IC chip mounting apparatus and IC chip mounting method

Abstract

The present invention is an IC chip mounting apparatus (1) including: a conveyor (81, 82) configured to convey an antenna continuous body (AS) on a conveying surface, the antenna continuous body having a base material (BM) and plural inlay antennas (AN) continuously formed on the base material; an IC chip placement unit (3) configured to place an IC chip (C) on a photo-curable adhesive that is located on a reference position (Pref) of each antenna in the antenna continuous body; and a light irradiator (42) configured to irradiate, with light, the adhesive of each antenna of the antenna continuous body that is conveyed by the conveyor, wherein the light irradiator is configured to irradiate the adhesive of each antenna with the light, while the IC chip on the adhesive is pressed to the antenna.

Description

IC Chip Mounting Device, IC Chip Mounting Method

[0001] The present invention relates to an IC chip mounting device and an IC chip mounting method.

[0002] With the spread of RFID tags, the production of sheet-like inlays having an antenna and an IC chip electrically connected to the antenna has been expanding. To manufacture an inlay, an adhesive is provided at a predetermined reference position on an antenna formed on a base substrate, which serves as a reference for mounting the IC chip, the IC chip is placed at the reference position, and then the adhesive is cured to fix the IC chip. For example, in the adhesive curing method described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2012-206278, it is described that a photocurable adhesive is cured by irradiating light while pressing four pressure-bonding tools against four components arranged on a substrate.

[0003] Conventionally, when curing an adhesive to fix components such as an IC chip, the conveyance of the adherent components is stopped, making it difficult to improve productivity. Therefore, an aspect of the present invention aims to improve productivity in the manufacturing process of an inlay.

[0004] An aspect of the present invention is an IC chip mounting device including a conveyance unit that conveys an antenna continuum in which a plurality of antennas for inlays are continuously formed on a base material on a predetermined conveyance surface, an IC chip placement unit that places an IC chip on a photocurable adhesive provided at a predetermined reference position of each antenna of the antenna continuum, and a light irradiation unit that irradiates light onto the adhesive on each antenna of the antenna continuum on which the IC chip is placed and is being conveyed by the conveyance unit, wherein the light irradiation unit irradiates the light while pressing the IC chip placed on the adhesive toward the antenna side.

[0005] According to an aspect of the present invention, productivity can be improved in the manufacturing process of an inlay.

[0006] This is a plan view of the antenna of the embodiment and a partially enlarged view of it before and after IC chip mounting. This is a diagram showing the antenna sheet and the roll body around which the antenna sheet is wound. This is a diagram showing the part of the IC chip mounting apparatus of the embodiment that corresponds to the IC chip placement process. This is a diagram showing the chip-containing tape and its enlarged cross-section. This is a side view of the rotary mounter in the IC chip mounting apparatus of the embodiment. This is a diagram that schematically explains the relationship between the rotary mounter and the antenna sheet. This is a perspective view showing the state in which the chip-containing tape is separated by the separation roller. This is a diagram that explains the operation in which the IC chip is supplied from the chip-containing tape to the nozzle unit. This is a diagram showing the part of the IC chip mounting apparatus of the embodiment that corresponds to the curing process. This is a diagram showing a part of the pressing unit and the ultraviolet irradiator as seen from arrow J in Figure 9. This is a front view and a side view of the pressing unit included in the curing apparatus of the embodiment. This is a plan view of the pressing unit circulation mechanism included in the curing apparatus of the embodiment. This is a diagram showing the B-B and C-C cross-sections in Figure 12. This is a diagram that explains the positional relationship of the pressing unit with respect to the rail in the tension state and the pressing state in the pressing unit circulation mechanism. This is a diagram that explains the feeding operation of the pressing unit. This is a functional block diagram of the control unit that controls the curing apparatus. This figure shows a method for transporting an antenna sheet according to one embodiment. This figure illustrates the IC chip placement process according to one embodiment. This figure illustrates the curing process according to one embodiment. This figure shows an example of the configuration of the ultraviolet curing unit in Figure 19. This figure illustrates the curing process according to one embodiment.

[0007] This invention relates to the patent applications 2019-235377 and 2020-216376, filed with the Japan Patent Office on 26 December 2019 and 25 December 2020, respectively, and all the contents of these applications are incorporated by reference into this specification.

[0008] The IC chip mounting apparatus and IC chip mounting method according to the embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. The IC chip mounting apparatus 1 according to the embodiment is an apparatus for mounting an IC chip on a thin-film antenna when manufacturing contactless communication inlays such as RFID inlays. Figure 1 shows an exemplary antenna AN having a predetermined antenna pattern, but it is not intended to limit the apparatus to this antenna pattern. Figure 1 also shows enlarged views of part E on the antenna AN before and after the IC chip C is mounted. In this example, the IC chip C is mounted at a predetermined reference position Pref which is determined in advance based on the antenna pattern. The IC chip C is extremely small, for example, with dimensions of several hundred μm in length and width, and it is required to accurately mount this extremely small IC chip C at the reference position Pref.

[0009] To mount the IC chip C on the antenna AN, an IC chip placement step is required, in which adhesive is applied toward the reference position Pref of the antenna AN and the IC chip C is placed on the adhesive, and a curing step is required to harden the adhesive and strengthen the connection between the antenna AN and the IC chip C.

[0010] As shown in Figure 2, in the IC chip placement process described later, a roll body PR is installed around which a strip-shaped antenna sheet AS (an example of an antenna continuum) with multiple antennas AN formed on a substrate BM at a constant pitch is wound. The antenna sheet AS is continuously drawn out from the roll body PR and fed into the IC chip placement process line. The material of the substrate BM is not particularly limited, but for example, paper substrates such as fine paper, coated paper, and art paper, synthetic resin films made from PET (polyethylene terephthalate), PE (polyethylene), PP (polypropylene), and PS (polystyrene), sheets combining multiple types of the aforementioned synthetic resins, and composite sheets combining synthetic resin film and paper can also be used. The antennas AN are formed, for example, by attaching metal foil to the substrate BM, or by screen printing or vapor deposition of conductive material in a predetermined pattern onto the substrate BM.

[0011] In the following explanation, the XYZ coordinate system is defined as shown in Figure 2. In the following explanation, when referring to diagrams of the arrangement at each process, the diagram viewed in the YZ plane is called a front view, the diagram viewed in the XY plane is called a top view, and the diagram viewed in the XZ plane is called a side view. The X direction is the direction in which the antenna sheet AS, pulled out from the roll body PR, is transported in each process described below, and is also called the transport direction D1 as appropriate. The Y direction is the width direction of the antenna sheet AS, and is also called the width direction D2 as appropriate. The Z direction is the direction perpendicular to the antenna sheet AS.

[0012] (1) IC Chip Placement Process The IC chip placement process will be described below with reference to Figures 3 to 10. Figure 3 is a diagram showing the part of the IC chip mounting device 1 of the embodiment that corresponds to the IC chip placement process. Figure 4 shows a plan view of the chip-containing tape CT and an enlarged view of the A-A cross section. In the IC chip placement process, the IC chip mounting device 1 can accurately place extremely small IC chips relative to the reference position Pref (see Figure 1) of each antenna AN on the antenna sheet AS.

[0013] As shown in Figure 3, in the IC chip placement process, the IC chip mounting apparatus 1 includes a conveyor 81, a dispenser 2, a rotary mounter 3, an ultraviolet irradiator 41, imaging devices CA1 to CA3, a tape feeder 71, a tape body winding reel 72, a film winding reel 73, and a separation roller 74.

[0014] The conveyor 81 (an example of a transport section) transports the antenna sheet AS, which is drawn out from the roll body PR (see Figure 2), downstream of the process at a predetermined transport speed. The top surface of the conveyor 81 corresponds to the transport surface. The dispenser 2 dispenses a fixed amount of anisotropic conductive paste (ACP; hereinafter simply referred to as "conductive paste") toward the reference position Pref of each antenna AN being transported. This conductive paste is an example of an ultraviolet-curing adhesive. The dispenser 2 is configured to allow adjustment of the discharge position in the width direction in order to accurately position the discharge position relative to the reference position Pref of each antenna AN.

[0015] The imaging device CA1 is located upstream of the dispenser 2 and captures images of the area near the reference position Pref of each antenna AN in order to determine the position to which the conductive paste is applied. The imaging device CA2 is located downstream of the dispenser 2 and captures images of the area near the reference position Pref of each antenna AN in order to check whether conductive paste has been applied to each antenna AN and to check whether the conductive paste has been applied accurately to the area including the reference position Pref.

[0016] The rotary mounter 3 (an example of an IC chip placement unit) is a chip mounter that places IC chips on conductive paste applied to each antenna AN, and rotates counterclockwise as shown in Figure 3. The rotary mounter 3 is attached to a suspension plate 86, and the suspension plate 86 is fixed to a support base 85. In other words, the rotary mounter 3 is suspended from above on the support base 85. As will be described later, the rotary mounter 3 picks up IC chips from the chip-containing tape and releases the picked-up IC chips toward the reference position Pref of each antenna AN on the antenna sheet AS to place (mount) them. At this time, in order to accurately place the IC chips toward the reference position Pref of the antenna AN, a process is performed to correct the position and orientation of the picked-up IC chips. The imaging device CA3 images the IC chips while they are picked up by the nozzle (described later) in order to perform a correction process to correct the position and orientation of the IC chips when mounting them on the antenna AN.

[0017] The tape feeder 71 is loaded with chip-containing tape containing IC chips wound around it, and is configured to sequentially pull out the chip-containing tape in the direction of the arrow in Figure 3 at a speed synchronized with the rotary mounter 3. Now, an example of chip-containing tape will be described with reference to Figure 4. As shown in Figure 4, the chip-containing tape CT includes a tape body T in which recesses Td containing IC chips C are formed at regular intervals, and a covering film CF attached to the tape body T so as to cover the recesses Td. The recesses Td are formed, for example, by embossing the tape body T. IC chips C are contained within each recess Td along the stretching direction of the chip-containing tape CT. Mounting holes H are formed at regular intervals along the stretching direction of the chip-containing tape CT. These mounting holes H are provided to ensure accurate positioning with respect to the circumferential surface of the separation roller 74, and are inserted into projections 74p (described later) provided on the separation roller 74 when the chip-containing tape CT is transported to the separation roller 74.

[0018] As shown in Figure 4, an adsorption hole Ts is formed between the bottom surface of the recess Td and the back surface of the tape body T (the surface opposite to the surface to which the covering film CF is adhered). The adsorption hole Ts is provided to allow the separation roller 74 to adsorb the IC chip C so that the IC chip C does not fall out of the recess Td when the covering film CF is peeled off.

[0019] Referring again to Figure 3, at the separation roller 74, the coating film CF is peeled off from the chip-containing tape CT supplied from the tape feeder 71 via one or more auxiliary rollers, separating it into the tape body T and the coating film CF. The IC chip C, exposed after the coating film CF is peeled off, is sequentially attracted to each nozzle provided on the rotary mounter 3. After the chip-containing tape CT is separated into the tape body T and the coating film CF by the separation roller 74, the tape body T is wound onto the tape body take-up reel 72 via one or more auxiliary rollers, and the coating film CF is wound onto the film take-up reel 73 via one or more auxiliary rollers.

[0020] Next, the rotary mounter 3 will be described with reference to Figures 5 and 6. Figure 5 is a side view of the rotary mounter 3 in the IC chip mounting device 1 of the embodiment. Figure 6A is a plan view of the nozzle unit mounted on the rotary mounter 3. Figure 6B is a side view of the nozzle unit 30. Figure 6 is a diagram that schematically illustrates the relationship between the rotary mounter 3 and the antenna sheet AS.

[0021] As shown in Figure 5, the rotary mounter 3 has multiple nozzle units 30-1 to 30-12 (12 in the illustrated example) arranged radially from the rotary head 3H. In the following description, when referring to aspects common to nozzle units 30-1 to 30-12, they will be collectively referred to as nozzle unit 30. The rotary head 3H is not shown in detail in Figure 5, but it is connected to a rotary drive motor that rotates nozzle units 30-1 to 30-12 counterclockwise, a vacuum pump for attracting IC chips to the nozzle units 30, and a blower for releasing the IC chips from the nozzle units 30.

[0022] Referring to Figure 6, the rotary head 3H is rotated counterclockwise by a rotary drive motor (not shown), which sequentially switches the position of each nozzle unit 30 on the circumference of the rotary head 3H. In other words, a particular nozzle unit 30 moves in an annular trajectory on a plane perpendicular to the conveying surface in response to the rotation of the rotary head 3H, and is sequentially positioned at each of the 12 positions PA to PL on the circumference of the rotary head 3H, from position PA to position PL in a counterclockwise direction.

[0023] Here, position PA is the position where the nozzle unit 30 newly picks up the IC chip C from the chip-containing tape CT. Position PE is the position where an image of the IC chip C in the state of being picked up by the nozzle of the nozzle unit 30 is captured by the imaging device CA3. Position PK is the position where the picked-up IC chip C is released onto the conductive paste applied to the antenna AN on the conveyed antenna sheet AS. At position PK, the direction of movement of the nozzle tip coincides with the conveying direction D1 of the antenna sheet AS. At position PK, air is discharged from the nozzle of the nozzle unit 30 in order to release the IC chip C. At position PL, since the IC chip C has already been released at position PK, the nozzle unit 30 is not picking up the IC chip C. Note that at position PL, air may be discharged from the nozzle to remove any debris that may adhere to the nozzle. Figure 6 shows an example in which a debris collection tray TR is placed at position PL to collect debris that may be discharged from the nozzle.

[0024] For example, in Figure 6, the nozzle unit 30-1 at position PA newly picks up an IC chip C, rotates counterclockwise while holding the IC chip C, releases the IC chip C when it reaches position PK, and then picks up a new IC chip C again when it returns to position PA, repeating this process. With this IC chip mounting method, IC chips can be continuously placed on each antenna AN without stopping the transport of the antenna sheet AS, resulting in high productivity.

[0025] The angular velocity of the rotary head 3H and the transport speed of the antenna sheet AS are set or controlled so that the nozzle units 30 that reach position PK in sequence discharge IC chips C toward the reference position Pref of each antenna AN on the antenna sheet AS being transported from upstream. To ensure the proper placement of the IC chips C, it is preferable to provide a section at position PK where the velocity of the tip of the nozzle unit 30 nearby and the transport speed of the antenna sheet AS are equal.

[0026] In this embodiment, an example is shown in which 12 nozzle units 30 are arranged on the rotary head 3H, but this is not limited to this configuration. The number of nozzle units 30 arranged on the rotary head 3H can be set arbitrarily.

[0027] Next, with reference to Figures 7 and 8, the operation in which the IC chip C is attracted by the nozzle unit 30 will be described. Figure 7 is a perspective view showing the state in which the chip-containing tape CT is separated by the separation roller 74. Figure 8 is a side view of the vicinity of the separation roller 74, illustrating the operation in which the IC chip C is supplied from the chip-containing tape CT to the nozzle unit 30. In Figure 8, only the chip-containing tape CT is shown in cross-section so that the state of the chip-containing tape CT can be seen.

[0028] As shown in Figure 7, the chip-containing tape CT supplied from the tape feeder 71 is transported with its widthwise positioning achieved by inserting the projection 74p of the separation roller 74 into the mounting hole H of the chip-containing tape CT. At this time, the covering film CF of the chip-containing tape CT is peeled off by the branching member 75 and directed toward the film winding reel 73. On the other hand, the tape body T of the chip-containing tape CT is directed toward the tape body winding reel 72.

[0029] As shown in Figure 8, the IC chip C, which is exposed when the covering film CF is peeled off, is immediately attracted by the nozzle unit 30. At this time, to prevent the IC chip C from falling in the short time between its exposure and being attracted by the nozzle unit 30, the separation roller 74 is provided with a suction path (not shown) for attracting the IC chip C toward the rotation center of the separation roller 74. The IC chip C is attracted through this suction path and the adsorption holes Ts (see Figure 4) provided in the tape body T.

[0030] (2) Curing Process Next, the curing process will be explained with reference to Figures 9 to 15. In the curing process, the conductive paste applied to each antenna after the IC chip placement process described above is cured to strengthen the physical connection between the antenna and the IC chip, and to ensure electrical conductivity between the antenna and the IC chip.

[0031] Figure 9 shows the part of the IC chip mounting apparatus 1 of the embodiment that corresponds to the curing process. Figure 10 shows a part of the pressing unit 6 and the ultraviolet irradiator 42 as seen from arrow J in Figure 9. Figure 11 shows the pressing unit 6 included in the curing apparatus 4 of the embodiment. Figure 12 is a plan view of the pressing unit circulation mechanism 5 included in the curing apparatus 4 of the embodiment. Note that the lower rail 51L, which will be described later, is omitted in Figure 12.

[0032] As shown in Figure 9, in the curing process, the IC chip mounting apparatus 1 includes a conveyor 82, a curing apparatus 4, and an imaging apparatus CA4. The conveyor 82 transports the antenna sheet AS, which is transported from the upstream IC chip placement process, downstream at a predetermined transport speed. The top surface of the conveyor 82 corresponds to the transport surface. The imaging apparatus CA4 is positioned above the antenna sheet AS at the upstream end of the curing process (i.e., the downstream end of the IC chip placement process) and captures images of each antenna AN transported from the IC chip placement process. The imaging apparatus CA4 is provided to check whether the IC chips are placed in the correct positions in the IC chip placement process.

[0033] As shown in Figure 9, the curing apparatus 4 has a pressing unit circulation mechanism 5 as a pressing unit moving mechanism and an ultraviolet irradiator 42 (an example of a light irradiation unit). As shown in Figures 9 and 12, the pressing unit circulation mechanism 5 includes a circulation rail 51 consisting of an upper rail 51U and a lower rail 51L, a main belt 52 and gears 521, 522, an auxiliary belt 53, a feed gear 54, and pressing units 6. The pressing unit circulation mechanism 5 moves the pressing units 6 in a predetermined annular track. The pressing units 6 move up and down in a direction perpendicular to the transport surface and press the IC chips placed on the conductive paste of the antenna AN while ultraviolet light is irradiated onto each antenna AN. The number of pressing units 6 provided in the pressing unit circulation mechanism 5 is not limited, but from the viewpoint of productivity and cost, it is preferable to be able to set it to any number of 2 or more. The ultraviolet irradiator 42 is arranged along the transport direction D1. Therefore, it is possible to irradiate many antennas AN on the antenna sheet AS with ultraviolet light at the same time.

[0034] In the IC chip mounting device 1 of this embodiment, a thermosetting adhesive such as epoxy resin may be applied to the antenna AN by a dispenser 2, and a thermosetting device may be provided instead of the ultraviolet irradiator 42.

[0035] As shown in Figure 9, preferably, multiple (eight in the illustrated example) pressing units 6 simultaneously press the IC chips placed on the conductive paste of multiple (eight in the illustrated example) antennas AN being transported. At this time, the conveyor 82 does not stop transporting the antenna sheet AS, and the multiple pressing units 6 and the multiple antennas AN being pressed move at a constant speed in the transport direction D1, while ultraviolet light from the ultraviolet irradiator 42 is applied to each antenna AN. Therefore, there is an advantage in that the productivity of fixing the IC chips to the antennas AN is extremely high.

[0036] Referring to Figure 10, the state in which ultraviolet light is irradiated to each antenna AN by the ultraviolet irradiator 42 is shown. The ultraviolet irradiator 42 has a light source 42e, such as an LED (Light Emitting Device). The light source 42e is configured to irradiate ultraviolet light toward the antenna AN from a direction that is inclined at an angle with respect to the transport surface. The side of the pressing part 61 of the pressing unit 6 (i.e., the side on which the ultraviolet irradiator 42 is placed) is open. The glass plate 61p that constitutes the pressing surface of the pressing part 61 is made of glass that transmits ultraviolet light.

[0037] Next, the configuration of the pressing unit 6 will be described with reference to Figure 11. As shown in Figure 11, the pressing unit 6 has a pressing section 61, a housing 62, a shaft 63, and a roller holding section 66. A pair of lower rollers 64L and a pair of lateral rollers 65 that rotate on the lower rail 51L are mounted on the housing 62. A pair of upper rollers 64U that rotate on the upper rail 51U are mounted on the roller holding section 66. The lower rollers 64L and upper rollers 64U are rollers adapted to rotate on a horizontal plane, and the lateral rollers 65 are rollers adapted to rotate on a vertical plane.

[0038] One end of the shaft 63 is connected to the pressing part 61, and the other end of the shaft 63 is connected to the roller holding part 66. The shaft 63 is displaceable in the vertical direction of Figure 11 relative to the housing 62. A spring (not shown) is incorporated inside the housing 62. In Figure 11, the free state (when no external force is applied) of the pressing part 61, shaft 63, and roller holding part 66 is represented by solid lines, and the tensile state (when an external force is applied) is represented by dashed lines. When the external force in the tensile state is released, the spring's restoring force returns them to the free state. A coil spring may be used as the spring, but a magnetic spring is preferred. Magnetic springs have the advantage that the pressing pressure remains constant regardless of the stroke amount, making damage to the IC chip less likely, and that the degradation of characteristics after long-term use is extremely small.

[0039] The housing 62 has a pair of V-grooves 62g formed therein. The number of grooves in the V-grooves 62g is not limited, but each groove is shaped to engage with the main belt 52 and the feed gear 54. It is preferable that the housing 62 has a permanent magnet built in. By having a permanent magnet built in, as will be described later, multiple pressing units 6 can be made to overlap each other by magnetic force in the standby section, so that the pressing units 6 can be fed out at an accurate timing.

[0040] The pressing portion 61 has a gap 61h on the side where the V-groove portion 62g is formed, and a glass plate 61p that transmits ultraviolet light is attached to the bottom. As shown in Figure 10, when irradiation by the ultraviolet irradiator 42 is being performed, the IC chip is pressed by the bottom surface of the glass plate 61p. By providing a glass plate 61p that transmits ultraviolet light at the bottom of the glass plate 61p, the IC chip can be pressed while irradiating with ultraviolet light.

[0041] Referring to FIG. 12, in the pressing unit circulation mechanism 5, the gears 521 and 522 are driven by a main belt drive motor M41 (not shown in FIG. 12) so as to rotate at a constant angular velocity counterclockwise. In response to the rotation of the gears 521 and 522, the main belt 52 engaged with each gear circulates around the gears 521 and 522 at a constant speed along the orbit of the pressing unit 6. The auxiliary belt 53 is, for example, a flat belt or a V-belt, and is driven at a constant speed clockwise in FIG. 12 by an auxiliary belt drive motor M42 (not shown in FIG. 12). The auxiliary belt 53 serves to accelerate the pressing unit 6 along the rail by engaging with the V-groove portion 62g of the pressing unit 6.

[0042] The feed gear 54 is configured to mesh with the V-groove portion 62g of the pressing unit 6, and is a gear that operates by a feed belt drive motor M43 (not shown in FIG. 12), and rotates counterclockwise in FIG. 12. The feed gear 54 is provided to feed the pressing unit 6 from the standby position toward the conveyed antenna sheet AS. The timing of the operation of the feed gear 54 is controlled by a control unit 200 described later. Instead of the feed gear 54, a feed belt provided with a V-groove portion on the outside may be applied.

[0043] Next, the operation of the pressing unit circulation mechanism 5 will be described with reference to FIGS. 12 to 15. FIG. 13 is a view showing the B-B cross section and the C-C cross section of FIG. 12. FIG. 14 is a view for explaining the positional relationship of the pressing unit 6 with respect to the circulation rail 51 in the tension state and the pressing state in the pressing unit circulation mechanism 5. FIG. 15 is a view for explaining the feeding operation of the pressing unit 6.

[0044] For the convenience of the following description, in FIG. 12, the circulation path of the pressing unit 6 is divided into sections S1 to S5, and each section will be described in order. As shown in FIG. 13, when the pressing unit 6 circulates along the circulation rail 51, a pair of upper rollers 64U of the pressing unit 6 rotate while contacting the upper surface 511 of the upper rail 51U, and a pair of lower rollers 64L of the pressing unit 6 rotate while contacting the bottom surface 512 of the lower rail 51L.

[0045] Here, the height of the bottom surface 512 of the lower rail 51L relative to the conveying surface of the conveyor 82 is constant over the entire circumference of the lower rail 51L. In contrast, the height of the top surface 511 of the upper rail 51U relative to the conveying surface of the conveyor 82 fluctuates within the circumference. Specifically, the height of the top surface 511 of the upper rail 51U is lowest in section S1 of Figure 12 and highest in sections S3 and S4. In section S2, the height of the top surface 511 of the upper rail 51U gradually increases as you move counterclockwise in Figure 12, and in section S5, it gradually decreases as you move counterclockwise in Figure 12. When the pressing unit 6 is located in section S1, the top surface 511 of the upper rail 51U is at its lowest point in the circumference, the pressing unit 6 is in a pressing state close to a free state, and the pressing part 61 is at its lowest position in the circumference. The upper surface 511 of the upper rail 51U and the bottom surface 512 of the lower rail 51L are positioned so that they contact the antenna and apply pressure in this state.

[0046] As shown in Figure 12, in section S1, each pressing unit 6 moves along the transport direction D1 of the antenna sheet AS, directly above each antenna on the antenna sheet AS. In section S1, the V-groove portion 62g of each pressing unit 6 engages with the main belt 52, and each pressing unit 6 moves according to the speed of the main belt 52. As mentioned above, in section S1, the upper surface 511 of the upper rail 51U is the lowest point around the circumference, and as shown in Figure 14, each pressing unit 6 is in a pressing state close to a free state, so the pressing portion 61 protrudes downward. As shown in Figure 9, when the pressing unit 6 is in a pressing state, the repulsive force of the spring built into the pressing unit 6 presses the IC chip placed on the conductive paste on the corresponding antenna of the antenna sheet AS.

[0047] In the section S2, as described above, the height of the upper surface 511 of the upper rail 51U gradually increases as it moves counterclockwise in FIG. 12. Therefore, the shaft 63 is gradually lifted (pulled) against the restoring force of the spring, and at the end of the section S2, it is in the tensile state shown in FIG. 14. In the section S2, the V-groove portion 62g of each pressing unit 6 meshes with the main belt 52, and each pressing unit 6 moves according to the speed of the main belt 52. In the section S2, since the upper surface 511 of the upper rail 51U gradually becomes higher with respect to the section S1, the roller holding portion 66 of each pressing unit 6 is pulled upward against the restoring force of the spring, and thereby the pressing portion 61 moves upward.

[0048] When the start position of the section S3 is reached, the engagement between the pressing unit 6 and the main belt 52 is released. That is, as can be seen by comparing the B-B cross section and the C-C cross section in FIG. 13, in the sections S3 and S4 (see the C-C cross section), with respect to the final position of the section S2 and the start position of the section S5 (both see the B-B cross section), the upper rail 51U and the lower rail 51L are offset outward as a whole (the offset amount ofs in FIG. 13), and as a result of the pair of lateral rollers 65 of the pressing unit 6 rotating following the inner surface 513 of the lower rail 51L, the V-groove portion 62g of the pressing unit 6 separates from the main belt 52. In the section S3, after the pressing unit 6 stops contacting the main belt 52, the auxiliary belt 53 rotating clockwise in FIG. 12 contacts the outer V-groove portion 62g of the pressing unit 6 and strongly pushes it out, whereby the pressing unit 6 accelerates counterclockwise along the circulating rail 51. Accelerating the pressing unit 6 in the section S3 is to avoid the situation where the number of pressing units 6 becomes insufficient in the section S4 which is the standby section of the pressing unit 6. Incidentally, in the section S3 and the section S4 described later, the upper surface 511 of the upper rail 51U is the highest in one cycle, and as shown in FIG. 14, each pressing unit 6 is in a tensile state.

[0049] Section S4 is a waiting section (example of a waiting position) where multiple pressing units 6, which are sequentially accelerated and sent in section S3, wait until they are ready to be sent out. As mentioned above, it is preferable that the housing 62 of the pressing unit 6 has a permanent magnet built in, so that the multiple pressing units 6 are held in close contact by magnetic force and wait in an overlapping state. In section S4, the feed gear 54 is engaged with the V-groove 62g of the leading pressing unit 6 among the multiple waiting pressing units 6. Then, at a timing determined by the control unit 200, which will be described later, the feed gear 54 rotates clockwise in Figure 12, thereby sending out the leading pressing unit 6. In the waiting section, each pressing unit 6 is overlapping with each other by magnetic force, so that the pressing units 6 can be sent out one by one from the waiting section S4 at the precise timing.

[0050] The feeding operation of the pressing unit 6 will be further explained with reference to Figure 15. Figure 15 shows the meshing state of the V-groove 62g between the main belt 52 and the feeding gear 54 for a pressing unit 6 in the vicinity of the feeding gear 54. As shown in Figure 15, the inner V-grooves 62g of the multiple pressing units 6-1, 6-2, ... in the standby section S4 are not meshing with the main belt 52, but the outer V-groove 62g of the pressing unit 6-1 located at the front is meshing with the feeding gear 54. In this state, when the feeding gear 54 rotates clockwise based on a command from the control unit 200, which will be described later, the pressing unit 6-1 moves to the left side of Figure 15 and is fed out. At this time, the lower rail 51L is formed so that the pair of lateral rollers 65 of the pressing unit 6 move along the trajectory shown by the dashed line (that is, move towards the main belt 52 with the offset amount ofs shown in Figure 13). Therefore, the pushed-out pressing unit 6-1 moves inward toward the main belt 52, and at the start of section S5, the inner V-groove 62g engages with the main belt 52. After the inner V-groove 62g engages with the main belt 52, in section S5, the pressing unit 6-1 operates in accordance with the movement of the main belt 52.

[0051] In other words, in section S5, the V-groove portion 62g of each pressing unit 6 engages with the main belt 52, and each pressing unit 6 moves according to the speed of the main belt 52. As mentioned above, the height of the upper surface 511 of the upper rail 51U gradually decreases as it moves counterclockwise in Figure 12. Therefore, the shaft 63 gradually lowers due to the restoring force of the spring, and at the end of section S5, it reaches the pressing state shown in Figure 14. In the pressing state, the pressing portion 61 of the pressing unit 6 is at its lowest position in one rotation, and is in a state where it can press each antenna being transported. In this state, each pressing unit 6 moves to section S1 and presses the IC chip placed on the conductive paste of each antenna being transported.

[0052] As described above, each pressing unit 6 moves up and down in a direction perpendicular to the transport surface while circulating along the track (sections S1 to S5) of the circulation rail 51, pressing the IC chip placed on the conductive paste of the antenna AN. Because the pressing units 6 move in a circulating manner, a predetermined number of pressing units 6 can be continuously used for pressing.

[0053] Next, with reference to Figure 16, the control performed by the control unit 200 that controls the curing apparatus 4 will be described. Figure 16 is a functional block diagram of the control unit 200. The control unit 200 is mounted on a circuit board (not shown) and is electrically connected to the imaging device CA4, the main belt drive motor M41, the auxiliary belt drive motor M42, the feed belt drive motor M43, and the ultraviolet irradiator 42. The control unit 200 includes a microcomputer, memory (RAM (Random Access Memory), ROM (Read Only Memory)), storage, and a group of drive circuits. The microcomputer reads and executes the program recorded in the memory to realize the functions of the belt drive means 201, the feed timing determination means 203, and the curing execution means 204.

[0054] The belt drive means 201 sends control signals to the drive circuits of the main belt drive motor M41 and the auxiliary belt drive motor M42 so that the main belt 52 and the auxiliary belt 53 are driven at a constant speed. The belt drive means 201 sends a control signal to the drive circuit of the feed belt drive motor M43 according to the feed timing determined by the feed timing determination means 203, thereby causing the feed gear 54 to rotate at that feed timing. As a result, the pressing unit 6 at the front of the standby section is fed out, as shown in Figure 15.

[0055] The delivery timing determination means 203 determines the delivery timing for sending out the first of the multiple pressing units 6 in the waiting section of the pressing unit circulation mechanism 5. In determining the delivery timing, parameters such as the speed of the main belt 52 and the conveying speed of the conveyor 82 are taken into consideration. That is, the delivery timing of each pressing unit 6 is determined based on each parameter so that each pressing unit 6 sent out sequentially from the waiting section S4 merges with the corresponding antenna AN passing through the imaging device CA4 at the starting position of section S1.

[0056] The curing execution means 204 sends a predetermined drive signal to the ultraviolet irradiator 42 so that ultraviolet light is irradiated from the ultraviolet irradiator 42 to each of the transported antennas AN at a preset integrated light amount.

[0057] As described above, a strip-shaped antenna sheet with multiple antennas formed on a substrate at a constant pitch is fed into the line, and IC chips are mounted on each antenna through an IC chip placement process and a curing process. In this embodiment, the IC chip mounting apparatus applies adhesive toward the reference position of the antenna in the IC chip placement process and places the IC chip on the adhesive, and in the curing process the adhesive is cured to strengthen the connection between the antenna and the IC chip. In particular, in the curing process of this embodiment, light is irradiated while the IC chips placed on the conductive paste are pressed toward the antenna without stopping the transport of the antenna sheet with multiple antennas formed on it. As a result, the productivity when fixing the IC chip to the antenna is extremely high. In other words, productivity can be improved in the inlay manufacturing process.

[0058] Although embodiments of the IC chip mounting device and IC chip mounting method have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. Furthermore, the above embodiments can be improved or modified in various ways without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0059] For example, in the embodiment shown in Figure 3, the antenna sheet AS is shown being transported in one direction on the conveyor 81 during the IC chip placement process, but this is not limited to this. In one embodiment, as shown in Figure 17, the antenna sheet AS may be transported in the IC chip placement process by suction drums 92, 94 and a plurality of transport rollers (for example, transport rollers 91, 93, 95 in Figure 17). In Figure 17, conductive paste is dispensed by the dispenser 2 at the highest position of the suction drum 92 to the reference position of the antenna AN on the antenna sheet AS. Also, the IC chip is placed on the conductive paste at the highest position of the suction drum 94. In this case, it is preferable that at least the suction drums 92, 94 are suction rollers that adsorb the back surface of the antenna sheet AS. This prevents misalignment of the antenna sheet AS (especially in the longitudinal direction), and allows for accurate dispensing of the conductive paste and placement of the IC chip.

[0060] In one embodiment, instead of releasing the IC chip onto the conductive paste applied to the antenna sheet AS-shaped antenna AN being transported, the IC chip may be placed by pressing it onto the conductive paste. Figure 18 shows the operation of the rotary mounter 3 in chronological order when the IC chip is placed by pressing it onto the conductive paste. In one embodiment, each nozzle unit 30 of the rotary mounter 3 is configured to be individually movable in the radial direction by a built-in drive device. State ST1 is the state in which the nozzle unit 30 has attracted the IC chip C. When placing the attracted IC chip C, as shown in state ST2, the nozzle unit 30 is moved toward the reference position so as to extend in the radial direction (radial direction) (i.e., downward, i.e., in the Z direction in Figure 2), and the IC chip C is placed on the conductive paste applied to the antenna AN by pressing it onto the conductive paste. After placing the IC chip C, the attraction is released and the nozzle unit 30 is returned to the position of state ST1. For example, by performing the operations of states ST1 to ST3 when the nozzle unit 30 reaches position PK (see Figure 6), the IC chip C is placed on the conductive paste applied to the antenna AN.

[0061] The curing process is not limited to the use of a curing device 4 that circulates the pressing unit 6. Figure 19 shows the curing process of one embodiment. Figure 19 shows a curing device 4A used in the curing process of one embodiment. In the curing device 4A, a plurality of ultraviolet curing units 43 are detachably attached to a mounting plate 44. A plurality of mounting plates 44 with different mounting positions are prepared according to the spacing between adjacent antennas AN on the antenna sheet AS, and by changing the mounting plate 44 according to the spacing, it is possible to accommodate various antenna sheets AS. The support shaft 45 supports the mounting plate 44 and is configured to allow the mounting plate 44 to move up and down. The antenna sheet AS transported from the IC chip placement process is sent to the curing process via transport rollers 96 to 98. The transport roller 97 is configured to move up and down by a drive device (not shown).

[0062] An example configuration of the ultraviolet curing unit 43 is shown in Figure 20. As shown in Figure 20, the ultraviolet curing unit 43 incorporates a light source 432 (e.g., an LED light source) for irradiating ultraviolet light within a housing 431. The light source 432 is powered by a cable 436 (not shown in Figure 19) provided from outside the ultraviolet curing unit 43. A focusing lens may be provided inside the housing 431 to focus the ultraviolet light irradiated by the light source 432. The holding plate 434 is connected to the housing 431 and holds the glass plate 435. The ultraviolet light irradiated from the light source 432 irradiates the conductive paste applied to each antenna AN, curing the conductive paste.

[0063] Referring again to Figure 19, the transport state shows the state in which the antenna sheet AS is transported from the IC chip placement process. The transport of the antenna sheet AS is stopped when the antenna AN, to which the uncured conductive paste has been applied, is positioned directly below the ultraviolet curing unit 43. Then, in the state in which the transport of the antenna sheet AS has stopped (stopped state), the ultraviolet curing unit 43 is moved downward and ultraviolet light is irradiated onto the antenna AN while pressing it with the glass plate 435 to cure the conductive paste.

[0064] Even when stopped, the antenna sheet AS is transported from the IC chip placement process, so while ultraviolet light is being irradiated, the transport roller 97 descends under its own weight and absorbs the transported antenna sheet AS between the transport roller 96 and the transport roller 98. When the ultraviolet light irradiation is finished, the antennas AN, corresponding to the number of ultraviolet curing units 43, are rapidly transported downstream and stopped so that the uncured antennas AN are positioned directly below the ultraviolet curing units 43. In other words, in the curing process of one embodiment, the transport state of the antenna sheet AS and the stopped state (state in which ultraviolet light is irradiated) are repeated. When the antennas AN are rapidly transported, the transport roller 97 rises due to the tension applied to the antenna sheet AS.

[0065] In one embodiment, the curing process may be carried out using a thermosetting device. That is, when a thermosetting adhesive such as an epoxy resin is applied in the dispenser 2, the adhesive is cured in the curing process by performing a thermosetting treatment. Figure 21 shows a curing device 4B configured to repeatedly alternate between a transport state and a stopped state for the antenna sheet AS, similar to Figure 19. Unlike the curing device 4A, the curing device 4B is equipped with a plurality of thermosetting units 46. Each thermosetting unit 46 is equipped with a heat source that operates by power supplied by a cable (not shown). When the antenna sheet AS is stopped, the support shaft 45 is driven to descend, and each thermosetting unit 46 presses against the corresponding antenna AN while heating and curing the adhesive. Once heating is complete, the support shaft 45 is driven to rise, and the antenna sheet AS is transported.

[0066] In Figure 19, when the conductive paste is cured by ultraviolet light, instead of the ultraviolet curing unit 43 with a built-in light source, a pressing unit that presses the antenna AN via a glass plate may be used, and an ultraviolet irradiation device may be provided that irradiates the conductive paste on the antenna AN, which is being pressed in a stationary state, with ultraviolet light from the outside in the width direction or from diagonally above. In one embodiment, in order to prevent the antenna sheet AS from being stopped when ultraviolet light is irradiated, as shown in Figure 9, a plurality of ultraviolet curing units 43 may be moved in a circulating manner in conjunction with the advance speed of the antenna sheet AS, and ultraviolet light may be irradiated with a built-in light source while pressing the antenna AN. Similarly, in one embodiment, when the conductive paste is heat-cured, a plurality of heat-curing units 46 may be moved in a circulating manner in conjunction with the advance speed of the antenna sheet AS, and the antenna AN may be heated while being pressed.

Claims

1. An IC chip mounting device comprising: a transport unit that transports an antenna continuum, which has multiple antennas for inlays continuously formed on a base material, on a predetermined transport surface; an IC chip placement unit that places an IC chip on a light-curing adhesive provided at a predetermined reference position of each antenna of the antenna continuum; and a light beam irradiation unit that irradiates light beams onto the adhesive on each antenna of the antenna continuum, on which an IC chip has been placed and which is being transported by the transport unit; wherein the light beam irradiation unit irradiates the IC chip placed on the adhesive while pressing it against the antenna.

2. The IC chip mounting device according to claim 1, wherein the light irradiating unit is disposed on the transport surface along the transport direction of the antenna continuum.

3. The IC chip mounting device according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a pressing unit that moves up and down in a direction perpendicular to the conveying surface and presses the IC chip placed on the adhesive.

4. An IC chip mounting device according to claim 3, further comprising a pressing unit moving mechanism that sends out the pressing unit from a standby position toward the antenna on the transport surface, moves the pressing unit along the transport surface, and moves the pressing unit circulating along a predetermined circular orbit.

5. The IC chip mounting device according to claim 4, comprising a plurality of said pressing units, and said pressing unit moving mechanism sends out each of said plurality of pressing units from said standby position at a predetermined timing.

6. An IC chip mounting device according to any one of claims 3 to 5, wherein the pressing unit has a pressing surface made of glass that presses the IC chip placed on the adhesive and transmits the light beam.

7. The IC chip mounting device according to claim 1, wherein the light emitting unit is built into the pressing unit.

8. An IC chip mounting device comprising: a transport unit that transports an antenna continuum, which has multiple antennas for inlay formed continuously on a base material, on a predetermined transport surface; an IC chip placement unit that places an IC chip on a thermosetting adhesive provided at a predetermined reference position of each antenna of the antenna continuum; and a thermosetting unit that applies heat to the adhesive on each antenna of the antenna continuum, on which an IC chip has been placed and which is being transported by the transport unit; wherein the thermosetting unit heats the IC chip placed on the adhesive while pressing it against the antenna.

9. A method of mounting an IC chip, comprising: transporting an antenna continuum, on a predetermined transport surface, in which a plurality of antennas for inlay are successively formed on a base material; dispensing a photo-curing adhesive at a predetermined reference position of each antenna of said antenna continuum using a dispenser; placing an IC chip on the dispensed adhesive; and, with the IC chip placed on the adhesive pressed against the antenna, irradiating the adhesive on each antenna of said antenna continuum being transported with a beam of light.

10. The IC chip mounting method according to claim 9, wherein pressing the IC chip toward the antenna is performed by raising and lowering a pressing unit in a direction perpendicular to the conveying surface.

11. The IC chip mounting method according to claim 10, wherein the pressing unit is sent out from a standby position toward the antenna on the conveying surface, and while moving along the conveying surface, is caused to move cyclically on a predetermined circular orbit.

12. The IC chip mounting method according to claim 11, wherein each of the plurality of pressing units is sent out from the standby position at a predetermined timing.