  by photolithography. 
     After the plurality of conductive pattern  132  and  137  have been formed, the top surface and the bottom surface of the mother insulator substrate  116  are further plated with Cu, and the plurality of coil conductors  32  and  37  illustrated in  FIG. 9 , each of which has a sufficient thickness, are obtained. 
     Then, as illustrated in  FIG. 10 , the mother insulator substrate  116 , on which the plurality of coil conductors  32  and  37  have been formed, is sandwiched by insulator sheets  112  and  113 , which are to be a plurality of insulator layers  12  and  13 , in the z-axis direction. 
     Next, as illustrated in  FIG. 11 , a plurality of through holes H 2  are formed in the insulator sheets  112  and  113  by laser processing or the like in order to form a plurality of via conductors  33  and  38 . In addition, a de-smearing treatment is performed in order to remove smear generated as a result of the formation of the through holes H 2 . 
     After the de-smearing treatment has been performed, the insulator sheet  113  is plated with electroless copper first. This electroless plating is performed in order to form a seed layer used for a Cu electrolytic plating that is to be subsequently performed. After the seed layer has been formed, the Cu electrolytic plating is performed on the insulator sheet  113 . As a result, a surface of the insulator sheet  113  and the inner surface of each of the through holes H 2  are plated, and the plurality of via conductors  33  and  38  are formed. 
     After that, as illustrated in  FIG. 12 , a plurality of conductive patterns  123 , which correspond to substantially columnar electrodes  23  and  28  and each of which has a sufficient thickness, are formed on the insulator sheet  113  by photolithography and Cu plating. 
     Next, as illustrated in  FIG. 13 , a plurality of through holes δ that extend through the mother insulator substrate  116  and the insulator sheets  112  and  113  in the z-axis direction are formed by laser processing or the like in order to form magnetic paths  18 . In an xy plane, the through holes δ are to be formed at positions on the inner periphery side of the plurality of coil conductors  32  and  37 , which have been formed on the mother insulator substrate  116 . Note that the through holes δ may be formed by using a mask having cavities that correspond to the through holes δ and performing sandblasting through the cavities. 
     Then, as illustrated in  FIG. 14 , a multilayer body that includes the insulator sheet  112 , the mother insulator substrate  116 , and the insulator sheet  113 , which are stacked one on top of the other in this order, is sandwiched by resin sheets  111  and  114  containing a metal magnetic powder and corresponding to insulator layers  11  and  14  in the z-axis direction and is subjected to pressure bonding. In this case, the resin sheet  111  containing a metal magnetic powder is subjected to the pressure bonding from the side on which the insulator sheet  112  is disposed, and the resin sheet  114  containing a metal magnetic powder is subjected to the pressure bonding from the side on which the insulator sheet  113  is disposed. The resin sheets  111  and  114  each containing a metal magnetic powder enter the plurality of through holes δ by the pressure bonding, and as a result, the plurality of magnetic paths  18  are formed. After that, a heat treatment is performed by using a constant-temperature chamber, such as an oven so that the resin sheets  111  and  114  are cured. 
     Next, a surface of the resin sheet  114  is ground by buffing, lapping, grinder working, or the like. As a result, as illustrated in  FIG. 15 , the conductive patterns  123  are exposed at the surface of the resin sheet  114 . Note that, when the grinding is performed on the resin sheet  114 , a surface of the resin sheet  111  may be ground in order to adjust the thickness of each of the electronic components  1 . 
     A phenolic resin in which a Ag-coated Cu powder having an average particle diameter of about 100 nm is dispersed is applied to the conductive patterns  123 , which have been exposed at the surface of the resin sheet  114 , by screen printing, and the phenolic resin is dried, so that a plurality of resin electrode patterns  121  illustrated in  FIG. 16  that correspond to bottom-surface electrodes  21  and  26  are formed on the surface of the resin sheet  114 . As a result, a mother substrate  101 , which is an aggregate of the plurality of electronic components  1 , is completed. 
     Finally, the mother substrate  101  is divided into the plurality of electronic components  1 . More specifically, the mother substrate  101  is cut by using a dicer or the like, and as illustrated in  FIG. 17 , the mother substrate  101  is divided into the plurality of electronic components  1 . In this case, each of the conductive patterns  123  is divided into two portions, and the two portions serve as the columnar electrodes  23  and  28 . In addition, each of the resin electrode patterns  121  is also divided into two portions, and the two portions serve as the bottom-surface electrodes  21  and  26 . Note that, after the mother substrate  101  has been divided into the plurality of electronic components  1 , nickel plating and tin plating may be performed on surfaces of the outer electrodes  20  and  25  in order to improve the wettability of each of the outer electrodes  20  and  25 . 
     Advantageous Effects 
     The inductance of the electronic component  1 , which is an embodiment of the present disclosure, can be improved more than that of the electronic component  500 . More specifically, in the electronic component  500  of the related art, the coil conductor  510 , which corresponds to the coil conductor  32  of the electronic component  1 , is arranged so as not to be superposed with the connecting electrode  522  of the coil conductor  520  when viewed from the central axial direction of the coil  501 . Thus, in the electronic component  500 , an area on the inner periphery side of the coil conductor  510  becomes small by an amount equal to the area occupied by the connecting electrode  522 . On the other hand, in the electronic component  1 , as illustrated in  FIG. 4 , the outermost peripheral portion L 5  of the coil conductor  32 , which corresponds to the coil conductor  510  of the electronic component  500 , is superposed with the substantially columnar electrode  23 , which corresponds to the connecting electrode  522  of the electronic component  500 , when viewed from the z-axis direction. In addition, the smallest distance d 1  between the coil conductor  32  and the side surface S 2  of the main body  10  is smaller than the smallest distance d 2  between the coil conductor  37  and the side surface S 3  of the main body  10 . That is to say, in the electronic component  1 , a space within the electronic component  1 , which corresponds to a space within the electronic component  500  of the related art that has not been used, is used as a space in which the coil conductor  32  is disposed. Consequently, an area on the inner periphery side of the coil conductor  32  can be increased by increasing the external size of the coil conductor  32 , and as a result, the improvement of the inductance of the electronic component  1  can be achieved. 
     In the electronic component  500  of the related art, as indicated by a hatched portion illustrated in  FIG. 20 , the coil conductor  520  projects into a region on the inner periphery side of the coil conductor  510  when seen in plan view from the z-axis direction, and as a result, an internal magnetic path is narrowed. On the other hand, in the electronic component  1 , a space within the electronic component  1 , which corresponds to a space within the electronic component  500  of the related art that has not been used, is used as a space in which the coil conductor  32  is disposed, so that the coil conductor  32  can be positioned such that an area of the coil conductor  37 , which corresponds to the coil conductor  520 , that projects toward the inner periphery side of the coil conductor  32  when seen in plan view from the z-axis direction is reduced. Consequently, an internal magnetic path of the coil  30  of the electronic component  1  is larger than the internal magnetic path of the coil  501  of the electronic component  500  of the related art, and accordingly, the inductance of the electronic component  1  is improved. 
     In order to confirm the above advantageous effects, the inventors of the present application measured the inductance of a first sample that corresponds to the electronic component  1  and the inductance of a second sample that corresponds to the electronic component  500  of the related art. The size of the first sample and the size of the second sample are the same as each other, and each of the first and second samples has a long edge of 1.6 mm, a short edge of 1.2 mm, and a height of 0.3 mm. In addition, the number of turns of a coil that is included in the first sample and the number of turns of a coil that is included in the second sample are the same as each other, and the line width, the conductor spacing, and the thickness of a coil conductor that is included in the coil, which is included in the first sample, and the line width, the conductor spacing, and the thickness of a coil conductor that is included in the coil, which is included in the second sample, are the same as one another. More specifically, the number of turns of each of the coils is 9.5, and each of the coil conductors included in the coils has a line width of 65 μm, a conductor spacing of 10 μm, and a thickness of 45 μm. However, the external size of the coil conductor of the first sample in the x-axis direction is larger than the external size of the coil conductor of the second sample by 60 μm. The inductance measurement results were as follows: the inductance of the first sample was 0.422 μH, and the inductance of the second sample was 0.400 μH. Accordingly, the inductance of the first sample, which corresponds to the electronic component  1 , is larger than the inductance of the second sample, which corresponds to the electronic component  500  of the related art. In other words, the results show that the inductance of the electronic component  1  is improved more than the inductance of an electronic component of the related art. 
     Along with a reduction in the size of an electronic component, the occupancy of a substantially columnar electrode inside the electronic component becomes large. This is because it is necessary to maintain the size of the substantially columnar electrode to be equal to or larger than a certain size when the electric resistance of a portion that connects an outer electrode and a coil conductor is set to be smaller than a predetermined value. Therefore, advantageous effects obtained by, like the electronic component  1 , using a space within the electronic component  1 , which corresponds to a space within the electronic component  500  of the related art that has not been used, as a space in which the coil conductor  32  is disposed will become notable as the size of the electronic component is decreased. 
     Other Embodiments 
     The electronic component according to the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the present disclosure. For example, the number of turns of coils and the shapes and the positions of columnar electrodes and bottom-surface electrodes are arbitrary. 
     As described above, the present disclosure is useful in an electronic component that is equipped with a coil and has an advantage of improving the inductance of such an electronic component. 
     While preferred embodiments of the disclosure have been described above, it is to be understood that variations and modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the disclosure. The scope of the disclosure, therefore, is to be determined solely by the following claims.