Tape mounter

Abstract

To precisely fix a fixed object at a specific position of a tape.SOLUTION: A tape mounter is configured to fix a fixed object onto a ring frame via a tape. The tape mounter comprises: a holding part where the ring frame and the fixed object can be placed on a top face thereof; a tape supply part which supplies the tape in a state where the fixing surface of the tape is opposed to the holding part; and a roller mechanism by which the tape is pressed and fixed to the ring frame and the fixed object positioned in the opening of the ring frame. The holding part includes a positioning portion capable of positioning the fixed object in a predetermined location inside of the opening of the ring frame placed in the holding part. Preferably, the positioning portion includes a structure which is formed on the top face of the holding part and capable of fixing the fixed object in a state where the fixed surface of the fixed object protrudes from the top face of the holding part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a tape mounter for integrating a wafer and a ring frame with a tape.

Background Art

[0002] In the manufacturing process of device chips used in electronic devices such as mobile phones and personal computers, first, a plurality of division planned lines (streets) intersecting each other are set on the surface of a wafer made of a material such as semiconductor. Then, devices such as IC (Integrated Circuit) and LSI (Large-scale Integration) are formed in each region partitioned by the division planned lines. After that, when the wafer is divided along the division planned lines, individual device chips are formed. The division of the wafer is carried out, for example, by a cutting device equipped with an annular cutting blade.

[0003] Before the wafer is carried into the cutting device, an adhesive tape having a diameter larger than that of the wafer is attached to the back surface of the wafer. This tape is called a dicing tape. A ring frame having an opening large enough to accommodate the wafer is attached to the outer peripheral portion of the tape. In this way, when the wafer, the tape, and the ring frame are integrated, the handling of the wafer becomes easy. The wafer is integrated with the tape and the ring frame by a known tape mounter (see Patent Document 1).

[0004] By the way, when a plurality of wafers are successively cut by the cutting device, a change called clogging occurs in the cutting blade, and the cutting ability of the cutting blade gradually decreases. Therefore, in the cutting device, a process called dressing is periodically carried out.

[0005] In the dressing process, a dressing member called a dressing board is cut with a cutting blade to wear out the cutting edge of the cutting blade. When dressing is performed to wear out the cutting edge of the cutting blade, the unused portion of the cutting edge is exposed and the state of the cutting edge is adjusted, and the cutting ability of the cutting blade is restored. In addition, in order to facilitate the handling of the dressing member in the cutting device, the dressing member is integrated with a tape and a ring frame in the same manner as a wafer (see Patent Document 2).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0006]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0007] However, since the shape of the dressing member is different from the shape of the wafer, in the conventional tape mounter, the dressing member cannot be automatically transported and cannot be attached to the tape. Therefore, the work of attaching the dressing member to the tape has been carried out manually by an operator. However, when the dressing member is manually attached to the tape exposed in the opening of the ring frame, there has been a large variation in the fixing position of the dressing member in the opening of the ring frame.

[0008] In a cutting device, when a fixed object (workpiece) attached to a tape such as a wafer or a dressing member is carried in, alignment is performed to identify the position of the fixed object and determine the processing position. However, since the fixed object attached to the tape manually has a large variation in position, in the alignment work, the fixed object has to be searched from a relatively wide range to identify the position. Therefore, there has been a problem that the alignment work takes an unacceptable amount of time.

[0009] The present invention has been made in view of such problems, and an object thereof is to provide a tape mounter capable of precisely fixing an object to be fixed at a specific position of a tape.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0010] According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a tape mounter for fixing an object to be fixed to a ring frame via a tape, the tape mounter including: a holding portion on which the ring frame and the object to be fixed can be placed on an upper surface; a tape supply portion for supplying the tape with a fixing surface of the tape facing the holding portion; and a roller mechanism for pressing the tape to fix it to the ring frame and the object to be fixed positioned in an opening of the ring frame, wherein the holding portion has a positioning portion capable of positioning the object to be fixed at a predetermined position inside the opening of the ring frame placed on the holding portion.

[0011] Preferably, the positioning portion is formed on the upper surface of the holding portion and includes a structure capable of fixing the object to be fixed in a state where a fixing surface of the object to be fixed protrudes from the upper surface of the holding portion.

[0012] More preferably, the structure of the positioning portion is a positioning pin formed on the upper surface of the holding portion.

[0013] Even more preferably, the positioning portion includes a moving mechanism for moving the positioning pin in a direction along the upper surface of the holding portion.

[0014] Also, preferably, the structure of the positioning portion is a recess formed on the upper surface of the holding portion.

[0015] Further preferably, the structure of the positioning portion is a jig fixing portion capable of fixing a jig plate that is detachably placed on the upper surface of the holding portion. The jig plate can hold the object to be fixed with the fixed surface of the object to be fixed protruding upward. The positioning portion can position the object to be fixed at a predetermined position inside the opening of the ring frame placed on the holding portion by fixing the jig plate holding the object to be fixed to the jig fixing portion.

[0016] And preferably, the object to be fixed is a dress member.

[0017] Further preferably, the holding portion has a first stage in which a frame unit is formed by fixing the tape to the ring frame, and a second stage in which the object to be fixed is fixed to the tape included in the frame unit. The roller mechanism has a first roller for fixing the tape to the ring frame placed on the first stage, and a second roller for fixing the tape of the frame unit to the object to be fixed placed on the second stage in advance. The positioning portion is provided in the second stage of the holding portion, and further includes a transport mechanism for transporting the frame unit from the first stage to the second stage.

Advantages of the Invention

[0018] In the tape mounter according to one aspect of the present invention, a ring frame, an object to be fixed, a holding portion capable of placing the above on the upper surface, a tape supply portion for supplying a tape, and a roller mechanism for attaching the tape to the ring frame and the object to be fixed are provided. And the holding portion has a positioning portion capable of positioning the object to be fixed at a predetermined position inside the opening of the ring frame placed on the holding portion.

[0019] Therefore, when placing an object to be fixed, such as a wafer or a dress member of the holding part, the positioning part positions the object to be fixed at a predetermined position. And when the tape is fixed to the ring frame and the object to be fixed by the roller mechanism, the object to be fixed is positioned with high precision at a predetermined position within the opening of the ring frame. In this case, when the object to be fixed is carried into the cutting device, since the object to be fixed is likely to be located in a very limited area, the alignment operation can be sufficiently performed by searching for the object to be fixed within a relatively narrow range. That is, the alignment operation can be completed in a short time.

[0020] Therefore, according to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a tape mounter capable of precisely fixing an object to be fixed at a specific position of a tape.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0021]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0022] Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In each figure, the direction along the X-axis (the first horizontal direction, the front-rear direction) and the direction along the Y-axis (the second horizontal direction, the left-right direction) are perpendicular to each other. Also, the direction along the Z-axis (the height direction, the up-down direction, the vertical direction) is perpendicular to the first horizontal direction and the second horizontal direction. The tape mounter according to the present embodiment fixes an object to be fixed, such as a wafer or a dress member, to a ring frame via a tape. That is, the object to be fixed, the tape, and the ring frame are integrated.

[0023] First, the object to be fixed will be described. FIG. 2 includes a perspective view schematically showing the object to be fixed 1. In a cutting device that cuts a workpiece such as a wafer made of semiconductor, in order to recover the cutting ability of the cutting blade when the cutting ability decreases while cutting the workpiece, a rectangular dress member called a dressing board is periodically cut by the cutting blade.

[0024] When the cutting blade cuts the dress member, the cutting edge of the cutting blade is worn and unused abrasive grains are exposed on the surface of the cutting edge, and the state of the cutting edge is adjusted. Thereby, the cutting ability of the cutting blade is restored. This process is called dressing. For example, the dress member used for dressing is integrated and fixed to the ring frame via a tape in the tape mounter according to the present embodiment. That is, the dress member is an example of the object to be fixed 1.

[0025] Also, in the tape mounter according to the present embodiment, a disk-shaped wafer cut by a cutting device may be integrated with the tape and the ring frame. That is, the object to be fixed may be a wafer formed of a material such as a semiconductor.

[0026] The wafer is, for example, a substantially disk-shaped substrate made of a material such as Si (silicon), SiC (silicon carbide), GaN (gallium nitride), GaAs (gallium arsenide), or other semiconductors. A plurality of devices such as ICs and LSIs are formed on the surface of the object to be fixed 1. When the wafer is cut by a cutting device and divided for each device, individual device chips can be manufactured.

[0027] However, the object 1 to be fixed to the tape by the tape mounter according to the present embodiment is not limited to a dress member or a wafer. The object 1 to be fixed may be a package substrate in which a plurality of chips are arranged vertically and horizontally and sealed with a resin or the like, or other plate-like objects or the like. Hereinafter, the case where the object 1 is a dress member will be described as an example.

[0028] FIG. 1 and the like include a perspective view schematically showing a ring frame 3 to which the object 1 is fixed via a tape. The ring frame 3 is formed of a metal material such as aluminum or stainless steel. An opening 5 is provided at the center of the ring frame 3. The opening 5 penetrates from the front surface 3a to the back surface 3b of the ring frame 3. The opening 5 is formed in the ring frame 3 in a size and shape capable of accommodating the object 1. Typically, the opening 5 is circular.

[0029] The tape 7 is fixed to the ring frame 3 so as to close the opening 5. The tape 7 has a diameter larger than the diameter of the opening 5 of the ring frame 3. The tape 7 includes, for example, a base material layer formed of a resin film or the like, and an adhesive layer formed on one surface of the base material layer. The surface of the tape 7 where the adhesive layer is exposed becomes the fixing surface 7a (see FIG. 3). When the tape 7 is fixed to the ring frame 3 so as to close the opening 5, the fixing surface 7a of the tape 7 is exposed in the opening 5. Then, the object 1 is fixed to the tape 7 from the back surface 1b side in the opening 5 of the ring frame 3.

[0030] However, the tape 7 may not include an adhesive layer. In this case, the tape 7 is heated and pressed to be fixed to the ring frame 3 and the object 1. That is, the tape 7 without an adhesive layer is heat-bonded and fixed to the ring frame 3 and the object 1. The tape 7 without an adhesive layer is composed of a resin material such as polyolefin or polyester. Hereinafter, the case where the tape 7 mainly includes an adhesive layer and is fixed by attaching the tape 7 to the ring frame 3 and the object 1 will be described as an example.

[0031] Next, a tape mounter according to the present embodiment will be described, in which the tape 7 is fixed to the object 1 to be fixed and the ring frame 3 to integrate the object 1 to be fixed, the ring frame 3, and the tape 7. FIG. 1 is a perspective view schematically showing the tape mounter 2. The tape mounter 2 includes a holding portion 4 on which the ring frame 3 and the object 1 to be fixed can be placed on the upper surface 4a, and a tape supply portion 16 that holds the tape 7 in a state where the fixing surface 7a of the tape 7 faces the holding portion 4.

[0032] FIG. 2 is a perspective view schematically showing the holding portion 4. The holding portion 4 is composed of one or a plurality of stages (table-like supports). When the holding portion 4 is composed of a plurality of stages, the stages may be connected to each other or separated from each other.

[0033] The holding portion 4 shown in FIG. 2 includes one stage 6. The upper surface 4a of the holding portion 4 (the upper surface 6a of the stage 6) is a flat surface larger than the outer shape of the ring frame 3. The ring frame 3 is placed at a predetermined position on the upper surface 4a of the holding portion 4 (the upper surface 6a of the stage 6) in a predetermined orientation.

[0034] A ring frame positioning portion (not shown) for determining the position of the ring frame 3 may be formed on the upper surface 4a of the holding portion 4 (the upper surface 6a of the stage 6). The ring frame positioning portion is, for example, a concave portion having a bottom surface with a shape corresponding to the shape of the lower surface (surface 3a) of the ring frame 3. Alternatively, the ring frame positioning portion is a plurality of pins (protrusions) surrounding the outer periphery of a predetermined position where the ring frame 3 is placed. However, the structure for realizing the ring frame positioning portion is not limited to this.

[0035] The object 1 to be fixed is placed on the upper surface 4a of the holding part 4 (the upper surface 6a of the stage 6) so as to be positioned at a predetermined position inside the opening 5 of the ring frame 3 placed on the holding part 4. At this time, the back surface 1b, which is the surface (the surface to be fixed, the surface to be pasted) where the tape 7 of the object 1 to be fixed is fixed, is exposed upward, and the front surface 1a, which is the surface where the tape 7 is not fixed, is directed downward. That is, the object 1 to be fixed is oriented in a direction such that the surface (front surface 1a) that is not the surface to be fixed of the object 1 to be fixed faces the upper surface 4a of the holding part 4.

[0036] In particular, in the tape mounter 2 according to the present embodiment, the holding part 4 has a positioning part 8 so that the object 1 to be fixed can be positioned at a predetermined position with high precision. The positioning part 8 can position the object 1 to be fixed at a predetermined position inside the opening 5 of the ring frame 3 placed on the upper surface 4a of the holding part 4.

[0037] The positioning part 8 of the holding part 4 will be described. The positioning part 8 is formed on the upper surface 4a of the holding part 4 (the upper surface 6a of the stage 6). The positioning part 8 includes a structure that can fix the object 1 to be fixed in a state where the surface to be fixed (back surface 1b) of the object 1 to be fixed protrudes from the upper surface 4a of the holding part 4 (the upper surface 6a of the stage 6).

[0038] Here, fixing the object 1 to be fixed by the structure of the positioning part 8 means making the object 1 to be fixed in a state where it does not move. Therefore, the object 1 to be fixed fixed to the structure does not have to be connected to a specific object with a specific force. For example, when the object 1 to be fixed is accommodated in a space of a specific shape defined by the structure, even if vibration or impact is applied to the object 1 to be fixed, the object 1 does not collide with the structure and the structure does not allow a change in the position of the object 1 to be fixed. Such a state is the fixing of the object 1 to be fixed by the structure.

[0039] FIG. 2 includes a perspective view schematically showing an example of the positioning part 8. This structure of the positioning part 8 is, for example, as shown in FIG. 2, a recess 10 formed on the upper surface 4a of the holding part 4 (the upper surface 6a of the stage 6). The planar shape of this recess 10 corresponds to the planar shape of the object 1 to be fixed, and the depth of the recess 10 is smaller than the thickness of the object 1 to be fixed.

[0040] For example, the positioning portion 8 has a frame body 12 that defines the concave portion 10. The concave portion 10 is surrounded by the frame body 12. The positioning portion 8 positions the object to be fixed 1 at a predetermined position by housing the object to be fixed 1 in the concave portion 10. At this time, the height of the frame body 12 is determined so that the upper surface (the back surface 1b) of the object to be fixed 1 protrudes above the frame body 12.

[0041] Note that the height position of the upper surface (the back surface 1b) of the object to be fixed 1 housed in the concave portion 10 may be determined so that the tape 7 can be easily and appropriately fixed to the object to be fixed 1 and the ring frame 3 later. In other words, the height position of the bottom surface of the concave portion 10 may be determined so that the tape 7 can be appropriately fixed to the object to be fixed 1 housed in the concave portion 10.

[0042] For example, the holding portion 4 may include a base plate portion 14 for adjusting the height position of the concave portion 10 so that the height of the bottom surface of the concave portion 10 is positioned at a desired height position. The thickness of the base plate portion 14 may be determined in consideration of the thickness of the ring frame 3, the thickness of the object to be fixed 1, and the like. A frame body 12 is provided on the upper surface of the base plate portion 14, and the concave portion 10 is defined by the frame body 12.

[0043] Also, there may be a case where it is desirable that the height position of the lower surface (the front surface 1a) of the object to be fixed 1 positioned by the positioning portion 8 is lower than the height position of the lower surface (the front surface 3a) of the ring frame 3. In this case, a low floor portion for housing the frame body 12 may be formed on the upper surface 4a of the holding portion 4 (the upper surface 6a of the stage 6). The upper surface of this low floor portion is lower than the upper surface 4a of the surrounding holding portion 4. Then, by disposing the frame body 12 in the low floor portion, the concave portion 10 can be formed at a desired height position.

[0044] Note that the height of a ring frame positioning portion (not shown) that determines the position of the ring frame 3 on the upper surface 4a of the holding portion 4 (the upper surface 6a of the stage 6) may be adjusted instead of the height of the positioning portion 8 so that the tape 7 can be easily and appropriately fixed to the object to be fixed 1 and the ring frame 3 later.

[0045] As described above, the positioning portion 8 of the holding portion 4 positions the object 1 to be fixed at a predetermined position inside the opening 5 of the ring frame 3 placed on the upper surface 4a (upper surface 6a of the stage 6) of the holding portion 4. In the holding portion 4, the tape 7 is fixed so as to close the opening 5 on the back surface 3b side of the ring frame 3. At this time, the tape 7 is also fixed to the back surface 1b of the object 1 to be fixed positioned at the predetermined position. Thereby, the object 1 to be fixed is fixed to the tape 7 at a predetermined position inside the opening 5 of the ring frame 3.

[0046] Note that the stage 6 of the holding portion 4 is movable up and down along the direction (Z-axis direction) perpendicular to the upper surface 6a. When the tape 7 is fixed to the ring frame 3 and the object 1 to be fixed by the tape supply portion 16 described below, the stage 6 is moved upward toward the tape supply portion 16.

[0047] The tape mounter 2 includes a tape supply portion 16 that supplies the tape 7 with the fixing surface 7a of the tape 7 facing the holding portion 4. The tape supply portion 16 is provided above the holding portion 4 and supplies the tape 7 to the ring frame 3. Next, the tape supply portion 16 will be described. FIG. 1 includes a perspective view schematically showing the tape supply portion 16. Further, FIG. 3 includes a side view schematically showing the tape supply portion 16.

[0048] The tape supply portion 16 has a feed roll 18 around which the tape 7 is wound in a long strip, a plurality of rollers 20 that form a traveling path of the tape 7 fed out from the feed roll 18, and a take-up roll 22 that takes up the tape 7.

[0049] The tape 7 has, for example, a base material layer formed of a resin or the like and an adhesive layer formed on one surface of the base material layer. The tape 7 supplied from the feed roll 18 is cut into a predetermined shape and attached and fixed to the ring frame 3 and the object 1 to be fixed. The surface on which the adhesive layer of the tape 7 is formed becomes the fixing surface (fixing surface) 7a of the tape 7.

[0050] Alternatively, the tape 7 does not have an adhesive layer. When the tape 7 does not have an adhesive layer, either surface of the tape 7 may be treated as the fixing surface 7a. The tape 7 is heated, pressed, and thermocompression bonded and fixed to the ring frame 3 and the object to be fixed 1.

[0051] The tape supply unit 16 includes a cutting unit 24 that cuts out the tape 7 supplied from the feed roll 18. The cutting unit 24 has a rotary shaft portion 26 along the Z-axis direction, an arm portion 28 extending horizontally (in a direction parallel to the upper surface 4a of the holding portion 4) from the lower end of the rotary shaft portion 26, and a cutter (cutting tool) 30 disposed below the tip of the arm portion 28.

[0052] The rotary shaft portion 26 of the cutting unit 24 is positioned directly above the center of the opening 5 of the ring frame 3 supported by the holding portion 4. Also, the arm portion 28 is longer than the diameter of the opening 5 of the ring frame 3. The cutting unit 24 has a rotary drive source 32 such as a motor that rotates the rotary shaft portion 26, and by operating this rotary drive source 32, the cutter 30 is moved along an annular track having the arm portion 28 as the diameter.

[0053] When supplying the tape 7 from the tape supply unit 16 to the ring frame 3, first, the stage 6 of the holding portion 4 that supports the ring frame 3 and the object to be fixed 1 is raised toward the tape supply unit 16. Then, the tape 7 is fixed to the exposed upper surface (the back surface 3b) of the ring frame 3. Thereafter, while cutting the cutter 30 of the cutting unit 24 into the tape 7, the cutter 30 is rotationally moved around the opening 5 to cut out the tape 7 in a circular shape. Thereby, the tape 7 can be supplied to the back surface 3b of the ring frame 3.

[0054] However, the tape 7 may be cut into a predetermined shape before being fixed to the ring frame 3. In this case, for example, a long support tape (not shown) that supports a plurality of tapes 7 cut into a predetermined shape may be wound to form a roll. When transferring the tape 7 cut into a predetermined shape in advance from the support tape to the ring frame 3, the cutting unit 24 is unnecessary, and no cutting chips are generated due to the cutting of the tape 7.

[0055] The tape 7 cut into a predetermined shape is transferred, for example, from the support tape to the ring frame 3. That is, the support tape is pulled out from the roll, one tape 7 is peeled off from the support tape and positioned above the holding portion 4, and the tape 7 is fixed to the ring frame 3. Alternatively, the tape 7 cut into a predetermined shape is fixed to the ring frame 3 while being peeled off from the support tape. That is, the support tape is pulled out from the roll, one end of the tape 7 is peeled off from the support tape and fixed to the ring frame 3, and the tape 7 is sequentially peeled off from the support tape and fixed to the ring frame 3 from this one end to the other end of the tape 7.

[0056] As shown in FIG. 3, the tape mounter 2 further includes a roller mechanism 34 that presses the tape 7 and fixes it to the ring frame 3 and the object to be fixed 1 positioned in the opening 5 of the ring frame 3. The roller mechanism 34 includes, for example, a roller 36 that presses the tape 7 from above and a roller moving mechanism (not shown) that moves the roller 36.

[0057] The roller 36 extends along the upper surface 4a of the holding portion 4 (the upper surface 6a of the stage 6). The roller 36 extends, for example, along the Y-axis direction. The length of the roller 36 is preferably greater than the diameter of the opening 5 of the ring frame 3, and more preferably greater than the diameter of the outer periphery of the ring frame 3.

[0058] The roller moving mechanism can move up and down along a direction (Z-axis direction) perpendicular to the upper surface 4a of the holding portion 4 and can move along a direction (for example, X-axis direction) parallel to the upper surface 4a of the holding portion 4 and perpendicular to the direction in which the roller 36 extends. The roller moving mechanism is, for example, a ball screw type moving mechanism (not shown), and includes a ball screw, a rotation drive source that rotates the ball screw, and a nut portion screwed to the ball screw. The roller 36 is connected to this nut portion.

[0059] As shown in FIG. 3, the roller mechanism 34 lowers the roller 36, presses the tape 7 with its fixing surface facing the upper surface 4a of the holding portion 4 from above with the roller 36, and fixes the tape 7 to one end of the upper surface (back surface 1b) of the ring frame 3. Then, in this state, the roller 36 is moved in a direction parallel to the upper surface 4a of the holding portion 4 (for example, the X-axis direction) and the roller 36 is moved across to the other end of the upper surface (back surface 1b) of the ring frame 3. Thereby, the tape 7 is fixed to the ring frame 3.

[0060] When the object 1 to be fixed is placed on the upper surface 4a of the holding portion 4 and the object 1 to be fixed is positioned by the positioning portion 8, at this time, the tape 7 is fixed to the entire back surface 1b of the object 1 inside the opening 5 of the ring frame 3. Thereby, the object 1 to be fixed and the ring frame 3 are integrated via the tape 7.

[0061] Note that the pressing of the tape 7 by the roller 36 of the roller mechanism 34 may be performed before the cutting of the tape 7 by the cutting portion 24. Further, the roller mechanism 34 may press the tape 7 cut by the cutting portion 24 and cut into a predetermined shape from above toward the ring frame 3 or the like.

[0062] The object 1 integrated with the ring frame 3 via the tape 7 is then carried out from the holding portion 4. FIG. 4 is a perspective view schematically showing the object 1 integrated with the ring frame 3 via the tape 7. When the tape mounter 2 according to the present embodiment is used, the tape 7 is fixed to the object 1 in a state where the position is adjusted with high precision in advance.

[0063] Therefore, the position of the object 1 in the integrated body of the object 1 to be fixed, the ring frame 3, and the tape 7 does not deviate significantly from the predetermined position. In other words, according to the tape mounter 2 according to the present embodiment, the object 1 to be fixed can be precisely fixed to a specific position of the tape 7. Therefore, when a predetermined process is subsequently performed on the object 1 to be fixed or using the object 1 to be fixed, there is no need to search for the object 1 to be fixed over a wide range, and the position of the object 1 to be fixed can be easily and quickly specified.

[0064] Note that the stage 6 of the holding part 4 may incorporate a heating mechanism (heater) such as a heating wire, and the object 1 to be fixed held by the holding part 4 may be heated to a predetermined temperature within the range of 30°C to 150°C. When the tape 7 having an adhesive layer is attached and fixed to the object 1 to be fixed, if the object 1 to be fixed held by the holding part 4 is heated, the tape 7 will be heated and softened. In this case, the tape 7 is more likely to deform following the shape of the fixing surface (back surface 1b) of the object 1 to be fixed, and the adhesion force (fixing force) becomes stronger.

[0065] Also, when fixing the tape 7 without an adhesive layer to the object 1 by thermocompression bonding, if the object 1 to be fixed held by the holding part 4 is heated to a temperature at which the tape 7 can be thermocompression bonded, the tape 7 will be heated and thermocompression bonding becomes possible. Here, the temperature at which thermocompression bonding is possible is, for example, a temperature exceeding the softening point of the material constituting the tape 7 without an adhesive layer and not exceeding the melting point. However, the temperature at which thermocompression bonding is possible is not limited to this.

[0066] Next, in the tape mounter 2 shown in FIG. 1 and the like, the procedure for fixing the object 1 to be fixed to the ring frame 3 via the tape 7 will be described. FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the procedure for fixing the object 1 to be fixed to the ring frame 3 via the tape 7 in the tape mounter 2.

[0067] In the tape mounter 2, first, the object 1 to be fixed is placed on the holding part 4 and positioned at a predetermined position by the positioning part 8 (S10), and at the same time, the ring frame 3 is placed on the holding part 4 (S20). The operation of positioning the object 1 to be fixed at a predetermined position (S10) and the operation of placing the ring frame 3 on the holding part 4 (S20) may be carried out in either order.

[0068] FIG. 2 is a perspective view schematically showing the state of placing the object 1 to be fixed on the holding part 4. In the example shown in FIG. 2, the ring frame 3 is placed in a predetermined position of the holding part 4 in advance. When the holding part 4 is provided with a ring frame positioning part (not shown) for determining the position of the ring frame 3, the ring frame 3 is positioned at a predetermined position by the ring frame positioning part.

[0069] In addition, the positioning portion 8 shown in FIG. 2 includes a recess 10 for accommodating the object 1 to be fixed. Therefore, the object 1 to be fixed is accommodated in the recess 10. At this time, the back surface 1b that becomes the fixed surface of the object 1 to be fixed is directed upward, and the front surface 1a of the object 1 to be fixed is faced to the upper surface 4a (upper surface 6a of the stage 6) of the holding portion 4. When the object 1 to be fixed is accommodated in the recess 10 of the positioning portion 8 of the holding portion 4, the position of the object 1 to be fixed is determined in a state where the fixed surface (back surface 1b) of the object 1 to be fixed protrudes from the upper surface 4a of the holding portion 4.

[0070] When the object 1 to be fixed and the ring frame 3 are placed on the holding portion 4, it is preferable that the upper surface (back surface 1b) of the object 1 to be fixed and the upper surface (back surface 3b) of the ring frame 3 are at the same height position. However, it is not necessary for the upper surface of the object 1 to be fixed to be exactly the same height as the upper surface of the ring frame 3.

[0071] Next, in the tape mounter 2, the tape 7 is fixed (attached) to the object 1 to be fixed and the ring frame 3 (S30). FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a state in which the tape 7 is fixed to the object 1 to be fixed and the ring frame 3. First, the stage 6 of the holding portion 4 is raised, and the fixing surface 7a of the tape 7 fed out from the feeding roll 18 is faced to the upper surface 4a of the holding portion 4.

[0072] Next, the roller 36 of the roller mechanism 34 is lowered above one end of the ring frame 3. That is, the tape 7 is pressed from above by the roller 36, and the tape 7 is fixed (attached) to one end of the ring frame 3. Then, while pressing the tape 7 with the roller 36, the roller 36 is moved in a direction parallel to the upper surface 4a of the holding portion 4 until the roller 36 reaches the other end of the ring frame 3. Thereby, the tape 7 is fixed to the back surface 3b of the ring frame 3 and the back surface 1b of the object 1 to be fixed.

[0073] Here, when the holding part 4 (stage 6) is provided with a heating mechanism, it is preferable to operate the heating mechanism to heat the object 1 to be fixed to a predetermined temperature. When the tape 7 contacts the back surface 1b of the high-temperature object 1 to be fixed, the tape 7 is heated and becomes soft and easily deformed. Therefore, when the tape 7 is provided with an adhesive layer, the tape 7 is more firmly attached to the object 1 to be fixed. Also, when the tape 7 is not provided with an adhesive layer, the tape 7 can be fixed to the object 1 to be fixed by thermocompression bonding.

[0074] Thereafter, the cutter 30 of the cutting part 24 is lowered in the region overlapping the ring frame 3, and the cutter 30 is cut into the tape 7. In this state, the rotation drive source 32 is operated to rotate the rotary shaft part 26, and the cutter 30 is rotationally moved along the ring frame 3 by a rotation amount exceeding one rotation. As a result, a circular cutting groove is formed in the tape 7, and an integrated object including the cut-out tape 7, the object 1 to be fixed, and the ring frame 3 is formed.

[0075] Next, the unnecessary portion of the tape 7 outside the cutting groove is peeled off from the ring frame 3, and the unnecessary portion of the tape 7 is collected by the winding roll 22. And finally, the integrated object of the tape 7, the object 1 to be fixed, and the ring frame 3 is carried out from the holding part 4 (S40). FIG. 4 is a perspective view schematically showing the object 1 to be fixed fixed to the ring frame 3 via the tape 7. Thereafter, in this state, the object 1 to be fixed is carried into a processing apparatus such as a cutting apparatus and undergoes a predetermined process.

[0076] As described above, when the tape mounter 2 according to the present embodiment is used, the object 1 to be fixed can be easily and precisely positioned at a predetermined position on the upper surface 4a of the holding part 4 by using the positioning part 8. Therefore, when the tape 7 is fixed to the ring frame 3 and the object 1 to be fixed, the object 1 to be fixed is fixed to the tape 7 at a predetermined position inside the opening 5. And when a predetermined process is then performed on the object 1 to be fixed integrated with the ring frame 3 and the tape 7, the position of the object 1 to be fixed can be quickly specified.

[0077] Next, a modified example of the holding portion of the tape mounter 2 according to the present embodiment will be described. The positioning portion 8 included in the holding portion 4 described with reference to FIG. 2 and the like has a recess 10 as a structure capable of fixing the object 1 to be fixed at a predetermined position. However, the structure of the positioning portion 8 is not limited to this.

[0078] FIG. 5 is a perspective view schematically showing a holding portion 38 according to a modified example of the tape mounter 2. The holding portion 38 includes a positioning portion 42 for positioning the object 1 to be fixed at a predetermined position on the upper surface 40a of a stage 40 that supports the object 1 to be fixed and the ring frame 3. The holding portion 38 shown in FIG. 5 differs only in the positioning portion 42 as compared with the holding portion 4 described in FIG. 2. Therefore, descriptions other than the positioning portion 42 of the holding portion 38 will be omitted.

[0079] The positioning portion 42 of the holding portion 38 includes a plurality of positioning pins 44 and 46 formed on the upper surface 38a of the holding portion 38 (the upper surface 40a of the stage 40) as a structure capable of fixing the object 1 to be fixed. Each of the positioning pins 44 and 46 is arranged so as to surround a predetermined position on the upper surface 38a of the holding portion 38 where the object 1 to be fixed is to be positioned.

[0080] When placing the object 1 to be fixed on the holding portion 38, the object 1 to be fixed is placed in the region surrounded by the positioning pins 44 and 46. Thereby, the object 1 to be fixed is positioned at a predetermined position. At this time, the arrangement of the positioning pins 44 and 46 on the upper surface 38a of the holding portion 38 may be determined so that the object 1 to be fixed surrounded by the positioning pins 44 and 46 does not move from the predetermined position.

[0081] Note that the positioning portion 42 having the positioning pins 44 and 46 as a structure for fixing the object 1 to be fixed at a predetermined position may include a moving mechanism (not shown) that moves some or all of the positioning pins 44 and 46 in a direction along the upper surface 38a of the holding portion 38. For example, the positioning portion 42 of the holding portion 38 shown in FIG. 5 includes a fixed positioning pin 44 and a movable positioning pin 46, and the moving mechanism moves the positioning pin 46.

[0082] The moving mechanism for moving the positioning pin 46 may be formed inside the stage 40 of the holding portion 38. The moving mechanism is, for example, an air cylinder type or a ball screw type moving mechanism, but the moving mechanism is not particularly limited. The lower end of the movable positioning pin 46 is connected to the moving mechanism through an opening 48 formed in the upper surface 38a of the holding portion 38. Then, the positioning pin 46 moves along the opening 48 by operating the moving mechanism.

[0083] The movable positioning pin 46 may be movable between a fixed position immediately outside the object 1 to be fixed positioned at a predetermined position and an open position away from this predetermined position. For example, when placing the object 1 to be fixed on the holding portion 38, the movable positioning pin 46 is moved to the open position. Thereby, the object 1 to be fixed can be easily placed in the region surrounded by the positioning pins 44, 46. Also, thereafter, the positioning pin 46 may be moved to the fixed position. Then, the object 1 to be fixed is pushed by the moving positioning pin 46 and positioned at a predetermined position.

[0084] Here, as shown in FIG. 5, the holding portion 38 can change the positional relationship of the positioning pins 44, 46 corresponding to the shape and size of the object 1 to be fixed. That is, the holding portion 38 in which the positioning pin 46 is movable can also hold a plurality of types of objects 1 to be fixed having different sizes and shapes.

[0085] Note that the height positions of the upper ends of the positioning pins 44, 46 are preferably lower than the height position of the upper surface (back surface 1b) of the object 1 to be fixed positioned at a predetermined position on the upper surface 38a of the holding portion 38. In this case, the positioning pins 44, 46 do not become a factor that hinders the fixing of the tape 7 to the upper surface of the object 1 to be fixed.

[0086] Next, a further modified example of the holding portion of the tape mounter 2 will be described. FIG. 6 is a perspective view schematically showing a holding portion 50 according to a further modified example. In the holding portion 50 shown in FIG. 6, a dedicated jig plate 54 is used to arrange the object 1 to be fixed at a predetermined position. Hereinafter, the holding portion 50 and the jig plate 54 used in the holding portion 50 will be described.

[0087] The jig plate 54 can hold the object 1 to be fixed with the fixed surface (back surface 1b) of the object 1 to be fixed protruding upward. The jig plate 54 is constituted by, for example, a disk having a diameter smaller than that of the opening 5 of the ring frame 3. The jig plate 54 is formed of a material such as metal or resin. On the upper surface 54a of the disk-shaped jig plate 54, a jig upper positioning portion 56 for suppressing the movement of the object 1 placed on the jig plate 54 is formed.

[0088] The jig upper positioning portion 56 includes, for example, a frame body 60 similar to the frame body 12 of the positioning portion 8 of the holding portion 4 described in FIG. 2 or the like on the upper surface 54a of the jig plate 54, and the object 1 to be fixed can be accommodated in the recess 58 surrounded by the frame body 60. The object 1 to be fixed is carried into the holding portion 50 in a state where it is placed on the jig plate 54 and accommodated in the frame body 60. Alternatively, the object 1 to be fixed is accommodated in the frame body 60 of the jig plate 54 placed on the holding portion 50.

[0089] The holding portion 50 includes a stage 52 that supports the object 1 to be fixed via the jig plate 54. On the upper surface 50a of the holding portion 50 (the upper surface 52a of the stage 52), a jig fixing portion 62 capable of fixing the jig plate 54 is formed. This jig fixing portion 62 functions as a positioning portion for positioning the object 1 to be fixed at a predetermined position via the jig plate 54.

[0090] Explaining from another perspective, the structure of the positioning portion in the holding portion 50 shown in FIG. 6 is a jig fixing portion 62 capable of fixing a jig plate 54 that is detachably placed on the upper surface 50a of the holding portion 50.

[0091] The jig fixing portion 62 is constituted by, for example, a recess 64 formed on the upper surface 50a (upper surface 52a of the stage 52) of the holding portion 50 and a positioning pin 66 provided in the recess 64. The recess 64 of the jig fixing portion 62 is formed in a size and shape corresponding to the jig plate 54 and can accommodate the jig plate 54. And, on the lower surface 54b of the jig plate 54, fixing holes (not shown) into which the positioning pin 66 is inserted when the jig plate 54 is accommodated in the recess 64 are formed.

[0092] In the holding portion 50, the number, position, and shape of the positioning pins 66 are determined so that the jig plate 54 accommodated in the recess 64 is fixed in a predetermined orientation and position. In the example shown in FIG. 6, two columnar positioning pins 66 are formed on the upper surface 50a (upper surface 52a of the stage 52) of the holding portion 50 so as to be arranged on a straight line passing through the center of the recess 64. And, on the lower surface 54b of the jig plate 54, fixing holes are formed so as to correspond to the number, position, and shape of the positioning pins 66.

[0093] When the jig plate 54 is accommodated in the recess 64 at a predetermined position and orientation, the positioning pin 66 is inserted into the fixing hole of the jig plate 54. Conversely, if the jig plate 54 is not at a predetermined position and orientation, the accommodation of the jig plate 54 in the recess 64 is prevented by the positioning pin 66.

[0094] And, when the jig plate 54 is accommodated in the recess 64, the change in the position and orientation of the jig plate 54 is prevented by the positioning pin 66. In short, the jig fixing portion 62 that functions as a positioning portion in the holding portion 50 shown in FIG. 6 can position the object 1 to be fixed at a predetermined position inside the opening 5 of the ring frame 3 placed on the holding portion 50 by fixing the jig plate 54 that holds the object 1 to be fixed to the jig fixing portion 62.

[0095] In the tape mounter 2 having the holding part 50, the object 1 to be fixed is carried into the holding part 50 while being placed on the jig plate 54 and housed in the frame body 60 of the jig upper positioning part 56. That is, the jig plate 54 on which the object 1 to be fixed is placed is fixed to the jig fixing part 62. Alternatively, the object 1 to be fixed is carried into the holding part 50 in advance and housed in the frame body 60 of the jig upper positioning part 56 of the jig plate 54 fixed to the holding part 50 by the jig fixing part 62. Further, the ring frame 3 is placed at a predetermined position on the upper surface 50a of the holding part 50. Then, the tape 7 is fixed to the ring frame 3 and the object 1 to be fixed by the tape supply part 16 and the roller mechanism 34.

[0096] In the holding part 50, when the object 1 to be fixed and the ring frame 3 fixed to the tape 7 are carried out from the holding part 50, the object 1 to be fixed is separated from the jig plate 54. After that, another object 1 to be fixed is placed on the jig plate 54 and used again. Further, in the holding part 50, by properly using a plurality of jig plates 54 having different modes of the jig upper positioning part 56, it is possible to fix a plurality of types of objects 1 to be fixed having different shapes and sizes.

[0097] Next, a modified example of the tape mounter according to the present embodiment will be described. The holding part 4 of the tape mounter 2 described with reference to FIG. 1 etc. includes one stage 6, and the stage 6 supports the object 1 to be fixed and the ring frame 3. However, the stage included in the holding part of the tape mounter does not have to be one. Further, the roller mechanism 34 of the tape mounter 2 described with reference to FIG. 3 includes one roller 36. However, the roller included in the roller mechanism does not have to be one.

[0098] FIG. 7 is a perspective view schematically showing a tape mounter 68 according to a modified example. Hereinafter, the tape mounter 68 shown in FIG. 7 will be described. In the following description, the description of the parts that are not particularly changed from the tape mounter 2 shown in FIG. 1 etc. will be omitted. The tape mounter 68 according to the modified example includes a holding part 70 having two stages 72, 74, and a roller mechanism 92 including a second roller 94 in addition to the roller 36 (first roller) shown in FIG. 3. Next, it will be described in detail.

[0099] The holding part 70 of the tape mounter 68 has a first stage 72 in which a frame unit is formed by fixing the tape 7 to the ring frame 3, and a second stage 74 in which the object 1 to be fixed is fixed to the tape 7 included in this frame unit. The first stage 72 and the second stage 74 may be separated from each other or may be continuous as shown in FIG. 7.

[0100] The ring frame 3 is placed at a predetermined position on the upper surface 72a (the upper surface 70a of the holding part 70) of the first stage 72. The first stage 72 is movable up and down along the Z-axis direction. And, similar to the tape mounter 2 shown in FIG. 1, the tape supply unit 16 supplies the tape 7 to the ring frame 3 placed on the first stage 72.

[0101] Then, the roller 36 (the first roller) of the roller mechanism 92 descends above one end of the ring frame 3 and presses the tape 7 against the back surface 3b of the ring frame 3, and moves toward the other end of the ring frame 3 in this state. As a result, the tape 7 is fixed to the back surface 3b of the ring frame 3 so as to close the opening 5 of the ring frame 3. Thereafter, the unnecessary portion of the tape 7 is cut off by the cutting portion 24. The ring frame 3 and the tape 7 thus integrated are called a frame unit.

[0102] The frame unit is conveyed from the first stage 72 to the second stage 74. The tape mounter 68 further includes a conveying mechanism 82 that conveys this frame unit from the first stage 72 to the second stage 74. The tape mounter 68 includes, for example, a ball screw type conveying mechanism 82.

[0103] The conveying mechanism 82 includes a rail 84 along the X-axis direction, a moving body (not shown) slidably mounted on the rail 84, an arm portion 86 extending from this moving body in the Y-axis direction, a support shaft 88 disposed at the tip of the arm portion 86, and a holding portion 90 provided at the lower end of the support shaft 88.

[0104] One end of the rail 84 reaches near the first stage 72, and the other end of the rail 84 reaches near the second stage 74. The transport mechanism 82 transports the ring frame 3 (frame unit) from the first stage 72 to the second stage 74 by moving the holding part 90.

[0105] The arm part 86 can move up and down with respect to the moving body. That is, the transport mechanism 82 is provided with a lifting mechanism (not shown) composed of an air cylinder or the like on the moving body, and moves the arm part 86 up and down along the Z-axis direction.

[0106] Further, the holding part 90 is provided with a plurality of suction pads 90a arranged in a shape corresponding to the shape of the ring frame 3 on the lower surface, and the ring frame 3 (frame unit) can be sucked and held from above by the suction pads 90a. Note that the suction pad 90a may suck and hold the tape 7 fixed to the ring frame 3 from above. The transport mechanism 82 is provided with a suction mechanism (pump) connected to the suction pads 90a of the holding part 90, and can transport while sucking and holding the frame unit (ring frame 3, tape 7).

[0107] On the upper surface 74a of the second stage 74 of the holding part 70, a positioning part 76 capable of positioning the fixed object 1 at a predetermined position inside the opening 5 of the ring frame 3 placed on the holding part 70 is provided. The positioning part 76 is configured in the same manner as the positioning part 8 of the holding part 4 described with reference to FIG. 2. For example, the positioning part 76 includes a frame body 80 that defines a recess 78 in which the fixed object 1 is accommodated.

[0108] Also, on the upper surface 74a of the second stage 74 of the holding part 70, a frame placement area 74b where the ring frame 3 included in the frame unit transported by the transport mechanism 82 is placed is set. The transport mechanism 82 transports the frame unit from the first stage 72 to the second stage 74 so that the ring frame 3 is placed in the frame placement area 74b with the fixed object 1 accommodated in the recess 78 of the positioning part 76.

[0109] Thereafter, the roller mechanism 92 fixes the tape 7 fixed to the ring frame 3 to the object 1 to be fixed. More specifically, the roller mechanism 92 includes a second roller 94 that presses the tape 7 from above inside the opening 5 of the ring frame 3 to fix the tape 7 to the object 1 to be fixed. The second roller 94 extends in the X-axis direction, can move up and down along the Z-axis direction, and can move in a direction perpendicular to the Z-axis (Y-axis direction).

[0110] The length of the second roller 94 of the roller mechanism 92 is shorter than the width of the opening 5 of the ring frame 3 and longer than the width of the object 1 to be fixed. The second roller 94 of the roller mechanism 92 presses the tape 7 downward while rolling on the tape 7 inside the opening 5 to bring the tape 7 into contact with the back surface 1b of the object 1 to be fixed and fix it.

[0111] However, the second roller 94 may have a length equal to or greater than the width of the opening 5 of the ring frame 3. In this case, the second roller 94 is preferably made of a material such as rubber. When pressing the tape 7 against the object 1 with the second roller 94, even if a part of the second roller 94 overlaps the ring frame 3, the second roller 94 bends and drops into the opening 5. Therefore, the tape 7 can be pressed against the object 1 by the second roller 94.

[0112] In this way, the roller mechanism 92 has a first roller (roller 36 shown in FIG. 3) that presses the tape 7 against the ring frame 3 placed on the first stage 72, and a second roller 94 that presses the tape 7 of the frame unit against the object 1 placed on the second stage 74 in advance.

[0113] In the tape mounter 2 shown in FIG. 1 and the like, the fixing of the tape 7 to the ring frame 3 and the fixing of the tape 7 to the object 1 to be fixed are carried out simultaneously. Therefore, the integration of the object 1, the ring frame 3, and the tape 7 is carried out in a short time.

[0114] On the other hand, in the tape mounter 68 shown in FIG. 7, the fixing of the tape 7 to the ring frame 3 and the fixing of the tape 7 to the object 1 to be fixed are sequentially performed. Therefore, each fixing can be performed under conditions optimal for each fixing. Here, the fixing conditions are, for example, the pressing force of the roller on the tape 7, the temperature of the tape 7, and the like. However, the conditions that can be changed in the fixing are not limited to this.

[0115] Here, the procedure for fixing (attaching, thermocompression bonding) the tape 7 to the object 1 to be fixed and the ring frame 3 by the tape mounter 68 shown in FIG. 7 will be described. Similar to the attaching procedure performed by the tape mounter 2 described with reference to FIG. 1 and the like, the fixing (attaching, thermocompression bonding) procedure performed by the tape mounter 68 shown in FIG. 7 is also described by the flow shown in FIG. 8.

[0116] In the tape mounter 68, first, the object 1 to be fixed is placed on the second stage 74 of the holding portion 70, and the object 1 to be fixed is positioned at a predetermined position by the positioning portion 76 (S10). Also, the ring frame 3 is placed on the first stage 72 of the holding portion 70 (S20). The operation of positioning the object 1 to be fixed at a predetermined position and the operation of placing the ring frame 3 on the holding portion 70 may be performed in either order. Further, the operation of positioning the object 1 to be fixed at a predetermined position (S10) may be performed after the operation of fixing (attaching) the tape 7 to the ring frame 3 described below.

[0117] Next, in the tape mounter 68, the operation of fixing (attaching) the tape 7 to the ring frame 3 and the operation of fixing (attaching) the tape 7 to the object 1 to be fixed are performed (S30). First, the first stage 72 of the holding portion 70 is raised, and the fixing surface 7a (see FIG. 3) of the tape 7 fed out from the feeding roll 18 is faced to the upper surface 70a of the holding portion 70 (the upper surface 72a of the first stage 72). Also, the object 1 to be fixed is heated to a predetermined temperature.

[0118] Next, lower the roller 36 (the first roller) of the roller mechanism 34 above one end of the ring frame 3. That is, press the tape 7 from above with the roller 36 and fix (attach) the tape 7 to one end of the ring frame 3. Then, move the roller 36 in a direction parallel to the upper surface 70a of the holding portion 70 and reach the roller 36 to the other end of the ring frame 3. Thereby, fix (attach) the tape 7 to the back surface 3b of the ring frame 3.

[0119] Thereafter, lower the cutter 30 of the cutting portion 24 in the region overlapping the ring frame 3 and cut the cutter 30 into the tape 7. In this state, operate the rotational drive source 32 to rotate the rotary shaft portion 26 and rotate and move the cutter 30 along the ring frame 3 by a rotation amount exceeding one rotation. Thereby, a circular cutting groove is formed in the tape 7, and the cut-out tape 7 and the ring frame 3 are integrated. Next, peel off the unnecessary portion of the tape 7 outside the cutting groove from the ring frame 3 and collect the unnecessary portion of the tape 7 with the take-up roll 22.

[0120] Next, convey the frame unit formed by integrating the tape 7 and the ring frame 3 from the first stage 72 to the second stage 74 by the conveying mechanism 82. By this time, place the object 1 to be fixed on the second stage 74 and complete the positioning of the object 1 to be fixed by the positioning portion 76.

[0121] More specifically, move the holding portion 90 of the conveying mechanism 82, bring the suction pad 90a of the holding portion 90 into contact with the upper surface (the back surface 3b of the ring frame 3, the non-fixed surface of the tape 7) of the frame unit placed on the first stage 72, and apply a negative pressure from the suction pad 90a to the frame unit. Thereby, suck and hold the frame unit by the holding portion 90.

[0122] Next, by moving the holding part 90 of the transfer mechanism 82 to the second stage 74, the frame unit is placed at a predetermined position on the upper surface 74a of the second stage 74. At this time, the ring frame 3 included in the frame unit is placed in the frame placement area 74b. Then, the suction holding of the frame unit by the holding part 90 is released, and the holding part 90 is retracted from above the second stage 74. Thus, the transfer of the frame unit is completed.

[0123] Since the positioning of the object to be fixed 1 has been completed in advance by the positioning part 76 of the second stage 74, when the transfer of the frame unit is completed, the object to be fixed 1 is positioned at a predetermined position inside the opening 5 of the ring frame 3.

[0124] Thereafter, in the region overlapping the opening 5 of the ring frame 3, the second roller 94 of the roller mechanism 92 presses the tape 7 from above. Then, while pressing the tape 7 with the second roller 94, the second roller 94 is moved in the region overlapping the object to be fixed 1.

[0125] Thereby, the tape 7 is fixed (attached) to the entire back surface 1b of the object to be fixed 1. That is, the fixing (attachment) of the tape 7 to the object to be fixed 1 and the ring frame 3 in the tape mounter 68 (S30) is completed. In the tape mounter 68, finally, the integrated object of the tape 7, the object to be fixed 1, and the ring frame 3 is carried out from the holding part 70 (S40).

[0126] As described above, also in the tape mounter 68 shown in FIG. 7, the object to be fixed 1 can be easily and precisely positioned at a predetermined position on the upper surface 70a of the holding part 70 by using the positioning part 76. In this case, since the object to be fixed 1 is precisely positioned at a predetermined position with respect to the ring frame 3, the position of the object to be fixed 1 can be easily and quickly specified in the subsequent processing of the object to be fixed 1.

[0127] Note that the present invention is not limited to the description of the above embodiments and can be implemented with various modifications. For example, in the above embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the case where the positioning portion 8 provided in the holding portion 4 of the tape mounter 2 includes the concave portion 10 (frame body 12) as a structure capable of fixing the object to be fixed 1 at a predetermined position has been described. Further, as shown in FIG. 5, the case where the positioning portion 42 provided in the holding portion 38 of the tape mounter 2 includes the columnar positioning pins (projections) 44 and 46 as a structure has been described. However, in one aspect of the present invention, the structure is not limited to these.

[0128] For example, the positioning pins 44 and 46 of the positioning portion 42 may have a shape corresponding to the outer shape of the object to be fixed 1 on the side in contact with the object to be fixed 1. For example, when the object to be fixed 1 is rectangular and has four corner portions, the positioning pins (projections) of the tape mounter according to one aspect of the present invention may be formed in a substantially L shape corresponding to each corner portion of the object to be fixed 1. And each positioning pin may be arranged at a position corresponding to each corner portion of the object to be fixed 1 placed at a predetermined position on the upper surface of the holding portion.

[0129] Explaining such a structure from another perspective, it is a structure in which the frame body 12 constituting the positioning portion 8 described in FIG. 2 is omitted except for its corner portions. However, the positioning portion may be constituted by a structure in which a part of the side portions is left in addition to the corner portions of the frame body 12.

[0130] Furthermore, in the tape mounter according to one aspect of the present invention, these structures may be movable on the upper surface of the holding portion. In this case, since the arrangement of the structures of the positioning portion can be changed so as to correspond to the objects to be fixed 1 having various shapes and sizes, the objects to be fixed 1 having various shapes and sizes can be positioned at a predetermined position on the upper surface of the holding portion.

[0131] In addition, the structure, method, etc. according to the above embodiment can be appropriately changed and implemented as long as they do not deviate from the scope of the object of the present invention.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0132] 1 Object to be fixed 1a surface 1b back surface 3 ring frame 3a surface 3b back surface 5 opening 7 tape 7a fixing surface 2,68 tape mounter 4,38,50,70 holding part 4a,38a,50a,70a upper surface 6,40,52,72,74 stage 6a,40a,52a,72a,74a upper surface 8,42,76 positioning part 10,78 recess 12,80 frame 14 base plate part 16 tape supply part 18 delivery roll 20 roller 22 take-up roll 24 cutting part 26 rotating shaft part 28 arm part 30 cutter 32 rotation drive source 34,92 roller mechanism 36,94 roller 44,46 positioning pin 48 opening 54 jig plate 54a upper surface 54b lower surface 56 jig upper positioning part 58 recess 60 frame 62 jig fixing part 64 recess 66 positioning pin 74b frame placement area 82 conveying mechanism 84 rail 86 arm part 88 support shaft 90 holding part 90a suction pad

Claims

1. A tape mounter for fixing an object to be fixed to a ring frame via a tape, comprising: a holding part on which the ring frame and the object to be fixed can be placed on an upper surface; a tape supply part for supplying the tape with the fixing surface of the tape facing the holding part; a roller mechanism for pressing the tape to fix it to the ring frame and the object to be fixed positioned in the opening of the ring frame; The tape mounter is characterized in that the holding part has a positioning part capable of positioning the object to be fixed at a predetermined position inside the opening of the ring frame placed on the holding part.

2. The tape mounter according to claim 1, wherein the positioning part is formed on the upper surface of the holding part and includes a structure capable of fixing the object to be fixed in a state where the fixed surface of the object to be fixed protrudes from the upper surface of the holding part.

3. The tape mounter according to claim 2, wherein the structure of the positioning part is a positioning pin formed on the upper surface of the holding part.

4. The tape mounter according to claim 3, wherein the positioning part includes a moving mechanism for moving the positioning pin in a direction along the upper surface of the holding part.

5. The tape mounter according to claim 2, wherein the structure of the positioning part is a recess formed on the upper surface of the holding part.

6. The structure of the positioning part is a jig fixing part capable of fixing a jig plate detachably placed on the upper surface of the holding part, the jig plate can hold the object to be fixed in a state where the fixed surface of the object to be fixed protrudes upward, The tape mounter according to claim 2, wherein the positioning part can position the object to be fixed at the predetermined position inside the opening of the ring frame placed on the holding part by fixing the jig plate holding the object to be fixed to the jig fixing part.

7. The tape mounter according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the object to be fixed is a dress member.

8. The holding part has: a first stage in which a frame unit is formed by fixing the tape to the ring frame; a second stage in which the object to be fixed is fixed to the tape included in the frame unit; The roller mechanism has: a first roller for pressing the tape against the ring frame placed on the first stage; a second roller that presses the tape of the frame unit against the object to be fixed placed in advance on the second stage; The positioning portion is provided on the second stage of the holding portion; The tape mounter according to any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising a transport mechanism that transports the frame unit from the first stage to the second stage.

Images