Solder foil cutting apparatus

Abstract

To provide a solder foil cutting device capable of cutting a very thin solder foil with high accuracy.SOLUTION: A solder foil cutting device 1 includes a pedestal 2 on which a solder foil 10 is placed, and a laser irradiation device 3 which irradiates the solder foil 10 placed on the pedestal 2 with a laser to cut the solder foil 10, wherein the thickness of the solder foil 10 is less than 100 μ m, and the laser irradiation device 3 irradiates the solder foil 10 with a UV laser to cut the solder foil 10.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a solder foil cutting device. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, the most common method for cutting solder foil is a shearing process, in which the solder foil placed on a workpiece table is sandwiched between upper and lower blades to cut the solder foil.

[0003] Prior art document information related to the invention of this application includes Patent Document 1. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-14993 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In recent years, extremely thin electric wires, for example, 40 μm in diameter, have come into use. In order to solder such ultra-thin electric wires to electrodes, etc., the use of extremely thin solder foils, less than 100 μm in thickness, is being considered.

[0006] However, when cutting such a very thin solder foil by shearing, it is not easy to cut the solder foil with high precision, as the cut solder foil tends to adhere to the blade.

[0007] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a solder foil cutting device that can cut very thin solder foil with high precision. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a solder foil cutting device comprising a base for placing solder foil, and a laser irradiation device for irradiating a laser onto the solder foil placed on the base to cut the solder foil, wherein the thickness of the solder foil is less than 100 μm, and the laser irradiation device irradiates a UV laser to cut the solder foil. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a solder foil cutting device that can cut very thin solder foil with high precision. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of a solder foil cutting device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] 1A and 1B are diagrams showing a base, in which (a) is a plan view and (b) is a side view. [Figure 3] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating cutting of the solder foil. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] [Embodiment Mode] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0012] Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a solder foil cutting device 1 according to this embodiment. Fig. 2 is a diagram showing a base 2, with (a) being a plan view and (b) being a side view. Fig. 3 is a diagram illustrating cutting of a solder foil 10.

[0013] (Overall configuration of solder foil cutting device 1, solder foil 10) As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the solder foil cutting device 1 includes a base 2 on which the solder foil 10 to be cut is placed, and a laser irradiation device 3 that irradiates the solder foil 10 placed on the base 2 with a laser to cut the solder foil 10.

[0014] In this embodiment, a very thin solder foil 10 is to be cut. More specifically, the thickness of the solder foil 10 is less than 100 μm. In this embodiment, an even thinner solder foil 10 having a thickness of 10 μm or less (10 μm, 5 μm, and 2 μm) is to be cut. The solder foil 10 is composed of, for example, 96.5% tin, 3% silver, and 0.5% copper. Hereinafter, the solder foil 10 before cutting will be simply referred to as the solder foil 10, and the solder foil 10 after cutting will be referred to as the cut solder foil 11.

[0015] In this embodiment, the solder foil cutting device 1 is configured to cut the solder foil 10 to obtain a plurality of rectangular cut solder foils 11 with sides of 1 mm or less. The cut solder foils 11 may have sizes of, for example, 300 μm × 550 μm, 624 μm × 300 μm, or 624 μm × 500 μm. The cut solder foils 11 are used to solder ultra-fine electric wires, for example, with a diameter of 40 μm, to electrodes on a substrate or the like. The size of the solder foil 10 may be determined appropriately taking into account the conductor diameter and number of conductors of the electric wires to be soldered, the size of the electrodes, etc.

[0016] Because the cut solder foil 11 is very thin and extremely small, it is very fragile and prone to deformation or unintentional movement during cutting, making it difficult to collect. According to this embodiment, even when obtaining such very thin and extremely small cut solder foil 11, it is possible to suppress deformation and perform cutting with high precision, and it is also possible to easily collect it. Below, each part of the solder foil cutting device 1 will be described in detail.

[0017] (Pedestal 2) The base 2 is a base on which the solder foil 10 to be cut is placed. The base 2 is preferably made of a highly heat-resistant resin such as polyimide. The base 2 has avoidance grooves 21 to avoid the laser. In this embodiment, the avoidance grooves 21 are formed in a grid pattern vertically and horizontally to obtain rectangular cut solder foils 11. In the illustrated example, four linear avoidance grooves 21 are formed vertically and horizontally, equally spaced, and parallel to each other. This results in nine islands 22 that are rectangular in plan view (trapezoidal in side view) and surrounded by the avoidance grooves 21. The solder foil cutting device 1 is configured to obtain nine cut solder foils 11 corresponding to the nine islands 22. The length of each side of the island 22 (i.e., the spacing between the avoidance grooves 21) is adjusted appropriately depending on the length of each side of the desired cut solder foil 11.

[0018] A plurality of dross removal holes 23 are formed in the bottom surface of the avoidance groove 21 for removing dross generated when cutting the solder foil 10. As shown in Fig. 2(a), in this embodiment, the dross removal holes 23 are formed at the intersection positions of the vertical and horizontal avoidance grooves 21 and at intermediate positions between adjacent intersection positions. The dross removal holes 23 are connected to a suction unit such as a suction pump (not shown), and the dross is suctioned and removed by suction using the suction unit while the solder foil 10 is being cut.

[0019] Furthermore, in the solder foil cutting device 1, the base 2 has an adsorption unit 24 that adsorbs and fixes the placed solder foil 10. The solder foil 10 is cut using a UV laser, as described below, while the solder foil 10 is fixed by the adsorption unit 24. In this embodiment, a hole is provided in the center of each island 22 when viewed from above, and a suction unit such as a suction pump (not shown) is connected to the hole to form the adsorption unit 24. Thus, in this embodiment, the base 2 has multiple adsorption units 24 (here, nine) and is configured to obtain the same number of cut solder foils 11 as the adsorption units 24 (here, nine pieces). The presence of the adsorption units 24 prevents the solder foil 10 from unintentionally moving when the solder foil 10 is being cut by irradiating it with a laser. As a result, high-precision cutting is possible, and the cut solder foils 11 can be easily collected.

[0020] (Laser irradiation device 3) The laser irradiation device 3 is a device that irradiates a laser onto the solder foil 10 placed on the base 2 to cut the solder foil 10. In this embodiment, the laser irradiation device 3 is configured to irradiate a UV laser (ultraviolet laser) to cut the solder foil 10. The UV laser has a short wavelength and does not easily melt the solder foil 10 around the laser irradiated area, so even a thin solder foil 10, such as one less than 100 μm thick, can be cut with extremely high precision, with size variations of only a few μm, and dross is unlikely to occur. The wavelength of the UV laser is 355 nm.

[0021] The laser irradiation device 3 is disposed opposite the base 2 and includes a laser head 31 that irradiates the base 2 with a UV laser, and a drive unit (not shown) that drives the laser head 31 in a direction perpendicular to the direction facing the base 2 (the up-and-down direction in FIG. 1). While the laser head 31 irradiates with a UV laser, the drive unit drives the laser head 31 along the avoidance groove 21, thereby cutting the solder foil 11. Note that, in order to suppress the generation of dross, it is preferable to cut the solder foil 10 in a nitrogen atmosphere.

[0022] In this embodiment, the solder foil 10 is cut by repeatedly irradiating the laser head 31 with a UV laser while moving the laser head 31 at high speed. By cutting the solder foil 10 with multiple laser irradiations, deformation of the cut solder foil 11 is suppressed, and for example, corners of the cut solder foil 11 are prevented from melting and curling, making it possible to cut the solder foil 10 with higher precision. Furthermore, by cutting the solder foil 10 with multiple laser irradiations, discoloration of the cut solder foil 11 and the generation of dross can also be suppressed.

[0023] More specifically, as shown in Fig. 3, UV laser irradiation is performed while moving the laser head 31 vertically from arrow A to arrow D, and then UV laser irradiation is performed while moving the laser head 31 horizontally from arrow E to arrow H, and this constitutes one set, and multiple sets of laser irradiation are performed. Note that Fig. 3 shows a case where the laser head 31 is moved in the same direction as arrows A to D and arrows E to H, but, for example, the movement directions of arrows A and C and arrows B and D, and arrows E and G and arrows F and H may be reversed. Furthermore, to further suppress the generation of dross, it is preferable to set the interval between one laser irradiation and the next laser irradiation to 10 seconds or more.

[0024] The spot diameter of the UV laser emitted by the laser irradiation device 3 should be set appropriately to a spot diameter that allows appropriate cutting, taking into consideration the irradiation intensity and the movement speed of the laser head 31. If the spot diameter is too large, the cutting range will become too large, so the spot diameter of the UV laser is preferably 10 μm or less. In this embodiment, the movement speed of the laser head 31 is set to 1000 mm / sec, and the spot diameter of the UV laser is set to 7.5 μm.

[0025] After the solder foil 10 is cut by the UV laser, the suction by the suction unit 24 is stopped, and each cut solder foil 11 is transported, for example, by a dedicated transport device. The transport device, for example, suctions and transports each cut solder foil 11. Then, the transported cut solder foil 11 is used to solder electric wires, etc.

[0026] (Example) A solder foil 10 containing 96.5% tin, 3% silver, and 0.5% copper was used, and the solder foil 10 was cut in a nitrogen atmosphere using the solder foil cutting device 1 of the present invention. A UV laser from Physical Photon Corporation was used as the laser irradiation device 3, with the laser head 31 moving at a speed of 1000 mm / sec, a frequency of 100 kHz, a pulse width of 4 ns, and a laser spot diameter of 7.5 μm. The base 2 was made of polyimide. The thickness of the solder foil 10 was 10 μm in Example 1, 5 μm in Example 2, and 2 μm in Example 3. The dimensions of the cut solder foil 11 were 300 μm × 550 μm in Example 1, 624 μm × 300 μm in Example 2, and 624 μm × 500 μm in Example 3.

[0027] [Table 1]

[0028] As shown in Table 1, in Example 1, where the solder foil 10 had a thickness of 10 μm, the solder foil 10 was cut by repeating the laser irradiation seven times. Similarly, in Example 2, where the solder foil 10 had a thickness of 5 μm, the solder foil 10 was cut by repeating the laser irradiation four times, and in Example 3, where the solder foil 10 had a thickness of 2 μm, the solder foil 10 was cut by repeating the laser irradiation twice. In all of Examples 1 to 3, the cut solder foil 11 was in good condition without discoloration or deformation, and high-precision cutting was achieved. Furthermore, by adsorbing the solder foil 10 with the adsorption portion 24, movement of the solder foil 10 during laser irradiation was suppressed, and the cut solder foil 11 could be easily collected.

[0029] (Actions and Effects of the Embodiments) As described above, the solder foil cutting device 1 according to this embodiment cuts the solder foil 10 by irradiating it with a UV laser. This enables highly accurate cutting of extremely thin solder foil 10, such as a thickness of less than 100 μm, e.g., 10 μm or less. Unlike conventional shearing processes, this embodiment does not use a blade, eliminating the problem of the solder foil 10 adhering to the blade. Furthermore, this embodiment minimizes damage to the solder foil 10 during cutting, thereby minimizing deformation of the solder foil 10. Furthermore, the presence of the suction unit 24 prevents misalignment of the solder foil 10 before and after cutting, allowing the cut solder foil 11 to be maintained in an aligned state, making it easier to collect the cut solder foil 11.

[0030] (Variation) In the above embodiment, the base 2 is fixed and the laser head 31 is moved, but this is not limited to this. The laser head 31 may be fixed and the base 2 may be moved, or both the laser head 31 and the base 2 may be moved.

[0031] (Summary of the embodiment) Next, the technical ideas grasped from the above-described embodiments will be described by using the reference numerals and the like in the embodiments. However, the reference numerals and the like in the following description do not limit the components in the claims to the members and the like specifically shown in the embodiments.

[0032] [1] A solder foil cutting device (1) comprising: a base (2) on which a solder foil (10) is placed; and a laser irradiation device (3) that irradiates a laser onto the solder foil (10) placed on the base (2) to cut the solder foil (10), wherein the thickness of the solder foil (10) is less than 100 μm, and the laser irradiation device (3) irradiates a UV laser to cut the solder foil (10).

[0033] [2] The base (2) has an adsorption portion (24) that adsorbs and fixes the solder foil (10) placed on it, and the solder foil (10) is cut by the UV laser while the solder foil (10) is fixed by the adsorption portion (24). [1] The solder foil cutting device (1) described in [1].

[0034] [3] The solder foil cutting device (1) described in [2], wherein the base (2) has a plurality of the suction portions (24), and the cutting is configured to obtain the same number of cut solder foils (11) as the suction portions (24).

[0035] [4] The solder foil cutting device (1) according to [3], wherein the cut solder foil (11) is rectangular with one side measuring 1 mm or less.

[0036] [5] The solder foil cutting device (1) according to [1], wherein the thickness of the solder foil (10) is 10 μm or less.

[0037] [6] The solder foil cutting device (1) described in [1], wherein the laser irradiation device (3) is arranged opposite the base (2) and has a laser head (31) that irradiates a UV laser toward the base (2), and a drive unit that drives the laser head (31) in a direction perpendicular to the direction facing the base (2).

[0038] [7] The solder foil cutting device (1) described in [6], wherein the base (2) has an avoidance groove (21) for avoiding the laser, and the laser head (31) is driven along the avoidance groove (21) by the drive unit while irradiating a UV laser from the laser head (31), thereby cutting the solder foil (10).

[0039] [8] The solder foil cutting device (1) described in [7], wherein the base (2) has a plurality of dross removal holes (23) for removing dross on the bottom surface of the avoidance groove (21).

[0040] [9] The solder foil cutting device (1) according to [1], wherein the spot diameter of the UV laser irradiated by the laser irradiation device (3) is 10 μm or less.

[0041] (Addendum) Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the invention according to the claims is not limited to the above-described embodiments. It should be noted that not all of the combinations of features described in the embodiments are necessarily essential to the means for solving the problems of the invention. Furthermore, the present invention can be appropriately modified and implemented within the scope of its spirit. [Explanation of symbols]

[0042] 1...Solder foil cutting device 10...Solder foil 11...Pre-cut solder foil 2...Pedestal 21…Escape groove 22…Island 23...Dross removal hole 24...Adsorption part 3...Laser irradiation device 31...Laser head

Claims

1. a base on which the solder foil is placed; a laser irradiation device that irradiates the solder foil placed on the base with a laser to cut the solder foil, The thickness of the solder foil is less than 100 μm; The laser irradiation device irradiates a UV laser to cut the solder foil. Solder foil cutting device.

2. the base has an adsorption portion that adsorbs and fixes the solder foil placed thereon, cutting the solder foil with the UV laser while the solder foil is fixed by the suction part; 2. The solder foil cutting device according to claim 1.

3. the base has a plurality of the suction portions, The cutting is configured to obtain the same number of cut solder foils as the suction portions.

3. The solder foil cutting device according to claim 2.

4. The cut solder foil has a rectangular shape with one side of 1 mm or less.

4. The solder foil cutting device according to claim 3.

5. The thickness of the solder foil is 10 μm or less.

2. The solder foil cutting device according to claim 1.

6. The laser irradiation device includes a laser head that is disposed opposite the base and irradiates the base with a UV laser, and a drive unit that drives the laser head in a direction perpendicular to a direction facing the base.

2. The solder foil cutting device according to claim 1.

7. the base has an avoidance groove for avoiding the laser, The laser head is driven along the avoidance groove by the driving unit while irradiating the UV laser with the laser head, thereby cutting the solder foil.

7. The solder foil cutting device according to claim 6.

8. The base has a plurality of dross removal holes for removing dross on a bottom surface of the avoidance groove.

8. The solder foil cutting device according to claim 7.

9. The spot diameter of the UV laser irradiated by the laser irradiation device is 10 μm or less.

2. The solder foil cutting device according to claim 1.

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