Circuit board manufacturing method, program, and circuit board

Abstract

The present invention provides a circuit board manufacturing method, a program, and a circuit board that can simplify the process of manufacturing circuit boards. [Solution] The screen-type 3D printer 7 includes a screen 11 having a mesh 12 with a shape corresponding to the printing pattern. The screen-type 3D printer 7 manufactures a circuit board 1 by extruding material 10 through the mesh 12 of the screen 11 to print a pattern. The screen-type 3D printer 7 manufactures the circuit elements 13 integrally with the base material 14 of the circuit board 1 by forming at least the circuit elements 13 of the circuit board 1.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a method for manufacturing a circuit board, a program, and a circuit board.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, Patent Document 1 describes a method for efficiently mounting capacitors and resistors of electronic components on a substrate. Specifically, a 3D mounting apparatus including a rotary stage having two rotation axes and a mounting head that drives in the X direction, Y direction, and Z direction and the tip of which rotates is used to mount aluminum electrolytic capacitors and resistor chips on a three-dimensional circuit board.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, in Patent Document 1, the process of mounting electronic components on a substrate is an essential process. Therefore, there is a technical problem that it is difficult to simplify the process of manufacturing a circuit board in a method including a process of mounting electronic components after providing lands on the substrate as in the prior art.

[0005] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a method for manufacturing a circuit board, a program, and a circuit board that can simplify the process of manufacturing a circuit board.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The circuit board manufacturing method of this disclosure is a circuit board manufacturing method using a screen-type 3D printer that prints a pattern by extruding a material from a screen mesh, wherein at least the circuit elements of the circuit board are manufactured integrally with the substrate of the circuit board by forming them using the screen-type 3D printer.

[0007] The program of this disclosure provides a processor for manufacturing a circuit board by controlling a screen-type 3D printer that prints a pattern by extruding material from a screen mesh, which involves loading a slurry-like material onto the surface of the screen, moving a squeegee pressed against the screen on which the material is placed along the planar direction of the screen to allow the material to pass through the mesh to a plate positioned opposite the screen, thereby forming a layer of the circuit board on the plate, drying the layer of the circuit board formed on the plate, and cooling the layer of the circuit board formed on the plate. The program repeats loading the material, forming the layer, drying the layer, and cooling the layer to stack the layers, thereby forming at least the circuit elements of the circuit board and manufacturing the circuit elements integrally with the substrate of the circuit board.

[0008] The circuit board of this disclosure is a circuit board manufactured using a screen-type 3D printer that prints a pattern by extruding material from a screen mesh, and has circuit elements manufactured integrally with the substrate of the circuit board by laminating the material using the screen-type 3D printer. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram of a system used in a circuit board manufacturing method according to one embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a block diagram of the printing station. [Figure 3] This is an image of a screen-type 3D printer. [Figure 4] This is a schematic diagram of a screen used in a screen-type 3D printer. [Figure 5] This is a flowchart of the circuit board manufacturing process. [Figure 6] (A) to (E) are diagrams illustrating the printing process using a screen-type 3D printer. [Figure 7] This is a flowchart of the circuit board manufacturing process. [Figure 8] This is a flowchart of the circuit board manufacturing process. [Figure 9] This is an illustrative diagram of a circuit board. [Figure 10] This is a partial cross-sectional view of a circuit board including a resistor. [Figure 11] This is a partial cross-sectional view of a circuit board including a capacitor. [Figure 12] This is a partial cross-sectional view of a circuit board including a capacitor. [Figure 13] This is a partial cross-sectional view of a circuit board including a coil. [Figure 14] This is a schematic diagram of a system used in a circuit board manufacturing method in another embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] The manufacturing method of the circuit board 1 of this disclosure, the program P, and specific examples of the circuit board 1 will be described below with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, some parts of the configuration may be exaggerated or simplified for the sake of explanation. Also, the dimensional ratios of each part may differ in each drawing.

[0011] In this specification, "facing" means that two surfaces or members are facing each other, and includes not only cases where they are completely facing each other, but also cases where they are partially facing each other. Furthermore, in this specification, "facing" includes both cases where another member is interposed between the two parts, and cases where nothing is interposed between the two parts.

[0012] Note that the present invention is not limited to these examples, but is defined by the claims, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims.

[0013] (Configuration of the manufacturing apparatus 2 for the circuit board 1) As shown in FIG. 1, the manufacturing apparatus 2 for the circuit board 1 includes a printing station 3, a degreasing furnace 4, and a firing furnace 5. A plurality of printing stations 3 are provided, for example, and in this example, four printing stations 3a to 3d from the first printing station 3a are provided. One set of the degreasing furnace 4 and the firing furnace 5 is provided for a plurality of printing stations 3.

[0014] The plurality of printing stations 3 are connected in series via a conveyance path (not shown) for conveying the workpiece. Specifically, the first printing station 3a and the second printing station 3b are connected by the conveyance path, the second printing station 3b and the third printing station 3c are connected by the conveyance path, the third printing station 3c and the fourth printing station 3d are connected by the conveyance path, and the fourth printing station 3d and the first printing station 3a are connected by the conveyance path. Here, the workpiece is the unfinished circuit board 1 conveyed from the printing station 3.

[0015] The degreasing furnace 4 is a device for removing unnecessary resin components from the circuit board 1 manufactured by the printing station 3 by high-temperature heat treatment. The degreasing furnace 4 raises the temperature inside the furnace containing the circuit board 1 to remove the resin components from the circuit board 1. The temperature inside the furnace of the degreasing furnace 4 is determined according to the material 10, but is set to about 500°C to 600°C, for example. In this example, the workpiece is conveyed from the fourth printing station 3d to the degreasing furnace 4.

[0016] The firing furnace 5 is a device for firing the circuit board 1 degreased by the degreasing furnace 4 by high-temperature heat treatment. The firing furnace 5 raises the temperature inside the furnace containing the circuit board 1 to fire the circuit board 1. The firing temperature of the firing furnace 5 is determined according to the material 10, but is set to about 800°C to 1000°C, for example.

[0017] (Configuration of Print Station 3) As shown in Figure 2, the printing station 3 comprises a control device 6, a screen-type 3D printer 7, a drying device 8, and a cooling device 9. In this example, the printing station 3 manufactures the circuit board 1 using a screen-type 3D printer 7 that prints a pattern by extruding material 10 through the mesh 12 of the screen 11. The screen-type 3D printer 7 manufactures the circuit board 1 by stacking layers of the 3D printed pattern. The printing station 3 manufactures the circuit elements 13 integrally with the substrate 14 of the circuit board 1 by forming at least 13 of the circuit elements 13 on the circuit board 1 using the screen-type 3D printer 7.

[0018] The control device 6 comprises a processor 15a that controls the control device 6 and a memory 15b connected to the processor 15a. The memory 15b stores a program P for the manufacturing method of the circuit board 1. The processor 15a performs the manufacturing of the circuit board 1 by operating according to the program P. The processor 15a may be, for example, a CPU, MPU, GPU, ASIC, or a combination of two or more of these. The memory 15b may be, for example, ROM, RAM, flash memory, etc. The control device 6 is electrically connected to the screen-type 3D printer 7, the drying device 8, and the cooling device 9.

[0019] The screen-type 3D printer 7 includes a plate transport mechanism 17 for transporting a plate 16, a position detection unit 18 for detecting the position of the plate 16, a layer height detection unit 19 for detecting the height of the layer formed on the plate 16 by screen-type 3D printing, and a screen support unit 20 for supporting the screen 11. The screen-type 3D printer 7 also includes a material supply unit 21 for feeding the material 10 of the circuit board 1 onto the surface of the screen 11, and a squeegee 22 for transmitting the material 10 through the mesh 12 of the screen 11 and printing it onto the plate 16.

[0020] (Plate transport mechanism 17) As shown in Figure 2, the plate transport mechanism 17 transports the plate 16 on which the material 10 of the circuit board 1 is stacked. Specifically, the plate transport mechanism 17 transports the plate 16 to the printing position of the screen-type 3D printer 7, and after 3D printing is performed at the printing position, transports the plate 16 to the drying device 8 and the cooling device 9. In this way, the stacking of the circuit board 1 by the screen-type 3D printer 7 is performed by repeatedly transporting the plate 16 and dispensing the material 10 from the screen 11 toward the plate 16. It is preferable that the plate transport mechanism 17 also transports the plate 16 between each printing station 3.

[0021] (Position detection unit 18) As shown in Figure 2, the position detection unit 18 is connected to the control device 6 so as to be able to output a signal. The position detection unit 18 is a sensor that detects the position of the plate 16 non-contact, and for example, an optical sensor is used. The position detection unit 18 detects the position of the plate 16 during the process in which the plate 16 is transported to the printing position. In this case, the position detection unit 18 optically detects, for example, a recess (not shown) of the plate 16 that has been temporarily stopped before reaching the printing position, and outputs the detection signal to the control device 6.

[0022] (Layer height detection unit 19) As shown in Figure 2, the layer height detection unit 19 is connected to the control device 6 so as to be able to output a signal. Preferably, the layer height detection unit 19 is a sensor that detects the height of the layer formed on the plate 16 without contact. The layer height detection unit 19 detects the height of the layer formed on the plate 16 during, for example, the transport process or printing process of the plate 16, and outputs the detection signal to the control device 6.

[0023] (Positioning of plate 16 at the printing position) As shown in Figure 3, when the plate 16 reaches the printing position for 3D printing during the transport process, it is placed on the plate support base 23. At this time, the plate 16 is temporarily fixed to the plate support base 23 by a fixing mechanism (not shown) that prevents it from shifting. Specifically, the plate 16 is fitted into a groove formed in the plate support base 23 and is also attracted to the plate support base 23 by an air intake provided in the plate support base 23, thereby being temporarily fixed to the plate support base 23.

[0024] (Screen support section 20) As shown in Figure 3, the screen support portion 20 is formed in a frame shape, and the screen 11 is placed on it so that the screen 11 faces the plate 16 through the opening 20a of the frame. The screen 11 is placed on the upper surface of the screen support portion 20. The screen support portion 20 is positioned at a certain distance from the plate 16. The mesh 12 of the screen 11 faces the plate 16 without passing through the screen support portion 20. The screen support portion 20 fixes the screen 11 by a fixing mechanism (not shown) that, for example, clamps and fixes the outer edge of the screen 11 from the vertical direction Z.

[0025] The screen-type 3D printer 7 is equipped with an X-axis actuator 24, a Y-axis actuator 25, and a Z-axis actuator 26 to adjust the position of the screen support section 20 in three axial directions. The X-axis actuator 24 adjusts the screen support section 20 in the horizontal direction X. The Y-axis actuator 25 adjusts the screen support section 20 in the depth direction Y. The Z-axis actuator 26 adjusts the screen support section 20 in the vertical direction Z. For example, motors or cylinders can be used for the X-axis actuator 24, Y-axis actuator 25, and Z-axis actuator 26.

[0026] As shown in Figure 2, the X-axis actuator 24, Y-axis actuator 25, and Z-axis actuator 26 are connected to the control device 6. The control device 6 adjusts the position of the screen support 20, that is, the position of the screen 11 relative to the plate 16 placed on the plate support base 23, by controlling the X-axis actuator 24 and Y-axis actuator 25 based on the detection signal from the position detection unit 18. The control device 6 also positions the screen support 20 at a position corresponding to the thickness of the stacked layers by controlling the Z-axis actuator 26 based on the detection signal from the layer height detection unit 19.

[0027] (Material supply unit 21 and squeegee 22) As shown in Figure 3, the material supply unit 21 and the squeegee 22 are positioned above the screen 11. The material supply unit 21 dispenses a slurry-like material 10 onto the surface of the screen 11. The material supply unit 21 applies the slurry-like material 10 to the screen 11, for example, by moving along a predetermined direction relative to the screen 11. The material supply unit 21 applies the material 10 to the screen 11 while leveling it with a scraper (not shown), for example. The squeegee 22 moves the screen 11 in a planar direction while being pressed against the screen 11 to which the slurry-like material 10 has been applied, thereby allowing the material 10 applied to the screen 11 to pass through the mesh 12 and printing the material 10 onto the plate 16.

[0028] As shown in Figure 2, the material supply unit 21 is connected to the control device 6 via the drive unit 27. The squeegee 22 is connected to the control device 6 via the drive unit 28. The control device 6 operates the material supply unit 21 by controlling the drive unit 27 and operates the squeegee 22 by controlling the drive unit 28, thereby printing the slurry-like material 10 onto the plate 16.

[0029] (Drying device 8 and cooling device 9) As shown in Figure 2, a drying device 8 and a cooling device 9 are provided for each printing station 3. The drying device 8 dries and solidifies the material 10 each time a layer of the printed pattern is formed on the plate 16. Examples of drying devices 8 include devices that use infrared rays and devices that use hot air. The cooling device 9 cools the layer of the printed pattern on the plate 16 after drying. Examples of cooling devices 9 include devices that use cold air and devices that use a refrigerant. The operation of the drying device 8 and the cooling device 9 is controlled by the control device 6.

[0030] (Screen 11 mesh 12) As shown in Figure 4, the screen 11 has a mesh 12 in the center. The mesh 12 is a section in which metal wires are woven in a grid pattern, allowing the material 10 to pass through the grid-like mesh. A mesh 12 is provided for each object to be manufactured. Therefore, when manufacturing multiple circuit boards 1 at once, multiple meshes 12 are formed on the screen 11. In this example, the screen 11 has nine meshes 12 of the same shape. That is, the screen-type 3D printer 7 can manufacture nine circuit boards 1 simultaneously.

[0031] In this example, the wires of the mesh 12 are woven along the horizontal direction X and the depth direction Y. The shape of the mesh 12 is formed at an angle to the grid-like mesh. In this example, the shape of the mesh 12 is formed at an angle of 22.5 degrees to the grid-like mesh. This reduces the variation in the amount of material 10 transmitted through the mesh 12.

[0032] Next, the operation of the circuit board manufacturing method of this embodiment will be described. (Manufacturing method for circuit board 1) Figure 5 shows the printing process performed at each printing station 3. The printing process performed at each printing station 3 includes the alignment step 101, the material loading step 102, the layer formation step 103, the drying step 104, and the cooling step 105.

[0033] First, in step 101, the control device 6 performs an alignment process to align the plate 16 with the screen 11, at least in the stage prior to the layer formation process. In this example, the plate 16 is temporarily stopped during the process of being transported to the plate support base 23, and the position of the plate 16 is detected by the position detection unit 18. Then, when the plate 16 is transported to the plate support base 23 and stops at the printing position, the control device 6 aligns the screen support unit 20 with the plate 16 by controlling the X-axis actuator 24 and the Y-axis actuator 25 based on the detection signal obtained from the position detection unit 18.

[0034] Furthermore, the control device 6 adjusts the height position of the screen support unit 20 by controlling the Z-axis actuator 26 based on the detection signal from the layer height detection unit 19. Specifically, if it is the first layer to be printed, the control device 6 places the screen support unit 20 in its initial position, and if it is the second layer or later, it places the screen support unit 20 at a height corresponding to the current layer height based on the detection signal from the layer height detection unit 19. In this way, the screen support unit 20 is positioned in an appropriate location.

[0035] As shown in Figure 6(A), in step 102, the control device 6 performs a material feeding process in which slurry material 10 is fed onto the surface of the screen 11. In this example, the material supply unit 21 feeds the material 10 while moving over the screen 11. At this time, the material supply unit 21 spreads the material 10 fed onto the screen 11 while leveling it with a scraper. The discharge speed of the material 10, the amount of material 10 fed, and the movement speed of the material supply unit 21 are appropriately set to values ​​according to the properties of the material 10.

[0036] As shown in Figures 6(B) to (E), in step 103, the control device 6 moves the squeegee 22, which is pressed against the screen 11 on which the material 10 is placed, along the planar direction of the screen 11, thereby allowing the material 10 to pass through the mesh 12 to the plate 16 positioned opposite the screen 11, and performing a layer formation process to form a layer of the circuit board 1 on the plate 16.

[0037] In this example, first, as shown in Figure 6(B), the squeegee 22 is pressed against the screen 11 on which the material 10 is placed, and the squeegee 22 is used to flex the screen 11 until it contacts the plate 16. That is, the squeegee 22 flexes the screen 11 to the surface on which the material 10 will be printed. The height of the screen 11 is adjusted by the Z-axis actuator 26 according to the characteristics of the screen 11.

[0038] Next, as shown in Figure 6(C), the control device 6 moves the squeegee 22 along the planar direction of the screen 11, thereby allowing the material 10 to pass through the mesh 12 to the plate 16 positioned opposite the screen 11. As a result, the material 10 that has passed through the mesh 12 is printed onto the plate 16. In other words, the material 10 is printed on the plate 16 along the shape of the mesh 12 provided by the screen 11. The magnitude of the pressure the squeegee 22 applies to the screen 11, the angle of the squeegee 22 relative to the screen 11, and the speed at which the squeegee 22 moves are appropriately set to values ​​according to the characteristics of the material 10.

[0039] Then, as shown in Figure 6(D), the control device 6 eliminates the deflection of the screen 11 by moving the squeegee 22, which was pressed against the screen 11, upward. This eliminates contact between the plate 16 and the screen 11.

[0040] Finally, as shown in Figure 6(E), the control device 6 prepares for the next layer formation step by moving the screen support 20 upward according to the thickness of the printed material 10. This completes the layer formation step.

[0041] As shown in Figure 5, in step 104, the control device 6 performs a drying process to dry the layers of the circuit board 1 formed on the plate 16. In this example, the drying apparatus 8 dries the layers of the printed pattern formed in the layer formation process. In the drying process, the slurry-like material 10 is solidified.

[0042] In step 105, the control device 6 performs a cooling process to cool the layer of circuit board 1 formed on the plate 16. In this example, the cooling device 9 cools the material 10 that has been solidified by the drying process. That is, the cooling process cools the layer of printed pattern that was heated in the drying process.

[0043] Figure 7 shows the printing process when printing each layer by changing the printing station 3. The series of steps 101 to 105 described above are performed by transporting the plate 16 to a different printing station 3 each time the material 10 or printing pattern to be printed in the same layer is changed. Therefore, if the circuit board 1 requires multiple materials 10 or screens 11, the circuit board 1 is manufactured by performing 3D printing at multiple printing stations 3.

[0044] In step 201, the first printing station 3a performs the printing process using the material 10 and screen 11 set in the first printing station 3a. After the series of printing processes is completed, if it is necessary to replace the material 10 or screen 11 in the production of the same layer, the first printing station 3a transports the plate 16 to the second printing station 3b.

[0045] In step 202, the second printing station 3b performs a series of printing steps, similar to the first printing station 3a. From this point onward, printing is performed at multiple printing stations 3 as needed.

[0046] In step 203, the kth printing station 3k performs a series of printing processes similar to those of the first printing station 3a and the second printing station 3b. When the kth printing station 3k completes its series of printing processes, the printing process for one layer is complete. The kth printing station 3k is one of the printing stations 3 from the first printing station 3a to the fourth printing station 3d.

[0047] As described above, multiple printing stations 3 are provided for each different material 10 and screen 11. The multiple printing stations 3 manufacture circuit elements 13 by repeating a series of operations, in which, after the work assigned to one printing station 3 for the manufacture of the circuit board 1 is completed, the workpiece of the circuit board 1 is transported to the next printing station 3 to continue the work.

[0048] Therefore, when stacking layers, the printing station 3 executes the layer formation process without switching the screen 11 if the shape of the layer is the same as the previous layer. On the other hand, if the shape of the layer is different from the previous layer, the printing station 3 switches the screen 11 before executing the layer formation process. Thus, in the manufacturing method of the circuit board 1, the layer formation process includes the process of switching the screen 11 according to the shape of the layers required by the circuit board 1.

[0049] Furthermore, when the printing station 3 is stacking layers, if the material 10 used for stacking the previous layer is the same as the material 10 used for stacking the previous layer, the printing station 3 will perform the layer formation process without switching the screen 11. On the other hand, if the material 10 used for stacking the previous layer is different from the material 10 used for stacking the previous layer, the printing station 3 will switch the material 10 and the screen 11 before performing the layer formation process. In this way, if multiple materials 10 are required for the same layer, the printing station 3 will complete the formation of the same layer by switching the material 10 and the screen 11, and then move on to forming the next layer after the formation of the same layer is complete. The printing station 3 will then complete one layer by repeatedly switching the material 10 and the screen 11 and repeating the printing process.

[0050] Figure 8 shows the manufacturing process of the circuit board 1. In steps 301 to 303, the manufacturing apparatus 2 sequentially executes printing processes from the 1st layer to the nth layer, thereby manufacturing the circuit board 1 consisting of multiple layers on the plate 16. In this example, the manufacturing apparatus 2 manufactures the circuit board 1 by repeatedly performing the material input process, layer formation process, drying process, and cooling process to stack layers on the plate 16. The process of repeatedly stacking layers is not limited to being performed by multiple printing stations 3, but may also be performed by one printing station 3. In this example, it is performed by four printing stations 3.

[0051] In step 304, after all the layers of the circuit board 1 have been laminated onto the plate 16, the manufacturing apparatus 2 performs a degreasing process to remove the resin components from the circuit board 1. In the degreasing process, the degreasing furnace 4 is used to remove the resin components from the laminate after all the layers have been laminated.

[0052] In step 305, the manufacturing apparatus 2 removes the resin component from the circuit board 1 and then performs a firing process to fire the circuit board 1. In the firing process, the circuit board 1, which has undergone the degreasing process, is fired using the firing furnace 5. Through the firing process, the fine metallic particles become aggregated metal, forming the circuit board 1. This completes the manufacturing of the circuit board 1.

[0053] Next, the structural features of the circuit board 1 and circuit element 13 of this embodiment will be described. (Structure of circuit board 1) As shown in Figure 9, the circuit board 1 manufactured by the manufacturing apparatus 2 in this example has a circuit element 13 and a base material 14 that supports the circuit element 13. The circuit element 13 includes at least one of a resistor 30, a capacitor 31, and a coil 32. The base material 14 is manufactured together with the circuit element 13 by a screen-type 3D printer 7. That is, the circuit element 13 and the base material 14 are manufactured integrally by the screen-type 3D printer 7.

[0054] (Structure of circuit element 13) As shown in Figure 10, the resistor 30 has a structure in which layers of conductors 34 and resistors 35 are formed within layers of insulators 33. In this example, in the insulators 33 formed from the 1st to 5th layers from the bottom of the paper, layers of resistors 35 are locally formed in the 2nd and 3rd layers, and a pair of conductors 34 are locally formed in the 4th layer. The insulators 33 from the 1st to 5th layers form the base material 14 of the circuit board 1.

[0055] As shown in Figure 11, the capacitor 31 has a structure in which layers of conductors 34, electrodes 36, and solid electrolyte 37 are formed within layers of an insulator 33. In this example, in the insulator 33 formed from the 1st to 7th layers from the bottom of the paper, layers of electrodes 36 are locally formed in the 3rd and 5th layers, a layer of solid electrolyte 37 is formed in the 4th layer, and layers of a pair of conductors 34 are locally formed in the 2nd to 6th layers. The insulator 33 from the 1st to 7th layers serves as the base material 14 of the circuit board 1.

[0056] As shown in Figure 12, the capacitor 31 may be a multilayer capacitor 31a. The capacitor 31a has a layer of a first electrode 36a electrically connected to one of the pair of conductors 34, and a layer of a second electrode 36b electrically connected to the other of the pair of conductors 34. In this way, the circuit element 13 can also be manufactured by stacking multiple layers in the thickness direction of the base material 14.

[0057] As shown in Figure 13, the coil 32 has a structure in which layers of conductors 34 and ferrite cores 38 are formed within layers of insulators 33. In this example, in the insulators 33 formed from the 1st to 8th layers from the bottom of the paper, layers of ferrite cores 38 are locally formed in the 4th and 5th layers, and conductors 34 are formed across each layer so as to surround these ferrite cores 38. The insulators 33 from the 1st to 8th layers form the base material 14 of the circuit board 1.

[0058] As shown in Figures 10 to 13, the circuit element 13 is manufactured by stacking material 10 using a screen-type 3D printer 7, and thus has striped sections 39 between the layers. In this way, the circuit element 13 has striped sections 39 that are formed between the layers by stacking. The periphery of the circuit element 13 is covered with an insulator 33. The circuit element 13 has striped sections 39 formed by stacking multiple layers around its entire side surface. The spacing of the striped sections 39 varies according to the thickness of each layer.

[0059] (Effects of this embodiment) The effects of this embodiment will be described below. (1) The circuit board manufacturing method involves forming at least one circuit element 13 of the circuit board 1 using a screen-type 3D printer 7, thereby manufacturing the circuit element 13 integrally with the substrate 14 of the circuit board 1. Therefore, the process of mounting electronic components onto the circuit board 1 using solder is eliminated, thus simplifying the manufacturing process of the circuit board 1. Furthermore, it is possible to print with a higher resolution compared to other 3D printers such as SLA (stereolithography), FDM (fused deposition modeling), and PBF (powder bed fusion). Specifically, it is possible to print with a width of 100 μm or less, making it possible to manufacture complex circuit elements 13.

[0060] (2) Since the circuit element 13 includes at least one of the resistor 30, capacitor 31, and coil 32, the resistor 30, capacitor 31, and coil 32 themselves can be additively fabricated. In other words, there is no need to separately prepare the resistor 30, capacitor 31, and coil 32 which require mounting on a circuit board.

[0061] (3) The substrate 14 is manufactured together with the circuit elements 13 by a screen-type 3D printer 7. Therefore, the process of creating lands on the circuit board 1 is eliminated, and the process of mounting each component of the circuit board 1 is also eliminated, thus reducing the number of processes and the amount of solder. In addition, circuit boards 1 with complex shapes such as spherical or cylindrical shapes can be manufactured as needed, without being limited by existing substrate shapes.

[0062] (4) The substrate 14 and the circuit element 13 are manufactured as a single unit by repeatedly performing the material input process, layer formation process, drying process, and cooling process to build up layers. Therefore, the manufacturing time per layer can be kept relatively short. In particular, compared to stereolithography, the manufacturing time can be shortened because the laser irradiation process is not required.

[0063] (5) The layer formation process includes switching the screen 11 according to the shape of the layer required by the circuit board 1. Thus, circuit elements 13 of various shapes, and consequently the circuit board 1, can be manufactured.

[0064] (6) Multiple types of material 10 are available. If multiple materials 10 are required in the same layer, the formation of the same layer is completed by switching the material 10 and the screen 11, and after the formation of the same layer is completed, the process moves on to the formation of the next layer. In this way, a single layer can be formed using multiple materials 10 within the same layer.

[0065] (7) At least in the step prior to the layer formation process, there is an alignment step in which the plate 16 is aligned with the screen 11. Thus, the circuit elements 13 can be manufactured on the plate 16 with high precision.

[0066] (8) After all the layers of the circuit board 1 have been laminated onto the plate 16, the process includes a degreasing step to remove resin components from the circuit board 1, and a firing step to fire the circuit board 1 after removing the resin components. Thus, high-quality circuit elements 13 and, consequently, the circuit board 1 can be manufactured.

[0067] (9) The screen-type 3D printer 7 can manufacture multiple circuit boards 1 simultaneously. Therefore, the productivity of the circuit boards 1 can be improved. (10) Multiple printing stations 3, each having at least one of the screen 11 and the material 10, are provided. The multiple printing stations 3 manufacture circuit elements 13 by repeating a series of operations, where after the work assigned to one printing station 3 for the manufacture of the circuit board 1 is completed, the workpiece of the circuit board 1 is transported to the next printing station 3 (next printing station) to continue the work. This allows for the layering of multiple materials 10 and multiple screens 11, enabling the efficient manufacture of complex circuit boards 1.

[0068] (Other embodiments) The above embodiment can be implemented with the following modifications. The above embodiment and the following modifications can be combined with each other to the extent that they do not contradict each other technically.

[0069] In the above embodiment, the circuit element 13 does not need to have all of the resistor 30, capacitor 31, and coil 32; it only needs to have at least one of them. Furthermore, the circuit element 13 may be an element other than the resistor 30, capacitor 31, and coil 32, for example, a switch, a voltage source, or a current source.

[0070] In the above embodiment, the substrate 14 is not limited to being manufactured together with the circuit element 13 by a screen-type 3D printer 7. For example, the substrate 14 may not be manufactured by a screen-type 3D printer 7, but an off-the-shelf product may be used.

[0071] In the above embodiment, the layer formation process is not limited to including a process of switching the screen 11 according to the shape of the layer required by the circuit board 1, but does not necessarily include a process of switching the screen 11. In this case, instead of switching the screen 11, the workpiece may be transported to another printing station 3.

[0072] In the above embodiment, the printing station 3 may have a configuration that automatically switches between multiple materials 10. In the above embodiment, it is not necessary to prepare multiple types of material 10; only one type may be used.

[0073] In the above embodiment, the alignment step may be performed in a later stage than the layer formation step. Furthermore, the alignment step may be omitted. In the above embodiment, the degreasing step and the firing step may be performed during the manufacturing of the circuit board 1. Furthermore, the degreasing step and the firing step may be omitted.

[0074] In the above embodiment, the screen-type 3D printer 7 is not limited to simultaneously manufacturing multiple circuit boards 1, but may also manufacture circuit boards 1 one at a time. In the above embodiment, the printing station 3 is not limited to being multiple; there may be only one. In this case, the screen 11 and material 10 may be switched each time the screen 11 and material 10 are different.

[0075] In the above embodiment, the material supply unit 21 only needs to be able to apply the material 10 onto the screen 11, and may be configured to omit, for example, a scraper. In the above embodiment, the set of degreasing furnace 4 and firing furnace 5 is not limited to being provided as one set for multiple printing stations 3; either the degreasing furnace 4 or the firing furnace 5 may be provided alone, or neither may be provided.

[0076] In the above embodiment, as shown in Figure 14, each printing station 3 may be equipped with one degreasing furnace 4 and one firing furnace 5. The embodiments disclosed herein are illustrative in all respects, and the present invention is not limited to these examples. That is, the scope of the present invention is indicated by the claims, and all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims are intended to be included. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0077] 1...Circuit board, 3...Printing station, 7...Screen-type 3D printer, 10...Material, 11...Screen, 12...Mesh, 13...Circuit element, 14...Substrate, 15a...Processor, 16...Plate, 22...Squeegee, 30...Resistor, 31...Capacitor, 32...Incylinder, P...Program.

Claims

1. A circuit board manufacturing method using a screen-type 3D printer that prints a pattern by extruding material from a screen mesh, A method for manufacturing a circuit board, comprising forming at least the circuit elements of the circuit board using the aforementioned screen-type 3D printer, thereby manufacturing the circuit elements integrally with the substrate of the circuit board.

2. The circuit board manufacturing method according to claim 1, wherein the circuit element includes at least one of a resistor, a capacitor, and an inductor.

3. The circuit board manufacturing method according to claim 1, wherein the substrate is manufactured together with the circuit elements by the screen-type 3D printer.

4. A material input step of introducing the slurry-like material onto the surface of the screen, A layering step is to move a squeegee, which is pressed against the screen on which the material is placed, along the planar direction of the screen, thereby allowing the material to pass through the mesh to a plate positioned opposite the screen, thereby forming a layer of the circuit board on the plate. A drying step for drying the layer of the circuit board formed on the plate, The process includes a cooling step for cooling the layer of the circuit board formed on the plate, A method for manufacturing a circuit board according to claim 1, wherein the material input step, the layer formation step, the drying step, and the cooling step are repeated to stack the layers, thereby integrally manufacturing the substrate and the circuit element.

5. The circuit board manufacturing method according to claim 4, wherein the layer formation step includes a process of switching the screen according to the shape of the layer required by the circuit board.

6. Multiple types of the aforementioned material are available. The circuit board manufacturing method according to claim 4, wherein if multiple of the above materials are required in the same layer, the formation of the same layer is completed by switching the materials and the screen, and after the formation of the same layer is completed, the process moves on to the formation of the next layer.

7. The circuit board manufacturing method according to claim 4, further comprising an alignment step of aligning the plate with respect to the screen, at least in a step prior to the layer formation step.

8. After all the layers of the circuit board are laminated onto the plate, a degreasing step is performed to remove the resin component from the circuit board. A method for manufacturing a circuit board according to claim 4, comprising a firing step of firing the circuit board after removing the resin component from the circuit board.

9. The circuit board manufacturing method according to claim 1, wherein the screen-type 3D printer manufactures multiple circuit boards simultaneously.

10. A plurality of printing stations having at least the screen-type 3D printer are provided for each case where at least one of the screen and the material is different. The circuit board manufacturing method according to claim 1, wherein the multiple printing stations are configured such that, after the work assigned to one printing station for the manufacturing of the circuit board is completed, the workpiece of the circuit board is transported to the next printing station and the work continues, and this process is repeated to manufacture the circuit elements.

11. A processor that manufactures a circuit board by controlling a screen-type 3D printer that prints a pattern by extruding material from a screen mesh, The slurry-like material is introduced onto the surface of the screen, By moving a squeegee pressed against the screen on which the material is placed along the planar direction of the screen, the material is transmitted through the mesh to a plate positioned opposite the screen, thereby forming the circuit board layer on the plate. To dry the layer of the circuit board formed on the plate, To perform the following actions: to cool the layer of the circuit board formed on the plate, A program for forming at least circuit elements of a circuit board and manufacturing the circuit elements integrally with the substrate of the circuit board by repeatedly adding the aforementioned material, forming the aforementioned layer, drying the aforementioned layer, and cooling the aforementioned layer, thereby stacking the aforementioned layers.

12. A circuit board manufactured using a screen-type 3D printer that prints a pattern by extruding material through a screen mesh, A circuit board having circuit elements manufactured integrally with the substrate of the circuit board by stacking the material using the aforementioned screen-type 3D printer.

Images