Soldering apparatus and method for manufacturing soldering objects

Abstract

The present invention provides a soldering apparatus that reduces temperature variations in the object being soldered, and a method for manufacturing the object to be soldered. [Solution] The soldering apparatus 1 includes a heating and cooling device 10 that heats and cools the object to be soldered W by at least one of heat transfer and thermal radiation, and a first distance adjustment device 25 that adjusts the distance between the object W and the heating and cooling device 10. The method for manufacturing the object to be soldered is to use the soldering apparatus 1 to place the object W at a first predetermined distance away from the heating and cooling device 10, heat the heating and cooling device 10, bring the object W closer to the heated heating and cooling device 10 to heat the object W, and after the object W has been heated and the solder has melted, place the object W at a second predetermined distance away from the heating and cooling device 10, cool the heating and cooling device 10, and bring the object W closer to the cooled heating and cooling device 10 to cool the solder contained in the object W.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a soldering apparatus and a method for manufacturing a soldering target object.

Background Art

[0002] In a reflow soldering apparatus, in order to reduce the size, a cooling block is disposed on the bottom surface of a processing chamber, a heater is disposed below the upper surface of the cooling block, and a plate on which a workpiece is placed is moved between a heating position and a cooling position (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] The soldering apparatus described in Patent Document 1 indirectly heats and cools a workpiece placed on a plate by heating or cooling the plate. However, temperature variations may occur depending on the part of the workpiece during heating and / or cooling.

[0005] In view of the above problems, the present disclosure relates to providing a soldering apparatus and a method for manufacturing a soldering target object that reduce temperature variations of the object during the soldering process.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] A soldering apparatus according to a first aspect of the present disclosure includes a heating and cooling device that heats and cools a soldering target object by at least one of heat transfer and thermal radiation, and a first distance adjustment device that adjusts a distance between the object and the heating and cooling device.

[0007] With this configuration, when heating and cooling the object, the temperature variation of the object can be reduced by adjusting the distance between the object and the heating / cooling device.

[0008] Furthermore, as a soldering apparatus according to a second aspect of the present disclosure, in the soldering apparatus according to the first aspect of the present disclosure, the heating and cooling apparatus may include a plate on which the object to be placed, a heater for heating the plate, a cooler for cooling the plate, and a second distance adjusting device for adjusting the distance between the plate, the heater, and the cooler.

[0009] With this configuration, the plate can be heated or cooled as needed, and the object can be heated or cooled by heat transfer or thermal radiation from the plate.

[0010] Furthermore, as a soldering apparatus according to a third aspect of the present disclosure, the soldering apparatus according to the second aspect of the present disclosure may include at least a chamber for housing at least a part of the first distance adjustment device and the plate.

[0011] With this configuration, the object can be heated and cooled under a suitable environment within the chamber.

[0012] Furthermore, a soldering apparatus according to a fourth aspect of the present disclosure may include, in a soldering apparatus according to any one of the first to third aspects of the present disclosure, a temperature detector for detecting the temperature of at least one of the object and the heating / cooling device, and a control device for controlling the first distance adjustment device to adjust the distance between the object and the heating / cooling device according to the temperature detected by the temperature detector.

[0013] With this configuration, the object can be heated and cooled while adjusting the distance between the object and the heating / cooling device so that there is virtually no temperature variation in the object.

[0014] Furthermore, a method for manufacturing a soldering object according to a fifth aspect of the present disclosure is a method for manufacturing a soldering object using a soldering apparatus according to any one of the first to fourth aspects of the present disclosure, comprising the steps of: positioning the object by a first distance adjustment device at a first predetermined distance from the heating and cooling device; heating the heating and cooling device while the object is at the first predetermined distance; and adjusting the heated heating and cooling device with respect to the object by the first distance adjustment device at the first predetermined distance The method comprises the steps of: heating the object by bringing it closer than a certain distance; after the object has been heated and the solder contained in the object has melted, positioning the object at a second predetermined distance away from the heating and cooling device using the first distance adjustment device; cooling the heating and cooling device with the object at a second predetermined distance away; and using the first distance adjustment device to bring the object closer to the cooled heating and cooling device than a second predetermined distance, thereby cooling the solder contained in the object.

[0015] With this configuration, temperature variations in the object can be reduced when heating and cooling it, resulting in an object with generally uniform soldering. [Effects of the Invention]

[0016] According to this disclosure, when heating and cooling an object, the temperature variation of the object can be reduced by adjusting the distance between the object and the heating / cooling device. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0017] [Figure 1] This is a schematic front longitudinal cross-sectional view of a soldering apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] This is a schematic partial plan view of a soldering apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 3] This is a flowchart showing the procedure for manufacturing a soldered substrate using the soldering apparatus according to the embodiment of this disclosure. [Figure 4] This graph shows the temperature variation of the circuit board during the soldering process. [Figure 5] This is a schematic front longitudinal cross-sectional view of a soldering apparatus according to a modified embodiment of the present disclosure. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0018] Embodiments of this disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, identical or equivalent components are denoted by the same or similar reference numerals, and redundant explanations are omitted. Also, the dimensions and proportions in the drawings are exaggerated for illustrative purposes and may differ from actual proportions.

[0019] First, the soldering apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to Figures 1 and 2. Figure 1 is a schematic front longitudinal section view of the soldering apparatus 1, and the hatching of the section has been omitted to avoid cluttering the figure. Figure 2 is a schematic partial plan view of the soldering apparatus 1. The soldering apparatus 1 is a device that performs soldering on a substrate W, which is the object to be soldered. The substrate W corresponds to what is generally called a workpiece (sometimes simply abbreviated as "work"), and in this embodiment, it will be described as being formed in a circular, plate-like shape (hereinafter referred to as "disk-like"). Furthermore, the soldering referred to here includes forming solder bumps on the substrate W and mounting electronic components on the substrate W having solder bumps. When forming solder bumps on the substrate W, the substrate W, on which raw solder is arranged on the surface, is heated inside the soldering apparatus 1. The raw solder then melts, and when the molten solder cools and solidifies, it typically becomes a hemispherical solder bump. When mounting electronic components onto a substrate W, the electronic components are placed on the solder bumps formed on the substrate W, and the substrate W is heated inside the soldering apparatus 1. The solder bumps then melt, and as the molten solder cools and solidifies, the electronic components are soldered to the substrate W. Thus, the soldering apparatus 1 can be one that functions as a reflow oven.

[0020] The soldering apparatus 1 mainly includes a heating and cooling device 10 and a substrate lifting device 25. Further, the soldering apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment also includes a chamber 30 and a control device 50. The heating and cooling device 10 is a device that heats and cools a substrate W to be soldered by at least one of heat transfer and heat radiation. In the present embodiment, the heating and cooling device 10 has a plate 11, a heating pipe 12, a cooling block 13, and a plate lifting device 15. In FIG. 2, these are mainly shown for the purpose of explaining the arrangement of the plate 11, the heating pipe 12, and the cooling block 13.

[0021] The plate 11 is a member on which the substrate W is placed. In other words, the plate 11 can support the substrate W placed on its upper surface. In the present embodiment, the plate 11 is formed in a rectangular flat plate shape. The surface of the plate 11 on which the substrate W is placed (hereinafter referred to as the "substrate placement surface") is formed to be large enough to encompass the entire substrate W. The substrate placement surface of the plate 11 is typically formed flat. From the viewpoint of quickly following temperature changes when heated or cooled, a carbon plate typically made of carbon is used for the plate 11. The carbon plate may be formed of graphite. Also, from the viewpoint of quickly following temperature changes when heated or cooled, the plate 11 is preferably formed as thin as possible (i.e., with a small volume) within the range where its strength can be ensured in order to reduce its heat capacity.

[0022] The heating tube 12 heats the plate 11 and is equivalent to a heater. The heating tube 12 is capable of emitting radiant energy, and in this embodiment, an infrared lamp heater (also called an "IR heater") is used. In other words, the heating and cooling device 10 transmits radiant energy to the plate 11 by infrared rays (typically far-infrared rays) emitted from the heating tube 12. The heating tube 12 has an elongated rod-like appearance, and in this embodiment, it has a round rod-like appearance. The heating tube 12 has approximately the same length as one side of the rectangle of the plate 11. Here, "approximately the same length" means not only the same length as the side of the plate 11, but also includes shorter and longer lengths than the side, within a range that can heat the entire plate 11 in the direction of that side of the plate 11.

[0023] In this embodiment, multiple heating tubes 12 are arranged at predetermined intervals below the plate 11, in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the heating tubes 12 (i.e., the direction in which the rod-shaped axis extends) and horizontally. The predetermined interval can be appropriately adjusted within a range that allows the entire plate 11 to be heated. In this embodiment, all of the multiple heating tubes 12 are arranged parallel to one pair of opposing sides of the rectangular plate 11, but they may also be arranged to extend at an angle to the sides of the plate 11. Note that the multiple heating tubes 12 do not have to be arranged parallel to each other, but it is preferable that they be arranged parallel to each other from the viewpoint of suppressing the occurrence of temperature unevenness. Hereinafter, the direction in which the multiple heating tubes 12 are arranged and intersect the longitudinal direction of the heating tubes 12 will be referred to as the "arrangement direction DA".

[0024] Each heating tube 12 may emit greater radiant energy at both ends than at the center in the longitudinal direction. The reason for adopting such a heating tube 12 is that when continuing to emit infrared radiation to maintain the heated temperature of the plate 11 after heating, if the radiation is evenly distributed in the longitudinal direction, the temperature of the plate 11 will decrease towards the ends in the longitudinal direction. By using heating tubes 12 that emit greater radiant energy at both ends than at the center in the longitudinal direction, the temperature drop at the ends of the plate 11 can be suppressed when heating to maintain the temperature of the plate 11. As a heating tube 12 that emits greater radiant energy at both ends than at the center in the longitudinal direction, a densely wound infrared lamp heater can be used, in which the winding density of the infrared-emitting filament is higher at both ends than at the center in the longitudinal direction.

[0025] The cooling block 13 cools the plate 11 and acts as a cooler. The cooling block 13 cools the plate 11 by at least one of heat transfer and thermal radiation. Here, when the plate 11 is cooled by the transfer or radiation of cold from the cooling block 13, the plate 11 is cooled by the cooling block 13 absorbing heat from the plate 11, but for convenience, it is expressed as the cooling block 13 transferring or radiating cold to the plate 11. The cooling block 13 is capable of storing cold, and typically a block of metal can be used. The cooling block 13 is often made of a material with relatively high thermal conductivity, and may be made of copper, a copper alloy, or aluminum, etc. In this embodiment, the cooling block 13 is generally formed in the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped, and one of the six faces of the rectangular parallelepiped is approximately the same size as the substrate mounting surface of the plate 11. Typically, the cooling block 13 is positioned so that the face approximately the same size as the substrate mounting surface of the plate 11 is horizontal. The upper of the horizontal surfaces of the cooling block 13 will be referred to as the "top surface." The top surface of the cooling block 13 is substantially flat, except for the portion where the heating tube 12, described below, is located.

[0026] The cooling block 13 has a function to position each heating tube 12 at its top. In other words, the cooling block 13 also has a function to position each heating tube 12. Each heating tube 12 is fixed to the cooling block 13 with its uppermost rod-shaped side aligned with or slightly below the top surface of the cooling block 13. The top surface of the cooling block 13 in the area where the heating tubes 12 are arranged typically has a notch 13N formed, which is cut out so that the upper side of the heating tube 12 is exposed. The inner wall of the notch 13N may be inclined such that its length in the arrangement direction DA increases from the bottom to the top in the depth direction of the cooling block 13. The cooling block 13 may be provided with insulating material in the area in contact with the heating tubes 12 to reduce the transfer of heat from the heating tubes 12 to the cooling block 13. The cooling block 13 has a substantially flat portion remaining on its top surface between adjacent notches 13N. The plate 11 can be cooled by heat transfer by bringing it into contact with the upper surface of the remaining cooling block 13, or by thermal radiation by bringing the plate 11 closer to it.

[0027] The cooling block 13 is typically cooled by heat exchange with a cooling fluid. The cooling block 13 has cooling fluid channels (not shown) on its surface and / or inside for the flow of the cooling fluid. If the cooling fluid channels (not shown) are located inside the cooling block 13, it is preferable that they follow a path that avoids contact with the heating tube 12 and passes near the top surface. The top surface of the cooling block 13 is cooled by the cold energy contained in the cooling fluid flowing through the cooling fluid channels (not shown) being transferred to the cooling block 13 and then conducted through the cooling block 13. From the viewpoint of improving heat transfer efficiency, a liquid is preferably used as the cooling fluid, and water, antifreeze, or other liquids suitable for the application can be used. A gas may also be used as the cooling fluid. The cooling block 13 is preferably continuously cooled by a continuous supply of cooling fluid from a cold source (not shown).

[0028] The plate lifting device 15 is a device for adjusting the distance between the plate 11 and the heating tube 12 and cooling block 13, and corresponds to a second distance adjustment device. In this embodiment, the plate lifting device 15 changes the distance between the plate 11 and the heating tube 12 and cooling block 13 by moving the plate 11 up and down. In this embodiment, the plate lifting device 15 has a plate support pin 16, a connecting arm 17, a shaft 18, and a drive source 19.

[0029] The plate support pins 16 are members that support the lower surface of the plate 11. The plate support pins 16 are formed in the shape of an elongated rod. The plate support pins 16 are arranged to extend vertically and support the plate 11 at their upper ends. The plate support pins 16 are typically fixed to the lower surface of the plate 11, but they may also be supported in a manner that simply contacts the lower surface of the plate 11. In this embodiment, four plate support pins 16 are provided to support each of the four corners of the rectangular plate 11. However, there may be six or eight plate support pins 16 to support a pair of sides of the rectangular plate 11 or the middle of each side, or there may be three or other numbers depending on the size and shape of the plate 11. Each plate support pin 16 is positioned to pass through the cooling block 13. In other words, the cooling block 13 has through holes formed therein for the plate support pins 16 to pass through. A sealing measure (not shown) is provided around the plate support pin 16 that passes through the through hole of the cooling block 13, so that the seal of the through hole can be maintained even if the plate support pin 16 moves in the axial direction (i.e., up and down).

[0030] The connecting arm 17 is a component for moving each plate support pin 16 in a synchronized manner. The connecting arm 17 is formed in the shape of a thin plate or frame, and the lower ends of all plate support pins 16 are fixed to it. The shaft 18 is a component that supports the connecting arm 17. The shaft 18 is formed in the shape of a rod, and its axis is positioned so as to extend in the direction of movement of the plate support pins 16 (vertically in this embodiment). The upper part of the shaft 18 is fixed to the connecting arm 17. The lower part of the shaft 18 is connected to the drive source 19. In this embodiment, the drive source 19 moves the shaft 18 up and down. By moving the shaft 18 up and down with the drive source 19, the connecting arm 17 and each plate support pin 16 connected to the shaft 18 also move up and down. Typically, an electric actuator is used as the drive source 19, but an actuator utilizing fluid pressure (e.g., hydraulic or pneumatic) may also be used. The plate lifting device 15, by the operation of the drive source 19, can move the plate 11 to any position (i.e., steplessly) between the lowest position in contact with the upper surface of the cooling block 13 and the highest position away from the upper surface.

[0031] The substrate lifting device 25 is a device for adjusting the distance between the substrate W and the plate 11, or conversely, the distance between the substrate W and the heating / cooling device 10, and corresponds to the first distance adjustment device. In this embodiment, the substrate lifting device 25 changes the distance between the substrate W and the plate 11 by moving the substrate W up and down. In this embodiment, the substrate lifting device 25 has a substrate support pin 26, a connecting arm 27, a shaft 28, and a drive source 29.

[0032] The substrate support pins 26 are members that support the substrate W. The substrate support pins 26 are formed in the shape of an elongated rod. In this embodiment, the substrate support pins 26 are arranged to extend vertically, and their upper ends simply contact the lower surface of the substrate W, thereby supporting the substrate W. Preferably, at least the portion of the substrate support pins 26 that contacts the substrate W is made of a material with low thermal conductivity (i.e., high heat insulation) and acid resistance, so that the contact area with the substrate W is kept as small as possible. In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 2, three substrate support pins 26 are provided, and they are positioned to support the outer circumference of the disc-shaped substrate W at equal intervals. Note that four or more substrate support pins 26 may be provided depending on the size of the substrate W to be supported. Each substrate support pin 26 is arranged to pass through the cooling block 13 and the plate 11. In other words, the cooling block 13 and the plate 11 have through holes formed for the substrate support pins 26 to pass through. The area around the substrate support pin 26 that passes through the through-hole in the cooling block 13 is sealed (not shown), so that the seal of the through-hole can be maintained even if the substrate support pin 26 moves in the axial direction (i.e., up and down). No special sealing measures are applied around the substrate support pin 26 that passes through the through-hole in the plate 11. It is preferable that the through-hole in the plate 11 through which the substrate support pin 26 passes is as small as possible without hindering the movement of the substrate support pin 26.

[0033] The connecting arm 27 is a component for moving each substrate support pin 26 in a synchronized manner. The connecting arm 27 is a component corresponding to the connecting arm 17 of the plate lifting device 15, and both are configured similarly except for modifications to dimensions, etc., necessary for application. The shaft 28 and the drive source 29 are components corresponding to the shaft 18 and drive source 19 of the plate lifting device 15, respectively, and are configured similarly to the shaft 18 and drive source 19. The substrate lifting device 25 can move the substrate W, supported by the substrate support pins 26, to any position (i.e., steplessly) between the lowest position in contact with the substrate mounting surface of the plate 11 and the highest position away from the substrate mounting surface by the operation of the drive source 29.

[0034] The chamber 30 forms a processing space 35 for performing soldering on the substrate W. The chamber 30 has a floor 31, a wall 32, and a lid 33. In this embodiment, the floor 31 is formed in the shape of a rectangular plate that is large enough to enclose the plate 11, and a cooling block 13 on which the heating tube 12 is arranged constitutes part or all of the floor 31. As described above, the cooling block 13 is positioned so that its upper surface can contact the plate 11, so at least a part of the upper surface of the floor 31 is exposed to the upper surface of the cooling block 13. When the cooling block 13 constitutes part of the floor 31, an insulating material may be inserted between the part of the floor 31 other than the cooling block 13 and the cooling block 13 so that the heat and cold of the cooling block 13 are not transmitted to the part of the floor 31 other than the cooling block 13.

[0035] The wall 32 is connected to the floor 31 by surrounding all four sides of the floor 31. If the entire floor 31 is made up of cooling blocks 13, insulating material may be inserted between the floor 31 and the wall 32. The wall 32 protrudes upward from the floor 31. The height to which the wall 32 protrudes from the floor 31 is such that the upper surface of the wall 32 is higher than the upper edge of the substrate W at its highest position during processing. The upper surface of the wall 32 is at the same height throughout its entire circumference around the floor 31. The wall 32 may be integrally molded with the floor 31, or it may be attached to a separate floor 31. In either case, there is no gap between the floor 31 and the wall 32. The floor 31 and the wall 32 work together to form a rectangular parallelepiped, with an open top surface that forms a processing space 35 inside. The processing space 35 houses a portion of the substrate support pins 26, which are components of the substrate lifting device 25, and the plate 11. In this embodiment, a portion of the plate support pins 16 is housed in the processing space 35, and the heating tubes 12 and cooling blocks 13 are visible on the upper surface of the floor body 31, so it can be said that a portion of the heating tubes 12 and cooling blocks 13 are also housed in the processing space 35.

[0036] The lid 33 covers the opening on the top surface of the rectangular parallelepiped structure formed by the floor 31 and the wall 32. The lid 33 is typically formed as a plate with the same surface size as the floor 31 but a thickness smaller than the floor 31. The lid 33 is designed to rest on the entire upper surface of the wall 32. This allows the processing space 35, enclosed by the floor 31, the wall 32, and the lid 33, to be sealed. The lid 33 is configured to be detachable from the wall 32. The attachment and detachment of the lid 33 to the wall 32 is typically performed automatically by an opening and closing device (not shown), but it may also be configured to be performed manually by an operator.

[0037] Chamber 30 may be connected, as needed, to a gas supply unit (not shown) for supplying an inert gas (e.g., nitrogen gas or argon gas) and a reducing gas (e.g., formic acid gas, gas of a carboxylic acid other than formic acid, or hydrogen gas) to the processing space 35 for processing the substrate W, and to an exhaust unit (not shown) for discharging the gas from the processing space 35 to the outside of Chamber 30. The gas supply unit (not shown) and the exhaust unit (not shown) are typically connected to the wall 32, but at least one of them may be connected to the lid 33 and / or the floor 31.

[0038] The control device 50 is a device that controls the operation of the soldering device 1. In this embodiment, the control device 50 is electrically connected to the device to be controlled by wire or wireless means, and controls the device in the manner described below by sending and receiving control signals. The control device 50 controls the operation of the heating and cooling device 10. Specifically, the control device 50 controls the temperature of the cooling block 13 by individually controlling the output of each heating tube 12 and adjusting the flow rate of the cooling fluid supplied to the cooling block 13, and controls the distance of the plate 11 to the cooling block 13 via the operation of the drive source 19. The control device 50 also controls the vertical movement of the substrate support pins 26 via the operation of the drive source 29. Furthermore, the control device 50 controls the opening and closing of the cover 33 of the chamber 30 by the operation of an opening and closing device (not shown) that opens and closes the cover 33 of the chamber 30.

[0039] The control device 50 may include at least one physical configuration of a processor 51, memory 52 (e.g., RAM and / or ROM), and storage 53. The control device 50 may also have, for example, a program in the memory 52 and / or storage 53 for properly operating the aforementioned devices, and the processor 51 may be used to execute this program. The control device 50 is typically mounted on the outside of the chamber 30, but it may also be installed at a location away from the chamber 30 to remotely operate the soldering apparatus 1.

[0040] Next, with reference to Figure 3, a method for manufacturing a soldered substrate according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. A soldered substrate is a substrate W on which soldering has been performed, and corresponds to the object to be soldered. Figure 3 is a flowchart showing the procedure for manufacturing a soldered substrate. The method for manufacturing a soldered substrate described below will be performed using the soldering apparatus 1 described above. The following description of the method for manufacturing a soldered substrate using the soldering apparatus 1 will also serve as a description of the operation of the soldering apparatus 1. When the configuration of the soldering apparatus 1 is referred to in the following description, please refer to Figures 1 and 2 as appropriate.

[0041] When the soldering device 1 is not manufacturing a soldering board (i.e., not operating), no heat is generated from the heating tube 12 and no cooling occurs in the cooling block 13. In this state, the heating tube 12 and cooling block 13 are typically at the ambient temperature of the surrounding environment where the soldering device 1 is installed (hereinafter referred to as the "ambient ambient temperature"). Also, when the soldering device 1 is not operating, typically the plate 11 is placed in contact with the upper surface of the cooling block 13, and the upper ends of the board support pins 26 are located below the board mounting surface of the plate 11.

[0042] When the manufacturing of the soldered substrate begins, the substrate W having solder is placed on the substrate mounting surface of the plate 11 (S1). When the substrate W is placed on the plate 11, the substrate W closes the holes formed in the plate 11 through which the substrate support pins 26 pass. Once the substrate W is placed on the plate 11, the lid 33 of the chamber 30 is closed. When the lid 33 is closed, the processing space 35 formed inside the chamber 30 is sealed.

[0043] Next, the control device 50 controls the plate lifting device 15 to move the plate 11 away from the cooling block 13 (S2). Specifically, it raises the plate support pins 16 to raise the plate 11 which is supported by the plate support pins 16. When the plate 11 moves away from the cooling block 13, it also moves away from the heating tubes 12 located on the upper surface of the cooling block 13. This raising of the plate 11 makes the distance between the plate 11 and the cooling block 13 (and consequently the heating tubes 12) a distance suitable for heating the plate 11 to the desired temperature.

[0044] Next, the control device 50 controls the substrate lifting device 25 to position the substrate W at a first predetermined distance from the plate 11 (S3). Specifically, the substrate support pins 26 are raised, and the substrate W supported by the substrate support pins 26 is raised, thereby separating the substrate W from the plate 11 by the first predetermined distance. The first predetermined distance is a distance suitable for raising the substrate W from ambient temperature to the temperature at which soldering is performed. The first predetermined distance may be, for example, about 0.5 mm to 10 mm, or about 1 mm to 5 mm, and is not limited to a fixed value but may have a range.

[0045] In this embodiment, for the sake of explanation, the steps are performed in the following order: placing the substrate W on the substrate mounting surface of the plate 11 (S1), separating the plate 11 from the cooling block 13 (S2), and positioning the substrate W at a predetermined distance from the plate 11 (S3). However, the order of these steps can be changed as appropriate, or two or three steps can be performed simultaneously. For example, the substrate W may be placed on substrate support pins 26 that protrude from the substrate mounting surface of the plate 11, or the plate 11 may be separated from the cooling block 13 after the substrate support pins 26 have been made to protrude from the plate 11.

[0046] Next, the control device 50 controls the heating tube 12 to generate heat from the heating tube 12 and heat the plate 11 to a first predetermined temperature (S4). In this embodiment, the first predetermined temperature is a temperature suitable for reducing the solder oxides present on the substrate W. When the heating tube 12 is activated, infrared rays are emitted from the heating tube 12, and the heating tube 12 generates heat. Since the plate 11 is far from the heating tube 12, it is heated by the radiant heat from the heating tube 12. Therefore, the plate 11 is heated almost uniformly without temperature unevenness that can occur due to the presence or absence of heat transfer depending on whether or not there is contact with the cooling block 13 on which the heating tube 12 is arranged. When the plate 11 is heated, the substrate W, which is located at a first predetermined distance away from the plate 11, can be heated by the radiant heat from the plate 11. At this time, since the radiant heat from the plate 11 is relatively small, the temperature rise of the substrate W is typically slow. Furthermore, once the plate 11 has risen to the first predetermined temperature, it is advisable to lower the output of the heating tube 12 to a level lower than that used when the temperature was raised from the ambient temperature to the first predetermined temperature, in order to prevent the temperature from rising too high.

[0047] Once the plate 11 is heated to a first predetermined temperature, the control device 50 controls the substrate lifting device 25 to bring the substrate W closer to the plate 11 (S5). This heats the substrate W to a temperature at which the solder oxides can be reduced (hereinafter referred to as the "reduction temperature"). Bringing the substrate W closer to the plate 11 includes bringing the substrate W into contact with the plate 11. In other words, the substrate W can be raised to the reduction temperature by bringing it into contact with the plate 11 or by moving it to an appropriate position. In this embodiment, since the plate 11 is heated to a first predetermined temperature with the substrate W at a distance, and then the substrate W is brought closer to the plate 11 that has been heated to the first predetermined temperature, the substrate W can be raised to the reduction temperature with substantially uniform temperature distribution. Note that substantially uniform temperature distribution means that temperature variations within a range that do not adversely affect the soldering process of the substrate W are acceptable.

[0048] In this embodiment, while there is virtually no temperature unevenness when raising the substrate W to the reduction temperature, temperature unevenness may occur when heating the plate 11 is started with the substrate W placed on the plate 11. The following points are considered to be factors that may cause such temperature unevenness. When the plate 11 is being heated, the temperature tends to decrease more easily towards the outer edge, and in this embodiment, the winding density of the loosely wound filament of the heating tube 12 is determined so that there is virtually no temperature variation when the plate 11 is held at a predetermined temperature. When the plate 11 is heated from the ambient temperature to a predetermined temperature using this heating tube 12, the temperature on the outer edge becomes higher, which can cause temperature variation. In addition, it is possible that unevenness (or bias) in contact between the substrate W and the plate 11 occurs because the plate 11 is not strictly flat, and / or because the substrate W is warped.

[0049] Once the substrate W is brought to the reduction temperature, the solder oxides present on the substrate W are reduced (S6). When reducing the solder oxides, a reducing gas may be supplied to the processing space 35 as needed. In this case, the control device 50 may control a gas supply unit (not shown) to supply the reducing gas to the processing space 35. The supply of the reducing gas to the processing space 35 may be performed at any time after closing the lid 33 of the chamber 30 to seal the processing space 35 and before the substrate W rises to the reduction temperature. Once the reduction of the solder oxides is complete, the reducing gas inside the processing space 35 may be replaced with an inert gas. In this case, the control device 50 may control an exhaust unit (not shown) and a gas supply unit (not shown) to discharge the reducing gas from inside the processing space 35 and then supply the inert gas to the processing space 35.

[0050] Once the reduction treatment of solder oxides is complete, the control device 50 controls the heating tube 12 to increase its output and heat the plate 11 to a second predetermined temperature (S7). In this embodiment, the second predetermined temperature is the temperature at which the solder on the substrate W can be melted. When the plate 11 rises to the second predetermined temperature, the temperature of the substrate W also rises accordingly, and the temperature of the substrate W becomes the temperature at which the solder melts. Soldering is performed on the substrate W as the solder melts. At this time, the control device 50 may control the substrate lifting device 25 to adjust the distance between the substrate W and the plate 11 so that the substrate W is at a temperature at which the solder melts in a desirable state. This adjustment of the distance between the substrate W and the plate 11 includes bringing the substrate W and the plate 11 into contact and bringing them closer to an appropriate position. Furthermore, after the reduction treatment of solder oxides is completed, the substrate W may be moved away from the plate 11 by a first predetermined distance or another appropriate distance using the substrate lifting device 25, and the plate 11 may be raised to a second predetermined temperature, and the substrate W may be brought closer to the plate 11 once it has reached the second predetermined temperature.

[0051] Once the solder melting is complete, the control device 50 controls the substrate lifting device 25 to position the substrate W away from the plate 11 by a second predetermined distance (S8). Specifically, the substrate support pins 26 are raised, and the substrate W supported by the substrate support pins 26 is raised, thereby separating the substrate W from the plate 11 by a second predetermined distance. The second predetermined distance may be a distance that reduces heat absorption due to radiation from the heating tube 12. The second predetermined distance may be, for example, about 1 mm to 50 mm, or about 10 mm to 40 mm, and is not limited to a fixed value but may have a range.

[0052] Next, the control device 50 controls the heating tube 12 and the cooling block 13 to stop the heat generation from the heating tube 12 and cool the cooling block 13 (S9). At the stage when the heat generation from the heating tube 12 is stopped, the plate 11 remains detached from the cooling block 13 as a remnant of the state in which the heating tube 12 was operating. The cooling block 13 is cooled by allowing the cooling fluid to flow through the cooling fluid channels (not shown) located on its surface or inside, thereby transferring the coldness of the cooling fluid to the cooling block 13, and the transferred coldness conducts through the cooling block 13, cooling the entire unit. Therefore, the top surface of the cooling block 13 is also cooled. The cooling block 13 may be cooled to a temperature close to the ambient temperature. Note that the cooling fluid may flow only when the cooling block 13 is being cooled from the viewpoint of reducing energy consumption, or it may flow continuously while the soldering device 1 is operating from the viewpoint of shortening the cooling time.

[0053] Once the cooling block 13 has cooled, the control device 50 controls the plate lifting device 15 to bring the plate 11 closer to the cooling block 13 (S10). At this time, the substrate W remains away from the plate 11. When the plate 11 is brought closer to the cooling block 13, the plate 11 is cooled by the cold heat and heat contained in the cooling block 13, and the temperature of the plate 11 decreases. At this time, it is preferable to bring the plate 11 into contact with the cooling block 13, as this allows for the transfer of cold heat and heat from the cooling block 13 to the plate 11, accelerating the temperature decrease of the plate 11. The plate 11, cooled by the cooling block 13, reaches a generally uniform temperature across its entire substrate mounting surface. Once the plate 11 is cooled, the substrate W, which is located away from the plate 11, is cooled by the radiation of cold heat and heat from the plate 11, albeit more slowly than when it is in contact with the plate 11.

[0054] Once the plate 11 has cooled, the substrate W and the plate 11 are brought closer together (S11). To bring the substrate W and the plate 11 closer together, the control device 50 controls the plate lifting device 15 in this embodiment to raise the plate 11 and bring it closer to the substrate W, but it may also control the substrate lifting device 25 to lower the substrate W and bring it closer to the plate 11. Alternatively, the control device 50 may control both the plate lifting device 15 and the substrate lifting device 25 to bring the plate 11 and the substrate W closer together. Bringing the plate 11 and the substrate W closer together includes bringing the plate 11 and the substrate W into contact. Bringing the plate 11 and the substrate W closer together can speed up the cooling rate of the substrate W and, consequently, the solder. Also, since the substrate W is brought closer to the plate 11, which has a generally uniform temperature across its entire substrate mounting surface, the occurrence of temperature unevenness in the substrate W during cooling can be reduced.

[0055] Once the substrate W and solder have cooled and the solder has solidified, the soldering is complete (S12). Since the substrate W after soldering is complete is a soldered substrate, a soldered substrate is manufactured in this process. Once the soldered substrate is manufactured, the lid 33 of the chamber 30 is opened at any time and the soldered substrate is removed from the chamber 30 (S13). This completes the manufacturing of the soldered substrate.

[0056] Figure 4 is a graph illustrating the temperature variation of substrate W during soldering. The horizontal axis represents elapsed time, and the vertical axis shows the temperature of substrate W on the left and the difference between the highest and lowest temperatures of substrate W on the right. In the graph shown in Figure 4, the highest temperature on the left side of the vertical axis is several hundred degrees, and the highest temperature difference on the right side is several tens of degrees. The temperature difference of substrate W in the graph shown in Figure 4 was calculated by measuring the temperature at 17 points on a circular substrate W and determining the difference between the highest and lowest temperatures. The 17 points on substrate W where the temperature was measured are one point at the center of substrate W, eight points equally spaced circumferentially on a virtual circle with a radius of 1 / 2 the radius of substrate W, and eight points equally spaced circumferentially on a virtual circle with a radius of 5 / 6 the radius of substrate W. The temperature of substrate W is the temperature at the measurement point at the center of substrate W. The dashed line LT represents the temperature of substrate W, and the scale on the left side of the vertical axis in Figure 4 is used. The solid line L1 shows the temperature difference in the soldering substrate manufacturing method according to this embodiment. The dashed line L2 shows the temperature difference when the plate 11 is heated and cooled with the substrate W placed on the plate 11. The solid line L1 and dashed line L2 use the scale on the right side of the vertical axis in Figure 4. As shown in Figure 4, it can be seen that the temperature variation is significantly smaller in the soldering substrate manufacturing method according to this embodiment shown by the solid line L1 compared to the case of the dashed line L2.

[0057] As described above, the soldering apparatus 1 and soldering substrate manufacturing method according to this embodiment provide the following advantages. Since a substrate lifting device 25 is provided, the substrate W can be brought close to the plate 11 (including contact) after heating or cooling the plate 11 with the substrate W separated from the plate 11, thereby reducing temperature variations of the substrate W during heating or cooling. Furthermore, since a chamber 30 is provided that accommodates the entire plate 11 and a part including the tips of the substrate support pins 26, soldering of the substrate W can be performed in a processing space 35 within the chamber 30 that has been adjusted to a suitable environment. In addition, not limited to the soldering substrate manufacturing method illustrated in Figure 3, it is easier to devise a recipe to reduce temperature variations of the substrate W during the process by appropriately adjusting the distance between the heating tube 12 and the cooling block 13 and the plate 11 and / or the distance between the plate 11 and the substrate W.

[0058] In the manufacturing method of a soldered substrate, it is preferable to pre-store the timing for bringing the substrate W and the plate 11 closer together in the control device 50. The information to be pre-stored in the control device 50 can be obtained, for example, from a temperature change profile measured using a test substrate. Alternatively, the temperature of the plate 11 and / or the substrate W may be determined during soldering, and the timing for bringing the substrate W and the plate 11 closer together may be determined based on the determined temperature. In this way, the substrate W and the plate 11 can be brought closer together at a more appropriate timing. To enjoy this effect, it is preferable to provide a temperature detector.

[0059] Figure 5 is a schematic front longitudinal cross-sectional view of a soldering apparatus 1A according to a modified embodiment of the present disclosure. Soldering apparatus 1A is equipped with a temperature detector 41 in addition to the configuration of soldering apparatus 1 (see Figure 1).

[0060] The temperature detector 41 detects the temperature of the plate 11 and / or substrate W during the soldering process. In this embodiment, a non-contact temperature detector (typically a digital radiation temperature sensor) is used as the temperature detector 41. The temperature detector 41 is typically placed outside the chamber 30, and in this case, a window material 30P that transmits infrared radiation is provided in the portion of the chamber 30 that transmits the infrared radiation emitted from the temperature detector 41. The window material 30P provided in the chamber 30 should be determined considering the wavelength of the infrared radiation to be transmitted, and for example, barium fluoride (BaF2), calcium fluoride (CaF2), or germanium (Ge) may be used. Note that the temperature detector 41 may be a contact-type temperature detector such as a thermocouple instead of a non-contact temperature detector. In this case, the wiring of the temperature detector 41 penetrates the chamber 30, and it is preferable to seal the penetration portion.

[0061] The control device 50 in the soldering apparatus 1A also has the function of receiving the temperature detected by the temperature detector 41 as a signal. Furthermore, the control device 50 stores the relationship between the temperature detected by the temperature detector 41 and the distance between the substrate W and the plate 11 in each step of the soldering substrate manufacturing process described above. Based on this stored relationship, the control device 50 controls the substrate lifting device 25 to adjust the distance between the substrate W and the plate 11 according to the temperature detected by the temperature detector 41.

[0062] According to the soldering apparatus 1A of this modified example configured as described above, the distance between the substrate W and the plate 11 can be adjusted according to the temperature of the plate 11 and / or the substrate W, so that the substrate W and the plate 11 can be brought closer together at a more appropriate timing.

[0063] The above descriptions of the soldering apparatus 1, 1A and the method for manufacturing the soldering substrate are examples illustrating embodiments of the present disclosure, and various modifications can be made, for example, as described below, as long as they encompass the gist of the present disclosure.

[0064] In the above explanation, it was assumed that plate 11 is made of carbon, but it may also be made of metal such as copper, stainless steel, or steel plate.

[0065] In the above description, the substrate support pins 26 of the substrate lifting device 25 are assumed to penetrate the cooling block 13 and the plate 11. However, it is also possible to configure the device to hold and move the substrate W from above or to the side of the cooling block 13 and the plate 11 without penetrating them.

[0066] In the above description, it was assumed that the cooling block 13 on which the heating tube 12 is provided is fixed in position, and the plate 11 moves toward and away from the heating tube 12 and the cooling block 13. However, the plate 11 may be fixed in position, and the cooling block 13 on which the heating tube 12 is provided may move relative to the plate 11, or both may be configured to move toward each other.

[0067] In the above description, the heating and cooling device 10 is assumed to have a plate 11 that supports the entire lower surface of the substrate W and a plate lifting device 15. However, the plate 11 and the plate lifting device 15 may be omitted (i.e., not provided). In this case, the substrate W is heated or cooled by the substrate lifting device 25 by approaching (including contacting) the cooling block 13 on which the heating tube 12 is provided.

[0068] In the above description, it was assumed that the upper surfaces of the heating tube 12 and the cooling block 13 are located inside the processing space 35. However, the heating tube 12 and the cooling block 13 may be placed outside the chamber 30, and the plate may be cooled or heated by radiant heat from the heating tube 12 and the cooling block 13. In this case, the portion of the chamber 30 between the heating tube 12 and the cooling block 13 and the processing space 35 should be made of a material that easily transmits radiant heat.

[0069] In the above description of the method for manufacturing a soldered substrate, if the solder reduction treatment is unnecessary, the plate 11 may be raised to a second predetermined temperature in step S4, and the substrate W may be brought into contact with or close to the plate 11 that has been raised to the second predetermined temperature in step S5. In this case, steps S6 and S7 may be omitted.

[0070] In the above description of the method for manufacturing a soldered substrate, the timing of operation of the plate lifting device 15 and the substrate lifting device 25, and the amount of movement of the plate support pins 16 and the substrate support pins 26 are examples only and are not limited to this method. The soldering device 1 can appropriately set the timing of operation of the plate lifting device 15 and the substrate lifting device 25, and the amount of movement of the plate support pins 16 and the substrate support pins 26, depending on the characteristics of the substrate W and / or the solder to be soldered.

[0071] In each of the embodiments described above, the term "processor" refers to a processor in a broad sense, and includes general-purpose processors (e.g., CPU: Central Processing Unit, etc.) and dedicated processors (e.g., GPU: Graphics Processing Unit, ASIC: Application Specific Integrated Circuit, FPGA: Field Programmable Gate Array, programmable logic device, etc.). Furthermore, the processor operations in each of the above embodiments may not be performed by a single processor, but may also be performed by multiple processors located in physically separate locations working together. Also, the order of the processor operations is not limited to the order described in each of the above embodiments, and may be changed as appropriate. Furthermore, the above program may be provided on a computer-readable non-temporary recording medium such as a USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory, flexible disk, or CD-ROM (Compact Disc Read Only Memory), or it may be provided online via a network such as the Internet. In this case, the program recorded on the computer-readable non-temporary recording medium is usually transferred to and stored in memory or storage. This program may also be provided, for example, as a standalone application software, or it may be incorporated into the software of each device as a function of that device. The program disclosed herein is available as a program product. A program product includes any form of product for providing the program. For example, a program product includes a program provided via a network such as the Internet, and non-temporary computer-readable recording media such as CD-ROMs and DVDs on which the program is stored.

[0072] In the above description, a soldering apparatus and a method for manufacturing an object to be soldered have been explained using the figures as illustrative embodiments. The configuration, structure, number, arrangement, shape, material, etc. of each part in this description are not limited to the above specific examples, and those that are appropriately selected and adopted by those skilled in the art are also included in the scope of the present invention, as long as they encompass the gist of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0073] 1. 1A soldering device 10 Heating and cooling device 11 plates 12 Heating tube (heater) 13. Cooling block (cooler) 15. Plate lifting device (second distance adjustment device) 25. Substrate lifting device (first distance adjustment device) 30 Chambers 41 Temperature detector 50 Control device W substrate (object)

Claims

1. A heating and cooling device that heats and cools the object to be soldered by at least one of heat transfer and thermal radiation, The system includes a first distance adjustment device for adjusting the distance between the object and the heating / cooling device. Soldering machine.

2. The heating and cooling device, A plate on which the aforementioned object can be placed, A heater for heating the aforementioned plate, A cooler for cooling the aforementioned plate, A second distance adjustment device for adjusting the distance between the plate, the heater, and the cooler, including, The soldering apparatus according to claim 1.

3. It comprises at least a chamber that houses at least a part of the first distance adjustment device and the plate, The soldering apparatus according to claim 2.

4. A temperature detector for detecting the temperature of at least one of the object and the heating / cooling device, The system includes a control device that controls the first distance adjustment device to adjust the distance between the object and the heating / cooling device according to the temperature detected by the temperature detector, The soldering apparatus according to claim 1.

5. A method for manufacturing an object soldered using a soldering apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, The first distance adjustment device is used to position the object at a predetermined distance from the heating and cooling device, The heating and cooling device is used in a step of heating the object while it is separated from the object by the first predetermined distance, A step of heating the object by bringing it closer to the heated heating and cooling device than a first predetermined distance using the first distance adjustment device, The process involves heating the object to melt the solder contained in the object, and then using the first distance adjustment device to position the object at a second predetermined distance away from the heating and cooling device, The heating and cooling device is used to cool the object while it is separated from the object by a second predetermined distance. The process includes a step of using the first distance adjustment device to bring the object closer to the cooled heating and cooling device than the second predetermined distance, thereby cooling the solder contained in the object. A method for manufacturing an object to be soldered.

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