A drying apparatus for a flexible integrated circuit production system

Abstract

The utility model discloses a kind of drying device for flexible integrated circuit production system, it is related to integrated circuit technical field, including: box;Conveying mechanism is set in the box, the conveying mechanism includes several conveying rollers;Air supply mechanism, the air supply mechanism includes fan, air pipe, heater and several air outlets, the air outlet is correspondingly set with the conveying roller;Heating mechanism, the heating mechanism includes several heating units, several the heating unit and several the air outlet are alternately arranged along conveying path;Cooling roller, the cooling roller is set in the box;Temperature control module, including temperature sensor and controller, the temperature sensor is used to detect the airflow temperature in the air supply mechanism and heating unit temperature, the controller is electrically connected with the fan, heater and heating unit.The utility model can improve the yield of flexible integrated circuit after drying.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of integrated circuit technology, and in particular to a drying device for a flexible integrated circuit production system. Background Technology

[0002] In current flexible integrated circuit production, flexible printed circuit technology can be used to achieve circuit flexibility. After printing, the conductive ink printed on the substrate needs to be dried and cured to ensure the stability of both conductivity and mechanical flexibility. Due to the extremely high thermal sensitivity of flexible substrates and conductive inks, traditional high-temperature baking can easily lead to substrate deformation, ink cracking, or conductivity degradation. Therefore, there is an urgent need for a drying device that can precisely control temperature, provide uniform airflow, and also take into account substrate deformation constraints. Utility Model Content

[0003] This invention provides a drying device for a flexible integrated circuit manufacturing system, which can improve the yield of flexible integrated circuits after drying.

[0004] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, this utility model provides a drying device for a flexible integrated circuit manufacturing system, comprising: Box; A conveying mechanism is disposed inside the housing. The conveying mechanism includes a plurality of conveying rollers and is used to convey flexible circuit boards along a conveying path. An air supply mechanism includes a fan, an air duct, a heater, and several air outlets. The fan is connected to several air outlets through the air duct. The heater is installed on the air duct. The air outlets are correspondingly arranged with the conveying roller. A heating mechanism, comprising a plurality of heating units, wherein the plurality of heating units and a plurality of air outlets are alternately arranged along a conveying path, and there is a gap between the heating units and the conveying rollers; A cooling roller is disposed inside the housing and is arranged parallel to the conveying roller; The temperature control module includes a temperature sensor and a controller. The temperature sensor is used to detect the airflow temperature and the heating unit temperature in the air supply mechanism. The temperature sensor is electrically connected to the controller, and the controller is electrically connected to the fan, heater and heating unit.

[0005] As a preferred embodiment of the above technical solution, the air supply mechanism further includes an air guide hood, which is connected to the air duct. The air guide hood is provided with a plurality of air guide protrusions, and the air outlets are provided on the air guide protrusions. An accommodating groove is formed between two adjacent air guide protrusions, and the heating unit is disposed in the accommodating groove, so that the plurality of heating units and the plurality of air outlets are alternately arranged along the conveying path.

[0006] As a preferred embodiment of the above technical solution, the cross-section of the air guide protrusion is trapezoidal, and the cross-section of the receiving groove is trapezoidal.

[0007] As a preferred embodiment of the above technical solution, the air outlet is a circular air outlet or a strip-shaped air outlet.

[0008] As a preferred embodiment of the above technical solution, there are multiple air supply mechanisms distributed along the conveying path.

[0009] As a preferred embodiment of the above technical solution, the heating unit is an infrared heating unit.

[0010] As a preferred embodiment of the above technical solution, the cooling roller has a medium channel inside, and the cooling roller is provided with a first interface and a second interface, which are respectively connected to the medium channel.

[0011] As a preferred embodiment of the above technical solution, the cooling roller is provided with a plurality of cooling chambers, which are connected to the medium channel and are evenly distributed around the axis of the cooling roller.

[0012] As a preferred embodiment of the above technical solution, a drying chamber is provided inside the box, and an inlet and an outlet are provided at the bottom of the box. Both the inlet and the outlet are connected to the drying chamber, and the conveying mechanism, the air supply mechanism, the heating mechanism and the cooling roller are all arranged inside the drying chamber.

[0013] As a preferred embodiment of the above technical solution, the side wall of the housing is provided with an air inlet and an air outlet, the air duct is located at the air inlet, and the air outlet is connected to the drying chamber.

[0014] This invention provides a drying device for a flexible integrated circuit manufacturing system, comprising: a housing, a conveying mechanism, an air supply mechanism, a heating mechanism, and a cooling roller. The conveying roller is rotatably disposed within the housing, and the cooling roller is rotatably disposed within the housing. During drying, the printed flexible integrated circuit substrate enters the housing and moves at a constant speed along the conveying path via the conveying mechanism. It undergoes multi-stage hot air penetration drying through multiple alternately arranged air outlets and the heating unit. Furthermore, the flexible integrated circuit substrate simultaneously contacts the surface of the cooling roller during its movement, achieving a synergistic effect of heat conduction and heat radiation drying. The heating unit focuses on heating the conductive ink to rapidly evaporate the solvent, thereby accelerating film formation and curing. The fan directs the heated air from the heater towards the substrate surface through the air outlets, focusing on quickly removing solvent vapors evaporated onto the ink surface to prevent localized accumulation. To prevent film defects, the cooling roller is located midway along the conveying path. Its surface temperature is precisely controlled. The flexible integrated circuit substrate is pulled by an external traction structure and smoothly passes around the arc surface of the cooling roller at a constant linear speed, achieving surface-bonded heat conduction. The cooling roller focuses on uniformly cooling the bottom of the flexible integrated circuit substrate to prevent thermal deformation or cracking of the conductive ink layer due to excessive temperature, ensuring dense film formation and strong adhesion. Furthermore, the surface of the cooling roller can mechanically flatten the substrate, eliminating micro-wrinkles and warping caused by thermal stress during drying, thereby ensuring the geometric accuracy and electrical continuity of the conductive lines. By setting up the coordinated control of the air supply mechanism, heating mechanism, and cooling roller, the problems of uneven drying of flexible integrated circuit substrate, excessive solvent residue, and circuit breakage caused by thermal deformation can be effectively solved, thereby improving the yield of flexible integrated circuits after drying.

[0015] The above description is merely an overview of the technical solution of this utility model. In order to better understand the technical means of this utility model and to implement it in accordance with the contents of the specification, and to make the above and other objects, features and advantages of this utility model more obvious and understandable, specific embodiments of this utility model are given below. Attached Figure Description

[0016] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of a drying device for a flexible integrated circuit manufacturing system according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of a drying device for a flexible integrated circuit manufacturing system according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the internal structure of a drying device for a flexible integrated circuit manufacturing system according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 4 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the air supply mechanism and the heating mechanism in the embodiments of this utility model; Figure 5 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the air supply mechanism and the heating mechanism in the embodiments of this utility model; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the air supply mechanism and cooling roller in an embodiment of the present utility model; Figure 7 This is a structural block diagram of the temperature control module in an embodiment of the present invention; In the diagram: 1. Box body; 2. Conveying mechanism; 3. Air supply mechanism; 4. Heating mechanism; 5. Cooling roller; 6. Temperature sensor; 101. Drying chamber; 102. Feed inlet; 103. Discharge outlet; 104. Air inlet; 105. Air outlet; 201. Conveying roller; 301. Fan; 302. Air duct; 303. Heater; 304. Air outlet; 305. Air guide hood; 306. Air guide protrusion; 307. Receiving groove; 401. Heating unit; 501. Medium channel; 502. First interface; 503. Second interface; 504. Cooling chamber. Detailed Implementation

[0017] To make the objectives, features, and advantages of this utility model more apparent and understandable, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this utility model will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this utility model, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this utility model, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the protection scope of this utility model.

[0018] See Figures 1 to 7 This utility model provides a drying device for a flexible integrated circuit manufacturing system, comprising: Box 1; A conveying mechanism 2 is disposed inside the housing 1. The conveying mechanism 2 includes a plurality of conveying rollers 201. The conveying mechanism 2 is used to convey the flexible circuit board along the conveying path. The air supply mechanism 3 includes a fan 301, an air duct 302, a heater 303 and several air outlets 304. The fan 301 is connected to several air outlets 304 through the air duct 302. The heater 303 is disposed on the air duct 302. The air outlets 304 are correspondingly disposed with the conveying roller 201. Heating mechanism 4, which includes a plurality of heating units 401, wherein the plurality of heating units 401 and the plurality of air outlets 304 are arranged alternately along the conveying path, and there is a gap between the heating units 401 and the conveying roller 201; Cooling roller 5 is disposed inside the housing 1 and is arranged parallel to the conveying roller 201; The temperature control module includes a temperature sensor 6 and a controller. The temperature sensor 6 is used to detect the airflow temperature and the temperature of the heating unit 401 in the air supply mechanism 3. The temperature sensor 6 is electrically connected to the controller, and the controller is electrically connected to the fan 301, the heater 303 and the heating unit 401.

[0019] This utility model provides a drying device for a flexible integrated circuit manufacturing system, comprising: a housing 1, a conveying mechanism 2, an air supply mechanism 3, a heating mechanism 4, and a cooling roller 5. The conveying roller 201 is rotatably disposed within the housing 1, and the cooling roller 5 is rotatably disposed within the housing 1. During drying, the printed flexible integrated circuit substrate enters the housing 1 and moves at a constant speed along the conveying path via the conveying mechanism 2. It undergoes multi-stage hot air penetration drying through multiple alternately arranged air outlets 304 and the heating unit 401. Furthermore, the flexible integrated circuit substrate simultaneously contacts the surface of the cooling roller 5 during its movement, achieving a synergistic effect of heat conduction and heat radiation drying. The heating unit 401 focuses on heating the conductive ink to rapidly evaporate the solvent, thereby accelerating film formation and curing. The fan 301 directs the hot air heated by the heater 303 through the air outlets 304 towards the substrate surface, focusing on removing the solvent evaporated onto the ink surface. Steam is rapidly carried away, preventing localized accumulation that could lead to film defects. The cooling roller 5, located midway along the conveying path, has its surface temperature precisely controlled. The flexible integrated circuit substrate is pulled by an external traction structure, smoothly passing over the arc surface of the cooling roller 5 at a constant linear speed, achieving surface-adhesive heat conduction. The cooling roller 5 focuses on uniformly cooling the bottom of the flexible integrated circuit substrate, preventing thermal deformation or cracking of the conductive ink layer due to excessive temperature, ensuring dense film formation and strong adhesion. Furthermore, the surface of the cooling roller 5 provides mechanical smoothing, eliminating micro-wrinkles and warping caused by thermal stress during drying, thus ensuring the geometric accuracy and electrical continuity of the conductive circuits. By coordinating the air supply mechanism 3, the heating mechanism 4, and the cooling roller 5, the problems of uneven drying of the flexible integrated circuit substrate, excessive solvent residue, and circuit breakage caused by thermal deformation can be effectively solved, thereby improving the yield of the dried flexible integrated circuit.

[0020] In a further embodiment of this invention, the air supply mechanism 3 further includes an air guide shroud 305, which is connected to the air duct 302. The air guide shroud 305 is provided with a plurality of air guide protrusions 306, and the air outlets 304 are provided on the air guide protrusions 306. An accommodating groove 307 is formed between two adjacent air guide protrusions 306. The heating unit 401 is disposed in the accommodating groove 307, such that the plurality of heating units 401 and the plurality of air outlets 304 are alternately arranged along the conveying path.

[0021] In this embodiment, the fan 301 draws outside air into the duct 302 after preliminary purification by a filter, and then heats it to a set temperature by the heater 303 installed on the duct 302. After being diverted by the air guide shroud 305, the hot air is blown onto the surface of the flexible integrated circuit substrate through each air outlet 304. The air guide shroud 305 is also equipped with a temperature sensor 6 to monitor the airflow temperature in real time and feed it back to the controller. The controller dynamically adjusts the power of the heater 303 based on the feedback from the temperature sensor 6. A receiving groove 307 is formed between two adjacent air guide protrusions 306, and the heating unit 401... The heating units 401 and the air outlets 304 are arranged alternately along the conveying path within the receiving tank 307. Each heating unit 401 has a built-in temperature sensor 6, which collects the heating temperature of the heating unit 401 in real time and feeds it back to the controller. The controller dynamically adjusts the power of the heating unit 401 based on the feedback from the temperature sensor 6, realizing dual closed-loop temperature control coordination between the heating unit 401 and the hot air flow. This avoids local overheating that could lead to ink carbonization or solvent residue in low-temperature areas, ensuring the uniformity of the temperature field of the entire substrate and further improving the yield of flexible integrated circuits after drying.

[0022] In a further embodiment of this invention, the cross-section of the air guide protrusion 306 is trapezoidal, and the cross-section of the receiving groove 307 is trapezoidal.

[0023] In this embodiment, the cross-section of the air guide protrusion 306 is trapezoidal. The trapezoidal structure of the air guide protrusion 306 can guide the airflow to accelerate and converge along the inclined surface, enhance the consistency of airflow energy and direction at the air outlet 304, and make the hot air more accurately and vertically impact the substrate surface, thereby better removing the solvent vapor evaporated on the ink surface and improving the drying effect. The cross-section of the receiving groove 307 is trapezoidal. When the heating unit 401 is embedded in the receiving groove 307, the main body of the heating unit 401 is located in the trapezoidal cavity of the receiving groove 307, so that the radiant heat energy of the heating unit 401 and the hot airflow form a superposition effect, further enhancing the heat energy utilization efficiency and avoiding heat radiation loss.

[0024] In a further embodiment of this invention, the air outlet 304 is a circular air outlet 304 or a strip-shaped air outlet 304.

[0025] In this embodiment, the air outlet 304 is a circular air outlet 304, and several circular air outlets 304 are evenly arranged along the axial direction of the air guide protrusion 306. The air outlet 304 can also be a strip-shaped air outlet 304, and several strip-shaped air outlets 304 are arranged parallel to each other along the axial direction of the air guide protrusion 306 and are spaced apart along the axial direction of the air guide protrusion 306. The long side of the strip-shaped air outlet 304 is perpendicular to the substrate conveying direction, which can maximize the airflow coverage width, reduce the lateral wind speed attenuation, and ensure that the drying rate of the substrate edge and the center area is consistent. The circular air outlet 304, due to its axial symmetry, provides higher wind speed and more concentrated heat flux density in a small area. The two air outlet 304 structures can be set according to the substrate width, ink thickness and solvent evaporation characteristics, thereby ensuring the stability of the drying effect and process adaptability.

[0026] In a further embodiment of this example, there are multiple air supply mechanisms 3, which are distributed along the conveying path.

[0027] In this embodiment, there are four air supply mechanisms 3, which are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the cooling roller 5, with two on each side, corresponding to the upstream and downstream drying zones of the substrate conveying path, respectively. Each air supply mechanism 3 is independently controlled. The upstream air supply mechanism 3 focuses on preheating and initial solvent evaporation, while the downstream one strengthens final drying and surface shaping. The upstream air supply mechanism 3 starts the drying process with a lower wind speed and medium-temperature hot air, while the downstream one completes the removal of residual solvent and release of film stress with a higher wind speed and precise temperature control. The four work together to form a gradient drying curve, which, together with the mechanical smoothing effect of the cooling roller 5, significantly suppresses wrinkles and edge warping of the flexible integrated circuit substrate, thereby further improving the yield of the flexible integrated circuit after drying.

[0028] In a further embodiment of this invention, the heating unit 401 is an infrared heating unit 401.

[0029] In this embodiment, the heating unit 401 is an infrared heating unit 401. The infrared heating unit 401 has a built-in temperature sensor 6. The infrared heating unit 401 heats the substrate non-contactly by emitting infrared radiation. The temperature sensor 6 collects the temperature of the infrared heating unit 401 in real time and feeds it back to the controller. The controller dynamically adjusts the infrared radiation intensity based on the feedback signal, thereby adjusting the heating power and radiation wavelength distribution.

[0030] In a further embodiment of this invention, a medium channel 501 is provided inside the cooling roller 5, and a first interface 502 and a second interface 503 are provided on the cooling roller 5, with the first interface 502 and the second interface 503 respectively communicating with the medium channel 501.

[0031] In this embodiment, the cooling medium, such as coolant, enters the medium channel 501 through the first interface 502. After sufficient heat exchange with the inner wall of the cooling roller 5, it is discharged through the second interface 503, thereby achieving uniform temperature of the cooling roller 5 and preventing thermal deformation or cracking of the conductive ink layer of the flexible integrated circuit substrate due to excessive temperature, thus further improving the yield of the flexible integrated circuit after drying.

[0032] In a further embodiment of this invention, the cooling roller 5 is provided with a plurality of cooling chambers 504, which are connected to the medium channel 501 and are evenly distributed around the axis of the cooling roller 5.

[0033] In this embodiment, by setting a plurality of cooling chambers 504, the heat exchange efficiency of the cooling medium inside the cooling roller 5 can be effectively improved. The plurality of cooling chambers 504 are evenly distributed around the axis of the cooling roller 5, which further improves the overall temperature uniformity of the cooling roller 5 and avoids thermal deformation or cracking of the conductive ink layer of the flexible integrated circuit substrate due to excessive temperature, thereby further improving the yield of the flexible integrated circuit after drying.

[0034] In a further embodiment of this invention, a drying chamber 101 is provided inside the housing 1. The bottom of the housing 1 is provided with a feed inlet 102 and a discharge outlet 103. Both the feed inlet 102 and the discharge outlet 103 are connected to the drying chamber 101. The conveying mechanism 2, the air supply mechanism 3, the heating mechanism 4, and the cooling roller 5 are all disposed inside the drying chamber 101.

[0035] In this embodiment, the printed flexible integrated circuit substrate enters the drying chamber 101 through the inlet 102 and is smoothly transported into the drying chamber 101 by several conveying rollers 201 and cooling rollers 5. After gradient drying and mechanical leveling, the flexible integrated circuit substrate is smoothly output from the outlet 103. No manual intervention is required throughout the process. The conveying rollers 201 and the cooling rollers 5 are unpowered and rely on an external traction mechanism to provide traction force for synchronous operation, ensuring that the substrate has constant tension, no slippage, and no wrinkles during the drying process. The inlet 102 and the outlet 103 are located at the bottom of the housing 1, and the cooling rollers 5 are located above the inlet 102 and the outlet 103. Under the action of the external traction mechanism, the substrate will naturally tighten and wrap around the surface of the cooling rollers 5 along an arc path, ensuring that the contact area between the substrate and the roller surface is maximized and the cooling efficiency is optimized. At the same time, the cooling rollers 5 can also apply uniform radial pressure to the substrate, resulting in better leveling.

[0036] In a further embodiment of this invention, the side wall of the housing 1 is provided with an air inlet 104 and an air outlet 105, the air duct 302 is disposed at the air inlet 104, and the air outlet 304 is connected to the drying chamber 101.

[0037] In this embodiment, the fan 301 draws in outside air through the air inlet 104 and guides it into the drying chamber 101 through the air duct 302. After heating the surface of the substrate, the hot air is discharged through the exhaust port 105, forming a stable airflow circulation.

[0038] In the description of this specification, references to terms such as "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., indicate that a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of the present invention. Furthermore, the described specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples. Moreover, without contradiction, those skilled in the art can combine and integrate the different embodiments or examples described in this specification, as well as the features of those different embodiments or examples.

[0039] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of indicated technical features. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature. In the description of this utility model, "a plurality of" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0040] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this utility model, but the protection scope of this utility model is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in this utility model should be included within the protection scope of this utility model. Therefore, the protection scope of this utility model should be determined by the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A drying apparatus for a flexible integrated circuit manufacturing system, characterized in that, include: Box; A conveying mechanism is disposed inside the housing. The conveying mechanism includes a plurality of conveying rollers and is used to convey flexible circuit boards along a conveying path. An air supply mechanism includes a fan, an air duct, a heater, and several air outlets. The fan is connected to several air outlets through the air duct. The heater is installed on the air duct. The air outlets are correspondingly arranged with the conveying roller. A heating mechanism, comprising a plurality of heating units, wherein the plurality of heating units and a plurality of air outlets are alternately arranged along a conveying path, and there is a gap between the heating units and the conveying rollers; A cooling roller is disposed inside the housing and is arranged parallel to the conveying roller; The temperature control module includes a temperature sensor and a controller. The temperature sensor is used to detect the airflow temperature and the heating unit temperature in the air supply mechanism. The temperature sensor is electrically connected to the controller, and the controller is electrically connected to the fan, heater and heating unit.

2. The drying apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The air supply mechanism also includes an air guide hood, which is connected to the air duct. The air guide hood is provided with a plurality of air guide protrusions, and the air outlets are provided on the air guide protrusions. A receiving groove is formed between two adjacent air guide protrusions, and the heating unit is disposed in the receiving groove, so that the plurality of heating units and the plurality of air outlets are alternately arranged along the conveying path.

3. The drying apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that, The cross-section of the air guide protrusion is trapezoidal, and the cross-section of the receiving groove is trapezoidal.

4. The drying apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that, The air outlet is either a round air outlet or a strip-shaped air outlet.

5. The drying apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, There are multiple air supply mechanisms, which are distributed along the conveying path.

6. The drying apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The heating unit is an infrared heating unit.

7. The drying apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cooling roller has a medium channel inside, and a first interface and a second interface are provided on the cooling roller, which are respectively connected to the medium channel.

8. The drying apparatus according to claim 7, characterized in that, The cooling roller has several cooling chambers inside, which are connected to the medium channel and are evenly distributed around the axis of the cooling roller.

9. The drying apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The chamber is equipped with a drying cavity. The bottom of the chamber has an inlet and an outlet, both of which are connected to the drying cavity. The conveying mechanism, the air supply mechanism, the heating mechanism, and the cooling roller are all located inside the drying cavity.

10. The drying apparatus according to claim 9, characterized in that, The side wall of the housing is provided with an air inlet and an air outlet, the air duct is installed at the air inlet, and the air outlet is connected to the drying chamber.

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